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    "title": "Changes in the U.S.A.",
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    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford's Material from the Writing of \"A Time to Heal\"",
        "Interviews and Subject Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Grand Rapids (Mich.)",
        "Birth control",
        "Food habits",
        "Interstate Highway System",
        "Newspapers",
        "Presidential personal matters"
    ],
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    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1978-12-31",
        "year": 1978
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        "logicalDate": "1977-01-01",
        "year": 1977
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    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/20/7136/6713620/content/library/document/0065/atth-changes.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "President Gerald R. Ford's handwritten reflections, 1977 or 1978\nScanned from the collection Gerald R. Ford: Materials from the writing of A Time\nTo Heal at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nWhile writing his autobiography, A Time to Heal (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), President\nGerald R. Ford composed a series of personal reflections on twenty-seven topics. What makes\nthese documents so unusual is not only their introspection but also their form. President Ford\nrecorded these observations by hand, writing in blue ball point on his favored yellow writing\ntablets. He did not expend time and energy to polish and edit his writing, apparently planning to\ndo so when incorporating them into the book. Therefore occasional spelling or grammatical\nerrors or incomplete thoughts appear.\nFor each reflection the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library has scanned President Ford's\nhandwritten document and added a Library-produced transcription below to aid in reading the\nreflection.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCharges in 4.5,A.\n1) Intenstate Hoghway system\n2) Birth control pill\n3) fast forb-what They have done to\nambrem diet\nReasons 2 real home-Town -G,R. Press.\n1)\nInterstate Heghory System -\nthe federal highway system was in shamlles. During WWII\nIn the early 1950s it became almons that\nthere had been a slow-fown or halt in modern highway construction\nFederal, state of local funds for future hughing instruction whol\ninadequate. Following the lemitations on anto travel during W W II\ncannot by you recoming, The lemerism public was in a\nmoot to trand of they wanted safe 4 molemn highways.\nIn addition the Dyt. of Defense veslinged The meel for a\nwith that would connect before installations!\nTo meet The need Pres. E. proposed the highway Trust\nfund, are increase in gas taps of other tabes on highway users,\n70% federal funding of a neturnh of 30, 000 plus miles of\nand internated cat of - 4 completion by i\nThe Interstate system is about 93% completed with about\n41, 000 miles ad, about 10 yrs late plus the diversion\n2\noption of the load community\n7 Trenst Frund monthly to mass Transit at the\nThe impact has been most sequerent. america\nhas George more make. The indevidual citizen & family\nmove more frequently, more easily of more safety on\nThe interstate system The aut industry has propert.\nThe machind understand has suffered in passanger trappe\ninformes. m me transit systems in metro areas because\n& lost a presentage of lumino to the Truching & bus\nofthe trust fund have been helped. The\nDept. of Defense has a network of highways that bolster our\nnational security\n2) Birth control pill - polatly be to more\nextra mintal relations kmong the young 4 had an\nimpact on the rate of population growth in The\nU.S. I will assume it meducal The number of\nillegemate children of reducal The number fabritions\naltho with the legalation fabortions Ly The Supreme\nCI the nich whates would probably applax otherwise.\nThere is Arml filence that useds of the pill have\nweight control problems of other health maintenance differenties\n3) fast foods - what they hour Rone to The amercan\ndist? The inject has been Two foll. The fast food\nmore frequently This has had an impact on the\nchaine have intered the american family to\" \"bat-out\" fan\n3\nfamily at home. the restrument nather them The\natmosphere is totally different. The minuts are\nhave the a gathering point for the family The\nmore varid by The anchor of a home corhed meal\nby mother is no longer There.\nThe fast or frogen food business An home use\nhas probibly unpanded the varity of fords available at\nhome have probably expanded The diet but decreased\nthe delecary. mothers have more wanty in The Jorgen\nfood shehes and The time I pregaration in The pitchen\nthat a fresh, home caked meal can be surposed in\nis significantly reduced. However, few would argue\ntaste In quality.\nwith more with in The work- force There is\nan pressure to move to the past pod\nchains 4 to from foods in the between! The impact or\nthe diet is destable but the impact on the family life\nhas pluses 4 mmuses\nRenomo I real the home-tom newspaper - A.R. Press\na home-town newspaper, one you have meal all\nyour about life, prints the news 8 people you know,\nwhat is going on in The local instations govt & otherwise\nand what federal 4 state programs are working or doing\nin the local community. In addition international newd\n4\nis printed for bed information on interpretation.\nas a member of Congress or for as nationwide Present Local\nfederal programs and appropriations are approved attracture\ntitles. at the Wash D.C. level the proposes\nof all with good intentions and most with approving\nnational\nlill and final laws are designed to achieve carton\na but you cannot design it for each\ncommunity. The best way to chick on how a\nnational program works at a specific community is\nthe area, The people and public attende.\nto read a home town newspaper where you know\na home town newspaper also is a good sounding\nEditor column most goodbad newspapers have\nbond especially by reading The letters to the\na from of broad fort of the Eltral page dusted to\ncityen comment. a though meading These\nletters give you a good fact of public\nChanges in U.S.A.\n1) Interstate Highway System\n2) Birth control pill\n3) Fast foods - what they have done to American diet\nReasons I read home-town newspaper - G.R. [Grand Rapids] Press.\n1) Interstate Highway System -\nIn the early 1950s it became obvious that the federal highway system was in shambles. During\nWWII there had been a slow-down or halt in modern highway construction. Federal, state &\nlocal funds for future highway construction were inadequate. Following the limitations on auto\ntravel during WWII caused by gas-rationing, the American public was in a mood to travel & they\nwanted safe & modern highways. In addition the Dept. of Defense realized the need for a\nnetwork that would connect defense installations.\nTo meet the need Pres. E. proposed the highway trust fund, an increase in gas taxes & other taxes\non highway users, 90% federal funding & a network of 30,000 plus miles & and estimated cost\nof\n& completion by\n.\nThe Interstate System is about 93% completed with about 41,000 miles, almost 10 yrs late plus\nthe diversion of Trust Fund money to mass transit at the option of the local communities.\nThe impact has been most significant. America has become more mobile. The individual citizen\n& family moves more frequently, more easily & more safely on the interstate system. The auto\nindustry has prospered. The railroad industry has suffered in passenger traffic & lost a\npercentage of business to the trucking & bus industries. Mass transit systems in metro areas\nbecause of the trust fund diversions have been helped. The Dept. of Defense has a network of\nhighways that bolster our national security.\n2) Birth control pill - probably led to more extra marital relations among the young & had an\nimpact on the rate of population growth in the U.S. I would assume it reduced the number of\nillegitimate children & reduced the number of abortions altho with the legalization of abortions\nby the Supreme Ct the official statistics would probably appear otherwise.\nThere is some evidence that users of the pill have weight control problems & other health\nmaintenance difficulties.\n3) Fast foods - what they have done to the American diet? The impact has been two-fold. The\nfast food chains have enticed the American family to \"eat-out\" far more frequently. This has had\nan impact on the family at home. The restaurant rather than the home is a gathering point for the\nfamily. The atmosphere is totally different. The menus are more varied by the anchor of a home\ncooked meal by mother in no longer there.\nThe fast or frozen food business for home use has probably expanded the variety of foods\navailable at home have probably expanded the diet but decreased the delicacy. Mothers have\nmore variety in the frozen food shelves and the time of preparation in the kitchen is significantly\nreduced. However, few would argue that a fresh, home cooked meal can be surpassed in taste or\nquality.\nWith more wives in the work-force there is an inevitable pressure to move to the fast food chains\n& to frozen foods in the kitchen. The impact on the diet is debatable but the impact on the\nfamily life has pluses & minuses.\nReasons I read the home-town newspaper - G.R. [Grand Rapids] Press.\nA home-town newspaper, one you have read all your adult life, prints the news of people you\nknow, what is going on in the local institutions - govt & otherwise - and what federal & state\nprograms are working or doing in the local community. In addition international news is printed\nfor local information or interpretation.\nAs a member of Congress or as President federal programs and appropriations for nationwide\nlocal benefits are approved & all with good intentions and most with attractive titles. At the\nWash. D.C. level the proposals, bill and final laws are designed to achieve certain national\nobjectives but you cannot design it for each community. The best way to check on how a\nnational program works at a specific community is to read a home town newspaper where you\nknow the area, the people and public attitude.\nA home town newspaper also is a good sounding board especially by reading the letters to the\nEditor column. Most good local newspapers have a fair & broad part of the Editorial page\ndevoted to citizen comment. A thorough reading of these letters give you a good feel of public\nsentiment."
}