“For the majority of the population, I understand that it does sound good to have health insurance provided to everybody. But one of the things I don’t think everybody’s considered is folks like myself are gonna have to raise our prices – we have to. It’s not that I’m making money hand over fist. It’s just expensive, you know, and somebody’s got to pay for it. So who is paying for it?”
(Adam Cox, 30, of Syracuse, small business owner of “TheINKLESS” a small technological company on Erie Boulevard, Conservative Party.)
“The poverty issue and the working poor in Syracuse is a huge issue that is not being 
addressed nearly as much as we need to address it. There’s also the crime issue. But I have a feeling that if people had food in their stomach and a place to live and clothing, that some of those issues would go away.”
(Rebecca Laird, 33, of Jordan, N.Y., a pastor for “The ROAD,” a church and charity in Syracuse, unaffiliated with a political party.)
“Education standpoints… bringing in some new blood for some open ideas. We tend to 
get very politically blocked and not open minded. I believe teachers’ unions have a big issue here, not only in Syracuse but across the state and the whole countrywide as well.”
(Joel Lubel, 46, of Syracuse, an insurance underwriter with CNA, Republican)
“The whole 81 thing, that is a big issue. I guess they want to do 
a whole boulevard thing. And I did some research and I just think it’s a terrible idea because it’s going to make traffic like this about ten times worse.”
(Mikel Blodgett, 20, of Liverpool, works at Papa’s Pizzeria in Nedrow, Democrat)
“I would say the homeless. I deal with a lot of homeless in thepark. And Saturday I came down to clean and there was a girl on the bench with no shoes on or socks on. And you can’t help but feel bad for the people, you know, because you don’t know what they’ve been through or walked in their shoes.”
(Dan Perry, 43, of Syracuse, works as a trash picker for the Department of Parks and Recreation, unaffiliated with a political party)
(Ariel Levin-Waldman is a graduate student in broadcast and digital journalism.)
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