To the editor:

I’m not entirely sure where this puts me on the political spectrum but here goes: I want everyone (including the ultra-wealthy) to pay the same insane tax rate that I do. I want those taxes to benefit the greater good vs the few. According to Brown University, we have spent $6.4 trillion on war since 2001!! How many schools could we have built? How many veterans could we have taken care of? We have spent $3 trillion in bailouts and tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. How many bridges, roads, electrical grids could have been built? It is clear that our government is no longer working for the greater good, but instead our resources are being managed to support a very select few.

The first step to changing this paradigm is to find people with integrity; those that refuse to take money from the corporations and billionaires. This is playing out right now in Southern Minnesota. We have two candidates with two different ideologies. Dan Feehan refuses to take money from corporations. He understands that their money is not freely given, and he has the integrity and bravery to stand against it. Jim Hagedorn believes differently. He has already accepted $150,000 of corporate money. He represents the few.

In the end, I want to believe that our taxes are going to programs that improve our society versus war and programs that increase wealth for the few. I want to have faith that our elected officials are stewards of our society and will make policy decisions that will benefit the majority.

This is why I support Dan Feehan for Congress. He is a man of integrity and I have faith that his decisions will be based on putting people first.

Ray Smart

Mankato