Letter to the editor: Lillie’s, GOP’s efforts have been good to our pocketbooks

As a voter who lives in Woodbury, I want to share the facts about Sen. Ted Lillie, and why he is the right choice for your vote in November.

In his short time with the Minnesota Senate, Ted has already proven himself fiscally responsible, the right man for the job. Ted supported the budget priorities that turned a $6.2 billion deficit left by the Democrats into a $1.2 billion surplus. This included replenishing the cash flow and budget reserve accounts that the DFL Legislature had left empty. How was this accomplished? It was simple: by balancing the budget without raising taxes. One way the Legislature managed this great feat was by rejecting automatic increases in government spending – increases that would have gone into effect without looking at whether or not the increases were justified. This allowed our Legislature to determine whether there was waste or duplicated spending that could be eliminated.

In addition, during the last two years, the state unemployment rate was reduced from 7.1 percent in November 2010 to 5.7 percent by April of 2012. The Legislature also stopped Gov. Dayton’s $4.1 billion tax increase proposal, thereby keeping much needed money in the pockets of struggling Minnesotans.

Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric this fall. Look at the facts and vote for the person who will make Minnesota a good place to do business and raise a family. By improving the business climate in our state, we will increase employment and state tax revenue as a result. Then we can focus on needed programs without raising taxes.

Linda Stanton - Woodbury

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