Editor, Times-Union: I have been asked why I vote Republican and why I'm a Lunch Pail Republican? Years ago in the history of this great country the GOP once stood for conservative values and the common good of this great nation and its fellow man. When our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, led this country and was the face of the GOP, we had standards and beliefs and the respect of other nations even in the midst of a civil war. Sadly, today we have a party that doesn't have standards, direction or even a vision for a greater future for America. With that being said, I still believe in the GOP. Why, you ask? I'm a Republican, and I vote and support Republican candidates. That's what you do when you truly believe in your party. You should know that in 2010 and '12 we had a Republican representative in HD83 who didn't stand or believe the way I did on many issues but come election day, I voted for her! I'm a Republican and that's what a true Republican does, they support the Republican candidates. I’ve been asked what are and why do you call yourself a Lunch Pail Republican. Who are we? “We are Republicans who are focused on providing for ourselves and our families, protecting our rights and our property from intrusion, and keeping our country on a path toward recovery and prosperity. We're not taking the party in a new direction. We're simply returning it to the traditional Republican values that used to define who we are.” Shared from our website at lunchpailrepublicans.com What are our foundational principles? We are pro business. We are pro labor. We are fiscally conservative. We believe in limited government and we demand personal responsibility. Nowhere in our creed does it say or does it demand for union membership even though former President Ronald Reagan was a union president and now my new state representative in HD83, Chris Judy, is a UAW card-carrying conservative Republican. Some have said we are a union. That claim is completely false. We are simply Republicans who are fed up with how liberally progressive and moderate the mainstream Republican party has become. This is why we supported Curt Nisly for HD22. He shares a lot of the core principles we are founded on, plus we believe in Curt Nisly. Curt has promised to treat us respectfully and to listen, in stark contrast to his predecessor. Curt Nisly has already built a working relationship in which he has a desire to not only represent but also improve the life of the working men and women of the 22nd District. Remember, we are Republicans and we support the Republican candidates. That's what you do when you're a true Republican. So in closing I am happy to call myself a Lunchpail Republican and will continue to support the conservative Republican movement across this state. George A. Dockery Lunch Pail Republican Larwill, via email
