The Republican candidate for Allegheny County Executive laid out his plan to grow jobs and keep jobs in the region Thursday. D. Raja, a businessman and former Mt. Lebanon Commissioner, ran through a Power Point presentation of his ideas at the Etcetera Edutainment headquarters in the Strip District.

His plan includes allowing start-ups to partner with the county to "drive innovation"; having local universities craft curriculum to meet the demands of regional jobs; and embracing Marcellus Shale development in the county. Raja says he also would work with Harrisburg and municipalities to make a clearing house for businesses to "take care of the local permits, the state, federal, whatever is … companies don't want to spend a year waiting for this."

He says his opponent, Democratic candidate Rich Fitzgerald has voted for measures that are unfriendly to businesses, citing the "living wage" ordinance as an example of anti-competitive legislation.