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Remarks of the President at the Pontiac Amtrak Station, aboard "The Honest Abe" [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7346276
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Remarks of the President at the Pontiac Amtrak Station, aboard "The Honest Abe" [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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1976-10-16
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1976
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Digitized from Box 32 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 16, 1976
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
(Pontiac, Illinois)
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
AT THE
PONTIAC AMTRAK STATION
ABOARD "THE HONEST ABE"
10:40 A.M. CDT
It is great to be in Pontiac, Bill Harris' home
town. Let me introduce some of the very special guests we
have on "The Honest Abe" special: Senator Chuck Percy;
Jim Thompson, the next Governor of the State of Illinois;
of course you know Bill Harris -- where is Bill, there he
is; and then an old favorite of yours of many, many years,
Les Arends; the next Congressman from this district, Tom
Cochran; and then a favorite of mine, (Laughter) Betty
Ford; Ed, how are you, Ed Madigan, and a fine, fine Congress-
man. Re-elect him, too.
Betty and I are delighted to be in Pontiac, Living-
ston County. We had a good start in Joliet this morning. I
couldn't help but notice that Abe Lincoln made a very famous
statement in the State of Illinois just a few years ago
when he said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
Jimmy Carter wants to divide America. President Ford wants
to heal America, and that is where we are going.
Betty and I are here in the great State of Illinois
because we want your help, we need your vote, and with your
help we are going to carry Illinois on November 2 and we
hope and trust that we can do it emphatically and success-
fully and win that election for the good of America on
November 2.
I can't help but make the observation that Jimmy
Carter will say anything anywhere to be President of the
United States. When he is in California, he sounds
like Cesar Chavez. When he is in Chicago, he sounds like
Mayor Daley. When he is in New York, he sounds like Bella
Abzug. (Laughter) When he is in Washington, D.C., he sounds
like George Meany. And when he comes to Illinoss, he sounds
like just a little old peanut farmer. (Laughter) He wavers,
he wanders, he wiggles and he waffles, and he shouldn't be
President of the United States.
Now let me just give you what I think is the reason
Betty and I can come here and honestly ask you for your
support. Since I have been President, we have restored
trust and confidence in the White House. Since I have been
President, we have turned the economy around and the United
States today is on a surge toward the kind of prosperity
that we expect and will have in the four years under President
Ford. Thirdly, the United States is at peace, and I am
proud to say that not a single young American is fighting or
dying on any foreign soil under this Administration.
MORE
(over)
Page 2
One other very important point -- taxes,
spending, national security. Jerry Ford believes the best
tax reform is tax reduction, and that is why I recommended
to the Congress that they increase your personal exemption
from $750 per person to $1,000. The Congress didn't do
it, but we are going to pressure them to do it in 1977
and we will keep on pressuring them until they do do it.
Tax reduction is the best tax reform.
Now what does Jimmy Carter want to do about
your taxes? He had an interview a few weeks ago and he
said that he would increase taxes on all taxpayers from
median income on up, and that means that 50 percent of
the taxpayers in the United States will have a tax increase
under Jimmy Carter.
So, the issue is clear. President Ford wants
to reduce the middle income taxpayer's obligations to the
Federal Government. Jimmy Carter says he will increase them.
So, when you go to that ballot box, think about how you
can get a fair shake in the Federal tax payment that you
have to make.
One other point: I think we have got to put the
lid on Federal spending. Jimmy Carter has embraced 60-some
spending programs that will add $100 billion to $200 billion
annually to the Federal expenditure.
Jimmy Carter also says he wants to reorganize
the Federal Government. Let me point this out: When he
was Governor of the State of Georgia, four years, he
increased the number of State employees by 25 percent or
more, he increased the spending by the State of Georgia
by 50 percent or more, and he increased the bonded indebted-
ness of the State of Georgia by over $200 million. Can
you trust him with that record to reorganize the Federal
Government? I don't think you can.
Let me say this: Jimmy Carter, on two occasions,
has made public statements that he would cut defense
spending by $15 billion. Of course, he denied it, but
the facts are he did say it. He wants now to cut defense
spending $7 to $9 billion, or $5 to $6 billion. At the
same time, he says the United States is not strong enough.
Now he can't have it both ways.
And let me remind you of a statement made by
a great President of the United States -- Teddy Roosevelt,
who once said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." With
the kind of cutbacks in defense spending that Jimmy
Carter wants to make, Jimmy Carter in effect is saying
speak loudly and carry a flyswatter. (Laughter)
Jimmy Carter has said that the United States,
our country, is not respected any more around the world.
That is an inaccurate statement. Every single leader in
the free world has said that relations between the United
States and their country is good, never been better, and
when Jimmy Carter says that your country and my country are
not respected, Jimmy Carter is slandering 215 million
Americans and the United States of America, and we
shouldn't stand for it and we won't.
MORE
Page 3
So I say to you, Betty and I are delighted
to be in the Land of Lincoln, here in Pontiac, Bill
Harris' hometown.
I urge you to elect Jim Thompson, your next
Governor. I urge you to elect Bill Harris. I urge you
to elect Tom Cochran. I urge you to give support to the
kind of record of performance that we have given to you
in the last two years, and I say Betty and Jerry won't
let you down during the next four years.
Thank you very much.
END
(AT 10:50 A.M. CDT)