To the editor:
I remember watching Erik Paulsen’s campaign ads in the 2010 election cycle, in which he lectured his daughters from a whiteboard, called himself “a numbers guy,” and promised to “protect our wallets from politicians.” These promises seem preposterous in 2018, after Paulsen voted for a bill that will increase the national debt to $11.7 trillion by 2027. As a mom of three kids, I’m not comfortable with shifting our nation’s burden from corporations to our families now and in the future. Paulsen was a powerful advocate for this bill, and now we all pay the price.
Paulsen had gone more than six years without holding a town hall. In May, he acquiesced and held three small, ticketed town halls. I did not win the lottery to attend these meetings, and suspect I’ll never have the opportunity to tell him face-to-face what I think of his cavalier attitude toward the national debt.
Dean Phillips cares about addressing our challenges today, and will not kick the can down the road to future generations. Phillips has the integrity and work ethic to refuse PAC and special interest money in this election. (Paulsen, on the other hand, ranks sixth out of 435 members of the House of Representatives for the amount of PAC money he has accepted.) Phillips reaches out to constituents personally to ensure them he represents their interests. I look forward to replacing Paulsen with a true representative and leader when I vote for Dean Phillips in November.
Kelsey Quiring, Chanhassen
Chanhassen Sun-Sailor, August 24, 2018