Sen. Louis Blessing, R-Cincinnati, has applied to become the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, which means he would try to resolve consumer complaints against utility companies.

Blessing has pledged to be an aggressive advocate, and he's none too happy about a recent survey in Columbus Monthly that named him the state's least hard-working legislator.

The December magazine article said, "If Lou Blessing had the work ethic for it, he could become one of the more accomplished members of the Senate. He doesn't." It described him as someone who has a temper, is erratic and has "zero follow through."

Blessing blasted the assessment as being "way off base."

Robert S. Tongren resigned as consumers' counsel last month after he made a controversial $8.7 billion settlement with the northern Ohio utility company FirstEnergy. Tongren then shredded documents related to the case.

Blessing is now chairman of the Public Utilities Committee and faces term limits next year. He said the shredding incident has put the counsel's position in jeopardy, but his statehouse experience could save it.

"I've heard comments in committee like, 'Why do we need the OCC?' " Blessing said.

"I've been dealing with this subject for so long - I know the legislative process, I know the legislators."

PAY UP OR GET OUT: When Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro put a new list on his Web site last month naming people and organizations that have misspent public funds and owe money to the state, the reaction was swift.

"We publicized the names and got a $65,000 check," Petro said.

Under a new state law, state agencies must check the Web site and review the list before doing any new business with contractors. Petro said that's a huge incentive for firms to pay up.

The first check sent in was by McDonald & Co. Securities of Cleveland, along with a letter saying the company doesn't concede that it owes the state money but "the costs of contesting this matter for the taxpayers of the State and for McDonald may well exceed the amount of the controversy."

The company added that it expects the state to ensure McDonald isn't disqualified from contracting with state agencies.

In January, the list will move to the state auditor's Web site and will be operated by State Auditor Betty Montgomery, whose Web site is (http://www.auditor.state.oh.us)

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Debra Jasper (djasper@enquirer.com) and Spencer Hunt (shunt@enquirer.com) cover Columbus. Jordan Gentile contributed to this report.