Health care is one of the hottest topics of this year’s presidential campaign — locally as well as nationally. While many residents interviewed by The Natchez Democrat in recent days said they have not kept up campaign news and issues, others did not hesitate to say what issues they believe should be addressed by Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore — and health care-related issues were at the top of many lists.

For example, 54-year-old Kevin Finnegan, a Vidalia resident who is self-employed, called HMOs &uot;a disaster. The system needs to be fixed.&uot;

&uot;Health care is a main problem I&160;see, both in terms of service and financial help for those who need it,&uot;&160;said Ann Harris, 51, administrator of St. Anthony’s Outreach in Ferriday.

Based on what she has heard of the candidates’ platforms so far, Harris said she is leaning towards voting for Gore but is &uot;still waiting&uot; to see how those platforms develop prior to November.

&uot;So far, (Gore) seems to be the only one that’s addressing health care,&uot; Harris said.

Jayson Nix, a hairstylist and musician from Natchez, agreed that healthcare should be a priority for both candidates.

&uot;We need to take care of the elderly,&uot; Nix said.

Will that concern affect who gets his vote in November? Nix said it will. &uot;I’m not going to go with the past,&uot; he said. &uot;Health care has gotten worse since (the Democrats have) been in there.&uot;

Frank Webb, a captain at the Vidalia Police Department, said making sure those who need medical benefits get them and that Social Security is around for future generations should be the next president’s top priorities.

&uot;Right now, so many people fall through the cracks,&uot; Webb said.

Virginia Mullins, a Franklin County mother of two, said she fears the Social Security fund will be emptied by Baby Boomers before her generation reaches eligibility.

&uot;When we retire, there’s not going to be anything left,&uot; Mullins said.

Nurse Ethel Hopson, 51, said that qualifications for Medicaid — as well as other programs for the needy, such as food stamps — need to be more realistic.

&uot;For example, if your vehicle has a value of $2,000 or more, even if it doesn’t run, you can’t qualify for those types of programs,&uot;&160;Hopson said. &uot;So you could have a car in your yard that doesn’t run and not be able to get on Medicaid.&uot;

A president who will simplify the process for applying for such programs, Hopson said, will get her vote.

In addition, many expressed concern about the rising cost of prescription drugs.

&uot;Prescription drugs that people can afford and universal health care are the main things,&uot;&160;said secretary Edith Spurlock, 59. &uot;I know a bunch of folks who need it.&uot;

&uot;Somebody ought to investigate pharmaceutical companies,&uot; Finnegan said. &uot;When you can get medication cheaper overseas, there is a problem.&uot;

&uot;Last month, my medication cost me $300. Seniors on a fixed income can’t afford that,&uot; said Jeannie Hagan, 69, a Vidalia retiree. &uot;They need to research some way to bring the prices down.&uot;

Dr. Joseph Parker, a professor of political science at the University of Southern Mississippi, said it’s perhaps no surprise that prescription drug costs are such a big issue.

Especially for those on fixed incomes, &uot;the big gap in their medical security is prescriptions,&uot; Parker said. &uot;Treatment relies more on drugs than surgery nowadays, and drugs are extraordinarily expensive. It’s easy to tell why this is an issue.&uot;

And with baby boomers beginning to near retirement, the cost of medication is an issue of concern for most of the population.

&uot;They are getting close to (Medicare) eligibility and seeing that they may have to buy some of the same drugs as their parents do,&uot; Parker added.

Another top local issue was gun control, both for proponents and opponents.

&uot;Gun control should be the number one issue,&uot; said Lee Stanley, 31 a Vidalia firefighter.

Stanley said that issue is the primary reason he will vote for Bush. &uot;Plus, (Gore’s) ties to Clinton are too close,&uot; he added.

&uot;We need more gun control,&uot; said Vidalia resident Bobbie Hargon, 65, who works at the Isle of Capri Casino. &uot;Too many people are killed or injured by guns these days. I would be in favor of registering (guns).&uot;

While gun control has been a forefront issue nationally, several voters said national defense has been regrettably overlooked.

&uot;In my opinion, we need to be very concerned with national defense,&uot; Jerry Walker, owner of The Mane Event in Natchez, said.

Pat Dickens, Adams County Republican Executive Committee chairman, said only 10 percent of delegates at a New England meeting she attended put national defense at the top of the list.

&uot;People in the military are saying we are not equipped,&uot; Dickens said.

Education is another big issue for local residents, although few can specify what they believe the federal government can or should do about educational problems.

&uot;Since I&160;have grandchildren who live with me, that’s what I hear the most about,&uot; said Mona Ross of Wildsville, Concordia Parish’s Republican Committee chairperson.

&uot;There should be better education for teachers and less of an emphasis on tests for students,&uot;&160;said Finnegan, who also favors a stronger but more cost-efficient military. &uot;And we need to move toward smaller schools, because they’re too big right now.&uot;

But, for most Miss-Lou residents, a stagnant local economy is the most deep-rooted concern.

&uot;J-O-B-S,&uot; Akeeia Smith of Natchez said. &uot;I’ve been looking for a job for weeks and there aren’t any.&uot;

&uot;I think (economic growth) is our number one priority in this state,&uot; Dickens said.

&uot;We’ve been passed over too many times,&uot; she said.

Darryl Grennell, Adams County supervisor and Democratic activist, agreed.

&uot;We’ve got to have some new economic dollars in here,&uot; Grennell said. &uot;Where is Mississippi’s fair share?&uot;

But a substandard economy may be the only issue unique to Mississippians.

Local concerns about health care, education and Social Security are consistent with those of other states, Dicken said.

&uot;That’s the feedback we’re getting,&uot; she said.