As an Independent, I will be voting for incumbent Charlie Bass in the election on Nov. 7 -- and he's not even my uncle.
I am writing this piece because it seems like most people are not even aware of the great things Representative Bass has done or what he stands for. People see posters of Paul Hodes in dorm windows and jump on that bandwagon, and that scares me. Voting without proper information would be irresponsible, but electing Paul Hodes would just be tragic. Charlie Bass is an independent, moderate Republican who will continue to lead New Hampshire on the right path.
I admire Charlie Bass because he is an experienced leader who does not fit the mold of a stereotypical Republican. John Kerry's "rubber-stamp for Bush" label does not apply to him. Representative Bass is pro-choice, supports embryonic stem-cell research, opposes a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and believes in preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Additionally, to vote for Hodes merely to restore the system of checks and balances, as Kaili Lambe '09 suggested ("In Favor of Hodes, Oct. 26), is absurd. The system does not need "restoring" because it is already in place; that Bush has total control over the government would be a difficult claim for even the most liberal Democrats to make.
And so I state my case for Charlie Bass:
Charlie Bass has made New Hampshire a better place since he was first elected in 1994. Bass has helped lower the income tax rate to let people keep more of their hard-earned money. Live free or die, right? Well, Paul Hodes has stated that he would repeal some of Bass's tax cuts, which the Bass campaign estimates as costing some New Hampshire residents up to $2,000 a year. Under the Bass tax cuts, New Hampshire boasts an unemployment rate lower than the national average and has one of the fastest growing economies in the nation -- surely something to be proud of.
A Dartmouth alumus (Class of 1974), Charlie Bass has also been at the forefront of environmental issues. During his tenure, he has added 10,800 acres to our beloved White Mountain National Park and extended "wilderness" protective status to another 23,700 acres. He voted against the Bush-Cheney national energy policy twice and introduced the Clean Air Act to Congress to prevent power plants from emitting harmful wastes. As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Bass is seeking out the alternate fuel sources we desperately need; he revived the Cape Wind project (the nation's first offshore wind farm) to provide us clean energy in the future and prevent the building of yet another power plant.
It is virtually impossible to talk about elections these days and not mention Iraq. Paul Hodes has absolutely zero experience in foreign policy as a trial lawyer. On the other hand, Charlie Bass has supported obtaining more funds to provide our troops in Iraq with the right equipment, and he disapproves of the long (and often repeat) terms that many soldiers have had to endure. Representative Bass has worked to secure funding for New Hampshire companies to develop advanced armor and equipment to help our troops, which is one reason why New Hampshire veteran groups have endorsed him. More significant is Charlie Bass's moderate stance on the war -- pressing for a quicker turnover rate to the Iraqis but not calling for immediate withdrawal.
Healthcare is also a pressing issue. There are certainly problems with the healthcare status quo, and all Americans deserve effective, affordable health insurance. Charlie Bass has promoted community medical and dental health centers and worked to lower the cost of health insurance. He has also supported tax-free health savings accounts for struggling families. Meanwhile, all Hodes can do is criticize Bush, a man who -- as much as Hodes supporters want to believe otherwise -- is not Bass.
I have met Charlie Bass and heard him speak passionately about New Hampshire and its citizens. He is a man of action and conviction, and his record reflects that. I urge you to vote for Charlie Bass on Nov. 7. I wholeheartedly believe that he has represented the state well and would further lead New Hampshire into prosperity. Charlie Bass is one of the great congressmen of America, and he deserves to be re-elected.
