Written by Walter Hecht   

The Reagan era began on January 20, 1981, when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as President for his first term. 1981 was the first year of the Reagan era, or year 1 AR (After Reagan). I was born in 1941, the year 40 BR (Before Reagan). Thus I have lived my life in two eras, the one before Reagan and the one after Reagan. For me and for many Americans, the era before Reagan was the better one. My son was born in 1982, or year 2 AR, and never experienced the era before Reagan. I believe that the after Reagan era is coming to a close. Let it be soon.

I began the before Reagan era as a member of a lower middle-class family. I was the first in my family to attend college, but I did not graduate until much later in life and then after five or more years of credits, I received a two-year degree. I entered the business world in the year 20 BR and climbed the corporate ladder quickly. I achieved enough success that I drove a leased Ferrari for four years and later we purchased a used Rolls for my wife. When my son was born, I quit my job and eventually entered the healthcare profession which I enjoyed much more than the business world, although the pay was less.

Jack Welch took over the CEO position at GE in year 1 AR and pioneered in the outsourcing and offshoring of 10,000s of American manufacturing jobs. I predicted that the loss of good-paying American jobs would lead to reduced numbers of American consumers who could afford American products, and I wrote to the Wall Street Journal with my conclusions. My warning was ignored.

I watched the developing economy and I could see that millions of Americans were struggling to maintain their hold on the rungs of the middle-class ladder. Like others, I went deeply into debt to maintain a lifestyle I could no longer afford. I knew that it was inevitable that the effects of the Reagan era would catch up to me eventually and now in my retirement they have. My family and I struggle to survive on Social Security and two small pensions. Rising healthcare costs, insurance costs and food prices are making life difficult. I liked Ronald Reagan, but the current GOP have taken Reagan’s support of small government and gone to extremes. They no longer represent what Reagan stood for, and the sooner they are forced out of government, the better.