As we head into the final days prior to the election, we are faced with troubling and very difficult decisions. Whom do I cast my vote for? Representative Seaton, Mayor Wythe, or Businessman John Cox?

Several issues weigh heavy on the voters’ minds within our district this election. The question you have to ask is: What do you want from your representative? Do you want a career establishment candidate like Paul Seaton who chose Planned Parenthood over mathematics? Do you stay with what you have? Do you want Paul Seaton’s feckless leadership or an overspending mayor as your legislator? A representative that has proven to be taking us in the wrong direction or do we take a chance on someone new?

This year legislators were rated on what it feels are issues important to a stable economic climate in Alaska. These list of issues were followed during the session and used to compile a report. Two of the major topics given to legislators for evaluation are responsible budgeting and private sector growth. Representative Seaton received a D- as a grade! We are 51st in the country with education, I suppose all we can expect is a D-.

Cuts must be made across the board to programs that are not producing a positive return on expenditures. A quick knee reaction to implement a 15 percent personal income tax right off top is not only detrimental to Alaskans, but shows that other actions were not looked at first to solve the financial crisis within the state’s over-inflated budget. A tax increase or personal income tax should have been the last option after all aspects were thoroughly looked at and implemented.

Most troubling is the fiscal dilemma that Alaskans face affecting all facets of their lives. We must have a bold and fiscal innovator. I understand over spending and taxation will not lead to prosperity. It will exacerbate and compound this deleterious fiscal situation.

For example if you read the proposed bill to build the new police station, which was retracted, it lays out how it is going to be paid for by the citizens. Hidden in the verbiage was a sales tax increase of 1 percent adding to the already exorbitant 7.5 percent sales tax.

In addition, the mayor wanted to remove the grocery exemption sales tax that has been voted on by the people. Continuing to tell the constituents that she opposes new tax increases and hides it in the body of a bill seems dubious.

This type of action will only hurt the citizens of the District and generate financial hardship on those that live within a fixed budget. You must be honest with your constituents about the facts. It is not appropriate to pander for self gratification. This is not an act of leadership but an act of deception. An elected official whether city or state must be forthright with the citizens he or she wishes to represent. I don’t believe that you are getting that from either Representative Seaton or Mayor Wythe.

As an elected official you must be forthright and not tell your constituents that under your leadership you have produced an excess of revenue in the city budget. Then must report that it has a $1.4 million budget gap with obligations.

The idea of saying that if seniors want services they must pay your share. This fiscal plan of removing the senior citizens tax exemption is heartless. The seniors add 3-4 percent to local business.

If we are to unravel the catastrophic disaster that our legislators placed in Alaskans they must first understand basic economics: wants, needs, scarcity.

Factors of production to solve our state’s dilemma are those elements at our disposal: land, capital investments, labor and entrepreneurs. How do we get there? What do we produce, how to produce it and from whom to produce.

Until legislators can come to an agreement our fiscal problems will never be resolved. Shouldn’t you decide what we produce and prosper in? Have your decisions been implemented? Are we as a society decided mediocrity in our public servants is our new social norm?

I’ve triaged wounds and never lost a life. I’ve triaged fiscal government emergent issues on time without extensions at your cost.

What I have in business and life experience lacks the corruption of establishment politicians.