The US election: Business views

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With the US presidential election just two months away, the economy is the top issue. Both parties are trying to cultivate the votes of small businesses, who may be the key to recovery. BBC News has spoken to business people around the country to find out their main concerns.

<a name="story"></a> <a class="bodl" href="#1">Ron Buholzer (Wisconsin)</a><a class="bodl" href="#3">Elaine Pivinski (Pennsylvania)</a><a class="bodl" href="#5">Neal Asbury (Florida)</a> <a class="bodl" href="#2">Bill Scheid (New Mexico)</a><a class="bodl" href="#4">Steve Oliphant (Ohio)</a> <a name="1"></a> RON BULHOLZER, MASTER CHEESEMAKER

Master Cheesemaker Ron Buholzer runs Klondike cheese with his three brothers and other family members.

Master Cheesemaker Ron Buholzer runs Klondike cheese with his three brothers and other family members. They have been making cheese in Monroe, Wisconsin since 1925. Mr Buholzer usually votes Republican. His top concern as a businessman is paying for healthcare for his workers. He says his employees are like family, they deserve a living wage and health insurance. Ron is also concerned about immigration and gasoline prices. Transporting milk from the outlying farms has become more costly, as has sending finished cheese, from Munster to Feta, out across the country.

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<a name="2"></a> BILL SCHEID, CHRYSLER DEALER

Bill Scheid of Scheid Motors is a Chrysler dealer in Taos, New Mexico.

Bill Scheid of Scheid Motors is a Chrysler dealer in Taos, New Mexico. This small town high in the New Mexican desert landscape relies heavily on tourist dollars. The credit crunch and economic slow-down have hurt him. Tourism at nearby ski resorts and rural retreats has been slower than usually, meaning local people have less money for new vehicles.

Mr Scheid is angry at the Bush administration for overspending on the Iraq War and says he is interested in the message of change offered by the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama.

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<a name="3"></a> ELAINE PIVINSKI, WINEMAKER

Elaine Pivinski is the first woman winemaker in Pennslyvania.

Elaine Pivinski is the first woman winemaker in Pennslyvania. She lives surrounded by her vineyards. Her son Adam helps run the business, Franklin Hill Vineyards. They are concerned about food security. Elaine wants to see more support for America’s farmers and small local, producers like herself. She does not agree with farm legislation that she believes benefits larger industrial farms and pays farmers not to produce. She is a Democrat and supports Barack Obama, although she also respects Hillary Clinton whom she felt was a groundbreaking and dynamic leader.

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<a name="4"></a> STEVE OLIPHANT, STEEL MANUFACTURER

Steve Oliphant is the president of Tubetech, a company which makes welded steel tubes for use in anything from household appliances to cars.

Steve Oliphant is the president of Tubetech, a company which makes welded steel tubes for use in anything from household appliances to cars. He has noticed that the cost of doing business has gone up, from raw materials to energy costs. But it is the company's health care costs that have risen the most, doubling this year alone. The Ohio based firm spends $1800 for a family of four, for which the employee contributes a little over $100.

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<a name="5"></a> NEAL ASBURY, KITCHEN APPLIANCE EXPORTER

Neal Asbury runs Greenfield World Trade, with 60 employees in South Florida, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Neal Asbury runs Greenfield World Trade, with 60 employees in South Florida, Hong Kong and Dubai. He exports kitchen appliances to more than 100 countries, so he wants to expand America's trade agreements. From his Fort Lauderdale warehouse stocked with $4m worth of product, he says that Republican Senator John McCain supports free trade, and calls Democratic Senator Barack Obama's protectionist rhetoric, "scary."

He also worries that a President Obama would raise business taxes.

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