Lessons on 99th anniversary of Reagan's birthday
By: Grover Norquist
OpEd Contributor
February 5, 2010
As President Obama reflects and wonders why the American people are rejecting his policies, he should look to the years of President Reagan's time in office for an example of how to model his steps moving forward. One has to look no further than Virginia, New Jersey and my home state of Massachusetts to see that the electorate is not fond of his agenda.
Obama should learn what Reagan learned years ago and touted in office, that many of our problems were created by government and will not be solved by creating more government.
When Jimmy Carter left the White House, inflation was 11.8 percent. Unemployment was stuck during his four-year term at between 7 and 8 percent. Interest rates increased from 7.1 percent in 1977 to 20 percent by the beginning of January 1981.
Japan was viewed as the model for economic growth. The Soviet Union and its empire were on the march occupying Afghanistan and Eastern Europe, and adding colonies in Nicaragua in Central America and Angola, Mozambique and Ethiopia in Africa. Iran held American hostages.
Inflation was caused by the government spending too much money and printing too much money. Low growth and unemployment were a result of income tax rates on individuals as high as 70 percent and on businesses as high as 50 percent. Reagan cut marginal income taxes from 70 percent to 28 percent in two tax reforms in 1981 and 1986.
Nearly 4 million jobs were created in 1983 alone. During Reagan's presidency, 16 million jobs were created.
Inflation fell from more than 10 percent when Reagan took office to 3.85 percent in 2008. Few Americans now remember the ravages of inflation in the 1970s.
On foreign policy, Reagan built the military strength of America without promiscuously involving America in the civil wars of other nations or trying to be a Roman Empire insisting that everyone else's government look like ours.
The critics who said his straightforward solutions to America's challenges were too simplistic were wrong. If the government is spending too much, spend less. If tax rates are too high, reduce them. If the government is printing too much money, print less. If your enemies threaten you, be stronger than they are.
Our unity is our commitment to our freedom. Today, we will celebrate a very American life. One that was dedicated to maintaining and strengthening American liberty.
Reagan understood that there is something we have not earned ourselves -- the liberty we enjoy and the Constitution that helps protect that liberty. Men and women who came before us and fought in the Revolutionary War and wrote the Constitution and those who served in the military to protect our nation and Constitution all gave us our freedom.
We can follow the example of Reagan and "give something back." By working to limit the cost and size and intrusiveness of government and to expand human freedom through our own actions and lives.
Our liberty is an unbought grace, and Ronald Reagan showed us how a life can be lived to "give back" to future generations the liberty our forefathers bequeathed to us.
I encourage President Obama to not only proclaim Feb. 6 "Ronald Reagan Day," making this day a "teaching moment" for so many who did not live to appreciate Reagan's leadership; but to also learn from Reagan's approach to the challenges of the presidency.
Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform.
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