Economic issues were a dominant theme Tuesday in an Augusta debate between 12th District Democratic Congressman John Barrow and his Republican challenger, John Stone.

Mr. Stone said Congress needs to repeal the Wall Street bailout and global trade agreements, such as NAFTA, which he said have sold out the American people. He also called for tariff equalization, saying U.S. competitors need to play by the same rules.

"For any country that's importing products or we're outsourcing services to, if you're not in substantial compliance with U.S. minimum wage, OSHA, EPA, USDA, FDA, all the requirements that we put on U.S. business in terms of wage laws, workplace safety laws, environmental standards, we have to equalize in tariffs to take away the price advantage that their product enjoys over American products.

"If we do that, you're going to see a rebirth of American manufacturing jobs that are good-paying jobs and that are absorbing funds that we need to balance the budget," he said

Mr. Stone also faulted Mr. Barrow for taking campaign money from "those throwing globalization at us." He also spoke in favor of a national sales tax.

Mr. Barrow, however, blamed the Republican administration for causing the nation's current financial situation and emphasized that he does not believe in a welfare society or the redistribution of wealth, but he does see the need for government to help those who can't help themselves.

He also said each generation needs to pay its own way as it goes along.

Mr. Barrow said Republican deregulation was the main cause of the financial crisis, "with Greenspan leading the charge." The solution, he said, is to go back to the way business was done from the 1930s to the 1970s.

As for doing away with income taxes in favor of a national sales tax, Mr. Barrow said there is no way the government could raise the same amount of money off a "regressive sales tax" that it does off income taxes "without shifting a substantial part of the burden from what people earn to what they spend."

"Like most folks in the middle class, you spend everything you earn, so everything you spend is going to be subject to that tax anyway," he said.

Both candidates said they do not support a second stimulus package, and that economic growth would come from government construction, not from incentive checks to families. They also agreed on the need for election reform, financial and otherwise.

Tuesday's event, at Julian Smith Casino, was part of the AARP Georgia and the CSRA Coalition of Advocates for the Aging district forum.