For the first time during this election season, Cayuga County Sheriff's candidates Rob Outhouse and David Gould sat for a quasi-debate during the 2006 Candidates Forum at the Holiday Inn Thursday.

The candidates were asked questions ranging from the sheriff's office tattoo policy to endorsements on ways to address teenage driving accidents.

In respect to the new tattoo policy, requiring tattoos to be covered while on duty, Outhouse said it is common practice to have policies promoting professional and uniform appearance.

Gould said he would grandfather in current employees, allowing them to keep visible tattoos, and questioned the timing of the new policy: “(If he wanted this) he should have changed this two years ago, not after his two unions endorsed me.”

The sheriff's candidates were the last of three rounds of forums.

Earliert, congressional candidates Michael Arcuri and Raymond Meier faced off, followed by a three-person discussion involving state Legislature candidates Gary Finch, Barbara Abbott King and David Valesky. County judge candidates James Vargason and Thomas Leone also spoke.

In the sheriff's discussion, Outhouse said the new Operation Safe Child ID program, which alerts parents who are part of the program about their children's driving infractions, was a positive move. Gould also said the program should have been implemented sooner.

Outhouse said during his four-year tenure as sheriff, he brought the department's budget back into the black and increased safety.

Gould, however, said there was a serious morale and communication problem in the department and said the 19 endorsements he received, including one from the Cayuga County Deputy Sheriff's Police Association, show a desire for change.

During the discussion with U.S. Congressional candidates Michael Arcuri and Ray Meier, Arcuri focused heavily on the need for change in Washington and national issues like raising the federal minimum wage, while Meier stressed his record in the state Senate and the importance of focusing on community issues.

In response to a question regarding the Bush Administration's handling of the war on terror, Arcuri highlighted the recent intelligence report indicating the United States is less safe following the invasion of Iraq.

“I don't feel my children are any safer as a result of going into Iraq,” Arcuri said, adding that National Guard troops must be brought home so that they can provide homeland security.

Meier gave the administration mixed reviews, saying the country needed to do better with areas like port security but questioning whether it was accurate to say the war in Iraq suddenly “ticked off a worldwide terror movement.”

The discussion became heated at points, as Meier took issue with a press release sent from Arcuri's campaign office Thursday questioning Meier's judgment between right and wrong.

“(Whoever wrote the release) owes my parents an apology because they did teach me right from wrong,” Meier said.

Arcuri said the statement was intended to question Meier's judgment in not calling for the resignation of House Majority leader Dennis Hastert, following claims he mishandled a scandal involving Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla.

“Obviously, there are some people in Washington who do not know the difference between right and wrong, or they do know the difference between right and wrong, but they don't care because politics are more important to them than doing the right thing,” Arcuri said, followed by loud applause.

The forum involving candidates for the 123rd Assembly District, Gary Finch, R-Springport, and his Democratic challenger, Barbara Abbott King, was more cordial. The two candidates, along with state Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, who is running against state Assemblyman Jeff Brown, R-Syracuse, for the 49th State Senate District seat, spoke on issues ranging from redistricting to the Seneca-Cayuga tribe casino proposal in Auburn to abortion to rising Medicaid costs. Brown was not present Thursday.

Both Finch and Valesky said they supported forming a non-partisan committee to re-draw state Senate and Assembly districts in 2010, after the next census, to prevent gerrymandering.

In regards to Medicaid, Valesky said the recent expansion of the Inspector General's Office to handle Medicaid fraud would work to weed out fraud in the system. King, who said, as a farmer, does not have health insurance, called for a comprehensive, universal health care system.

All three, as well as Arcuri and Meier, said they would honor the wishes of the local community in deciding whether to support a casino - though Finch said any such proposal is a longshot.

“Realize, every star in the heavens would have to line up to bring a casino here,” Finch said.

The forum involving Cayuga County Judge candidates did not involve a question-and-answer period because of the nature of the job. But during his speech, Democratic candidate Thomas Leone said his legal and life experiences qualify him to be Cayuga County judge, which involves county, family and state Supreme court cases. As an attorney, Leone said he tried virtually ever trial in the family court system, on both sides of the dispute.

“I'm all angles with every case,” he said. “From having a family, I know first hand pressure and the outside influences that hamper our families everyday.”

Republican candidate James Vargason said he has showed during his 15 years as Cayuga County District Attorney what kind of a judge he would be.

“I have put child molesters, rapists and murders in prison,” Vargason said. “I have counseled crime victims and families in crisis.”