With Election Day right around the corner, students need to know whom they’re voting for in the race for U.S. Congress. On one hand, we have Tim Johnson, the incumbent Republican who has widespread name recognition and outdated policies. On the other hand, we have the lesser-known Dr. David Gill.

As an emergency room doctor, Dr. Gill sees firsthand the consequences of a health care system in the United States that leaves 44 million U.S. citizens uninsured. To alleviate this disaster, Gill supports the creation of a universal, affordable health-care plan for all U.S. citizens – unlike the current system Johnson supports, which leaves 8.5 million children uninsured.

A few weeks ago, I conducted a phone poll that asked people where they stood on the issues and whom they planned to support for U.S. Congress. Time and again people agreed the Iraq war was a mistake, that outsourcing of American jobs needed to stop, and that $7.2 trillion deficit was a problem. Yet when asked whom they were planning to vote for, the majority of people answered with a speedy “Tim Johnson.”

Herein lies the contradiction. Tim Johnson supported the war in Iraq, contributed to the deficit problem by voting for tax cuts that disproportionately benefit those who make more than $250,000 per year, and voted for giving breaks to companies that send jobs overseas. Meanwhile, Dr. Gill opposes the war, wants to roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest U.S. citizens, and opposes the outsourcing of jobs.

Johnson popularity appears to be from name recognition alone, because it certainly isn’t because of his policy stances. When all of you go out to vote on Tuesday, think about the issues that matter and vote for the man who actually has a plan for the United States. Vote for David Gill.

Sabrina Kaiser

sophomore in LAS