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WASHINGTON: Voters demand economic fixes, not more blame

Candidates must reach families

By Adrienne T. Washington (Contact) | Wednesday, July 16, 2008

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ANALYSIS/OPINION:

When "Pat and Barb," the parents of a half-dozen children in Northern Virginia, received their $3,000 stimulus check, Pat said "it was like a shot of Red Bull" to their wallets.

Sure, they have bills to pay. And food and gas are taking a bigger bite out of their budget - more than $150 for gas alone for their 2004 Chevy minivan and 2000 Saturn.

"But with gas as high as it is, part of that money went in the tank to see the grandparents," Pat said after returning last week from a 1,500-mile, two-week vacation to Crawfordsville, Ind.

Pat, 47, works for a financial institution. Barb, 44, works hard at home. She did not want their full names disclosed to protect the privacy of their children, one of whom has Down syndrome.

Would Pat and Barb, who epitomize the coveted Catholic voting bloc this presidential election season, like another stimulus package? You bet.

Would they like a president with an economic recovery plan that will allow Pat the occasional family outing without feeling guilty? Ditto.

Pat earns a salary that puts him squarely in the median income range for Fairfax County residents (between $57,000 and $87,000 for married households). He realizes how fortunate his eight-member family is in these tough economic times, when many others are being laid off, losing their homes and having great difficulty paying for the basic necessities of food, medicine and energy.

"We are counting our blessings. We certainly have bills to pay, but we are not destitute," Pat said.

In a recent Washington Times poll, in which 147 readers responded, 36 percent said they paid bills with their stimulus checks, 29 percent saved the money and 9 percent "splurged on fun items."