LETTER: Voting for Chris Kelly will help squelch partisan policymaking

Choosing between two good candidates you know and respect is difficult. My reason for supporting Chris Kelly as 24th District representative is a distaste for single-party rule at any level of government. We see better government when both sides of issues are considered and discussed. Too often, we have seen utter disregard for the opinions and needs of minority party members and the people they represent. Specific instances from recent history are:

• The so called "Intellectual Diversity Act" was, at best, a massive overreaction to seemingly legitimate complaint for which alternative remedies were available but not used.
• The ill-conceived raid on MOHELA funds chosen to fund college buildings from profits on loans taken by students and their parents who could not afford pay-as-you-go education. The money would have better been used to help provide lower-cost loans.
• The "Senior Tax Justice Act" benefited only those of us (I'm one) who draw Social Security and/or a pension from a public employer. However, many of us feel that legislative proposals such as this should benefit all Missourians, not just a favored few.
• We may be in the top 10 in football (and darn proud of it), but we're in the bottom 10 of all states in per capita higher education spending. I believe that education trumps low taxes in boosting quality economic development and a healthy economy.

Chris is a highly qualified candidate for the 24th District. Help him represent us.