Having attended the debate at Rochester Technical and Community College on Oct. 15, we are able to see the stark contrast between Jim Hagedorn and Tim Walz.

Walz has supported the administration and Nancy Pelosi almost 100 percent of the time on legislation that directly affects our personal lives.

The administration has reached into our lives as an enemy to energy, crippling the coal-fueled power plants with regulations meant to shut them down, driving up electrical cost to homeowners and industry. The administration has stopped the Keystone pipeline, delaying jobs, diverting more oil shipping to rail, leaving a shortage for agriculture to ship their products.

Walz supported three amendments meant to water down the EPA legislation, which would give more power to the agency. Fortunately those were defeated. Given free reign, the EPA would regulate every drop of water and put more regulations on our farming practices.

Southern Minnesota is predominantly agriculture and this legislation has not been a friend of the farmer.

Hagedorn supports the Keystone pipeline, less regulation from the EPA, and supports all of our energy resources. All our sources of energy should work together for the good of the consumer.

During Congressman Walz’s time in office, our national debt has more than doubled, nearing $18 trillion. Most all of these expenses have been supported by Walz. As Jim Hagedorn has pointed out, if interest rates on our current debt would go to .05 percent, our interest alone would be $900 billion per year. At 0.02 percent. its $190 billion annually.

Who can afford this?

Obamacare, which has over 50 percent of the public against something that was shoved down our throats without knowing what was in it, is rearing it’s ugly head of rising health care premiums, doctors out of the program, keeping people from seeing someone they trust, and now benefits are taxed, costing wage earners and cutting into their take home pay.

Walz has supported this bill. Jim Hagedorn would scrap this law, which the president has already scrapped 37 times. He would support health savings accounts, competition over state lines, protection for existing conditions, and badly needed tort reform.

The time has come for a change. Vote for Jim Hagedorn on Nov. 4!

 

Fred Lenz

St. James