Vote for Bean is a vote for high taxes

According to an article in the Jan. 23 Daily Herald, Melissa Bean has raised more than $200,000 for re-election campaign, thus dwarfing those of potential contenders.

More interesting to note was where a big chunk of this money came from. More than 70 donations came from political action committees for a variety of companies and industries ... Among them, American Insurance Association, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., MetLife and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.

So, the very industries that have led this country to the brink of collapse and the ones who are responsible for the ever upward spiraling of health care costs have made significant contributions to an elected representative who is actively engaged in legislation that will affect these very industries?

We already know the health care reform bill was debated and formulated in total secrecy by a select few in the House, and with over 2,000 pages to weed through before it was voted upon does anyone really believe this bill was thoroughly read and understood by Melissa Bean or anyone else in the House?

Now lets look at the record bonuses the banks are on track to make this year while the ordinary taxpayer continues to struggle with job cuts, zero pay increases, reduced benefits, retirement benefits that lost from 30 percent to 50 percent from late 2007 through 2008, and housing values that continue to decline with a new wave of foreclosures in the offing.

Yet, we are to believe Melissa Bean is working for our interests while taking money from these organizations that surely have their own agendas in mind.

A vote for Melissa Bean or any other "career" politician will ensure nothing but more of the same. More bailouts to big businesses, concessions to insurance companies, and higher taxes on the average citizen to pay for all of it.

Cindy Bandur

Island Lake