It is not clear to me how the leading Lane County commissioner candidates for Springfield will help regular residents.

Commissioner David Loveall is a Republican and real estate developer who loves our billionaire president.

Mayor Sean VanGordon is currently a health care executive and former Republican. Both candidates promote trickle-down economics dogma at the expense of workers and everyday Springfielders.

Let’s face it, our choice is narrow: far right to center-right, with both candidates using the same economic playbook.

Both candidates’ playbook is familiar: tax abatements (breaks) for businesses, enterprise zones and incentives for larger businesses, while the benefits for regular Springfield residents are eliminated. Select big businesses receive tax breaks and there are serious repercussions.

For example, our schools are denied needed revenue, resulting in rounds of teacher layoffs in the middle of the school year and drastic service cuts. I am not sure there is any parent in this school district who thinks that children need less opportunities to learn. Meanwhile, select businesses continue to get tax breaks we are told are necessary for “growth.”

At some point, Springfielders need to pause and ask a simple question: How does this benefit me and my family?

How do tax breaks for larger businesses help families, seniors, students and people who simply want basic public services to function? How does cutting education help our community? How does reducing public services help a working-class town?

Please consider: If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the race moves to a runoff in November and that would give Springfielders more time to ask harder questions.

There is also a third candidate on the ballot, William Monsoor (registered Democrat), and voters always have the option to write in a candidate.

Sometimes the best choice is not rushing into a bad decision. I urge you to write in a candidate or vote for Monsoor. Springfielders will lose any political leverage if this election ends in May.

Jim Cupples
Springfield