Today we celebrate the 101st birthday of our 40th President, Ronald Reagan born in Tampico Illinois on February 6, 2011. Elected in 1980, President Reagan inherited an economy with double-digit inflation, 20% interest rates, declining real income and a 9.5% unemployment rate. Honoring his pledge to reduce the size and role of government, President Reagan enacted sweeping government reforms including across the board tax and budget cuts and promotion of a strong dollar. Two years later, inflation and interest rates dropped and by the fall of 1983, the economy was creating a million private sector jobs a month. The U.S. economy grew 7% for five straight quarters and we experienced 25 years of nearly uninterrupted economic growth.

Compare the Reagan record with that of President Obama, whose big government philosophy has saddled the U.S. economy with massive debt and hyper-regulations of every aspect of American life. In the three years of Obamanamics, Americans pay twice as much to fill their cars with gas, our homes are worth less, we are paying more for health insurance and virtually all Americans have a friend or a family member that is out of work. The “Change We Can All Believe In” policies of President Obama and his liberal allies have kept the unemployment rate at historically high levels for three years with the under-employment rate at 15% and economic growth last year was a near stagnant 1.9%.

Yes, President Obama, your liberal tax and spend policies have made things worse!

Help Illinois Republicans continue to the legacy of Ronald Reagan by contributing to the revitalized and re-energized Illinois Republican Party at ILGOPDonate.com. Your $10, $25 or $50 contribution will go directly to fund our nationally recognized Victory Program which was instrumental in sending five new members of congress in 2010 and electing Republicans up and down the ballot in the state of Illinois.

If you have a few minutes today, watch this video of President Reagan’s address to Congress in 1981 where he first proposed his economic package that saved the U.S. economy.

Happy birthday, President Reagan!

Pat Brady - Chairman, Illinois Republican Party