A candidate debate Tuesday night gave Coles County residents the opportunity to see six candidates up for election in November past what they show in television ads.

The candidates discussed the issues that are most important to them and fielded questions from the audience.

Candidates for the 15th Congressional District Democrat Joshua Hartke and Green Party candidate Carl Estabrook were on hand as well as Republican Chapin Rose and Democrat John Hayden running for state house representative in the 110th District and Democrat Steve Thomas and Republican Dale Righter for the 55th Senate District.

Republican candidate for the 15th Congressional District Timothy Johnson was not able to make the debate.

Issues discussed at the two-hour forum in the Cross County Mall in Mattoon included health care, property taxes, social security, jobs, minimum wage, higher education and the environment among others.

As far as higher education, in the second part of the forum which included Rose, Hayden, Righter and Thomas, all candidates agreed that funding for higher education is a top priority and needs to be addressed properly in next year’s budget.

Righter pointed out currently under this year’s budget, college students are unable to receive funds through the state’s Monetary Assistance Program, or MAP grants, for their fifth year in school.

Moreover, most students who are working to obtain a teaching certificate attend school for five years and thus need assistance that has been cut. With the continual teacher shortage in our state, Righter said making fifth-year funding available for college students would be first on his list if elected.

Tying in with education, Rose said one of his top priorities is attracting more business to the county and since education plays such a role in providing jobs the county with Lake Land Community College and Eastern it is important to keep continual funding for education.

“Education is the top business sector in the district,” Rose said. “Without that there’s not much left.”

Thomas also agreed with the candidate’s thoughts on higher education and the need for more funding.

“I think you’re just undercutting people who’ve worked hard and discouraging them,” Thomas said.

On another note, Thomas placed funding for the mentally ill and people with addictions on his highest priority. His debate surrounded the fact that more funding is needed to help these people.

“Help people who can’t help themselves,” Thomas said.

Hayden elaborated on the ongoing struggle with attracting more business to the area by saying that not only are jobs needed in the county, but manufacturing jobs; jobs that are similar to the population and its agriculturally dense area.

“We can’t trade manufacturing jobs for retail jobs,” Hayden said.

Estabrook and Hartke also debated on similar issues. Estabrook, who is the first Green Party candidate running for the position, voiced strong views against the war on Iraq.

The war, he said, is an attempt by the Bush administration to turn the public’s heads away from issues, like the economy, that are suffering.

“The war is vicious, illegal aggression,” Estabrook said. “September 11 was the best thing that happened to the Bush administration – another excuse to extend American military force around the world.”

Hartke also added that the government needs to “get involved and be realistic,” with Iraq and the weapons it may or may not have.

Hartke and Estabrook also spoke of health care in which they agreed everyone needs to have, no excuses.

“We are rich enough and wealthy enough country that everybody should get health care,” Hartke said.