U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, brought his presidential campaign to Concord last week, making stops all around the city. Those stops included a talk with employees at Lincoln Financial, a bike ride through East Concord, and question and answer session with residents of Havenwood-Heritage Heights, a retirement community located in the eastern part of the city.

Paul spent a little less than an hour talking to the 40 or so folks in the audience, most of them residents of the complex, about his desire to end military actions overseas, his ideas about fiscal discipline, and the need to preserve Medicare for seniors. He said the times were not like when he and many of the audience members were younger, when America went to war and then eventually ended the overseas action. Paul said military entanglements were unending and in more than 130 countries overseas.

“If there’s people who need help in this country, we should be a lot more concerned about that than pretending that we can take care of everybody around the world,” he said, to applause from the audience. “And that’s why we should have priorities, and think about taking care of people here at home … they are talking about starting more wars over there, without declaration … it makes no sense whatsoever.

Paul said the country had not truly gotten out of the 2008 recession and the economic growth America was experiencing right now was all on borrowed money, something that should not be continued. He said during the Great Depression, things were bad, but foreign countries owed America money. Now, it’s flip-flopped, he said. Paul said currently, foreign countries hold about $3 trillion in federal government debt.

“There is a limit to how much we can borrow,” he said, “what we’re realizing now is that this process can’t continue and we’re getting pretty frightened about it.”

Paul said the federal government needed to be cut but he would not target programs that fund assistance to poor families and seniors. Instead, he would cut foreign aid, military spending, the Department of Education, and other programs. Paul said getting the fiscal house in order, focusing on Constitutional policies, and not allow the Federal Reserve to just print money were policies he would bring to the White House.

“If you just keep printing money, money loses its value, and prices go up,” he said. “We can get back on our feet again but if we continue to do this, things won’t get better … right now, we’re facing what we faced in the 1930s.”

Paul spent a good chunk of his time answering questions from the audience which ranged from whether or not global warming existed, support for veterans, whether it was responsible to cut military spending, and tax reform and structures.

After the event, comments about Paul ranged from sincere, feisty, impressive, irresponsible, and a little looney.

Fred LaFontaine, a U.S. Air Force veteran like the candidate, said he was leaning towards voting for Paul based on his comments about foreign policy and military spending.

“I like his thoughts about bringing the troops home,” he said. “I think it’s time. It’s been proven that it’s a different kind of a war. We need them home. It’s time to mind our own business. We’re just too nosy.”

LaFontaine said most of the other countries of the world don’t send armies out to other countries and they seemed to be at peace. One concern he did have was about Paul’s age. LaFontaine noted he was 83, about seven years older than Paul, and while there were older presidents throughout history, it was a concern. LaFontaine was also interested in hearing more from former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, another Republican who is running in 2012, who he saw at a recent Concord Rotary Club meeting.

“I hope he gets more press coverage,” he said, “And gets into more debates.”

Betsy Douglas, another resident, said she enjoyed Paul’s speech and answers but was undecided. She was waiting to hear from Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney before making a decision.

“I thought he was most interesting,” she said, “and I agree with a lot of his concepts. I’m not sure I will wind up voting for him … I’m going to vote for one of those three.”

Douglas said Paul was “sincere” and she believed him when he said if elected he would change things. She said Paul probably wouldn’t be running otherwise.

“We need to change things,” she said.

Larry Gates, who handles booking events at Havenwood-Heritage Heights, said more candidates would be coming to the complex to talk to voters in the very near future. Georgia businessman Herman Cain has already committed to coming, he said. Concord Mayor Jim Bouley is scheduled to speak on Oct. 18.