When I joined the Republican Party in 1976, its platform stood for something: small government, lower taxes, capitalism, laws to citizenship, right to bear arms, to name a few.

This month, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to take more money from hardworking Americans and, yes, redistribute it.

I have two family members who will be sorely affected. They worked long, hard hours; missed family events; traveled on a regular basis, saying goodnight to their children over the phone, to get where they are.

Did the U.S. Government play a role in their success? No. It just keeps putting obstacles in the way — higher taxes on businesses, Obamacare, and more and more regulations.

The sellout of the Republican Party to raise taxes is the last straw.

Butler County is more conservative than many, and yet our congressman, Mike Kelly, voted with the liberal idea that taking more money out of the private sector (the job creators and spenders) will somehow stimulate the economy. How many business people in our area believe this?

Kelly’s continued votes on spending and raising the debt ceiling go against how he spoke as a candidate.

We have Republican county commissioners calling for tax hikes. My question is, where do we go for representation?

We deserve representation by individuals who will vote to protect our freedom-loving values and hard work. Leave punishment for success and expansion of government dependency to the liberals in cities like Detroit, where those ideals nearly have destroyed economies.

It is a shame candidates with an “R” beside their name win, then go to Washington, D.C., and vote against the very platform and ideals of those who elected them.

I guess some have forgotten what happened when Phil English went to the middle — Kathy Dahlkemper was the result.