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Highlands Today

Real Leadership

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Terri Koopman

Published: October 14, 2008

Enough is enough! My 401K is losing value by the minute. My future is anything but secure despite planning and saving. Thousands of people in Highlands County have no health insurance or access to routine health care. The food pantries in our county are out of food and people are hungry. The financial markets all over the world are unstable. The stock market is a roller coaster. All of this in the last month of a presidential election campaign.

What are the candidates saying? Where is the leadership? I want to know what the next president will do to stabilize the economy, to create jobs, to reduce the deficit, to provide access to health care for the millions of Americans who are without health insurance. I have neighbors who cannot afford the prescription drugs; I am afraid to open my 401K statement.

Some months ago, I heard Sen. McCain say that he would run a campaign on issues. He pledged to avoid negative personal attacks. Obama could be more specific about his plans to fix the health care crisis, as could McCain. Both men should step up and be a voice of reason.

This is an opportunity for both of these good men to show real leadership. Americans are worried about their future. There is real fear of losing my home, my job, my health insurance, my future. It is time to stop talking about something that happened 40 years ago and start talking about real solutions to the financial crisis in America.

Stop the partisan rhetoric and get to work!

The one who speaks to my concerns, who is committed to working across party lines, who offers realistic solutions is the one who will is likely to get my vote. I urge all of us to get serious about the serious problems in our country. This is not the time for negative campaigns and mud slinging. This is the time to find ways to promote financial security and provide affordable quality health care to all Americans. If we remain divided across party lines, we will fail.

However, working together we can do anything.

Terri Koopman
Lake Placid

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