RONNIE ON THE FIFTY?

I, for one, think that Ronald Reagan was one of our better presidents. After previous administrations all but disarmed America, Reagan restored our military might and forced the Soviet Union to end the Cold War. His "Reaganomics" consisted of reducing business regulations, controlling inflation, reducing the growth of government spending and cutting taxes, measures that led to a period of economic growth. Also to his credit, Ronnie restored the pride and patriotism that had been all but destroyed by the anti-Vietnam War movement.

Republicans worship Reagan while Democrats despise him. His detractors say that Reaganomics laid the foundation for the country’s huge debt and our current economic woes.

Member of Congress Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. has introduced legislation to replace Ulysses S. Grant with the likeness of Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill. The same proposal in 2005 didn’t make it out of a House committee even though the Republicans were in a majority. A previous effort to replace Franklin Roosevelt with Reagan on the dime was quickly quashed by the Democrats. And a proposal to replace Andrew Jackson with Reagan on the $20 dollar bill was met with a firestorm of objections from Tennessee lawmakers.

While I liked Ronnie as president, I say leave well enough alone. Ulysses S. Grant may not have been one of our better presidents, but he was a great general who was instrumental in bringing about the defeat of the Confederacy. He not only saved the Union, but he also made it possible for Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation to be carried out, thus ending slavery in the United States of America.

The truth is that Ronnie was a great feel-good president but not up there in greatness with the likes of Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt. Before I’d put Reagan’s likeness on any of our coins or currency, I’d go for good old Harry S.Truman.