By Randy Brogdon

As the saying goes, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." The continuing irresponsible actions of Congress are beyond shameful. The Washington politicians have inexplicably adopted the mantra of "government is the solution."

I remember not too long ago, President Ronald Reagan declared that "government is not the solution, government is the problem." His views have been proven to be right beyond any doubt over the last three decades. Reagan inspired a generation to readopt a previously practiced belief of Americanism. What I mean by that is he had a unique gift to help Americans understand what patriotism, citizenship, and charity are all about.

Pre-Reagan America had slumped into the doldrums of despair. Unprecedented double-digit inflation had stifled the economy. Interest rates reaching 17% all but eliminated the great American dream of home ownership. Income tax rates had reached upwards to 90% in the highest tax bracket while Iran thumbed their proverbial noses at the United States by holding American hostages for over a year.

President Reagan gave us a road map for success and all we had to do was follow it to continue upon the path of prosperity. Rather than staying on the straight and narrow path of fiscal prudence, the politicians in Washington have led us back to the dark ages of big government. The "dollar" was once recognized around the world as the gold standard and is now shunned. Today many countries would much rather trade in deutschmarks, franks and the Euro. The hidden tax of inflation has stripped the dollar of much of its worth. Fiat (play) money is printed almost daily causing even more stress on the economy. The increasing debt burdening the American people has reached critical mass and must be paid off if we are to survive as a Nation. The most shocking realization is that Congress' sophomoric answer to the financial problems we face is to "borrow" money to pay off the debt. That makes no sense at all! Implementing that strategy will increase our debt two fold.

In1980 Ronald Reagan was elected president. This was the beginning of a radical transformation back to the founding values and principles of our Constitution. The chains of government were loosened. Income tax rates were slashed to modest levels causing incredible expansion of the economy. Double-digit inflation dropped off to almost nothing, interest rates fell to all time lows and private investment in industry created jobs galore.

If Reagan did it -- we can do it too. The answer to today's problem is fairly simple to solve since there are only two pieces to the puzzle. Number one, we need Constitutional conservative leadership like Reagan provided. Number two; "We the people" must demand a moral and responsible government by electing dedicated public servants.

I still believe in America. I still have faith that values of our forefathers are just as relevant today as they were 230 years ago. I believe the vast majority of Oklahomans will support someone who will provide Constitutional leadership. Our freedom is precious, and as Reagan said …It is our destiny and duty to preserve in sacred trust mankind's aspirations of freedom for generations to come. Please join me and let's spread the cause of freedom.