In the July 11 article "Candidates jostle for female voters," I was struck by how refreshing it was to hear candidates actually addressing issues that affect women and our families every day. It's just unfortunate that these issues too often get lip service on the campaign trail when candidates need our votes but are forgotten once they are elected to office. Issues like child care, equal pay, paid sick leave and family and medical leave are not just women's issues but family issues. We do all voters a disservice to pretend that these issues matter only to a certain type of person.

This is true not just at the federal level but at the state level. In North Carolina, there is a waiting list of almost 30,000 young children in need of child-care subsidies, it's been 20 years since we studied pay equity among state government employees, 42 percent of all North Carolina workers lack paid sick leave and there is no guarantee of any paid maternity or paternity leave.

As a member of Momsrising.org, I applaud the candidates who do raise issues like these and encourage all our elected officials to remember these issues once they are in office.

Beth Messersmith

Durham

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.