Column:

Blunt best bet for Senate

By Clay Carter

Published March 5, 2010

I know who I am casting my vote for in November's Senate election.

Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is running for the Senate seat, and his son, Matt Blunt, is the former governor of Missouri. Blunt's likely opponent in the race is Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.

After researching Blunt's views and hearing him speak, I have found many reasons to support his campaign for senator, and I wanted to share a few of them with you.

Roy Blunt believes in the American dream and knows a free market is the best way to prosperity. He understands citizens are capable of making their own financial decisions.

America is one of the most generous countries on earth, giving more than $300 billion to charitable organizations last year, and American citizens do not need the government looking over their shoulder, telling them how to redistribute their money.

We also hold the common belief that the best way to grow our nation's economy is by cutting taxes. By cutting people's taxes, we promote spending, investing and small business growth, three ingredients that will promote recovery and get our economy back on track.

By giving companies that hire new workers tax credits, we create new private sector jobs. Blunt knows this and is a proud supporter of tax credits. Last year, Obama spent our money on a stimulus package that did little to nothing to promote economic recovery. Most of the money was spent enlarging government programs and creating government jobs. By using tax credits, we encourage small and large businesses to grow and hire new employees.

Blunt supports a balanced budget bill that would promote accountability in government and stop wasteful spending. By forcing the government to spend less than they bring in, a balanced budget amendment stops legislators from running up the deficit and making future generations pay our debt.

Health care reform is another issue we agree on. No, we do not need socialized health care in which the government has the power to run your life, but we do need reform. We should allow interstate competition between health care providers because it lets insurance companies compete in a free market, which brings down health insurance costs.

Blunt has sponsored or co-sponsored 12 health care reform bills that allow people the opportunity to fix these problems, rather than a government takeover. Blunt's health care bills protect citizens from being required to use government-run health care, ensures citizens the right to keep their health care plans and makes sure doctors, not government officials, are making health care decisions.

Blunt's bills also promote fairness by having all elected officials take part in a government-run health care package if Obama's health care plan is passed.

He understands the Cap and Trade bill supported by Obama is a massive new tax that has the power to cripple American families. Obama's own administration admits revenues from the bill will bring the government $200 billion in additional revenue. Let me repeat that: $200 billion.

The Cap and Trade tax would increase the price of a gallon of gas up to $7 in some parts of the country. The Cap and Gain tax would cripple the American economy.

He voted against the excessive taxing of the Cap and Trade bill and the Obama administration and will continue to fight this ridiculous tax in the Senate.

Blunt can count on my vote.

Clay Carter is a sophomore finance major and can be reached at ccp6c@mail.missouri.edu