For people who are undecided about which candidates to vote for, I have good news your choices this year are easy. Do you want more of the same, or a different direction for our government? If you endorse current policies, vote for incumbents. If you want a change in economic, environmental or social policies, vote for challengers.

Despite protestations to the contrary, John McCain will continue the Republican policies of the past 30 years ignore global climate change, spend money we don't have and borrow to balance the books, and plan poorly (if at all) for the future. Although Mr. McCain prefers the moniker "maverick," a more honest label is "John McSame."

Likewise, candidates for Milpitas City Council and mayor are clearly distinguished as more of the same from long-term incumbents beholden to corporate and special interests or a different direction from independent challengers. Incumbents Bob Livengood and Debbie Giordano, and former mayor Pete McHugh like Republicans at the national level barely acknowledge global climate change, they rely on borrowed money to balance the budget, and plan poorly for our future.

According to a recent report from the Sierra Club, Milpitas lags most other cities in the Bay Area in working to reduce global climate change. Even our cash-strapped school district is far ahead of our city government in addressing the problem.

The local incumbents, like the Republicans in Washington, keep spending money they don't have.

They are unwilling or incapable of balancing the budget. (Part of the reason may be that they want the continued support of police officers who are paid 90 percent of their salary when they retire for 20, 30 and even 40 more years.) The city is spending more than it takes in and covering the deficit by selling off public properties to the redevelopment agency. Unfortunately, the redevelopment agency is buying city hall and other city buildings with borrowed money which must eventually be paid back. This is like using a credit card to pay the rent. Although city staff has repeatedly pointed out that the $5 million shortfalls will continue for years into the future, the council majority, led by Mr. Livengood, has refused to address the problem.

When it comes to planning our city for the future, the incumbents vote for corporate interests, not the interests of Milpitas citizens. Four examples include:

Ms. Giordano attempted to rezone her residential property into a business. That little trick required more than 100 angry people at the Milpitas City Council meeting to turn back.

The Fairfield high-density housing development out at the edge of town is far removed from community services and was opposed by the chamber of commerce, the school district, and everyone else in the council audience except the developers.

Their proposed version of the Transit Area Plan included 12,000 more people and no school! That is a stupid idea that produced a packed council meeting of citizens that told them so.

For more than 10 years, the Bicycle Master Plan has included a bike and pedestrian crossing of the railroad tracks near the GreatMall and light rail (Curtis to Yosemite). Anyone who looks at a map agrees that crossing makes a lot of sense. But the council majority wants to remove it from the plan.

Also, like the national Republicans, the local incumbents are advised by a Karl Rove-like political consultant called Victor Ajlouny. He is an outsider who has been involved in our elections for years often with dirty tricks (like the lies he used against Trish Dixon in 2004).

Incumbents will argue that their challengers lack the knowledge and experience to do a good job. Anyone familiar with city government knows that our well-paid and knowledgeable city employees handle the details of policies set by the city council.

So, which team do you trust to set those policies for our future? The incumbents can brag about their government experience 30 years in the case of Mr. Livengood. The challengers, however, bring a wider range of experience. Like me, Ola Hassan is a former engineer who is now a small businessman dealing with all of the real world challenges that it involves. Heidi Pham brings the people-oriented and compassionate perspective of a social worker helping people on probation re-align their lives. Mayoral candidate Craig Donnelly knows how both city and state governments work as a result of his staff work for a state Assembly member. Individually, we all have strengths and weaknesses. As a team, these three candidates could bring balance and wisdom to the council.

Please vote for change. Vote for Craig Donnelly, Heidi Pham and Ola Hassan.

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Rob Means is a longtime Milpitas resident who formerly served on the Milpitas Bicycle Transportation Advisory Commission. He served as Heidi Pham's city council campaign consultant in 2006.