Presidents Message, February 2018
By Phil Orenstein
It’s 2018, the year we’ve dubbed, “the new golden era for America and the Republican Party,” and we have some exciting meetings coming up, including a book signing event with Pamela Geller on February 1st. We are hosting historical events and tours, and our glorious Lincoln Dinner on March 18th, as well as some thrilling races for Congress, U.S. Senate, State Senate and Assembly, and Governor to look forward to.
We will be meeting many of the candidates for the respective offices at our upcoming club meetings, as we just recently met U.S. Navy SEALs Veteran, Dan DeBono running for Congress in the 3rd District. Our patriotic club members pitch in and work hard to help get our outstanding candidates elected. We campaign, petition, canvass voters, donate money, make phone calls, rally, pray, stuff envelopes, and enter data around the clock. Over the years, we have accumulated a wealth of wisdom and experience on the election process and what makes a good candidate.
In order for our Republic to survive, we need noble men and women leaders with the strength of character willing to make personal sacrifices, and dedicate their time and energy to upholding the U.S. Constitution, and representing the voices and concerns of the people they serve in their constituency. The survival of Democracy also demands that citizens do their duty to their country by taking part in the election process, informing themselves about the candidates and issues, and voting for their representatives. Voting is the responsibility and sacred duty of all Americans, and elections have direct consequences on our safety, prosperity, freedom, and quality of life.
The fact that our government seizes 50% or more of New Yorkers’ earnings, in federal, state, local, sales, and property taxes, and fines, fees, tolls, and surcharges, is a result of apathy and unwillingness to vote. Voter turnout in the November 2017 election hit a pathetic all-time low, as only 21.7% of the city’s 5 million registered voters bothered to vote.
It’s time for all voters to know the issues and get out to the polls in November. 50% of our dollar earnings has bought the most dysfunctional, anti-business, socialist, corrupt, pay-to-play state and city governments in the nation. It’s a raw deal, and high time for all of us to stand up and say enough is enough!
We, the members of the Queens Village Republican Club will continue to do our duty to our country as the opposition party in Queens, NY, in a virtual one-party system. We will field good candidates, get them on the ballot, and work hard to support their candidacy. But this is an ongoing process, not just campaigning intensely three months before an election. Good candidates have to be cultivated and groomed over the course of many months and years, and they must campaign all year-round.
A good candidate is one who campaigns full time, and is passionately active in community and civic issues, and has built a community support system. A great example of this spirit is our own former Senator Frank Padavan. His campaign slogan “nobody cares like Frank” spoke to his intimate involvement with the issues and concerns of his constituents, and he knew how to campaign and win a Republican race in a vastly Democrat district. He knew his constituents on a first name basis, and fought for solutions to their every problem, attended their weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Christenings, PTA meetings, civic and church events, barbeques, and regular political club meetings. He was a true “man of the people” and the one to emulate.
One party rule leads to mass corruption and the end of Democracy. One party without opposition leads to bad decisions, such as inappropriate bike lanes, hotel conversions into homeless shelters, closing Rikers Island, and dumping community jails on us. Lazy unchallenged politicians will let the city rot. They won’t pave the roads, repair the crumbling infrastructure, fix bad schools, sidewalks, or remove trees. Instead they will form statue commissions with a small group of elites deciding how to rewrite our history, and will sue America’s largest oil companies to make them responsible for the damage to the city from climate change, as our mayor has done. They honor convicted FALN terrorist Oscar Lopez Rivera, and anti-Semite, terrorist enabler, Linda Sarsour. Without opposition, a few arrogant elites make the decisions for all of us, and our voices are silenced.
Democrats don’t want to be challenged. They don’t want Republican opposition. Without opposition they have an easy ride to money, power, and favors, and can get away with murder. Detroit, once the capitol of American commerce, became the most unsafe, deadliest, and poorest city in America and suffered the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, under one-party Democrat rule for 50 years. We know too well, NYC was headed in that direction under Mayor Dinkins and prior Democrat administrations, until Mayor Giuliani saved NYC from an epidemic of crime, homicides, crack, porn, graffiti, welfare abuse, and chaos, and we became the safest and most prosperous large city in America. Now, de Blasio is determined to take us back to the darkest days of our city.
Someone has to oppose these political hacks. There needs to be a strong Republican opposition for our city to survive. Democracy is strong with two opposing Parties. That’s when our voices are heard and they listen to our ideas and concerns. That’s the reason we are here!! We will resist, and continue be the opposition until we can turn New York Red and enjoy the hope, freedom, safety, prosperity, and opportunity that our Party embodies! We will groom great candidates, register voters, and get Republicans elected. We are the opposition! Join us, get involved, and be part of the great opposition!
