Quist gets in
Republican Allen Quist has made his run for Congress official and will challenge DFL Rep. Tim Walz in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Quist will be making stops in Mankato, Austin and Rochester on Thursday to announce his campaign. Here's Quist's news release:
(St. Peter, MN) - Former State Representative Allen Quist has announced that he will run against U.S. Representative Tim Walz for the First District Congressional Seat. Quist served three terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1982 to 1988, runs a family farm of 1200 acres with his son Andrew in rural St. Peter, and recently retired as a teacher at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato
Quist, a Republican, said his message will be simple and straightforward: "If people like what Congress is doing, they should vote for the incumbent," Quist said. "But if they believe, as I do, that Congress is headed in the wrong direction, then I will be the alternative."
According to Quist there have been three unusually important bills under consideration during this session of Congress: the $787 billion Stimulus bill, Cap and Trade, and the Health Care bill. "Representative Walz has been on the wrong side of all three," said Quist.
Quist emphasizes that government spending is totally out of control. "Just the Stimulus bill by itself added over $10,000 of new government debt for every family of four in our nation," he explained. Quist also said that present Congressional spending trends will almost double our national debt-from 40% of GDP today to 87% of D+GDP by 2020. Quist says this means, "continued high unemployment and burdening the next generation with a level of debt that will substantially reduce their quality of life."
"The Cap and Trade bill will add $6,800 per year of higher energy costs for every family of four and the Health Care bill, which is supposed to reduce medical costs, will actually increase total costs by over $100 billion each year," said Quist.
Quist added that the Health Care bill contains a huge hidden tax on the middle class and will substatnitally reduce the access senior citizens have to needed health care. "In terms of costs," Quist said, "big business is the big winner and the middle class is the big loser. American citizens of the middle class will be forced to pay the bills."
"Southern Minnesota voters have been holding Tea Party rallies and contacting Congressman Walz's office asking him not to support these wasteful government spending bills that force more government control of our lives," said Quist. "Congressman Walz continually shows by his votes that he is out of step with the voters of the First District.
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