The Republican National Convention will produce a variety of policy statements. Looking to previous comments and actions by some of the probable participants might form a preview of the event.

Presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, referring to the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran, has often said the United States "gave" Iran $150 billion as part of the deal. Trump was wrong. The assets were originally owned by Iran, frozen by the United States, and released after the deal was closed. Trump also claimed Iran was the top trading partner with North Korea. Wrong again. It's China.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was called by God to run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016. In his own peculiar Christian manner, Cruz pledged to use this strategy against ISIS: "We will carpet-bomb them into oblivion." The officer in charge of the campaign against ISIS, Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, repudiated Cruz's strategy.

Also weighing in on foreign policy is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who claimed running for president in 2016 "is God's plan for me." Walker endorsed building a wall between the U.S. and Canada, neglecting the challenges posed by the Rocky Mountains and the depths at the middle of four of the Great Lakes. According to Walker, God later contacted him again, saying he "was called to lead" by dropping out of the race.

When it comes to judicial reform, the GOP need look no further than former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a one-time presidential hopeful who said, "The Supreme Court is completely out of control ... If we want to save some money let's just get rid of the court."

Walker and Jindal have led their states to low job growth and budget deficits, but are overshadowed by another former GOP presidential hopeful, Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas. Brownback's economic policies, including personal income tax rate cuts, recently caused Jeff Blackwood, founder of Kansas City-based Pathfinder Health Innovations, to announce the company's move to Missouri.

Blackwood wrote: "I can't, in good conscience, continue to give our tax money to a government that actively works against the needs of its citizens; a state that is systematically targeting the citizens in most need, denying them critical care ... ."

I was in Kansas City in June 2015 and watched Brownback on the news, tearfully begging the Republican majority in the Kansas legislature to raise taxes to save what remained of Kansas public education. Under his leadership, state aid fell from $4,400 per pupil in 2011 to $3,800 in 2016.

Will Trump turn to Brownback's Kansas as a model for Trump's own tax reduction plan?

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, another former GOP presidential contender, is not likely to spend much, if any, time at the Republican convention this week. Kasich, who said "we cannot take health-care coverage from people just for a philosophical reason," expanded Medicaid in Ohio under Obamacare.

"Now, when you die and get to the meeting with Saint Peter, he's probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small ... But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. You better have a good answer," Kasich said.

A July 11 National Pubic Radio report described the Dallas Police Department as one of the lowest paid forces in a major U.S. city. Dallas police are leaving the force for better-paying jobs in smaller Texas cities. Will Texas Republicans demand that taxes be raised to show that Dallas police are valued enough to deserve a competitive wage? Will Kansas Republicans insist on tax increases to fund their public schools at a level that shows they respect their public school teachers?

I don't think so. God will never call them to raise taxes.

Richard Zimdars, a retired UGA music professor, is an occasional contributor to the Athens Banner-Herald's editorial page.