Letters and comments for August 23, 2011

Fairgoers weigh in on issues

To the Editor:

It was wonderful to be out at the Union County Fair — meeting friends, enjoying the passing scene and admiring the creativity and industry of our neighbors. The Union County Democrats were proud to be a part of the celebration again this year. As usual, we asked fairgoers to speak out on their most important issues.

We counted 2,081 votes in our straw poll — a 50 percent increase over last year and a new record!

Here is a breakdown of the tally: Ending the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, 401 total votes, 19 percent; improving family wages, jobs and home ownership, 334 votes, 16 percent; access to quality affordable health care for all Americans, 312 votes, 15 percent; access to quality education for all Americans, 275, 13 percent; preserving Social Security and Medicare, 220 votes, 11 percent; tax fairness for people and corporations, 204 votes, 10 percent; preventing another financial meltdown and bailout, 189 votes, 9 percent; and promoting energy independence and U.S. energy jobs, 146 votes, 7 percent.

Ending the wars, improving wages and jobs and access to affordable health care top the list. I think the tally reflects weariness with wars that have dragged on for a decade and a sobering assessment of our losses in blood and treasure.

It reflects the desperate need to add family-wage jobs to our struggling economy. It reflects the concern that health care costs continue to rise far out of proportion to all other sectors of our economy.

Lots of folks came by our booth and engaged us in lively discussions. Even more encouraging was the number of people who wanted to get involved. We registered new voters and signed up new volunteers.

These are tough times and sometimes our politics seem polarized to the point of paralysis. But at the Democrats’ booth, I saw unmistakable signs that our democracy is alive and well, and ready to face challenges ahead.

Glen Scheele

Cove