WTHR: Hoosiers voice concern over debt debate

INDIANAPOLIS - As Congress approaches Tuesday's debt deadline, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a vote could come this weekend.

Meanwhile, Hoosiers have plenty to say about the debate.

Angst is beginning to surface over the issue. An organized downtown demonstration gave a voice to those who feel they have something to lose.

"I feel the pain when I go to get gas. I feel the pain when I pay my bills. I'd like to see some of the richer people share the pain with us," said Ron Long.

In Washington D.C., Indiana 6th District Congressman Mike Pence, who is running for the GOP nomination for Governor, says a solution is possible.

"We are determined to find a way to pay the nation's bills but to do that in a fiscally responsible way," said Pence.

The Washington debate is doing very little to allay fears just off Washington Street in Columbus, Indiana.

Sue Morgan was busy weeding around her flowerbeds Friday, but she was thinking about her brother and others collecting social security.

"It's really, really scary. I feel sorry for those people," she said. "They are going to be homeless if they don't get it."

Just down Indiana Street in Columbus, Thomas Walton was trimming up around his house, mindful of the August 2 deadline confronting Congress.

"That is awful close. They've got a lot to do before August 2," said Walton.

Susan Warner is hoping a new coat of paint can make things better, but she knows the nation's debt problem will require much more than that.

"It's very scary. I am really afraid it could crash the economy again and jobs are so very hard to find right now," she said.

Back in Indianapolis, a small group of demonstrators voiced their concerns and waved their signs.

"I knew there was going to be trouble the first day Congress convened. You had congressmen coming to Washington talking about staying in their office," said Sidney Taylor, who joined the demonstrators.

For Taylor, that was a sure sign of things to come.