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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
89 JUN 19 P6: 17
June 16, 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER
RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: Family Motor Coach
Association
Excellent speech. The draft remarks eloquently capture
many of the themes and ideas the President feels very strongly
about. We have no suggested changes from a policy standpoint
and approve of the draft in its present form.
CC: James W. Cicconi
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
6/15/89
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
James W, Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you,
.
[Acknowledgements]
[[
You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you know, I still can't get over the fact that here in
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntiè
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind
]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know, when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood.' ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky. Gnawbone,
Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we. need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal."
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. 1]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that SO many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way." Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life." As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
# # #
Document No.
045464SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
89 JUN 20 A10: 13
6/20/89
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
ROGERS
BREEDEN
CARD
WINSTON
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
The attached has been forwarded to the President.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
ISOD JUN IS 3150
June 19, 1989
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH: CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
MARK LANGE MF
SUBJECT: REMARKS TO THE FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
I. SUMMARY
Attached are your remarks to be given to the Family Motor
Coach Association at the Virginia State Fairground in Richmond,
Virginia, on Wednensday, June 21, at 5:45 p.m. Between 3,200 and
5,000 people will attend, and the remarks are roughly 15 minutes
in length.
II. DISCUSSION
The two themes of the remarks are the environment and
volunteerism.
(Lange/Wallace)
June 19, 1989
4:15 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you, Richard.
[[ You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But I still can't get over the fact that here in America, we
have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntie
Em did better than that. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Auntie Em had a pretty strong tailwind
]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. When this organization was
founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 26 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans set out to
explore the lands west of the Mississippi River. Today, you
continually rediscover the miracle of America's abundance,
through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convey packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood. ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
Gnawbone, Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless,
Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And as those miles roll out beneath you, it seems that your
ideals -- traditional American ideals -- become ever more firmly
rooted. They're the ideals of freedom. Self-reliance. The love
of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the nurturing of
family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
3
The natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a sacred
trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage we've
already done. We must work to preserve and restore the integrity
and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. President
Eisenhower probably had that in mind, when he decided to buy some
farmland with run-down soil near Gettysburg -- to let nature's
restoration take its course. And he lived to see his experiment
working: "There are enough lush fields," he said, "to assure me
that I shall leave the place better than I found it." That must
be every American's goal.
And that's why we need to do more for our national parks.
The idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the
rest of the world has come to admire and imitate -- because those
parks are wide open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill
had it exactly right, when he said, "The national parks are
America's unique contribution to the democratic ideal."
Our parks are America's most open institutions. Eighty
million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the planet --
open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to every
4
traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment and
appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of nearly 200 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions in 27 states through the National
Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land
Management, and the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other.
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. 1]
I want to preserve our scenic byways -- those picturesque
roads that offer powerful views of the nation's natural splendor.
These are the roads Americans love -- and such scenic roads can
and should be designated for the convenience and enjoyment of
travelers. We've already designated 43 National Forest Scenic
Byways, in 25 states -- and the Chief of the Forest Service
expects to set aside many more. By end of this week, the Bureau
of Land Management expects to identify 25 new scenic byways,
nationwide. And we will do more.
5
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be chairing a panel of judges for that program. And we need
to get the word out, that our National Parks and other federal
land management agencies depend on volunteers. This is just the
kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring us into a
better partnership with nature.
Many of you are already involved with voluntary
environmental efforts. So let me pay my respects to a great
6
group of rambling recyclers out there -- the San Diego Can
Crushers. Let's hear it for them.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way." Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
7
in my life." As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling than to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a less travelled, perhaps
older route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more
time-consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you are like Vena Hefner,
who's with us today. A great lady, 76 years old. She served as
a driver for Secretary Marshall during World War II. After
suffering a motorcycle accident, she helped found the Paralyzed
Veterans Association -- and has been a key member of the Disabled
American Veterans. By her tough, inspirational example, Vena
Hefner has helped paraplegics across the country. Since her
8
accident, she's found time to drive over one million miles -- in
every state in the lower 48.
Those who have travelled widely, and have seen America's
broad expanses, know how much we have been given as a people --
and their spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
###
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
89 JUN 19 A10: 10
6/15/89
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
All comments
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. Equally true is
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it ] bold
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
mititate
of the world has come to admire because those parks are wide
a
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal.'
our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
be working closely with Congress [to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.) bold
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century.] All categories of airborne industrial toxic
bold
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America Swill breathe clean air That's what I'd call
bold
progress.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
what
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
that?
IS
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
many of you are already So
involved.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- (the
San Diego Can Crushers .) bold Let's hear it for them.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way. Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life." As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
less-travelled
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of-you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
###
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
6/15/89
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
89 JUN 16 P5 : 43
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you,
.
[Acknowledgements]
[[ You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you know, I still can't get over the fact that here in
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntie
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind
]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know, when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
delete Phose ma
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood." ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky. Gnawbone,
Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
It
is
you should return it sharper than when you got it. a Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal."
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
Hole x3120
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
&
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
/N
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
notatile-
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
RegerAtlans
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
395-04
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
395-
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
3120
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
asking
I can sign this year.
Yostody agrees
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way. Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life. As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
/n
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's writtenly about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
###
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
6/15/89
89 JUN 19 A9.89.9UN 16 AB:24
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
2t 4 on the fist page this is an
Remove the words you Know" from $'s 1,
WI- Presidential phease
James W, Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you,
.
[Acknowledgements]
[[
You know I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you know, I still can't get over the fact that here in
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntie
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind
]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood. ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky. Gnawbone,
Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal.'
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that SO many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way." Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life." As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
# # #
THE WHITE house
washington
89 JUN 16 All : 50
June 16, 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
PATRICIA M. BRYAN PMB
Associate Counsel to the President
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks -- Family Motor Coach
Association
Pursuant to James W. Cicconi's staffing memorandum of June 15,
1989, the Counsel's office has reviewed the above-referenced
remarks and has no legal objections to them.
CC: James W. Cicconi
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
6/15/89
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you,
.
[Acknowledgements]
[[ You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you know, I still can't get over the fact that here in
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntie
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind ]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know, when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood.' ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky. Gnawbone,
Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal.'
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way." Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life." " As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
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