An endorsement for David Gill

March 20 this year will be the Illinois Primary election. Much of the Metro East is a part of U.S. Congressional District 13. Presently, this area is represented by Republican Rep. Tim Johnson.

Two Democrats are running in the primary. They are Dr. David Gill and Matthew Goetten. I strongly support Gill. He is an emergency room doctor who supports a single-payer health care system. A majority of American physicians favor such a system.

Gill also supports the individual right to own guns under the Second Amendment. As a hunter and gun owner, I strongly agree with this position.

Huge corporate money donations have corrupted the politics of both Democrats and Republicans. One reason is the unfortunate Supreme Court decision "Citizens United" at the beginning of 2010. This allows unlimited money donations to political campaigns. Gill supports overturning the decision to make elections more about real issues and less about political "bullying" by big money interests.

I have met and spoken with Dr. Gill on several occasions and am quite impressed. He has been campaigning for several months, meeting individual voters and discussing the real issues at length. Matthew Goetten, however, has only recently become a candidate.

We need a candidate who understands the issues and feels strongly about making a positive difference. If Gill wins the primary on March 20, and defeats Congressman Johnson in the November general election, we will have a Representative who can make a truly positive difference.

Larry L. Brown

Glen Carbon