Gil Gutknecht: Penny wise, pound foolish

I like Gil Gutknecht. He's a nice guy and he has a great voice, and I certainly would like to see him go into broadcasting next January. It would be less stressful than being in Congress — that's for sure — and maybe even more remunerative.

That said, I find the emphasis on his campaign website somewhat off the mark of reality. Most of his constituents are concerned about the war in Iraq, which he supported wholeheartedly until about two weeks ago; about the rising cost of health care, for which he has only proposed a few band-aid solutions; and about the high price of gas (Gil has voted to give oil companies big tax breaks). His constiuents are also concerned about their diminishing buying power, their struggling rural communities, their schools, and even their environment (Mommy, why can't we eat the fish from the river?).

And yet what does he stress on his campaign website? The following:

Fiscal Conservative First District Congressman Gutknecht Once Again Files by Petition In Lieu of Filing Fee

First District Congressman Gil Gutknecht filed today with the Minnesota Secretary of State to seek his seventh term in the United States House of Representatives. Ever the fiscal conservative, Gutknecht continued with the tradition he started when he first ran for Congress in 1994, filing by petition in lieu of paying the $300 filing fee. Congressman Gutknecht's submission included 1,626 citizens representing all twenty-two counties in the First District. Signers expressed their approval of Congressman Gutknecht and supported his bid for re-election through their action.

Okay, so Gil may have saved his campaign $300, but his votes in Congress have cost his constituents millions. For example, he has consistently voted to support the President's tax cuts that have primarily benefited millionaires in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois and around Washington, DC. How many millionaires does he think live in Minnesota's 1st District, which has an average per capita income of $19,889, a median housing value of $93,981, and a poverty rate of 8%? (Source: MPR.)

The upshot of these tax breaks coupled with the President's war in Iraq have decimated the federal budget, leading to record deficits. And this is called "fiscal conservatism"?

Mr. Gutknecht has also voted against domestic programs that would have helped his district, such as voting in favor of the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005.

One could blame Mr. Gutknecht's votes on being a "good Republican" — in other words voting along party lines — yet 13 of his Republican colleagues, including Rep. Ramstad of Minnesota's 3rd district, voted against this measure.

So while Mr. Gutknecht is a nice guy, the way he's represented his district hasn't always helped the voters who elected him. Saying you're a fiscal conservative is one thing, but actually voting that way is much more difficult, especially when the President wants you to do otherwise.

Rep. Gutknecht had the right idea in 1994 when he said he only wanted to serve six terms — 12 years — in Congress. It's time to hold him to that ideal. Come November I propose launching him into that new career in broadcasting.