In a joint effort to allow the core of Belmont’s residents to sound off on issues that matter to them, staff from the Belmont Media Center and the Belmont Citizen-Herald visited Ohlin’s Bakery last month, asking customers what President-elect Barack Obama’s top priorities should be when he takes office later this month.

The economy and overall financial crisis were often cited first, but health care and education were mentioned, as well as the war in Iraq. The video is available on the Web sites of both the BMC and the Citizen-Herald.

“To help us sort out the economy and our security at home and in the world. I wouldn’t pretend to know [how he should do that], but I think gathering a team of experts is a good way to begin, and he seems to already be off to a good start. In the past few years, with the war in Iraq and learning that there was really no reason, that it was unnecessary, that many countries became involved and it’s been kind of confusing to figure out what was behind everything, it’s time to go and sort of mend some bridges and maybe attack some of the core problems that caused it.”

“I think right now it should definitely be the financial crisis. As much as I may not be in favor of [more bailouts], I think it might be necessary. My guess is that [the auto bailout] will eventually pass. They have to deal with a lot of political stuff that’s going on, but I think they’ll see that they’re gonna have to do it in order to help out. Too many people will be affected if they don’t. But I do have mixed emotions.”

“The war and the economy, but the economy first. Try to get it back on track. I’m not sure [about the Iraq rollout]. We started it. We need to finish what we’re doing over there.”

“Fixing the economy. That should be his top priority. Things are going downhill right now, with the big industries in this country.”

“To take care of this economy situation. That should be the very first thing. Which will include a lot of other priorities I know he has in mind, like health care, protection of Social Security. Something to help the seniors, who have lost all of their 401k, and if they had to withdraw, don’t charge them as much. Those would be my priorities. But then, you have to protect the home-owners, too. I have children and grandchildren, and that’s important for them.”

“[Obama] will pull the troops out safely. Iraq has already said they don’t want our troops in after three years, and I think that he will keep his promise and do what he can to get them out safely.

Burlington resident, cousin of Ohlin’s owner, sixth-grader

“I think he should keep the soldiers in Iraq a little bit longer and not take them out right away. I don’t think the Iraq people… don’t know how to take care of themselves yet and I think we should help them a little bit more. One to two months, just to make sure. [Obama should also look at] the taxes that we have to pay. I like the way he’s going to do the taxes right now, like the high class people have to pay more money than the middle class and the lower class.”

“I think one of the first priorities is addressing the economy, and education. I have a child in elementary school, and I see the budget cuts affecting everyone. There’s a big disparity between schools that are in wealthier neighborhoods and less wealthy neighborhoods, and that happens across the board, I think, in Massachusetts. Not just Massachusetts, across the country. I think evening out the spending on each of the schools may be a higher national priority, for education across the country, because I have nephews and nieces in Florida and Virginia, and there’s a huge difference in the quality of education that they receive. It seems like especially we can’t just rely on property taxes. A lot of the poorer towns, like Lawrence, Lowell, those areas get left out and the children get less of a quality education.”

“In the economy, focusing on trying to retain more jobs in this country, while recognizing that we are a global economy, perhaps providing jobs here that are not just service jobs, that are skilled jobs, like there used to be, in the high-tech field, the medical technologies industries. Those seem to be two burgeoning industries. We have the skilled people here and we have the high level of education here, and we can provide those people.”

Belmont resident, Ohlin’s employee

“Obviously things like the Iraq war and Afghanistan. First of all I don’t think we can do a quick pull-out of Iraq. I think we have to finish our job there and pull out gradually, when the time comes. In Afghanistan, I think we probably need to do some sort of a surge, not exactly the same way it was done in Iraq, but again to go after the terrorists and put an end to this. [As for the economy], I’m not happy about the bail-outs. I’m not happy about the corruption. I just think the entire thing is fraught with corruption.”