To the editor:

You will read a lot about the economy over theÝ100 days left before the election. The Bush side will claim the economy is in recovery and strong. The Kerry side will claim that recovery is uneven and being fueled on the backs of the working poor. There is no question that some of the economic indicators are improving, for example, unemployment is down from last year and job creation continues. Of course, unemployment is still higher than when Bush took office and there is still a net loss of more than one million jobs. Even with the recovery, lower-wage jobs outpace higher-wage jobs 2-1, child poverty is increasing and health coverage for adults is declining. Locally, our region has the highest unemployment in the state and because the Governor was unable to show leadership during the session or bring the sides together for a special session, the state is looking at huge deficits the next couple of years. You have to ask if all the time they spent enacting a hunting season on the mourning dove, a beautiful songbird, and enabling almost anyone to carry and conceal a handgun, allowing them in churches and at sporting events, was a good use of our legislatorsí time. My guess is that if we created standards for legislators like the graduation standards they created for schools, legislators like Rep. Pete Nelson and Rep. Rob Eastland would fail. According to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, ìPolitics . . . should be about an old idea with new power ñ the common good. The central question should not be, ìAre you better off than you were four years ago?î It should be, ìHow can weÇ ñ all of us, especially the weak and vulnerable ñ be better off in the years ahead? How can we protect and promote human life and dignity? How can we pursue greater justice and peace?î

Using that criteria, both major parties are lacking. The Republican party while it opposes abortion, lacks commitment to social justice, peaceÝand other aspects of being pro-life. The Democratic party has a stronger commitment to social justice, but doesnít do well from a Catholic perspective, on its platform on abortion. We all can work to make our political parties better. For me, Democrats for Life, seems to bring both the issues of social justice and pro-life together. Political leaders like Rep. James Oberstar and Mayor Randy Kelly are both members of Democrats for Life. I would like to encourage everyone to become more involved, to register to vote, become informed, advocate for human life, greater justice and peace, and to vote. We donít need another President that not only didnít win the popular vote, butÝreceived less than 25 percent of those eligible to vote. Ý Ý

Robert G. Walz
North Branch

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