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Vote Coleman
By Justin Byma
Published:
Monday, October 14, 2002
Justin Byma -- Guest Column
There are 21 days until Election Day 2002. Over the last several months, Minnesota has become a battle ground with national implications. Where do you stand on the Senate race?
Norm Coleman is my choice. His positions on the issues best reflect the interest of Minnesotans. He will stand in support of our president during this time of war. He will fight to keep Americans safe from danger and keep the threat of evil at bay. He will strongly support our people in uniform.
Unlike his opponent, who has voted to against 16 of 17 defense bills, Coleman will always support our troops. The defense bills that Wellstone opposed included such essential appropriations as pay increases for our troops and vital weapons that proved successful in fighting the war against terrorism. It seems that Wellstone's priorities lie more with the NEA than the USMC.
Coleman will fight to slow the growth of the federal government, opposite of his opponent's goal. He will not raise our taxes, which limit the purchasing power of our families and crowd out private investment. In his tenure, Wellstone has voted to increase taxes more than 200 times.
Taxes may not seem an important issue to students, as we do not pay much of them. Nevertheless, one must remember that the term of a Senator lasts six years. Where will you be in 6 years? Most of us will be working in the private sector, many will own homes, and some will be starting families of their own. Now how do you feel about taxation?
Liberals accuse Coleman of wanting to cut social security benefits. This is wholly untrue. His opponent, on the other hand, has voted seven times to raise taxes on social security.
When social security was first implemented, there were 32 workers for every retiree. Today that ratio has fallen to 3.2 to 1. It is foolish to think that social security can be left as-is. The Democrats realize this and their position is that it should be fixed by raising payroll taxes. But with increases in life expectancy and smaller family sizes, how long can that plan last? Is there a limit to the level of taxation?
That is why a partial�privatization plan must be implemented. Coleman supports this measure, for the sake of the American family. This will put Americans on the road to self-sufficiency and away from failed socialistic theory.
In the end, the Senate race comes down to priorities and political philosophies. Wellstone fights to keep his ideology alive and free from challenge. He fights for the implementation of ideas based upon abstract theory and speculation, lockstep with radical left-wing groups.
Coleman is a common-sense conservative and will fight to keep us safe and free. This, as H. Stuart Hughes noted, is the negation of ideology. Coleman can be trusted to rationalize the issues and make decisions based upon historical judgments, Minnesota's values, and a firm grasp on reality. Vote Norm Coleman for senate on Nov. 5.
