Elise Curry, Regan Tookhan, Matt Bush, Carolyn Behm, Aida Khalil (Eric Vilas-Boas)
“The economy is important to me because I have been unemployed for three years now.”
(Elise Curry of Syracuse, 42, unemployed, registered with the Independence Party)
“I work in the juvenile system. There’s a lot of people not even, what’s the word, considered, as far as health care and employment. There’s a whole community of people that aren’t covered. The school funding of public schools are funded by property taxes. So in certain areas, where there are no property taxes, what are your school systems going to look like?”
(Reagan Tookhan of Bridgeport, 30, a youth counselor at MacCormick Secure Center in Brooktondale, N.Y., unaffiliated with a political party)
“The debt’s the biggest thing, really. It all boils down to the debt, as far as I care. Barack’s thing he put on last night? Was a joke. He’s hinting at the right ideas. I think that’ll make people think that he’s working towards something beneficial for us, but I think we’re screwed.”
(Matt Bush of LaFayette, student at Onondaga Community College, Republican)
“My biggest issue is hydrofracking. I have been very actively involved with the anti-hydrofrackers. I don’t believe we should jeopardize our water and land or compromise air quality. I have an 80-acre farm. I am surrounded by people who have signed leases with Chesapeake Gas Company and certain gas companies to do this hydrofracking. I don’t believe it’s safe.”
(Carolyn Behm of Marietta, 55, courtroom deputy at Syracuse federal courts, Democrat)
“Foreign policy — which, frankly, leaves a lot to be desired. It’s problematic, it’s always been problematic. I’m Palestinian-American. I’m stuck, kind of cornered. I feel that it’s not in our best interests to be one-sided there, we really have to be more level-headed.”
(Aida Khalil, 52, associate professor at SUNY Morrisville, unaffiliated with a political party)
(Eric Vilas-Boas is a senior with dual majors in magazine journalism and English and textual studies.)
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