To the editor:

Out of all the candidates running for the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota, on September 9th, I will vote in the primary for Stephen Williams, the endorsed candidate of the Independence Party of Minnesota (IPMN). When compared to the other candidates, Williams is the only one that not only says what he's going to do, but how he's going to do it. For example, he wants to pay for universal health insurance and social security with a consumption tax (while eliminating the payroll tax, which is different from income tax). This transfers part of these burdens from domestic workers to producers abroad. Stephen Williams is the clear choice if you'd like to vote for a candidate who hasn't already been influenced by millions of dollars in campaign contributions coming from special interest groups. It would be naïve to think that these groups would invest such large amounts of capital into political campaigns without expecting something in return in the form of legislation favoring their organizations, while disregarding the best interests of the average American. Certainly don't look to his main Independence Party challenger Dean Barkley for this kind of choice. Barkley was appointed a U.S. Senator after Paul Wellstone died and he left office after eight days in session. Dean Barkley's next occupation: Lobbying for big tobacco, casino interests and the private prison industry (http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=1442016). Dean Barkley's history shows that he is just as reliant on being a sleazy politician as any of the candidates from the two major parties—he's just worse at it. On September 9th, vote for Stephen Williams.

Joey Miller

Austin, MN