Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.: It's a consequential race, obviously, because when you elect an executive, executives count. Executives impact lives. They impact business cycles, they impact the ability to create jobs in a particular state. They impact taxpayers. They impact our vision and our future. So that's the reason we have so much interest in this debate, that's why there are all the signs and bumper stickers running around, that's why all the TV commercials are running as well. Governors count. Now, we have very different views with regards to the bottom line, which is making Maryland better ,of course. Governor O'Malley has a particular view with regard to progress in our state. I have a far different view. Obviously job creation being the No. 1 issue in this campaign.
Debate transcript – O'Malley-Ehrlich
Ehrlich and O'Malley debate on Oct. 11, 2010
And the fact of it is, a lot of these commercials that you're seeing attempt to litigate the past, they attempt to litigate things about me. This is not a personality contest, folks. It's not Martin O'Malley, Bob Ehrlich. It's about you. It's not about in fact whatever 30-second attack ad happens to say this particular night, and you can see them on your airways as well. It's about us, our future, taxpayers, it's about business creation, it's about you, you count, you get to vote. We're just two guys who want to lead. It's a great honor to lead this state.
Obviously, for four years. I've loved my time in public service, in the state legislature, in the Congress of the United States, representing you as your governor. Obviously, thought I was retired, we're back. Four years ago, back again, here we go. In any event folks, we thank you, very much for watching tonight. We thank you for your interest, we thank you for your enthusiasm, we thank you for the fact that you care about this consequential race. And folks, governors count. Thank you very much for watching, I look forward to talking about the issues.
Moderator Denise Koch: Thank you Governor Ehrlich. Governor O'Malley?
Martin O'Malley: Thank you Denise, and thank you Governor Ehrlich. I want to begin by thanking the people of our state, and I want to thank the people of our state for giving me the honor of serving you in these very challenging difficult times for every family and every business in our state. But as this national recession comes to a close, our state is moving forward. We are starting to create jobs again in Maryland and we are transforming our economy through innovation and through education and we're doing it better than most states but we have a lot of important and urgent work to do.
You have a clear choice to make in this contest. It is whether we move forward to better days or whether we slip back. And I humbly ask for your support to move Maryland forward. Every decision I've made over these last difficult years has been made with one consideration only. And that is, what is best for the people of Maryland? What is best for families as they plan to protect their own futures around their kitchen table throughout our state? I have fought every battle on your side. Standing up to big mortgage companies as homeowners try to protect their homes. I've stood up to big utilities for Maryland consumers. With fiscal discipline and with decisiveness, I have cut our state spending by more than any governor in Maryland history, and more importantly, together, we have found ways to protect the priorities that allow us to make this transformation to a better, new economy. Improving schools. Investing in education. Making college more affordable for more families, making neighborhoods safer and yes, taking the strong actions that are working to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. I'm optimistic about the future, that better future that you and I have the ability to achieve for our children by moving forward. Thanks a lot.
Moderator: Thank you, governor. All right, the first topic today, and both of you have touched on it already, the most numbers of viewers' questions we got were always surrounding the topic of the economy. The economy. Budgets have been slashed and programs have been cut so many of our viewers want to know, what do you say to Marylanders who say, how are you going to stop this trend, how instead are you going to help Maryland's economy grow?
Ehrlich: This has been a big issue, Denise. We've gone around the state in small business round tables, and you know, the governor really has a big impact on the regulatory environment in your state. And the fact of it is we have some really broken state agencies that have been increasingly hostile to business and business creation in the state. We've seen the latest scandal in DLLR, for example, our so-called business regulation agency. We have the Department of the Environment, which has been increasingly hostile to job creators in the state. We have not created one net new job in the state over the past four years, Denise. And that's a real problem.
