Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. rolled out the first detailed proposals of his campaign to recapture his old job on Monday, and he focused on what should be one of the top issues in this race: how to grow Maryland's economy and create jobs.

Mr. Ehrlich is emphasizing small business creation, an excellent idea given the importance of small businesses as employment engines and the widespread perception that the state is indifferent, if not hostile, to the needs of entrepreneurs. Significantly, this is the first time this campaign has moved beyond the familiar sniping between the former governor and the current one, Gov. Martin O'Malley, and into the realm of specific ideas for leading the state.

It would be great, if only Mr. Ehrlich's specifics were a little more specific.

Mr. Ehrlich says he will propose a "Small Business Bill of Rights" but doesn't say exactly what would be in it.

He says he would explore the idea of repealing the extension of unemployment insurance to part-time workers but doesn't promise it — or say whether he would give back the $127 million in federal funds we got, in part, for offering that benefit, which costs Maryland businesses about $600,000 a year.

He says he would fight to repeal the increase in the sales tax Mr. O'Malley enacted, but he doesn't say how he would make up for the money — presumably through spending cuts or other new taxes and fees, which might or might not be bad for business.

He says he would explore creating more sales tax holidays and the idea of making state economic development officers work on commission. (Again, no promises.)

He identifies the corporate income tax, red tape in regulatory approvals and the proliferation of health insurance mandates as factors that hold back small businesses. Rather than suggesting ways to fix that, he proposes creating task forces to study the issues. Although it wasn't included in the official outline of his small business agenda, Mr. Ehrlich also floated the idea of a commission to study broader changes to the unemployment insurance system, which was changed in 2005, with his support, based on the recommendations of a commission he convened.

(On the subject of forming commissions rather than actually doing anything, it should be noted that Mr. O'Malley last year set up a task force to study small businesses, which recommended ... creating a commission to study small businesses, which Mr. O'Malley did last week.)

In fairness, Mr. Ehrlich did offer some specific proposals. He would require lower-court appeals of unemployment insurance disputes to be handled within 30 days; eliminate conflicting guidance to employers about the payment schedule for unemployment insurance; appoint "expediters" to help small businesses with state permitting; establish quarterly small business round tables; and create a "knowledge desk" staffed by MBA candidates to help entrepreneurs with market analysis and other research.

But considering that Mr. Ehrlich was governor for four years, you'd think he could muster a better answer to the big issues facing small businesses than "I'll look into it."

Of perhaps greater concern was Mr. Ehrlich's remark that he wants state regulators to be "partners, not sheriffs." Recent events (the financial collapse on a largely unregulated Wall Street and the BP oil spill — abetted by corrupt and ineffective regulators at the Minerals Management Service — come to mind) have done nothing to suggest that the problem in this country is that government regulators are insufficiently cozy with private industry. Last week, the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health administration levied a $1 million fine on an Eastern Shore poultry processor after finding 51 safety violations in an inspection conducted after a worker there was seriously injured, and that was on top of the company's nearly 200 violations during the last 12 years.

Having the state be a partner in economic development is an important goal, but sometimes you need a sheriff.