Don's Tuesday Column

     THE WAY I SEE IT   by Don Polson  Red Bluff Daily News   3/25/2014

Republican Dinner Honors President Reagan

Before letting readers know about this Saturday’s Republican Dinner, I want to give all of you a heads-up on a planned State of Jefferson town hall informational meeting on April 5^th, 6 PM, at the Elks Lodge. Speakers will provide you with what you need to know before the June 3^rd vote on Proposition A, advising the Board of Supervisors on the issue.

There are some great reasons to attend this year’s premier Republican Party event, the Red, White and Blue Reagan Dinner, Saturday the 29^th. As of Sunday, tickets were available but will not be sold at the door. Make a call as soon as you can to 567-2323 to reserve your seat or table. There is a “no host” cocktail mixer at 5:30 and dinner at 6:30.

We will be celebrating the legacy of our 40^th President, Ronald Reagan, with quotes, jokes and quips from his life, as well as an address from a special guest, Dennis Revell, President, Revell Communications, Chair of the Placer County Republican Party, and son-in-law to Ronald Reagan. He was a privileged and passionate observer to some of the dramatic episodes, as well as the quiet moments of the last 25 years of Ronald Reagan’s life, blessed as he was to be Maureen Reagan’s husband for over 20 years. They met in 1973 when both were active leaders in the California Young Republicans.

This dinner is always a chance for a warmer and more intimate interaction than you would normally have at public events with our local elected officials, up to and including U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa and State Senator Jim Nielsen. The food is always top quality, memorable, provided this year by Cattle Country Catering, and includes Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Prime Rib Stroganoff. Your $40 ticket, together with any silent auction items you purchase, is a great way to show your support for local Republican outreach events; remember, we are not receiving government or taxpayer funds and rely on your generosity. Also note that active, uniformed military can attend free but a reservation ahead of time is appreciated for the benefit of the caterer.

Let’s take this opportunity to review some timeless things that Ronald Reagan said in the course of his long role in public service and conservative advocacy. I received a timely email with a link to “7 Amazing Reagan Quotes that Capture America’s Current Condition,” posted at www.breibart.com/Big-Government on 2/24. I think you will find much that speaks to the need for sober and finite expectations for government at every level; each concept contained herein should help you discern between the liberal/left advocates for governmental failure, and conservative proponents of freedom’s inherent success.

Appropriately, the first one is: “Man is not free unless government is limited.” Everything—whether food, health care, housing, or income support—that comes from the seeming governmental generosity of other people’s taxes, comes with a price tag of servitude.

“Can the black teenager who faces a staggering unemployment rate feel that government policies are a success?” Indeed, you could not have a more depressingly stark, revealing indictment of economic failure under liberal, Democratic policies than the long, sorry uninterrupted state of minority unemployment under Barack Obama’s presidency and Democrat-run cities.

“When you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it.” We are seeing that, under Obamacare, the IRS tax penalty is producing, on balance, fewer insured Americans; those signing up for insurance are not keeping pace with those kicked off their health plans (Obama’s lie), and many uninsured young plan not to participate.

“Welfare’s purpose should be to eliminate, as much as possible, the need for its own existence.” Instead, under Obama’s epic failure of an economic recovery, every benefit program is, through eager governmental advocacy, growing the dependency class.

“If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” Bear that truth in mind as you watch anti-religious zealots, whether in governmental, regulatory or judicial positions of power, or even cynical writers or cartoonists on this page, arrogantly advocating against the faithful. The first step of an atheistic tyranny is to force religious believers to bow and accede to secular authorities and their godless mandates—as when Obamacare forces Christian business owners to provide abortion-inducing drugs to their employees.

“One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine.” The leftward trend of state mandates against the economic free will of Americans has marched lockstep with government-provided health care services.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” When every aspect of one’s personal and economic life can be analyzed, evaluated and regulated for its impact on public health or the environment, generations become accustomed to the constant purview of governmental overlords; they inevitably, inexorably lose even the memory of free will choices. Thus is the transition from living where all is allowed unless ruled illegal—to living as if nothing is allowed except what is declared legal. Think about it.