18. Do you have strong political feelings? If so, do you have any idea where you got them? Or if you have no political persuasions, how come?

From: Lois Rotella

As far as my political thoughts are is complicated. I am not a one party member. I prefer to remain independent. I believe the party's are to strong and indendpent thoughts are hard to creep into them. I don't vote party but for the best candidate of my opinion.

From: Philip Harris

I was brought up as a Republican. My Grandfather Harris was the Chairman of the Warren County Republican Committee. I remember when my father came home and announced that he had voted for Franklin Roosevelt for President. I can still remember the argument my father and Grandfather had. My father was almost put out of the family. When it came time for me to register to vote, I signed up in the Conservative Party. I got really involved in Right Wing politics. I even became the Warren County Chairman and a Member of the State Executive Committee. I discovered that the party was run by big business and was anti-labor. Some of the members were not only segregationists but many were anti Semitic . I began to question why I was involved with this stuff. The LDS Church itself was extreme right wing on many things. I then joined the Republican Party. The party was run by big business leaders and lawyers. I became disillusioned and joined the Democratic Party, which is more in tune with what I believe. Working for the working people, senior citizens, health care, equal rights, education for all, raising the minimum wage, veteran benefits, Social Security, Medicare, clean air, balanced budget, keeping jobs in the US, and keeping a strong defense without a unneeded war. Needless to say my Political views have evolved from my foolish younger days. I could never vote for George Bush or be a Republican again.

From: Connie Olson

I believe I do. My family as long as I can remember have been Democrats. I was told when I was a young child that "the Dem's were for the working people and the Republicans, for the rich. "Also when their is a Republican President they always made sure the rich didn't pay their fair share of income taxes with the tax programs they vote in. And they could afford to pay more taxes. They wanted the inheritance tax to be very low so their wealth could be passed on to their families. If you look you would find many loopholes for them, especially for the businesses the wealthy own. Many big companies actually get back big refund money from the government instead of paying in taxes because of the loopholes.

My family's favorite saying was "The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer" Another one they said was about wars. "It's the Republicans who starts all our wars (Conflicts) and a Democrat who has to finishes them. That's because the rich could buy their sons out of the military service and the poor and middle class were the ones who had to go and were being killed. So they didn't worry about their sons being killed. Back then they would get their sons Gov. jobs where they didn't have to go into battle.

So now on to me. I will listen to the candidates and study the views the person has no matter what party it is, and then vote for the one who is closest to my views. I don't feel we should of gone into war with Iraq without the approval of the UN. Big mistake. People who have been over there said they didn't have near the things they needed when they were sent there it was poor planning. We are stuck in another Vietnam and are losing the cream of our young men for nothing. No weapons of Mass destruction have ever been found. We were lied too.

The money being spent on Iraq and their people would better our schools here for our children's education's. Maybe it would stop our schools from closing due to the budget cuts from the federal Government. Maybe we could have better roads, perhaps cheaper medicines for our elderly. Our economy has gone down the tubes. Mediocre jobs at minimum wage is not my idea of a good economy.

I'm still a firm believer that charity begins at home.
Today I went to the store and 2 gallons of milk cost $9.00. I feel sorry for families with young children. So what do we do, we don't buy milk and we start walking with the high prices of both. Something has to happen soon to get us on the right track again. Well off of my bandwagon, you can tell I'm not pleased with the way things are going now and I don't see any help in the near future. The priorities in Washington are not for us the American people. I wish are politicians could hear the talk in the small town cafes and see how disgusted people are.

From: James Harris

I am a member of the Apathy & Hubris Party. I don't care and I'm proud of it.

From: Connie Farrington

Political Persuasion - My Dad, H. Russell Harris, was a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, although he said in his nineties that he didn't always vote a straight party ticket if there was a better candidate in another party. I never heard him being critical of his opponents in all the years he ran for public office. He was very clear on what he stood for, very articulate on the issues (despite his grade school education in the one-room schoolhouse), and worked very hard to obtain for the people of the town of Queensbury and the County of Warren all of the things he thought would be best for them. He gave them the Queensbury school system, Adirondack Community College, all of their volunteer fire companies, Quaker Road, Pine View Cemetery, Warren County Airport, and undoubtedly many other gifts.

But politics was different back then. Now everyone seems to be clawing to tear down someone else. So I don't vote any more. (And I don't read the paper, and I rarely watch the news.) I think the worst thing to happen to politics in recent years is Rush Limbaugh whose major goal seems to be to build dividing walls of hostility. He wants to use all his clever invective to pit one group against another. This cigar-smoking, drug-using individual arouses so much anger and hate in his listeners that he seems to me to have a great deal of power that is being misused. He is certainly at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Christian goal of reconciliation. I would wish him an early retirement.

From: Jenny McMurray

The political views that I have came from the sincere desire to want to educate myself and having the hope of making a difference in the lives of my family and those around me. I read and listen to all points of views of political sides. My own religious beliefs come into play as I assess my feelings of certain views that either political side might have. I vote Republican and tend to side more with Republican views. I support President Bush and found him to be a great Governor while we were in Texas. I truly believe that educating yourself is the key to being able to make wise decisions in all aspects of your life.

From: Renee Zamora

I know I got my political view from my mother and father. They were both very conservative Republican when I was growing up. I don't really understand why my father has changed and become such a Democratic, but I still love him. I'm not a straight party person. I have voted for many Democratic and Independents. I'm not involved in politic but I do try to pay attention to the issues.

From: Brenda Olszewski

I really don't have strong political views. I do follow it and have some concerns, but am not radical at all. Dad always talks politics with Jim and Steve when I'm out and I join in sometimes but I was never that interested as they are.