Dear President: What local people want from the next president

On Tuesday Americans will pick a new president after one of the most contentious, bitter elections in memory. Now that it’s over, we wanted to hear what people in the region want from their new leader, so we posed this question: If you had a chance to sit down and talk to the president-elect, what would you say?

Lori Gevedon, Butler Twp.

“I would tell them to put education first for all children, birth through high school and college. Education is the most important thing for our country.”

Ron Porter, 70, West Chester Twp.

“If Clinton wins I would strongly suggest that she reduce government spending. I think it’s out of hand right now. There’s a lot of bureaucracy in Washington and the taxes are getting higher. I just don’t want them to get any higher. I want them to get lower. If Mr. Trump were to win, I would say my concern is can he work with the Congress and if he does (win), just be careful before you make any rash decisions.”

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Drew Fannin, 17, Kettering

“ I would want the person’s priority to be an economic plan for getting us out of debt. I wouldn’t want to see any trickle-down economics. I would want to see our whole economy rewritten, in a sense. I know that will be hard to do and certainly not done in four years, but over time maybe a new plan would be better.”

Teddy Phillips, 37, Brookville

“I’d like to know the focus on jobs, preferably higher paying jobs, not insult, slap in your face eight-, nine-dollar-an-hour jobs, but the actual lucrative high-paying manufacturing jobs that you could actually achieve the American dream in, which is not happening right now. I’m also concerned about vetting of the refugees who you are letting into this country. We don’t have to close our borders completely, but at least give half a thought as to who you’re letting in, what their intentions are.”

Ron Pavelka, 53, Englewood

“At this point my biggest concern is what are they’re going to do about the health care? Obviously if Trump gets in, he’s going to try to change it. But if Hillary gets in, she’s going to keep it the same. There should be some type of fix for it. I have a daughter right now that’s trying to get on to the health care coverage. She’s trying to get decent coverage for a decent price.”

Rodney Smith, 64, Kettering

“We need to get out of Iraq and Iran and have more world peace. And what would you do to accomplish those feats?”

Robert Leibold, 39, Huber Heights

“Health care is my main issue. It’s too expensive. Not affordable. There needs to be more affordable health care plans. Me being self-employed, it’s hard to pay for health insurance. I’d go broke.”

Claudia Berg, 66, Huber Heights

“How valuable is my opinion to what I want and how much does tact and diplomacy affect your thinking? I don’t want any rash thinking, doing things without thinking it out.”

Merlon Joseph, 31, Huber Heights

“How do you feel about free education for the U.S., for college level. Because I’m planning on going back to school for graduate school. The scholarships that they have right now, not everybody is entitled to them. If everybody was able to go to college, I think that would be very beneficial for the country as it compares to other countries and their level of education and expertise. That would put us in good standing and make us very competitive for all the new jobs in technology and science.”

Michael B. Loppe, 62, Urbana

“I would like to know exactly what they’re going to do to improve the life of the American people and to improve our chances against an ISIS attack, and how they’re going to defend and protect us.”

Rebecca L. Smith, 54, New Carlisle

“What is she going to do for the working class people? We hear all these promises, and we get them in there and then their excuse is, ‘Well I couldn’t get it passed because of such and such.’ Just work on the promises of working toward kids and the smaller things, and not the great big things. I understand about the war and stuff like that, but you’ve got to keep everybody healthy and safe in this country to be able to go out and fight others and right now I don’t think anybody feels safe and I don’t think anybody feels they can go to any government person and get any kind of assistance or understand what they have to do to get that assistance. Make that system easier.”

Richard Underwood, 77, Clark County.

“The children, the senior citizens, just the economy and all. Get off their butts and get things done right.”

Cathy Mathys, 60, Bellefontaine

“How are you going to secure the country? Arizona doesn’t want the wall built. How are you going to get the illegals out? What’s the plan for it? You hear it, but there’s not a real plan. And how are you going to bring the jobs back from overseas? I’m sure that he (Trump) has a plan. I hope to God it’s him because I can’t see her doing anything.”

Tamara Shipp, Jefferson Twp.

“I just want to see her continue the progress, continue to get people together. We’re not just Democrats, not just Republicans. She’s trying to get us all together. That’s what I would like to see her do. I want to see that happen in Congress.”

Dan Johnson, Fairfield

“It seems like every president says they’ll ‘do this or do that,’ but when they get in there it’s a different story. They don’t say that they did something. I want them to follow through.”

Mike Wieland, Liberty Twp

“Make sure America is safe. What are you going to do to make America safe again?”

Kristine Maxwell, Hamilton

“I’d like to talk about student loans and helping middle income people with student (loan) debt. That’s what me and my husband are struggling with. Maybe have some loan forgiveness.”

Carlos Ware, Hamilton.

“Keep the people in mind. Make sure whatever choice or decisions they make that they are doing it for the benefit of the people more than anything. It’s a business. America is a business and capitalism. I know money is always involved in every decision, but if they eliminate that it would benefit the people.”

Kim Stuckey, Fairfield.

“I’d like an executive order for everyone to be kind to one another. People are meaner, meaner to strangers for no reason.”

Jordan Cooper, Fairfield

“Something needs to be done about the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. I’d like to see real work to be done to stop the pipeline from being built and (possible) poisoning the water of the Mississippi River and other Indian reservations.”

M.J. Spain, Hamilton

“That it would be for our country’s safety. I wouldn’t presume to tell him or her how to do it. I just want it done. And for our country’s unity so that we’d be on the same base.”

Norma Gabbard, Middletown.

“Being a Christian, I would say you better seek the Lord. He’s the one who has the wisdom that we so much lack.”

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