Attorney General candidate Scott Rolle may be behind in the polls, but the Republican was clearly a favorite during a political forum at a Maryland Chamber of Commerce forum in Annapolis on Tuesday.
The Frederick County state?s attorney sided with conservative business owners on almost every issue presented by chamber members, leaving Democratic challenger Doug Gansler ? who has nearly a double-digit lead in the most recent polls ? to acknowledge distinct policy differences.
Rolle called Maryland unfriendly to business and said, if elected in November, he wants to hold the state to the same regulations as private companies.
“I think we would see less of them,” Rolle said. “And that?s what it?s all about ? less, not more.”
Gansler, the top prosecutor in Montgomery County, said the attorney general?s office is about prosecution ? not making sure buses run on time. He also said the government can and should prosecute corporations, like the tobacco industry, when appropriate.
Rolle called the practice “reprehensible.”
“It?s like McDonald?s getting sued for obesity,” he said. “Trying to blame a company for a global problem makes no sense. I?m sure it makes headlines, but it makes no sense for business.”
Rolle took a firmer stance against price controls and advocated a free utility market.
Gansler called price controls an issue for lawmakers and said, as attorney general, he would advocate for rate payers.
“You have to be mindful of the power the utility companies have over people and be mindful of the prices, which have gone up,” Gansler said. “It is difficult for people to pay their bills.”
Gansler?s campaign had more than $1 million cash on hand in September, compared to Rolle?s $70,000, according their most recent state finance reports.
Both candidates identified gangs and Internet predators as top priorities. Rolle also said he wants to abolish parole for child sex offenders and target identity thieves.
Gansler named pollution crimes and consumer protection as his other initiatives.
