• Thank You Mirror: I would like to thank The Mirror for sponsoring the political debates. The format provided the candidates with a fair platform for the public to compare their policies.

• The brink of a depression: Like many citizens of Federal Way, I lost my job due to the collapse of the housing market. Republican policies of deregulation allowed the banks over commit themselves.

Adam Smith and Patty Murray had the courage to invest in America and bring us back from the brink of a depression. Three quarters of the banks have now paid back their loans.

Without the ability to get loans, no one could buy cars or anything else. Adam Smith and Patty Murray invested in the auto companies. With our help, they survived to pay back their loans, with interest. America is now ready to produce energy efficient cars and again lead the world. Millions of jobs were saved. Was yours was one of them?

With the financial crisis, banks were unwilling to make loans. Without loans, sales ground to a halt. Companies lay off workers. Without a job, people do not buy. Businesses need markets not tax cuts. People need jobs, not starvation. When people have jobs, they can buy. Businesses have markets for their products and can finally sell them. Then companies begin hiring. Will we create jobs or let America die?

• Stop the job loss now: Somehow the job loss must stop. We got out of the last depression by putting people back to work. Then after the recovery, we paid back our loans. Democrats in Congress have shown the courage to help Americans. Republicans fought them every step of the way. In eight years, Republicans took us from a prosperous America, with a budget surplus under Clinton, to a trillion-dollar deficit, two wars and the brink of depression.

• Government’s role: Like a ball game where the referee is in one team’s pocket, a country without a strong fair government deteriorates. Government’s role is to protect the best interests of all Americans. Government should be a referee and enforce the rules of the game. As a referee, government should make regulations so that businesses that play fairly are not at a disadvantage to those who cheat us. Lack of regulations caused the banking crisis and increased the chances of mine disasters, oil spills, and contaminated food. Democrats again stepped up to pass bank regulations that will stop another recession.

In health care, lack of regulations means sky rocketing insurance rates without adequate health care. Why do Americans pay one-third more for health care that is 27th in the world? Imagine health insurance that covers everything and everybody for $57/person/month or $114/family/month. That is what families in British Columbia pay today. What do you pay? Health insurance companies, oil companies and drug companies support the Republican party because it’s profitable for them, not because it is good for you. The new health care bill will be good for all Americans. Canadians do not worry about health care.

• State, county and local budgets: States, counties, cities and other organizations are all hurting, not because of what they did, but because of the bad economy. States, counties and cities get their revenues from sales tax, property tax and utility taxes. We all know that with so many unemployed, sales are down. With housing values down, property tax is down. Tracey Eide and Mark Miloscia have done their best to recover some revenue without hurting us, and cut the budget to match revenues. Carol Gregory will do the same. Tracey Eide was instrumental in changing legislation to allow schools to raise money with a simple majority. Schools are an investment in America’s future and vital if America is to be competitive in the world.

Democrats like Patty Murray, Adam Smith, Tracey Eide, Mark Miloscia and Carol Gregory are doing their honest best for America. I will support them and so should you.

Jeffrey Holden, Federal Way