(1911-2004)
Image courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, all rights reserved.

"With dedication and selflessness, you succeeded where others failed. You provided clear, concise and practical recommendations to enormously complicated problems. And instead of stopping there, you went out to build a groundswell of support for the Grace Commission recommendations throughout this country . . . an organization whose only loyalty is to the one special interest group that we should all support because we all belong to it -- The United States taxpayer who, with their work, patriotism, and, may I say, immense patience, finance the federal government.

"Those of you associated with the Grace Commission have shown that citizens from every walk of life could come to the capitol and not only make their voices heard, but persuade, and yes, push and prod government to change its ways . . . You put the issue of waste and inefficiency front and center on the public agenda.

"The impact of your work is incalculable . . . you have permanently changed the mood of the country. From frustration and despair over a spendthrift, irresponsible bureaucracy, the public now knows some hope and optimism that the government can at last be made lean, cost-effective, and responsive to the people.

"But, the most important part of the job is upon us - making sure the Grace Commission recommendations don't become just another pile of reports . . . And that's why the work of Citizens Against Government Waste is so vital - vital in the battle against budget deficits and vital to the strength and resiliency of the democratic system and public confidence in our government . . .

"The reports of the Grace Commission are remarkable documents. They dare us to think the unthinkable and they urge us to do the undoable . . . When historians look back on our time, they will see your report as a turning point on the domestic front . . . What you've done revived the belief that government is the servant of the people and not the other way around.

"I speak for myself when I say I owe you all a personal debt of thanks, but I also speak for the nation and for many future generations of Americans when I say that, in making government more responsive to the wishes of the people, you're helping to restore faith in the democratic process and make our cherished way of life more secure. For that, I thank you and salute you, as do all your fellow Americans."