Father, Football Hero, Statesman, Politician You Will Be Missed

 

America lost a true statesman when Jack Kemp died. His legacy is long and storied, during his life he touched the lives of many Americans.

Jack Kemp was a football star at Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he graduated in 1957. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. After being cut by the Lions he went in the Army for a year, then played for the Calgary Stampede in the Canadian Football League. In 1960 he joined the Los Angeles Chargers and became a part of the American football league.

Kemp signed with the Buffalo Bills in 1962. He played in every game for Buffalo from 1963 through 1969, leading the team to the League Championship in 1964 and 1965. In 1965 Kemp was the AFL's most valuable player.

In 1964 Kemp cofounded the AFL Players Association and was elected President of the union for five terms. Kemp had enough support in blue-collar Buffalo and its suburbs that in 1969 he won an open congressional seat.

He was an advocate for racial reconciliation and urban redevelopment along with lower taxes.  Kemp referred to himself as a "bleeding heart conservative". Instead he wielded an independent streak that made him hard to label.  Sen. Mitch O'Connell (R-KY) called Kemp "one of the nation's most distinguished public servants. Jack was a powerful voice in American politics for more than four decades."

In 1977 Kemp in partnership with Sen. William Roth(R-DE) proposed across-the-board income tax reduction of 30% over three years. The Kemp-Roth plan was the beginning of supply-side economics. President Ronald Reagan adopted Kemp-Roth as the economic plan in his 1980 presidential campaign.

"A decade of unprecedented job creation, entrepreneurship and prosperity has vindicated our formula for economic growth," Kemp said that in a 1991 celebration of the Kemp-Roth plan sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. "It still astounds me to recall the arrogance with which liberals attacked our proposal to lower tax rates on workers and investors."

Kemp worked hard on his long-time interest in race relations and found a link between it and his passion for tax policy. He said modern day black entrepreneurs deserved the same low taxes that were in place when the Carnegies, Rockefellers and Melons made their fortunes.

Edwin Feulner, President of the Heritage Foundation, said of Kemp’s idea that the more taxes are cut the economy will grow, "the idea that all conservatives really should regroup around and identify with is that this is not an exclusive club. Freedom is for everybody. That's what Jack Kemp really stood for."

America we have lost a father, statesman, politician that all of America will sorely miss. It is the time for all conservatives to regroup around and identify with Jack Kemp’s philosophy and the legacy which he leaves us with. America lets fight for less taxes and reduced government spending.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Kemp family. God bless you and God bless America.

Speak Now America! we want to hear from you.