&uot;It’s the economy.&uot; Without a war — at least for now — or a strong social issue to divide them, voters are paying more attention to the economic issues as they try to decide who to vote for in November’s presidential election.

&uot;The economy is the issue,&uot; said economics professor Ken Taylor, who teaches at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. &uot;The American public is much better informed on the issue of the economy. There’s not a war; there’s not some intense social issue. It’s the economy: How will your company survive, how will your household survive.&uot;

One of the more contested economic issues seems to be the projected federal surplus and what Democrats and Republicans — and their respective presidential candidates — would like to do with it.

That, of course, assumes the government will have a surplus, which has been estimated at nearly $5 trillion over the next 10 years.

When Doris Talley, a retiree in Vidalia, La., talks about the surplus, she speaks in conditional terms.

&uot;If we have this surplus, and naturally, that’s the ‘if’ word,&uot; Talley said, she would like to see the next president give it back to Americans. But, unrest in the Middle East and the subsequent fluctuation of stocks and interest rates have Talley wondering if the government is counting on money it may not have.

&uot;It’s all just a little iffy right now,&uot; she said. &uot;You have good times, and then you have bad times, and we’ve been having good times for quite a while now.&uot;

&uot;When the federal government has a surplus, it either has a surplus or anticipates a surplus,&uot; Taylor said.

It’s almost a paradox: the government has a huge national debt — one of the options for using the surplus — but it projects to have a surplus.

It’s really not that complicated, Taylor said. He compared the upswing in the economy to a person who has been in debt and then gets a job which helps pay the bills – and more. &uot;You have more money, but you still have that debt you’re saddled with from previous years,&uot; he said.

When anyone — an individual or Congress — has a surplus, one of two things happens: they spend it or they save it. It’s a foregone conclusion that the government will spend it. &uot;The argument is how to spend it,&uot; Taylor said.

Natchez City Clerk Donnie Holloway compared the federal surplus to the city’s budget.

Each year, money is set aside for those expenses that are certain to arise, like employees’ salaries and electricity bills. But, because of various unforeseeable circumstances, there is sometimes money &uot;left over&uot; — funds not assigned to a specific expense, Holloway said.

&uot;The question is do we give it back to the people or do we pay our debt off?&uot; Holloway said. The answer depends on what you want to accomplish.

&uot;From a management standpoint, you’re looking at servicing your debt. From a political standpoint, you want to give it back to the people,&uot; Holloway said.

Both parties agree that at least part of the surplus should be used to help shore up Social Security.

But the parties have two schools of thought, when you boil it down, on what else to do with the money: give some of that government money back to the taxpayers who helped collect it, or pool it to help pay down the national debt.

Both plans, Taylor, have merits that could expand the economy. It’s up to voters to decide which one they think will work.

If the government &uot;gives back&uot; some of the surplus in the form of tax cuts, that frees up money for Americans to contribute to the economy.

And if the government pays off some of its debt that puts more money in the hands of lenders, who can in turn lend it back to Americans.

And while the grand plans of presidential candidates still need the approval of Congress, Taylor said he thinks whoever is elected stands a good chance of getting his plan passed.

&uot;The people elected (the president), so (Congress) has to come up with a way to cut taxes,&uot; Taylor said.

Still, Talley said she strongly believes any money left over in the federal budget rightfully belongs to taxpayers – and all taxpayers at that.

&uot;It should to back to what the people do with their own lives – and their own money,&uot; she said.

&uot;They should refund it to everyone that paid it,&uot; she said, no matter the class standing.

Talley said the candidates’ plans for the future of the surplus play &uot;quite a bit&uot; into her decision for president, largely because the president has the power of veto.

Even though Congress may have the right ideas, they still have to go through the president, Talley said.

Talley’s husband, Audra, agrees with many of his wife’s ideas about the surplus.

If the government has a little extra money laying around, &uot;it’s not because of anything they did; the people are responsible for it,&uot; he said.

Also a retiree, Talley said he pays more than $4,000 a year in insurance in addition the rising costs of living, and a tax break would relieve some of his financial burden.

&uot;We need a little help somewhere,&uot; he said.

While he follows closely the campaign and the candidates’ ideas on the surplus, Talley said he has a difficult time making sense of the different plans.

&uot;I don’t really understand all those numbers they’re throwing out,&uot; he said.

But, Talley does believe that a tax break should be given to the rich and poor alike.

&uot;If you paid it, you get your equal share,&uot; he said. &uot;That’s fair to me.&uot;

But Vidalia resident Sidney Murray would rather see the government stabilize Social Security and Medicare before giving money back to taxpayers.

&uot;I really don’t know what surplus they’re talking about,&uot; said Vidalia resident Sidney Murray.

Murray defined a surplus as &uot;excess money above and beyond what they need to run the government.&uot;

That includes making certain all the federal government’s programs are on solid ground, which Murray says is not the case.

A senior citizen, Murray said he is concerned about the future of Social Security and Medicare, but at the same time, worries for the younger generation.

&uot;The younger generation needs to spend more time thinking about the future,&uot; he said.

With federal assistance in hand, Murray agreed with many others that the surplus should be returned to the taxpayers.

&uot;But, I know they won’t do it,&uot; he said. &uot;There’s a temptation there if money is left over, they’re going to spend it.&uot;