I support the letter, “We need to participate as voters, citizens” (Oct. 13, Kent Reporter) encouraging us to vote. My purpose is to encourage you to think about who and what you are voting for.

Who do you trust more, the government or the people? Many are calling for more government intrusion into our lives, believing that government is a better caretaker of our rights than ourselves or fellow men and women. Problem one is that, depending on the issue, government is likely to overreact.

Consider the latest law about using your mobile phone in the car and the over-reaching of the rest of that law, or the Dodd-Frank Act. Second problem is, government is all about power. Typically, the more power one has, the more they abuse it.

Have you noticed that for politicians, most of them, it is party first and doing what’s right, fair and just comes somewhere down the list? In between are the people who provide big money for the politicians to stay in power. Simplified, that may be businesses, unions and special interest groups. I recently reached out to my three state legislators. Only one responded. So much for government responsiveness to the ordinary guy.

Government has a role, I’m not saying it doesn’t. It is to protect its citizens at home and abroad, enforce the laws for the mutual benefit of all, provide equal justice, provide a fair playing field and do the things that we individually can’t do, like build roads and infrastructure. However, once the government has taxed your hard labor, you have very little say in how they spend it.

It is important to vote for people who will spend your money the way you would. Once that money is gone, it’s out of your control. For those who think government is a better steward of your money than the free market consider this: in the free market you decide who gets your money.

If you don’t like something, you don’t buy it. If you don’t need it, you don’t buy it. If you think the price is too high, you don’t buy it. If you don’t like a company’s policies, you don’t shop there.

It appears we live in a time of pet projects and causes. Are you willing to impose on others’ rights just to impose your pet cause on all? We need a broader vision. There are always what economist call “opportunity costs.” There are always consequences to our choices, things we get, things we give up. What side of the coin are you going to land on? How are you going to vote?

– Adam Self