Members speak out, support Obama

AYANA MENDOZA, purchasing officer 1 at the state Office of General Services.
“This is my first time to help with a campaign. I’ve been wanting to volunteer for Obama’s election for a long time. I just wasn’t sure how to do it. I’m excited and proud to be going with a whole bus full of people who support him.
“Obama is different. He’s brilliant. He’s reaching out to voters no one has reached before.
“He cares about middle class issues, such as the disparity between how much rich and middle class people pay in taxes. He’s breaking it down for people and helping them understand.
“Obama supports volunteerism too. He understands that it helps us relate to our society and communities.
“He comes from a different background and he shows our society what people can achieve.
“This election is huge. It’s historical. I believe electing Obama will catapult our country into a whole new world.
- He cares about middle class issues...
- He shows our society what people can achieve...
- Electing Obama will catapult our country into a whole new world...

DORIS SHANNON, legal affairs specialist 1 at the state Office of Temporary Disabilities Assistance.
“The last time I worked on a political campaign was years ago when I was a member of District Council 37 in New York.
“I’m concerned about the economy, health care, the war, you name it. We’re in a bad way in this country, even to the point of affecting other countries.
“I believe this election is groundbreaking because we will either elect our first black president or our first woman vice president. It’s important to see them as candidates, and not just as a black or a woman.
“I’m 59. I remember Martin Luther King and I remember the riots in New York City. Electing Obama is a true cause and I’m going to fight for it.
“He’ll bring a change in our country’s sense of cultural diversity. Because of his intelligence and his education, he can do it.
“It matters most among our young people. They will know they can be whatever they want to be and they can go wherever they want to go if they work hard enough for it. .
- This election is groundbreaking..
- It matters most among our young people...

THOMAS CARTER, is an information technology specialist 2, at the state Insurance Fund.
“I’ve never really done something like this before. I think it’s very important this year to get someone in the White House who will change things.
“Obama is smart and he has gathered a lot of smart people around him. I believe he will find a way to get us out of this war.
“We also need to fix the economy. I lost $10,000 of my savings in the deferred compensation plan in just the last quarter. Even before this, I kept putting money into it, but every quarter my statement was lower. If Obama is elected, I hope I will eventually be able to make some of it back.
“I don’t really care if he lowers my taxes. I don’t mind paying them, as long as it’s spent well and not wasted. I want to keep the economy going, but I don’t want to get ripped off.
“Obama understands that. These things don’t seem to matter as much to candidates who’ve always had plenty of money. It’s hard to respect money, if you’ve always had plenty of it.
“I plan to go to New Hampshire to campaign too. If I can change the mind of even one or two voters, it will be worth it.
- I want to keep the economy going, but I don’t want to get ripped off...

MARTHA FENNELL, is a health system specialist at the state Health Department.
“I phoned voters for Bill Clinton when he ran for president and went to Pennsylvania to campaign for Hillary this year. Now, I’m behind Obama. I believe in what he’s trying to do.
“I’m glad we’re going to work in a battleground state. I feel like I’m putting my efforts where they will do the most good.
“The whole direction of the country just angers me. I see what’s been happening to this country and it’s wrong.
“I have a relative who has to pay $700 per month for health insurance, because she and her husband don’t have it through their employers. Obama will move us toward universal health care.
“It will be a very historic year. I remember when my parents voted for John Kennedy, and this feels like that. Obama will be the first president who is younger than I am.
“I hope they keep him safe.”
- The whole direction of the country just angers me...

KULDEEP GUPTA, environmental engineer 2 at the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
“I have been a member of the PEF Region 8 Political Action Committee for years.
“You could say I am a conservative Democrat or a liberal Republican, but I am really independent. I go by the issues.
“I am supporting Obama because we are not the police of the world. The world has 212 countries now, and we cannot dictate to all them what they can do and what they cannot do.
“We don’t want to stay in Iraq for 100 years, as McCain says we might do.
“We have resources here, but we are consuming 23 percent of the world’s oil.
“Our economy is very disturbed. We were better off 10 years ago.
“We need a change. We know we can do better than we are doing now.”
- We are not the police of the world....
- We were better off 10 years ago...
- We know we can do better...

STEPHANIE BOOTHE, child protective services specialist 1, state Office of Children and Family Services.
“It’s my first time to go out and campaign for a candidate and I’m excited about it. I want to make a difference.
“Things have become harder for people. Our state seems to be in crisis.
“I think Obama is for the middle class and is ready to address our issues. McCain seems to be on the same agenda as Bush.
Our country is going bankrupt over the war in Iraq. It’s very scary.
- I want to make a difference...
- Our country is going bankrupt over the war in Iraq. It’s very scary...

MARY ANN YOUNG, associate accountant at the state Office of Real Property Services.
“This is the first time I’ve attempted to go out and campaign for a candidate, and it’s a bit of a personal challenge for me.
“I’ve supported Obama from the beginning. I feel passionately about it. My big thing has been the war in Iraq. I’ve never believed it was the right thing to do. I think John McCain has a military perspective on these things.
“The Bush administration has torn our country apart and left it in shambles. They really have abused their power.
“I believe Obama can bring people together and end some of the partisanship. I just hope people have some patience to let him build this country back up again. You can’t expect him to change eight years of damage in just a few months. It’s going to take time.
- I believe Obama can bring people together...
- The Bush administration has torn our country apart...

In compliance with federal election law, this material is paid for by the New York State Public Employees Federation — Committee on Political Education (COPE), a separate, segregated fund at PO Box 12414, Albany, NY 12212; phone: 518 785-1900; and was not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

PEF endorses 12 more candidates
The PEF Political Action Committee has met to review the union’s endorsements in light of wins and losses in the September primary elections and other events.

The PAC made the following late endorsements:
• Democrat Daniel Squadron was endorsed in the 25th Senate District, and Republicans Roy McDonald and Michael Ranzenhofer were endorsed in the 43rd and 61st SDs, respectively.

• Seven Democrats were endorsed for the state Assembly. They are – AD22 Grace Meng, AD40 Inze Barron, AD86 Nelson Castro, AD99 John Degnan, AD129 Noah Sargent, AD 140 Robin Schimminger and in AD143 Dennis Gabryzak.

The PAC also approved two endorsements of local candidates by PEF’s regional PACs. The Region 5 PAC endorsed Democrat Barbara Fiala for Broome County executive, and the Region 11 PAC endorsed Judith McMahon for the state Supreme Court.

For a complete list of PEF’s original endorsements see the September issue of The Communicator or go online to www.pef.org and select Political Action.
– Sherry Halbrook