PLATTSBURGH — It was no surprise that the two candidates participating in Sunday night's 23rd Congressional District forum are not in favor of the president's proposed health-care reform plan.

Eyebrows were raised, however, when the third candidate did not show up.

Republican candidate Dierdre "Dede" Scozzafava and Conservative Party candidate Douglas Hoffman spent an hour fielding questions from the crowd of about 200 people at the event sponsored by the UNYTEA Party, a recently formed taxpayer group.

But Democrat William Owens was not there.

"I am going to be very candid and say that I am very disappointed in that," UNYTEA founder and forum moderator Mark L. Barie said.

"There's a big crowd here, and I can't think of an issue that is more important to North Country people than health care."

Barie said Owens's campaign called late Saturday and told him that Owens, a Plattsburgh attorney, would be in Oswego at an event and could not make it.

Scozzafava, an assemblywoman from St. Lawrence County, traveled three hours from her home in Gouverneur, and Hoffman an hour from Lake Placid to attend the event held at the Westside Ballroom on the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base.

The race is to decide who will fill John McHugh's seat. McHugh was confirmed as secretary of the Army last month.

During the forum, Scozzafava and Hoffman, an accountant, answered about a dozen questions about health care.

Scozzafava said several times that while rising health-care costs need to be contained, she does not see the need to totally revamp the system.

"I don't see what the rush is," she said.

"I think before we drastically overhaul the system we need to find some common ground to control costs."

Hoffman said costs for everything, and not just health care, need to be reigned in.

"That's why we need to change Congress," he said.

"We need to get our freedoms back and get spending and taxing under control."

When the issue of abortion came up, Scozzafava said that she is pro-choice and would not discriminate against anyone on the basis of income when it came to that procedure.

Hoffman said he would be against utilizing taxpayer money for abortions.

After the two candidates talked about tort reform and the need for setting reasonable limits for damages and lowering malpractice insurance costs, Barie took a shot at Owens.

"Gee, I would have loved to have a lawyer answer that question," he said looking at Owens's empty chair.

"Oh wait, he's not here."

On the issue of earmarks for local hospitals, Hoffman said he has signed a pledge to end all earmarks.

He said fixing the whole system would do more to help local hospitals than earmarks would.

Scozzafava noted that Hoffman was on the Board of Directors at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, which has received federal earmarks.

She also said she supports earmarks if they are for the public good, noting that the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base was redeveloped with the aid of earmarks.

"I won't take that pledge. Earmarks help create jobs, but they need to be transparent and totally open," she said.

With election day a month away, Barie said he would like to have another forum where candidates can field questions on any topic.

"I'd like to do that if we can because it's clear that people have a lot they want to ask."

E-mail Joe LoTemplio at: jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com