SOUTH PORTLAND – The state’s first gubernatorial debate drew a medium-sized crowd Monday for a less-than-ample slate of candidates who traded viewpoints on Maine’s economy.

Three independents, two Republicans, one Democrat and one Green Independent Party candidate attended, leaving nine others who have registered with the state Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices for the Blaine House race in the “no show” column. Among the higher profile candidates who did not participate in Monday’s debate were Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, Republican state Sen. Chandler Woodcock of Farmington, and independent state Rep. Barbara Merrill of Appleton.

“We invited everyone and these are the people who decided to come,” said John O’Dea, a former state legislator from Richmond who moderated the debate.

“One of the great things about Maine politics is that anybody who wants to can throw their hat in the ring and run and we’re blessed to have so many people who are willing to do it,” he said.

Baldacci was scheduled to participate in several bill signing ceremonies and other activities at the State House on Monday and was unable to attend the debate, according to Jesse Connolly, the governor’s campaign manager.

“When his schedule permits, the governor plans to be available for these events,” Connolly said.

Sponsored by the Portland Regional Chamber and the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service, the 90-minute event was attended by about 120 people who paid $16 each to get their first collective look at gubernatorial candidates: state Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville; former Republican Congressman David Emery of Tenants Harbor; Christopher Miller, a Democrat from Gray and Internet service provider; and Pat LaMarche of Yarmouth, a Green Independent Party member and former gubernatorial candidate. Also attending Monday were three unenrolled or independent candidates: Shawn Loura, a Portland conservative activist; Alex Hammer, a Bangor Web site publisher; and Jeffrey Sanborn, a safety manager from Gray.

The program relied heavily on “lightning rounds” requiring “yes” or “no” answers to a variety of issues including tax policy and moose hunting. But one question did allow the candidates to elaborate on an issue of concern to all Mainers: the state’s economy. Moderator O’Dea asked the political hopefuls to name one thing they would do as governor to improve Maine’s current economic situation.

Without hesitation, Mills said his cumulative 12 years in the Legislature had convinced him Maine could no longer continue to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain its current operational strategy. The largest state agency with 4,000 employees has weathered its share of criticism for failing to pay health care providers on time, mismanaging state and federal funds, and poorly administering social service programs.

“If this state cannot get its own house in order, why would a business person want to invest in the enterprise of this state and become part of the economy?” Mills said. “I would have a team of people with business-related experience step in and take charge of this unfortunate, dysfunctioning agency and bring business methods to bear on making state government look good.”

Emery, one of Mills’ opponents in the GOP primary, said the state can’t get on a sound financial footing until it gets its financial house in order. He pledged to order a comprehensive state audit right down to the boxes of “paper clips in the governor’s desk drawer.” With that information in hand, Emery said he would create a business plan for the state.

“It would incorporate a vision or plan for the next 10 years and beyond so we would know how to pay down long-term debt that we’ve accrued and then we will know where we’re going to invest our tax money and how it will work to our advantage,” he said. “We need fundamental accountability reform, so that when we identify a problem at DHHS, where $31 million is unaccounted for, we can fix the problem so it won’t happen again.”

Miller said he would “devolve state government” by cutting its size by three-quarters and transfer all of its “resources, taxing authority and power” to local and county governments. He said political authority has become centralized in Maine to the point where “every bit of power has been sucked up to Augusta.”

“Right now Maine is exporting energy and exporting water and that really should be a community decision with community co-ops running our energy systems and our health care,” Miller said. “We can’t keep centralizing everything – we’ve got to give it back to the lowest possible unit which is the citizen.”

A new invigorated and refocused emphasis on tourism is how Sanborn would jump-start the state’s economy. More out-of-state advertising portraying the state as a vacation destination, he said, will create a better economic outlook for all Mainers.

“If we can get people to come to Maine and spend their dollars here instead of going to other places, that would improve our economy greatly,” he said.

Hammer said Maine must benefit – rather than be diminished by – “the hyper-competitive, information-rich global economy.” By allowing the private sector to lead, rather than government, Hammer said Maine could inventory its resources and determine its strengths and weaknesses.

“Maine cannot afford to waste its resources, we have to be very stringent and strict as to where we put our money,” he said. “We have to coordinate our resources in a way that can penetrate these global markets and we’ll have to be very sophisticated in what we do.”

LaMarche pointed to health care reform and education as the basis of her twin-pronged economic strategy. She said that without adequate health care programs or a properly educated work force, businesses won’t come to Maine and people won’t stay in Maine to work.

“We’re not producing educated people that businesses need to hire,” LaMarche said. “We’re not going to start making plastic dolls again and we’re not going to be making shoes anymore. We have to look at what people are really looking for and that’s an educated work force.”

Loura, who said he would favor a strong constitutional approach as governor, would eliminate government regulations on businesses, eliminate direct taxation, and “do away with the public sector and bring back the private sector.”

“As a person of my standing who is below the poverty level – partly because of my own personal choices and I take full responsibility for that – I would like to see [a private sector economy] so that businesses could produce more and provide a better income for all and profit more,” he said.

The remaining gubernatorial candidates still listed on the state Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions Web site as of Monday, though some may no longer be active, are: Robert Bizier, a Democrat from Albion; J. Martin Vachon, a Republican from Mariaville; Bruce Coyne, unenrolled, West Kennebunk; John Jenkins, unenrolled, Lewiston; David John Jones, unenrolled, Falmouth; John Michael, unenrolled, Auburn; and Nancy Oden, unenrolled, Jonesboro.