Buckeye RINO

Editor’s note: David Arredondo is vice chair of Lorain County Republican Party.  This is the text of a speech he delivered at a Candidates Night in Lorain, Ohio, on 4/14/2010 that was hosted by Coalition for Hispanic/Latino Issues & Progress (CHIP).

WHY VOTE REPUBLICAN

David Arredondo

April 14, 2010

Abraham Lincoln, the first elected Republican president, celebrated what the founders of this nation had achieved: a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  Lincoln, like the abolitionist who constituted the majority of the party back in his day, championed the emancipation and empowerment of the people.

Now, more than ever, the Republican Party has renewed its commitment to these principles that Lincoln championed.

Individuals who seek personal empowerment and control over their own lives, instead of an increase of government control over their lives, turn to the Republican Party, which embraces these ideals.  Our founders intended the people to check and balance the government, not the other way around.  President Ronald Reagan stated that, “Government isn’t the solution to our problems.  Government IS the problem.”

STIMULUS, HEALTH CARE, & DEFICITS

And so it is that we see that in less than 15 short months, the Obama Administration and Congress, led by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, have driven up the deficit to unprecedented levels by passing a stimulus bill that has not worked.  Let me remind you, that overwhelming majorities of Democrats in the House and Senate allow them to pass any legislation they wish, including amnesty for illegal immigrants.

In December 2008, unemployment stood at 6.5 percent.  Then newly-elected President Obama vowed that if the stimulus bill passed, it would not rise above 8.5%.  Months later, it hit 10%, where it has been for almost one year with no sign of improving.  All of us have family, neighbors, and friends who are unemployed and have little prospect of employment soon. Health care legislation was passed in a brutal fashion by only three votes; in fact, the only bi-partisanship on the part of the President and the Democratic Majority we have seen has come from 30 or more courageous Democrats who have voted with Republicans to oppose both the Stimulus and health care.  These two measures have added trillions, not billions, to the deficit.  What is happening to Greece, Europe, and California, is coming to a city or state like yours soon.  We cannot sustain this debt now and we certainly cannot look to the taxpayer to bail us out.  As it is now, more than 50% pay no taxes.

JOB CREATION

Republicans understand that the only jobs that government creates are those in the public sector, and expansion of these is what is causing our federal, state, and local budget problems.  We know that the private sector is the engine of growth and prosperity which must be freed of over-regulation, higher taxation, and unreasonable mandates.  No investor will invest, no business owner will expand as long as these conditions persist.Fiscal sustainability is what Republicans promise.  Everybody has to keep some kind of budget, and everybody knows that they can’t get away with spending more than twice what they take in. Combine the billions of new taxes in the health care bill with the $1 trillion from letting the Bush tax cuts expire, the $940 billion price tag of health care, and the $789 billion stimulus . . . and you have a simple reality: This is the biggest tax and spend government in American history.

The Republican Party expects accountability of its government.  With unprecedented budget shortfalls, this year, vote Republican.  At the top of the Ohio ticket, the party has fielded a candidate, John Kasich, who was the architect of a balanced Federal budget.  The Republicans on your ballot this year are determined to reassert the people’s sovereignty.

By an 8-1 margin, Democrats and independents are switching to the Republican Party in Ohio. Today, and through May 4, I ask you to go to the Board of Elections and ask for the Republican ballot.  On May 4th, go to the polls and ask for the Republican ballot.  Vote Republican, now, so that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from this Earth.