DEFENSE AND TECH We heard from careerists in four major work-issue areas in particular -- defense, information technology, education work and retirement. Check what some of them had to say about Gore, Bush and the work lives of Americans.

Voting your paycheck

Ballot banking

November 6, 2000
Web posted at: 5:58 p.m. EST (2258 GMT)

In this story: Insurance, military, nursing, software Oil refining, IT, research, unions Electrician, CPA, space station worker Industrial engineering, auto supply, toxicology RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Porter Anderson
CNN.com/career Editor
and CNN.com/career readers

(CNN) -- "Gore is much more aware of technology and its issues than Bush who's still struggling with grammar." That's reader John Mars of Cincinnati, Ohio, writing.

And this is reader Larry P. of Memphis, Tennessee, telling us he expects to vote for "Bush ... at least he didn't 'invent' the Internet."

Not much mincing of words among CNN.com/career readers. That's why we like you.

In "Voting your paycheck," we invited you to tell us whether a Gore or Bush administration would be better for your career. More than 1,100 responses later, we're here with selected, edited excerpts from some of your comments.

For one thing, we were impressed with your vehemence -- what apathy among voters?

And look at the breadth of vocations represented here. In fact, we were glad that many retired careerists wrote in with good points to make about life-after-labor. From each reader who wrote us, we've learned something. Of course, what you see here reflects the views of those readers named, not necessarily those of us at CNN.com.

Thanks for your thoughts, your time, your insights and your career expertise. It was good to hear from every reader who wrote. Whatever the outcome of the election, congratulations.

-- Porter Anderson

"As a psychiatric nurse, I think the Gore administration would be more beneficial to my career -- not only because of the differences in health-care philosophy, but also for the attention drawn specifically to mental-health issues by Tipper Gore. The fact that the nursing associations have backed Gore shows that those who provide direct patient care feel we would be better off with a Gore win. -- Cherie, Charlotte, North Carolina

"I'm a contract software engineer. I think Al Gore would be better for my career because I believe that he would continue with the policies of Bill Clinton. Particularly, fiscal responsibility (paying down the debt) and slow, sustainable growth. As a contractor, swings in the economy are bad for me as contractors are the first to go in the bad times and the last to be hired in the good times." -- Tim McCoy, Collegeville, Pennsylvania

"Gore would no doubt be bad for my career. I work for a biotech company making drugs from small molecules and gene discovery. ... If Gore passes the prescription drug plan that he will be, so I'm told, be bad for my career. But I'm going to vote for Gore. I am going to vote for Gore because of the fact that drug companies can afford it. I know they can afford it because I see the amount of money that drug company employees make and the free lunches and CEO stock options sold." -- Tim Withington, California

"I am voting for George W. Bush to help save some of my paycheck. My occupational title doesn't affect my vote, my paycheck does. I have a great job that I love very much. But I need to bring home more of my money each week so I can save money for my son's college education instead of having little or no savings and crossing my fingers in hope of my son getting a scholarship or some sort of financial aid." -- Melissa, Georgia

"Bush would be better for my career since I'm in the oil-refining industry. I'm for the environment, but let's cut down pollution in other ways rather than hitting industry. If a car can't pass (an emissions test), eliminate it and compensate the car's owner with a few thousand dollars to go and replace it. I support more mass transit all around for cities in general. If I and many others had convenient light rail and/or buses from home to work, I sure wouldn't be taking my car into traffic." -- Dan Spasovich, St. Louis, Missouri

QUICK VOTE
	How heavily have career considerations weighed in your vote today? Bigtime. Career issues have been a major factor in how I cast my vote. I'd rank them among my Top 2 interests. Middle-weight. Career considerations have been about equal for me with other concerns such as health care, civil rights, gun control and so on. Light stuff. I take other issues much more seriously than career factors when I decide how I'll vote. View Results

"My line of work is in high technology and I believe that individuals and corporations can benefit from Bush's tax program, and our nation's economy can be boosted even further than today. We can get a direct boost to our paychecks as we sell more to the Fortune 500 companies, with whom we do most of our business." -- Albert Tzou, Tucson, Arizona

"Gore would be better. I'm a scientist doing basic research -- not the kind funded by drug companies, but the kind done in academia. The Republican administrations have always taken a short-term view on the sciences. If it doesn't help the bottom line, forget it." -- Michael Sullivan, St. Paul, Minnesota

"Mr. Bush is definitely more friendly to the military. I don't believe he wants to shove homosexuals down our throats. Gore is for everything I'm against ." -- JDH, Tulsa, Oklahoma

"Al Gore relates more to the blue collar worker than Bush." -- Steven Kirkland, Tennessee

"I'm working toward a Ph.D. in sociology. Needless to say, liberals are much, much friendlier to the social sciences. It's my understanding that the Reagan years made career opportunities for social scientists very slim. Because of this and other reasons I'm a staunch supporter of Al Gore. I also support Gore's views on the family and medical leave act and equal pay for equal work. These are seen as women's issues but they should be important to everyone." -- J.L. Burkart, Columbus, Ohio

"Al Gore is the better choice for the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) construction electrician. He'll stand for (1) a fairer tax system for the middle-class working America; (2) reform of the labor law so America's workers will have the guaranteed right to organize and bargain collectively; (3) a fair-trade policy that requires binding labor rights and environmental protections in all trade accords; and (4) he will stand against paycheck deception or any other schemes to eliminate unions from the political process." -- Dennis W. Hawkins, West Portsmouth, Ohio

"As an African-American woman and a professional, I was left out of the good old Republican boys' club. Attorney positions I was qualified to hold went to immature white boys under the Reagan and Bush administrations." -- Sylvia Edwards, Washington

"Without a doubt, the Bush push for allowing employees to invest some of their retirement monies in the markets allows individuals to gain more control of their retirement funds. Working for two employers -- the U.S. Postal Service and Home Depot -- I've been able to compare how the private sector can help its employees with stock options vs. basically a closed-end retirement plan supported by Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Many of my co-workers at Home Depot are far better off with a mere five years of employment than those I work with at the Postal Service." -- Mark West, Chandler, Arizona

"Bush, without a doubt. I will be graduating from college in August 2001 with a BS in industrial engineering. ... My generation cannot feed Social Security enough money to support the retiring baby boomers and still expect to have any money left in 40 years when we retire. Especially if inflation continues at 3 percent. With Bush's economic plans, I would have more money to invest the way I choose. I prefer 7- to 20-percent return on investments (in the stock market) to the wimpy 2 percent that Gore promises. " -- Josh Hale, Cookeville, Tennessee

"A Gore administration would be more supportive and beneficial to my career. The telecom industry needs a goverment that understands its issues, the different variables involved and the key players to support -- to enhance development and innovation in this industry. Having a president who understands this industry is key to continuing success." -- Angelo Pomales, New Jersey

"I'm a 25-year-old engineer working in the oil industry. I know that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney will understand how best to ensure that America has a strong oil and gas industry. ... As a younger worker, I'm very concerned about Social Security. Gore has no plan to ensure that Social Security benefits will be available in 42 years when I'll be eligable for them. George W. Bush has a plan which at least offers the hope that Social Security will exist when I need it." -- Eric Gagen, New Orleans

Career politicians: Working for the vote
October 30, 2000
Career politicians: Losing the election
November 2, 2000
Latest tracking poll shows Gore edging toward Bush
November 6, 2000

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