REPUBLICANS FINALLY CURBING GOVERNMENT SPENDING

I have been a conservative all of my adult life and actually believed in conservative values throughout my teen years. The Republican Party of which I have been an active member for more than 30 years has traditionally been the party for smaller government and less government spending....that is until the last five years. I support President Bush and still believe that a Republican majority in both the House and Senate is a necessity especially in light of the fact that the left has no clue as to what the American people want and they believe only in the politics of political destruction. Yet despite my support I do not agree with the rampant spending and expansion of government programs that have occurred during the Bush Presidency and with the current and last five Congressional sessions. Ronald Reagan once said that government does not solve problems, "government IS the problem." This is a statement that I have whole heartedly agreed with even before President Reagan's statement. The conservative base of the Republican Party like me have always believed this to be true and insisted that this was always a part of the party platform, a belief that has been greatly ignored until recently when the House finally listened to the constituency and began seeking ways to cut government spending and get this out of control budget back in check! Although the vote for these cuts has been delayed this policy is the beginning of getting the majority back on track and the American people are once again being represented in accordance to our voice which is our vote and the opportunity to express our beliefs by stating them directly to our representatives and through such avenues as the web! Let's hope that this is just the beginning and more cuts as well as true tax reform, (meaning reform that decreases taxation and actually changes the system), and tax cuts are to follow. This is a vital part of conservatism and unless our Congressional representatives continue on this path they will see conservative replacements rise to take their place in the halls of Congress. The discourse that has been taking place as a result of the Harriet Meirs nomination and the changes that are taking place in the governing body in Washington result from grassroots response to the beltway and our representatives ARE listening. It then continues to be our responsibility to keep the pressure on and make our voice heard again and again! This is the strength of conservatism, that even our disagreements, when voiced, result in positive action and a stronger nation.

Ken Taylor