The stakes couldn’t be higher for our nation, state and community than they are right now. This may be the most important election in our lifetime. In the coming days, we will choose which direction our nation’s future will take. Will all levels of government continue to spend more, tax more, control more and defend our liberties less? Or will we choose a new direction that returns power to the people?

We need to choose a direction that will shrink government, reduce debt, keep taxes low, put Americans back to work and keep us safe. We want to leave our children and grandchildren an America better than the one we inherited. That is not the direction we are headed. I cringe to think about the debt the younger people in our country are facing.

Our current congressman, Tim Walz, has voted consistently for legislation that shuts down investments, businesses, manufacturers and farmers. He did this when he cast his votes for cap and trade, which will drastically increase our energy bill; national health care, at costs we have no idea about and over which we have no personal control; stimulus bill, billions of dollars wasted and still unemployment almost hit 10 percent. This is not the kind of representation we need.

It is not a lot better in our state Legislature. In spite of taking in almost 7 percent more this year, our Legislature has been on a spending spree that has created a budget crisis. Our state senator, Dan Sparks, and state representative, Robin Brown, have been a part of this Legislature. They have solved nothing. They have just pushed the problem down the road. What happened to the old-fashioned rule that you have to live within your means? Don’t spend money you don’t have.

We cannot afford to re-elect any of these incumbents. They have had their chance to be fiscally responsible and have chosen not to make those tough decisions. They have chosen to try to buy our vote by giving us things for which they cannot pay.

It’s time to defeat incumbents and elect leaders with experience running businesses, making budgets balance, solving problems, and the courage to make tough decisions.

Let’s give these new faces a chance. Vote for Randy Demmer for Congress, Kathy Green for state Senate and Rich Murray for state representative.

Carol Nelson

Clarks Grove