In a lively debate last night, Congressman Ted Strickland, D-Lucasville, and Lt. Gov. Nancy Hollister, R-Marietta, addressed their positions concerning education and transportation in Southern Ohio, as well as national issues.

This is the fifth of 14 debates the candidates have scheduled on the road to the 6th District congressional seat. It was held in the Radio Television Building and televised by Ohio University Public Television.

A panel of four media representatives for Athens County prepared and posed questions to the candidates. The panel consisted of Fred Kight of the OU Telecommunications Center, Richard Heck of the Athens Messenger, Terry Smith of the Athens News and Aaron Flicker of The Post.

The most heated portion of the debate was sparked by questions about the federal government's role in funding public education.

Strickland said historically local and state governments have shared the responsibility of funding education. However, Strickland said he does not feel the state funds education as it should.

"The federal government should step in only when there is a specific, targeted need," he said.

Strickland used the only visual aide of the evening when he held up a soot-covered rag that was used to wipe coal dust from a computer screen in a Southern Ohio classroom.

"I think the rag from the school crystalizes the problem that schools in our district are unsafe, unfit and inadequate for students," Strickland said after the debate.

He said he has used the rag in previous debates as a concrete example of the poverty problem in Southern Ohio.

Hollister said she supports the state's Dollars to the Classroom Act to provide more money for school funding. She said Ohio has begun to face the issue after years of denying neglect for the classroom.

"We're going to have to be as creative and innovative as we possibly can (on school reform)," she said.

Strickland said he did not vote for the act because, according to a letter he received from the Ohio Department of Education, it would cause schools to lose funds.

"We (Ohio) are ranked 50th out of all the states in facility conditions, yet we are the leading state in funding private schools," he said.

Transportation was another local concern the candidates debated.

Hollister said she would like to see state road money spent on finishing Appalachian highway construction first and then on the bypass in Nelsonville.

"I will fight until the day I leave office to make it happen," she said.

Strickland said he has written to the Ohio Department of Transportation for support for the Nelsonville project and has secured $3.75 million for a bypass in Nelsonville.

Shifting to a national focus, the candidates debated the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement and a bill, recently defeated by the House, which would prevent Congress from overturning trade agreements negotiated by the President.

Strickland said he strongly opposed NAFTA and the fast-track procedure because it cost Southern Ohioans jobs.

Hollister said there were no specific job losses in connection with the agreement and we must participate as a global market to see more progress and a stronger economy.