by Kate Reynolds
Ottawa Times
While some people were trying to sell their products at the farmers' market Saturday, immediately north politicians were trying to sell their views on the war in Iraq, terrorism, homeland security, taxes, a balanced budget in Springfield and health care.
About 100 people attended an "election awareness candidate forum" sponsored by the La Salle County Republican Women.
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Marty Ozinga is a first-time candidate for Congress. Owner of an 80-year-old concrete company, Ozinga Bros., he turned the company over to his six sons so he could devote time to running for office.
"I am not a politician," he told the crowd. "I have never run for political office and when I was asked to run for Congress I said I had no political experience. 'Perfect,' they said. 'We've had enough life-long career politicians,' they said. 'We need business people with common sense.'"
Ozinga, active in community health projects and working with people with disabilities, said, "we are the most blessed country in the world. We have wealth and freedom, things we should never take for granted."
