Katy Bodah, Baretta Huddleston, Jeff Freeman (Kelly Kim)
“I would like the government to stop spending and start getting people jobs and helping the handicapped. I’d rather see them spend it on things they know is going to work. I don’t want them spending money on foolish things like the stimulus and that again. We don’t need it. I want them spending it on the American people themselves.”
(Jim Tyrell, 55, of Phoenix, disabled, unemployed, Army veteran, Democrat)
“Run the U.S. government more like a business and make it more, where they pay their bills and not frivolously spend their money. I think universal healthcare would be beneficial if everybody was covered, everybody regardless of whatever. If this is the money they have to take out of their taxes as opposed to paying for big soirees at the U.N. or Oscar de la Renta gowns, they should be put towards financial aid for people who need medical assistance.”
(Jennifer Harrington, 40, of Lyncourt, nurse’s aide at Crouse Hospital, not registered with a political party)
“They need to work together for the common good of this country, which is the people. They need to take care of the people. And to do that, they need to take care of health care issues, social services issues.”
(Jeff Freeman, describes himself as “about 30,” of Clay, building engineer at the University Sheraton)
“Lower my taxes and stop blaming everything on the lower-class people for Medicaid and Social Security where people depend on it. They are not helping us, they are taking it away. I have less money in my paycheck. When it comes to groceries or light bills, you got to toss up what comes first.”
(Katy Bodah, 52, of Mattydale, cook at the University Sheraton, Democrat)
“Too many taxes — they are too high. I’m being taxed so hard on my check. I’m bringing home less than half of my check. I work eight hours, 40 hours a week, and I’m not bringing nothing home. And I got to think about also what am I going to do. I’m 46 years old. If I decide to retire in the next nine years, where am I going to get the money from? There’s no money for us. We are stuck with nothing.”
(Baretta Huddleston, 46, of Syracuse, works at linen services at the Upstate University Hospital and delivers clean linen to the floors, Democrat)
(Kelly Kim is a senior with dual majors in broadcast journalism and international relations.)
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