Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, currently campaigning for the U.S. Senate, made a stop in Avon Lake Sept. 8, motivating volunteers who will canvass Ohio.

Mandel made the stop as part of the Republican “Buckeye Blitz” that will see volunteers go door-to-door across Ohio urging support for Republican candidates.

Prior to dispatching volunteers to canvass Northeast Ohio door-to-door, Mandel spoke to the group about his vision for Northeast Ohio including tapping the state for oil and gas and saving the Avon Lake Power Plant. 

Mandel said he would support eliminating the regulation that is partially to blame for the expected closing of the Avon Lake power plant in 2015.

Earlier this year, a spokesperson for the plant said the closing was pending “because forecasted returns on investments necessary to comply with environmental regulations are insufficient.”

“A priority of mine would be to eliminate the regulations so we could save the jobs here in Lorain County,” Mandel said. “With Sherrod Brown being a resident of Lorain County, he should be ashamed of himself for siding with the Washington bureaucrats over jobs in this part of the state.”

He also supports harvesting oil and gas in Ohio, natural resources he said could benefit the states for more affordable energy.

“We are blessed to have (oil and gas) under the state of Ohio,” Mandel said.

Tapping into those could prevent dependency on foreign oil, making the country safer, the two-time Iraq War veteran said. 

 “We need to maximixe those assets,” Mandel said adding in addition to affordable energy and  national security it could add more jobs.

More safe when we produce energy in the U.S.

“I have a vision for this portion of the state,” he said. “We could make parts for oil and gas rigs. Let’s restore manufacturing greatness in Northeast Ohio.”

Mandel said Washington needs to trim back spending as well.

“No more Wall Street bailouts,” Mandel said. “It was fiscally and morally wrong to take our taxpayer dollars and bail out Wall Street.”

He added the government needed to take a hard look at our foreign aid program, again faulting Brown’s voting record.

“I think it’s disgraceful that Sherrod Brown and others voted to give $1 billion of American taxpayer money to Pakistan. I think those dollars should be used to protect Social Security and Medicare instead of being given to foreign countries that harbor terrorists.”