Fremonters sound off about what they feel are the dominant concerns this election year

Fremonter Rick Murphy said this year’s presidential election could be one of the most important in decades.

“This election is very important,” said Murphy, 64. “We have two very opposing viewpoints. I believe that we are at a juncture right now to see which direction our country goes in the future. We are at that juncture. This is the most important election since Roosevelt.”

He said the United States needs to re-establish itself as the world’s moral leader.

“We must first take care of our own difficulties in the U.S. and set an example,” he said, adding that he views two of the biggest issues being affordable healthcare and the country’s reliance on petroleum.

“There are too many people who can’t get health care because they can’t afford it. I think it’s a moral obligation to provide care in this country for its citizens.”

The over reliance on petroleum goes deeper than just looking for alternative fuel sources, he said.

“I don’t mean just digging for oil off shore. That’s a temporary fix. We have to find an alternative source. But we also have to replace petroleum in other ways. Petroleum is used in a variety of products. We need to find alternative materials as well.”

Murphy is part of a regular group of local men who meet most business days for afternoon coffee at The Blue Bottle Coffeehouse in downtown Fremont. Lately -- with last week’s Democratic National Convention and this week’s Republican National Convention -- political discussions have gotten thicker.

The other three members of the group on this particular afternoon �” Tom Murphy, George Siers and Wes Mittelstedt -- each had different issues that they see as key for the upcoming presidential election.

“The Iraq War,” said Tom, Rick’s 74-year-old brother. “War brings people down. It alienates people. It solves no problems. We have to get out. That would help a lot of things that are wrong with our economy. This about this. The Russians did this and look what happened to them.”

Siers, 80, of Fremont said he views government structure as the biggest issue facing this election.

“It’s lobbyists,” Siers said. “We have to get rid of lobbyists and get term limits. Those are two changes that we have to make in our government.

“I think there’s too much influence from lobbyists in Washington,” he continued. “It influences the way they do business and the way they think.”

Term limits are needed to level the playing field in Congress, he said.

“Ever since the Civil War people in the south have found out that if they keep electing the same people to office in Washington that they can get placed into positions of power -- like committee chairs.”

Mittelstedt, 65, of Arlington said his main concerns for the election are more economical.

“I’m more concerned about the national debt and the trade deficit,” he said. “The national debt is becoming unsustainable. The interest is astronomical. If we didn’t have to pay that interest, we would be able to afford other things, maybe free health care. But the national debt is a major issue.”