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    "id": "4526241",
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    "title": "Republican Reception, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, December 7, 1969",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526241",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Crime",
        "Vietnam War, 1961-1975",
        "Welfare"
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D28, folder \"Republican Reception, University\nof New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, December 7, 1969\" of the Ford Congressional Papers:\nPress Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\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. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain.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.\nDigitized from Box D28 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nREPUBLICAN RECEPTION, UNIVERSITY OF\nNEW MEXICO, ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. ,\nSUNDAY, DEC 7, 1969\nRALPH WALDO EMERSON ONCE SAID:\n\"GOD OFFERS TO EVERY MIND ITS CHOICE BETWEEN\nTRUTH AND REPOSE. TAKE WHICH YOU PLEASE --\nYOU CAN NEVER HAVE BOTH.\"\nTONIGHT I AM GOING TO PRESENT\nTO YOU SOME TRUTHS -- TRUTHS WHICH I HOPE\nWILL STIR YOU UP A BIT.\nLET ME BEGIN BY SAYING THAT IN\nWASHINGTON WE HAVE MAPPED NEW ATTACKS ON\nPROBLEMS THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE AMERICAN\nPEOPLE FOR YEARS.\nAS A CONSEQUENCE, WE ARE NOW\nSTANDING AS A NATION AND A PEOPLE ON THE\nTHRESHOLD OF AN AGE OF REFORM.\nIF THE WINDS OF CHANGE BLOW AS\nVIGOROUSLY AS I HOPE, OUR NATION WILL\nFORD is LIBRARY GERALD\nTRAVEL IN NEW DIRECTIONS AS WE ENTER THE\n-2-\nDECADE OF THE SEVENTIES.\nREFORM. TO REFORM SOMETHING --\nBY DICTIONARY DEFINITION -- IS TO CHANGE IT\nINTO A NEW AND IMPROVED FORM OR CONDITION;\nTO IMPROVE BY CHANGE OF FORM AND BY REMOVAL\nOF FAULTS OR ABUSES.\nTHAT, MY FRIENDS, IS EXACTLY\nWHAT THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION HAS SET OUT\nTO DO. REFORM IS THE WATCHWORD OF THE NIXON\nADMINISTRATION. BUT THE STORY OF THE NEW\nADMINISTRATION AS A REFORM ADMINISTRATION IS\nONE WHICH IS NOT BEING TOLD.\nVERY EARLY THIS YEAR, SHORTLY\nAFTER RICHARD NIXON ASSUMED THE OFFICE OF\nPRESIDENT, I BEGAN DESCRIBING HIM IN MY\nSPEECHES AS A REFORMER AND CRUSADER.\nWHAT I ENVISIONED WAS THAT THE\nNIXON ADMINISTRATION WOULD OF NECESSITY\nBECOME SEIZED WITH A REFORMING SPIRIT AND\nCURSADING ZEAL.\n-3-\nI FORESAW THE ADVENT OF AN AGE\nOF REFORM IN AMERICA BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT\nNIXON'S LEGACY -- THE SITUATION \"AS IT WAS\"\nWHEN HE TOOK OFFICE.\nRICHARD NIXON ASSUMED THE\nLEADERSHIP OF A COUNTRY MASSIVELY ENTANGLED\nIN A JUNGLE WAR HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD,\nA COUNTRY WHICH HAD SUFFERED ESCALATING\nINFLATION FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS, A COUNTRY\nIN WHICH THE CRIME RATE HAD CLIMBED NEARLY\n10 TIMES AS FAST AS THE POPULATION, A COUNTRY\nIN WHICH THE PROBLEMS OF THE CITIES\nTHREATENED TO TURN URBAN CRISIS INTO VIOLENT\nREVOLUTION, A COUNTRY IN WHICH MAJOR CITIES\nWERE BEING PUT TO THE TORCH, A COUNTRY IN\nWHICH THE HAVE-NOTS CONTINUED TO BE THE\nHAVE-NOTS AND THE WELFARE SYSTEM WAS LIKE\nA CONSTANTLY FESTERING SORE, A COUNTRY IN\nWHICH LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL TAXES HAD\nDRIVEN TAXPAYERS TO THE RIM OF REVOLT\n-4-\nALTHOUGH GOVERNMENT SPENDING HAD NOT SOLVED\nTHE HORRENDOUS PROBLEMS RUSHING IN FROM ALL\nSIDES.\nTHE NEW ADMINISTRATION TOOK\nSTOCK AND CHARTED A NEW COURSE. THIS NEW\nCOURSE, AS YET UNIMPLEMENTED BY THE CONGRESS,\nIS A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR AN ATTACK\nON THE MOST CRITICAL PROBLEMS FACING THIS\nCOUNTRY.\nTHE MAJOR GOALS OF THIS\nCOMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY STRIKE DIRECTLY AT\nTHE ROOTS OF THE UNDERLYING CRISES IN OUR\nNATION.\nTHE STRATEGY IS AIMED AT FIVE\nOBJECTIVES: ENDING THE WAR; MAKING THE\nSTREETS SAFE AGAIN FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE;\nCURBING INFLATION; REFORMING AND ULTIMATELY\nENDING THE DRAFT; AND GIVING THE GOVERNMENT\nBACK TO THE PEOPLE.\nIF THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION\n-5-\nSUCCEEDS IN ACHIEVING THESE OBJECTIVES --\nAND DRAFT REFORM HAS BEEN LARGELY ACHIEVED -- I\nBELIEVE HISTORIANS WILL RANK RICHARD NIXON\nAMONG THE GREATEST OF OUR PRESIDENTS. AND\nIF THIS CONGRESS RESPONDS WITH ACTION, ITS\nMARK ON HISTORY WILL BE ONE OF THE FINEST.\nTHE REFORMS THAT PRESIDENT\nNIXON HAS PROPOSED ARE MANIFOLD. HE HAS\nSENT MORE THAN 40 MESSAGES TO THE CONGRESS.\nTHOSE MESSAGES ARE RELATED TO THE OBJECTIVES\nI HAVE JUST OUTLINED AND TO OTHERS AS WELL.\nTHE TOP PRIORITY IS, OF COURSE,\nTO END THE WAR IN VIETNAM.\nPRESIDENT NIXON IS MOVING\nVIGOROUSLY TO END THE AMERICAN ROLE IN\nVIETNAM AND, HOPEFULLY, TO END THE WAR. HE\nIS WINDING DOWN THE WAR AND IS DOING EVERYTHING\nHE REASONABLY CAN TO ACHIEVE A BREAKTHROUGH\nAT THE PEACE TABLE.\nWITH THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\nSTUCK ON DEAD CENTER BECAUSE OF ENEMY\n-6-\nINTRANSIGENCE, \"VIETNAMIZATION\" HAS BECOME\nTHE KEY TO DISENGAGING THE UNITED STATES\nFROM THE VIETNAM WAR. GRADUALLY BUT SURELY\nWE ARE TURNING THE WAR OVER TO THE SOUTH\nVIETNAMESE, WHERE IT BELONGS.\nWE CERTAINLY CANNOT STAY IN\nSOUTH VIETNAM FOREVER. IF THE SAIGON\nGOVERNMENT IS TO STAND, IT MUST ULTIMATELY\nLEARN TO STAND ALONE.\nFOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE\nUNITED STATES BECAME INVOLVED IN THE VIETNAM\nWAR, WE ARE TAKING TROOPS OUT OF VIETNAM\nINSTEAD OF ADDING TO OUR NUMBERS THERE.\nTHIS IS A MAJOR REVERSAL OF POLICY AIMED\nAT AN HONORABLE END TO THE VIETNAM CONFLICT.\nI THINK A MAJORITY OF THE\nAMERICAN PEOPLE WANT A SOUND SETTLEMENT OF\nTHE VIETNAM WAR. I WANT A SETTLEMENT THAT\nWILL DISCOURAGE FURTHER COMMUNIST AGGRESSION,\nWHETHER IT IS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, THE\n-7-\nMIDDLE EAST, THE PACIFIC, OR IN EUROPE.\nTO INVITE A COMMUNIST TAKEOVER\nOF SOUTH VIETNAM THROUGH A PRECIPITOUS\nWITHDRAWAL OF U.S. TROOPS MIGHT REOPEN THE\nKOREAN WAR IN 1970 AND CREATE ADDITIONAL\nPROBLEMS FOR US AND OUR ALLIES IN EUROPE.\nTHE PRESIDENT'S RECENT DECLARATION\nOF ALTERNATIVES IN VIETNAM HAS BEEN\nINTERPRETED BY SOME OBSERVERS AS A HARD-LINE\nSTATEMENT. THEY COULD NOT BE MORE MISTAKEN.\nTO NEGOTIATE DOES NOT MEAN TO CAPITULATE.\nYOU DO NOT BECOME A HORSE TRADER BY GIVING\nAWAY THE HORSE.\nDESPITE THE STUBBORNNESS OF THE\nCOMMUNISTS IN VIETNAM, I AM FULLY CONVINCED\nPRESIDENT NIXON WILL SUCCEED IN INAUGURATING\nAN ERA OF NEGOTIATION IN PLACE OF AN ERA OF\nCONFRONTATION.\nWE HAVE NOW ENTERED UPON\nSTRATEGIC ARMS LIMITATION TALKS WITH THE\n-8-\nRUSSIANS, AND PRESIDENT NIXON HAS LAID THE\nFOUNDATION OF A NEW FOREIGN POLICY. THAT\nNEW FOREIGN POLICY IS INNOVATIVE, FLEXIBLE\nAND ADAPTABLE. BASICALLY, IT IS ATTUNED TO\nTHE NATIONALISTIC AND REGIONAL INTERESTS OF\nFREE WORLD AND COMMUNIST COUNTRIES.\nPRESIDENT NIXON NO LONGER SEES\nTHE COMMUNIST WORLD AS A MONOLITHIC ENEMY\nALLIANCE BUT AS A GROUP OF NATIONS WHOSE\nCOMMON IDEOLOGY IS TRANSCENDED BY POWERFUL\nNATIONALISTIC ASPIRATIONS. IN LINE WITH\nTHAT VIEW, THE PRESIDENT IS ADAPTING UNITED\nSTATES POLICY TO THOSE NATIONALISTIC INTERESTS.\nTHIS NEW CONCEPT OF U.S. FOREIGN\nPOLICY ALSO IS REFLECTED IN THE NEW NIXON\nDOCTRINE FOR ASIA -- THE \"DO-IT-YOURSELF\nPOLICY\" WHICH MR. NIXON HAS LAID DOWN FOR\nTHE NATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA. THIS IS A\nPOLICY WHICH DECLARES TO AMERICANS AND TO\nALL THE WORLD THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE\n-9-\nVIETNAMS.\nUNDER PRESIDENT NIXON, WE HAVE\nSEIZED THE INITIATIVE IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS\nEVEN IN THE FACE OF COMMUNIST AGGRESSION.\nWE HAVE PROCLAIMED AND PROMOTED DOCTRINES\nOF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND JUSTICE WHICH HAVE\nGIVEN THE UNITED STATES A NEW AND LOFTY\nSTANDING IN THE COURT OF WORLD OPINION.\nDOMESTICALLY, THE PRESIDENT HAS\nSUCCEEDED IN GETTING PEOPLE TO LOWER THEIR\nVOICES...AND THEIR ARMS, TOO.\nIN QUEST OF DOMESTIC TRANQUILLITY,\nTHE NIXON ADMINISTRATION HAS LAUNCHED A\nSTRONG CRACKDOWN AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME.\nTHE PRESIDENT ALSO HAS SENT CONGRESS\nLEGISLATION WHICH WOULD DEAL HEAVIER BLOWS\nAGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME AND WOULD IMPROVE\nTHE NATION'S COURT SYSTEM.\nTHERE HAS BEEN SPECIAL EMPHASIS\nON LAW ENFORCEMENT IN EACH OF THE\n-10-\nADMINISTRATION'S ANTICRIME MEASURES. THE\nPRESIDENT WANTS CRIMINALS OFF THE STREETS,\nAND HE KNOWS THERE IS NO SURER WAY TO GET\nTHEM OFF THE STREETS THAN TO HELP BUILD UP\nLAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY.\nTHE NIXON ADMINISTRATION HAS\nMADE THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME ONE OF ITS\nCENTRAL CONCERNS. WHILE OTHER DEPARTMENTAL\nBUDGETS HAVE BEEN CUT IN A HOLD-DOWN ON\nFEDERAL SPENDING, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT\nBUDGET HAS BEEN INCREASED. THE LEVEL OF\nLAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY AND NARCOTICS\nCONTROL HAS BEEN STEPPED UP.\nTHE NIXON ADMINISTRATION\nRECOGNIZES, AS DO ALL OF YOU, THAT THE FIRST\nCIVIL RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN -- BLACK OR\nWHITE -- IS THE RIGHT TO PROTECTION FROM\nCRIME AND VIOLENCE.\nI WISH OUR NEGRO LEADERS\nTHROUGHOUT AMERICA WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT.\n-11-\nI WISH THEY WOULD ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY\nFOR INFORMING THEIR PEOPLE THAT IT IS\nPRIMARILY THE POOR BLACKS WHO ARE THE\nVICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME IN OUR COUNTRY. I\nWISH ALL OF OUR NEGRO LEADERS WOULD EMULATE\nSTERLING TUCKER, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE\nWASHINGTON, D.C., CITY COUNCIL, WHO RECENTLY\nSPOKE OUT IN SUPPORT OF VIGOROUS LAW\nENFORCEMENT AND CONDEMNED THOSE WHO TACITLY\nCONDONE VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW.\nIT IS SAID THERE CAN BE NO\nPROGRESS WITHOUT ORDER. I SUBSCRIBE TO THAT.\nI WOULD ADD THAT THERE CANNOT\nLONG BE ORDER WITHOUT PROGRESS. I BELIEVE\nTHE NIXON ADMINISTRATION IS PROMOTING THE\nKIND OF ORDER AND THE KIND OF PROGRESS\nWHICH WILL OPERATE TOGETHER TO MOVE THIS\nCOUNTRY FORWARD.\nWE NEED A RESPONSIBLE COMMON-SENSE\nAPPROACH TO OUR URBAN PROBLEMS. WE ARE\n-12-\nGETTING IT FROM PRESIDENT NIXON.\nTHE PRIMARY NIXON ANSWER TO THE\nURBAN CRISIS IS JOBS AND JOB TRAINING. THE\nACCENT IS ON THE SOLID AMERICAN ETHIC OF\nWORKING FOR A LIVING. THE PRESIDENT'S\nAPPROACH IS BASED ON THE IDEA THAT A MAN\nNEVER STANDS SO TALL AS WHEN HE STANDS ON\nHIS OWN TWO FEET.\nTHIS IS WHY PRESIDENT NIXON HAS\nPROPOSED THE FIRST MAJOR REFORM OF THIS\nCOUNTRY'S WELFARE SYSTEM SINCE IT FIRST WAS\nESTABLISHED. THIS IS WHY THE PRESIDENT URGES\nWORKFARE INSTEAD OF WELFARE. THIS IS THE WAY\nOF DIGNITY AND DECENCY. THIS IS THE AMERICAN\nWAY. A HAND UP INSTEAD OF A HANDOUT. THAT'S\nTHE ONLY WAY TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE\nHAVES AND HAVE-NOTS IN AMERICA.\nI THINK PRESIDENT NIXON HAS\nMANAGED TO BRING ORDER TO THIS COUNTRY. HE\nHAS MANAGED TO DO SO BECAUSE HE HAS BROUGHT\n-13-\nORDER TO THE PRESIDENCY. WE NOW FIND THAT\nTHE DAYS OF GOVERNMENT BY CRISIS HAVE GIVEN\nWAY TO CRISIS PREVENTION. THE SCATTER-GUN\nAPPROACH IS YIELDING TO AN ASSEMBLING OF\nNEW PRIORITIES.\nWELFARE REFORM IS JUST ONE OF\nTHE GREAT ARRAY OF REFORMS PROPOSED BY\nPRESIDENT NIXON -- REFORMS WHICH I BELIEVE\nTHE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE LONG WANTED. DRAFT\nREFORM WHICH WILL MAKE THE SELECTIVE SERVICE\nSYSTEM AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE UNTIL WE CAN\nESTABLISH A TRULY ALL-VOLUNTEER ARMY; POSTAL\nREFORM WHICH WILL CREATE A GOVERNMENT-OWNED\nSELF-SUPPORTING POSTAL CORPORATION IN PLACE\nOF THE PRESENT IMPOSSIBLE SYSTEM; POVERTY\nPROGRAM REFORM WHICH KEEPS THE OFFICE OF\nECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AS AN INNOVATIVE\nAGENCY BUT SPINS OFF SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTAL\nPROGRAMS TO OLD-LINE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS;\nMANPOWER TRAINING REFORM WHICH CONSOLIDATES\n-14-\nFEDERAL MANPOWER TRAINING PROGRAMS; TAX\nREFORM WHICH TAKES MILLIONS OF POOR CITIZENS\nOFF THE TAXROLLS, REDUCES TAXES FOR MILLIONS\nOF OTHER LOW-INCOME AMERICANS, GIVES A\nLONG-DESERVED BREAK TO MIDDLE-INCOME\nINDIVIDUALS, AND PREVENTS THE MOST WEALTHY\nFROM ESCAPING TAXATION ALTOGETHER; A NEW\nFEDERALISM WHICH PROVIDES AN INCREASING\nSLICE OF FEDERAL INCOME TAX REVENUE FOR THE\nCITIES AND STATES AND GIVES THEM NEW VIGOR\nAS SOLVERS OF THE PROBLEMS TO WHICH THEY\nARE CLOSEST; A DECENTRALIZATION OF GOVERNMENT\nAUTHORITY WHICH PLACES GREATER RELIANCE ON\nLOCAL OFFICIALS AND GREATER POWER IN THE\nHANDS OF THE PEOPLE.\nDECENTRALIZATION OF GOVERNMENT\nAUTHORITY -- FLOW OF POWER BACK TO THE\nCITIES AND STATES, BACK TO THE PEOPLE. THIS\nIS A CENTRAL THEME OF THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION.\nPOWER CONCENTRATED IN WASHINGTON\n-15-\nIS NOT ALWAYS EFFECTIVE POWER. IT IS\nSOMETIMES SELF-DEFEATING. THE FEDERAL\nBUREAUCRACY IS MOST COMPLEX, AND IT FEEDS\nUPON ITSELF. AS IT GROWS LARGER, THE\nFEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO HELP SOLVE\nLOCAL PROBLEMS OFTEN GROWS LESS.\nI WOULD LIKE TO QUOTE TO YOU\nFROM REMARKS MADE LAST MAY 29 AT THE 75TH\nANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA\nBANKERS ASSOCIATION IN ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.\n\"THIRTY ODD YEARS AGO THE\nFEDERAL ESTABLISHMENT WAS SMALL, AS SOME\nOF YOU WILL REMEMBER, AND INCOME TAXES\nWERE AROUND 2 OR 3 PER CENT. MOST PEOPLE\nDIDN'T PAY ANY AT ALL. AND THEN FRANKLIN\nROOSEVELT WAS ELECTED, AND THEN FOR THE\nFIRST TIME THE CONTROL OF OUR GOVERNMENT\nFELL INTO THE HANDS OF MODERN LIBERALS AND\nTHEIR VIEW WAS THAT THE POWER OF THE FEDERAL\nGOVERNMENT SHOULD BE USED TO TREAT AND TO\n-16-\nCURE THIS COUNTRY'S SOCIAL ILLS. WELL,\nTHEY DID TREAT A FEW AND THEY IMPROVED A\nFEW, BUT THEY DIDN'T CURE ANY. THEY STARTED\nSOCIAL SECURITY, GUARANTEES OF BANK DEPOSITS\nAND A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WERE USEFUL AND\nHELPFUL, BUT THEY ALSO BROUGHT TO WASHINGTON\nWHAT MIGHT BE CALLED THE ILLUSION OF\nBUREAUCRATIC OMNIPOTENCE, THE ILLUSION THAT\nIF A GOVERNMENT COLLECTS ENOUGH MONEY,\nCREATS ENOUGH AGENCIES AND ENOUGH BUREAUS,\nAND WORMS ITS WAY FAR ENOUGH INTO THE PRIVATE\nASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE IT WILL MAKE US\nALL PROSPEROUS, HEALTHY AND HAPPY.\n\"WELL, MAX WEBER, THE\nSOCIOLOGIST, PROVED A LONG TIME AGO THAT\nA BIG BUREAUCRACY, ONCE IT IS ESTABLISHED,\nCEASES TO WORK AT THE JOB IT WAS GIVEN TO\nDO AND BEGINS WORKING ONLY FOR ITSELF,\nTRYING AHEAD OF ALL ELSE TO INCREASE ITS\nBUDGET, ITS STAFF, ITS SIZE AND ITS POWER.\"\n-17-\nI IMAGINE EVERY MAN IN THIS\nROOM THINKS THOSE WORDS WERE SPOKEN BY A\nDEEP-DYED CONSERVATIVE. NOT SO. THE AUTHOR\nOF THOSE WORDS IS DAVID BRINKLEY, THE RADIO\nAND TELEVISION COMMENTATOR WHO ON MORE THAN\nONE OCCASION HAS DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS A\nLIBERAL -- AND DID SO AT THE PENNSYLVANIA\nBANKERS CONVENTION.\nBRINKLEY WENT ON TO SAY HE HAD\nVISITED ABOUT 40 STATES IN THE LAST FEW\nMONTHS AND HAD FOUND AMERICANS WANTING A\nCHANGE, \"A BASIC CHANGE.\" HE ADDED THAT\n\"THERE IS EVERY SIGN OF A DEEP DISTRUST OF\nTHE PRESENT SIZE AND STYLE OF THE WASHINGTON\nESTABLISHMENT AND OF THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP\nWE HAVE HAD FROM IT FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.\"\nRICHARD NIXON IS DEDICATED TO\nPRODUCING THE KIND OF CHANGE OF WHICH DAVID\nBRINKLEY SPOKE.\nTHAT IS WHY HE IS TALKING ABOUT\n-18-\nREVERSING THE FLOW OF POWER FROM WASHINGTON\nTO THE STATES AND CITIES. THAT IS WHY HE\nHAS REDUCED FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT BY 48,000.\nTHAT IS WHY HE IS TALKING ABOUT SHARING\nFEDERAL INCOME TAX REVENUE WITH THE CITIES\nAND STATES. HE WANTS TO IMPLEMENT THE\nBASIC CHANGE THE PEOPLE SO DESPERATELY DESIRE.\nNOT LONG AGO PRESIDENT NIXON,\nIN A NICE WAY, ASKED THE CONGRESS TO HELP\nHIM BRING ABOUT THE BASIC CHANGES THE\nAMERICAN PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR. HE CONCEDED\nTHAT SOME OF THE SLOWNESS IN THE LEGISLATIVE\nPROCESS COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE NEWNESS\nOF HIS OWN ADMINISTRATION.\nTHEN HE MADE THE REFORM THEME\nCLEAR. HE SAID: \"THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM\nOF THIS ADMINISTRATION DIFFERS FUNDAMENTALLY\nFROM PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS. WE DO NOT\nSEEK MORE AND MORE OF THE SAME. WE WERE NOT\nELECTED TO PILE NEW RESOURCES AND MANPOWER\n-19-\nON TOP OF OLD PROGRAMS. WE WERE ELECTED TO\nINITIATE AN ERA OF CHANGE.\"\nIN EFFECT, THE PRESIDENT SAID\nTO THE CONGRESS: I AM NOT GOING TO ARGUE\nABOUT WHY SO LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE TO DATE.\nBUT THIS IS WHAT I HAVE PROPOSED. NOW\nWHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?\nTHAT, I THINK, IS A FAIR\nQUESTION. AND IT IS A FAIR QUESTION NOT\nONLY TO ASK OF THE CONGRESS BUT OF THE\nAMERICAN PEOPLE. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO\nABOUT IT?\nLET US NOT LOOK ONLY TO THE\nNATIONAL ADMINISTRATION FOR CORRECTION OF\nOUR PAST MISTAKES. WE ALL HAVE A STAKE IN\nOUR NATION. LET US ALL ASSUME SOME OF THE\nRESPONSIBILITY FOR SETTING THE AFFAIRS OF\nOUR COUNTRY IN ORDER.\nTHERE IS TOO MUCH OF AN ATTITUDE\nTODAY THAT \"ALL IS FINE SO LONG AS I GET\n-20-\nMINE.\" WE MUST RID OURSELVES OF THAT APPROACH\nWE MUST ALL BECOME SELFLESS IF AMERICA IS TO\nSURVIVE AS A NATION AND A PEOPLE. WE MUST\nINDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY SEEK THE\nGREASTEST GOOD FOR THE GREASTEST NUMBER.\nTHE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GUIDING\nTHE FUTURE OF AMERICA RESTS NOT ONLY WITH\nTHE CONGRESS, NOT ONLY WITH GOVERNMENTAL\nLEADERS, NOT ONLY WITH THE PRESIDENT. THAT\nRESPONSIBILITY DEVOLVES UPON US ALL. EACH\nOF OUR LIVES IMPINGES UPON THE LIVES OF\nOTHERS. TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ALL LIVE\nTHE GOOD LIFE, THE UNSELFISH LIFE, THE LIVES\nOF ALL OTHERS ARE ENRICHED.\nWE ALL BELIEVE IN THE AMERICAN\nDREAM. LET US LIVE SO THAT ALL MAY SHARE\nIN IT.\n-- END --\nDistribution: 20 copies Mr. Ford M Office Copy\nAN ADDRESS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nAT A REPUBLICAN RECEPTION\nAT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO\nALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO\nSUNDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 1969\nFOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. SUNDAY, DEC. 7\nRalph Waldo Emerson once said: \"God offers to every mind its choice between\ntruth and repose. Take which you please -- you can never have both.\"\nTonight I am going to present to you some truths -- truths which I hope\nwill stir you up a bit.\nLet me begin by saying that in Washington we have mapped new attacks on\nproblems that have plagued the American people for years.\nAs a consequence, we are now standing as a Nation and a people on the\nthreshold of an age of reform.\nIf the winds of change blow as vigorously as I hope, our Nation will travel\nin new directions as we enter the decade of the Seventies.\nReform. To reform something -- by dictionary definition -- is to change it\ninto a new and improved form or condition; to improve by change of form and by\nremoval of faults or abuses.\nThat, my friends, is exactly what the Nixon Administration has set out to\ndo. Reform is the watchword of the Nixon Administration. But the story of the\nnew Administration as a Reform Administration is one which is not being told.\nVery early this year, shortly after Richard Nixon assumed the office of\nPresident, I began describing him in my speeches as a reformer and crusader.\nWhat I envisioned was that the Nixon Administration would of necessity\nbecome seized with a reforming spirit and crusading zeal.\nI foresaw the advent of an age of reform in America because of President\nNixon's legacy -- the situation \"as it was\" when he took office.\nRichard Nixon assumed the leadership of a country massively entangled in a\njungle war halfway around the world, a country which had suffered escalating\ninflation for nearly four years, a country in which the crime rate had climbed\nnearly 10 times as fast as the population, a country in which the problems of the\ncities threatened to turn urban crisis into violent revolution, a country in which\nmajor cities were being put to the torch, a country in which the Have-Nots continued\nto be the Have-Nots and the welfare system was like a constantly festering sore,\n(more)\nBERALD FORD LIBRARY\n-2-\na country in which local, state and Federal taxes had driven taxpayers to the rim\nof revolt although government spending had not solved the horrendous problems\nrushing in from all sides.\nThe new Administration took stock and charted a new course. This new\ncourse, as yet unimplemented by the Congress, is a comprehensive strategy for an\nattack on the most critical problems facing this country.\nThe major goals of this comprehensive strategy strike directly at the roots\nof the underlying crises in our Nation.\nThe strategy is aimed at five objectives: Ending the war; Making the streets\nsafe again for the American people; Curbing inflation; Reforming and ultimately\nending the draft; and Giving the government back to the people.\nIf the Nixon Administration succeeds in achieving these objectives -- and\ndraft reform has been largely achieved -- I believe historians will rank Richard\nNixon among the greatest of our Presidents. And if this Congress responds with\naction, its mark on history will be one of the finest.\nThe reforms that President Nixon has proposed are manifold. He has sent\nmore than 40 messages to the Congress. Those messages are related to the objectives\nI have just outlined and to others as well.\nThe top priority is, of course, to end the war in Vietnam.\nPresident Nixon is moving vigorously to end the American role in Vietnam\nand, hopefully, to end the war. He is winding down the war and is doing everything\nhe reasonably can to achieve a breakthrough at the peace table.\nWith the peace negotiations stuck on dead center because of enemy\nintransigence, \"Vietnamization\" has become the key to disengaging the United\nStates from the Vietnam War. Gradually but surely we are turning the war over\nto the South Vietnamese, where it belongs.\nWe certainly cannot stay in South Vietnam forever. If the Saigon government\nis to stand, it must ultimately learn to stand alone.\nFor the first time since the United States became involved in the Vietnam\nWar, we are taking troops out of Vietnam instead of adding to our numbers there.\nThis is a major reversal of policy aimed at an honorable end to the Vietnam\nconflict.\nI think a majority of the American people want a sound settlement of the\nVietnam War. I want a settlement that will discourage further Communist aggression,\nwhether it is in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific, or in Europe.\nTo invite a Communist takeover of South Vietnam through a precipitous\nwithdrawal of U.S. troops might reopen the Korean War in 1970 and create additional\n(more)\n-3-\nproblems for us and our allies in Europe.\nThe President's recent declaration of alternatives in Vietnam has been\ninterpreted by some observers as a hard-line statement. They could not be more\nmistaken. To negotiate does not mean to capitulate. You do not become a horse\ntrader by giving away the horse.\nDespite the stubbornness of the Communists in Vietnam, I am fully convinced\nPresident Nixon will succeed in inaugurating an era of negotiation in place of\nan era of confrontation.\nWe have now entered upon strategic arms limitation talks with the Russians,\nand President Nixon has laid the foundation of a new foreign policy. That new\nforeign policy is innovative, flexible and adaptable. Basically, it is attuned\nto the nationalistic and regional interests of Free World and Communist countries.\nPresident Nixon no longer sees the Communist world as a monolithic enemy\nalliance but as a group of nations whose common ideology is transcended by powerful\nnationalistic aspirations. In line with that view, the President is adapting\nUnited States policy to those nationalistic interests.\nThis new concept of U.S. foreign policy also is reflected in the new Nixon\nDoctrine for Asia -- the \"do-it-yourself policy\" which Mr. Nixon has laid down\nfor the nations of Southeast Asia. This is a policy which declares to Americans\nand to all the world that there will be no more Vietnams.\nUnder President Nixon, we have seized the initiative in foreign affairs\neven in the face of Communist aggression. We have proclaimed and promoted\ndoctrines of international law and justice which have given the United States a\nnew and lofty standing in the court of world opinion.\nDomestically, the President has succeeded in getting people to lower their\nvoices\nand their arms, too.\nIn quest of domestic tranquillity, the Nixon Administration has launched a\nstrong crackdown against organized crime. The President also has sent Congress\nlegislation which would deal heavier blows against organized crime and would\nimprove the Nation's court system.\nThere has been special emphasis on law enforcement in each of the\nAdministration's anticrime measures. The President wants criminals off the\nstreets, and he knows there is no surer way to get them off the streets than to\nhelp build up law enforcement in this country.\nThe Nixon Administration has made the fight against crime one of its\ncentral concerns. While other departmental budgets have been cut in a hold-down\n(more)\n-4-\non Federal spending, the Justice Department budget has been increased. The level\nof law enforcement activity and narcotics control has been stepped up.\nThe Nixon Administration recognizes, as do all of you, that the first\ncivil right of every American -- black or white -- is the right to protection from\ncrime and violence.\nI wish our Negro leaders throughout America would recognize that. I wish\nthey would accept the responsibility for informing their people that it is\nprimarily the poor blacks who are the victims of violent crime in our country.\nI wish all of our Negro leaders would emulate Sterling Tucker, vice-chairman of\nthe Washington, D.C., City Council, who recently spoke out in support of vigorous\nlaw enforcement and condemned those who tacitly condone violations of the law.\nIt is said there can be no progress without order. I subscribe to that.\nI would add that there cannot long be order without progress. I believe\nthe Nixon Administration is promoting the kind of order and the kind of progress\nwhich will operate together to move this country forward.\nWe need a responsible common-sense approach to our urban problems. We are\ngetting it from President Nixon.\nThe primary Nixon answer to the urban crisis is jobs and job training. The\naccent is on the solid American ethic of working for a living. The President's\napproach is based on the idea that a man never stands SO tall as when he stands\non his own two feet.\nThis is why President Nixon has proposed the first major reform of this\ncountry's welfare system since it first was established. This is why the President\nurges Workfare instead of Welfare. This is the way of dignity and decency. This\nis the American way. A hand up instead of a handout. That's the only way to\nbridge the gap between the Haves and Have-Nots in America.\nI think President Nixon has managed to bring order to this country. He has\nmanaged to do SO because he has brought order to the Presidency. We now find\nthat the days of government by crisis have given way to crisis prevention. The\nscatter-gun approach is yielding to an assembling of new priorities.\nWelfare reform is just one of the great array of reforms proposed by\nPresident Nixon -- reforms which I believe the American people have long wanted.\nDraft reform which will make the selective service system as fair as possible\nuntil we can establish a truly all-volunteer Army; postal reform which will create\na government-owned self-supporting postal corporation in place of the present\nimpossible system; poverty program reform which keeps the Office of Economic\n(more)\n--5-\nOpportunity as an innovative agency but spins off successful experimental programs\nto old-line Government departments; manpower training reform which consolidates\nFederal manpower training programs; tax reform which takes millions of poor citizens\noff the taxrolls, reduces taxes for millions of other low-income Americans, gives\na long-deserved break to middle-income individuals, and prevents the most wealthy\nfrom escaping taxation altogether; a New Federalism which provides an increasing\nslice of Federal income tax revenue for the cities and states and gives them new\nvigor as solvers of the problems to which they are closest; a decentralization of\ngovernment authority which places greater reliance on local officials and greater\npower in the hands of the people.\nDecentralization of government authority -- flow of power back to the cities\nand states, back to the people. This is a central theme of the Nixon Administration.\nPower concentrated in Washington is not always effective power. It is\nsometimes self-defeating. The Federal bureaucracy is most complex, and it feeds\nupon itself. As it grows larger, the Federal Government's ability to help solve\nlocal problems often grows less.\nI would like to quote to you from remarks made last May 29 at the 75th\nannual convention of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association in Atlantic City, N.J.\n\"Thirty odd years ago the federal establishment was small, as some of you\nwill remember, and income taxes were around 2 or 3 per cent. Most people didn't\npay any at all. And then Franklin Roosevelt was elected, and then for the first\ntime the control of our government fell into the hands of modern liberals and\ntheir view was that the power of the federal government should be used to\ntreat and to cure this country's social ills. Well, they did treat a few and\nthey improved a few, but they didn't cure any. They started Social Security,\nguarantees of bank deposits and a few other things that were useful and helpful,\nbut they also brought to Washington what might be called the illusion of\nbureaucratic omnipotence, the illusion that if a government collects enough money,\ncreats enough agencies and enough bureaus, and worms its way far enough into the\nprivate aspects of American life it will make us all prosperous, healthy and happy.\n\"Well, Max Weber, the sociologist, proved a long time ago that a big\nbureaucracy, once it is established, ceases to work at the job it was given to do\nand begins working only for itself, trying ahead of all else to increase its\nbudget, its staff, its size and its power.\"\nI imagine every man in this room thinks those words were spoken by a\ndeep-dyed conservative. Not SO. The author of those words is David Brinkley,\n(more)\n-6-\nthe radio and television commentator who on more than one occasion has described\nhimself as a liberal -- and did so at the Pennsylvania Bankers convention.\nBrinkley went on to say he had visited about 40 states in the last few\nmonths and had found Americans wanting a change, \"a basic change.\" He added that\n\"there is every sign of a deep distrust of the present size and style of the\nWashington establishment and of the kind of leadership we have had from it for\nabout 20 years. \"\nRichard Nixon is dedicated to producing the kind of change of which David\nBrinkley spoke.\nThat is why he is talking about reversing the flow of power from Washington\nto the states and cities. That is why he has reduced Federal employment by 48,000.\nThat is why he is talking about sharing Federal income tax revenue with the\ncities and states. He wants to implement the basic change the people so desperately\ndesire.\nNot long ago President Nixon, in a nice way, asked the Congress to help\nhim bring about the basic changes the American people are asking for. He conceded\nthat some of the slowness in the legislative process could be attributed to the\nnewness of his own administration.\nThen he made the reform theme clear. He said: \"The legislative program of\nthis Administration differs fundamentally from previous administrations. We do\nnot seek more and more of the same. We were not elected to pile new resources and\nmanpower on top of old programs. We were elected to initiate an era of change.\"\nIn effect, the President said to the Congress: I am not going to argue about\nwhy SO little has been done to date. But this is what I have proposed. Now what\nare you going to do about it?\nThat, I think, is a fair question. And it is a fair question not only to ask\nof the Congress but of the American people. What are we going to do about it?\nLet us not look only to the National Administration for correction of our\npast mistakes. We all have a stake in our Nation. Let us all assume some of the\nresponsibility for setting the affairs of our country in order.\nThere is too much of an attitude today that \"all is fine so long as I get\nmine.\" We msut rid ourselves of that approach. We must all become selfless if\nAmerica is to survive as a Nation and a people. We must individually and\ncollectively seek the greatest good for the greatest number.\nThe responsibility for guiding the future of America rests not only with the\nCongress, not only with governmental leaders, not only with the President. That\n(more)\n-7-\nresponsibility devolves upon us all. Each of our lives impinges upon the lives\nof others. To the extent that we all live the good life, the unselfish life,\nthe lives of all others are enriched.\nWe all believe in the American Dream. Let us live so that all may share\nin it.\n###\nAN ADDRESS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nAT A REPUBLICAN RECEPTION\nAT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO\nALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO\nSUNDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 1969\nFOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. SUNDAY, DEC. I\nRalph Waldo Emerson once said: \"God offers to every mind its choice between\ntruth and repose. Take which you please -- you can never have both.\"\nTonight I am going to present to you some truths -- truths which I hope\nwill stir you up a bit.\nLet me begin by saying that in Washington we have mapped new attacks on\nproblems that have plagued the American people for years.\nAs a consequence, we are now standing as a Nation and a people on the\nthreshold of an age of reform.\nIf the winds of change blow as vigorously as I hope, our Nation will travel\nin new directions as we enter the decade of the Seventies.\nReform. To reform something -- by dictionary definition -- is to change it\ninto a new and improved form or condition; to improve by change of form and by\nremoval of faults or abuses.\nThat, my friends, is exactly what the Nixon Administration has set out to\ndo. Reform is the watchword of the Nixon Administration. But the story of the\nnew Administration as a Reform Administration is one which is not being told.\nVery early this year, shortly after Richard Nixon assumed the office of\nPresident, I began describing him in my speeches as a reformer and crusader.\nWhat I envisioned was that the Nixon Administration would of necessity\nbecome seized with a reforming spirit and crusading zeal.\nI foresaw the advent of an age of reform in America because of President\nNixon's legacy -- the situation \"as it was\" when he took office.\nRichard Nixon assumed the leadership of a country massively entangled in a\njungle war halfway around the world, a country which had suffered escalating\ninflation for nearly four years, a country in which the crime rate had climbed\nnearly 10 times as fast as the population, a country in which the problems of the\ncities threatened to turn urban crisis into violent revolution, a country in which\nmajor cities were being put to the torch, a country in which the Have-Nots continued\nto be the Have-Nots and the welfare system was like a constantly festering sore,\n(more)\n-2-\na country in which local, state and Federal taxes had driven taxpayers to the rim\nof revolt although government spending had not solved the horrendous problems\nrushing in from all sides.\nThe new Administration took stock and charted a new course. This new\ncourse, as yet unimplemented by the Congress, is a comprehensive strategy for an\nattack on the most critical problems facing this country.\nThe major goals of this comprehensive strategy strike directly at the roots\nof the underlying crises in our Nation.\nThe strategy is aimed at five objectives: Ending the war; Making the streets\nsafe again for the American people; Curbing inflation; Reforming and ultimately\nending the draft; and Giving the government back to the people.\nIf the Nixon Administration succeeds in achieving these objectives -- and\ndraft reform has been largely achieved -- I believe historians will rank Richard\nNixon among the greatest of our Presidents. And if this Congress responds with\naction, its mark on history will be one of the finest.\nThe reforms that President Nixon has proposed are manifold. He has sent\nmore than 40 messages to the Congress. Those messages are related to the objectives\nI have just outlined and to others as well.\nThe top priority is, of course, to end the war in Vietnam.\nPresident Nixon is moving vigorously to end the American role in Vietnam\nand, hopefully, to end the war. He is winding down the war and is doing everything\nhe reasonably can to achieve a breakthrough at the peace table.\nWith the peace negotiations stuck on dead center because of enemy\nintransigence, \"Vietnamization\" has become the key to disengaging the United\nStates from the Vietnam War. Gradually but surely we are turning the war over\nto the South Vietnamese, where it belongs.\nWe certainly cannot stay in South Vietnam forever. If the Saigon government\nis to stand, it must ultimately learn to stand alone.\nFor the first time since the United States became involved in the Vietnam\nWar, we are taking troops out of Vietnam instead of adding to our numbers there.\nThis is a major reversal of policy aimed at an honorable end to the Vietnam\nconflict.\nI think a majority of the American people want a sound settlement of the\nVietnam War. I want a settlement that will discourage further Communist aggression,\nwhether it is in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific, or in Europe.\nTo invite a Communist takeover of South Vietnam through a precipitous\nwithdrawal of U.S. troops might reopen the Korean War in 1970 and create additional\n(more)\n-3-\nproblems for us and our allies in Europe.\nThe President's recent declaration of alternatives in Vietnam has been\ninterpreted by some observers as a hard-line statement. They could not be more\nmistaken. To negotiate does not mean to capitulate. You do not become a horse\ntrader by giving away the horse.\nDespite the stubbornness of the Communists in Vietnam, I am fully convinced\nPresident Nixon will succeed in inaugurating an era of negotiation in place of\nan era of confrontation.\nWe have now entered upon strategic arms limitation talks with the Russians,\nand President Nixon has laid the foundation of a new foreign policy. That new\nforeign policy is innovative, flexible and adaptable. Basically, it is attuned\nto the nationalistic and regional interests of Free World and Communist countries.\nPresident Nixon no longer sees the Communist world as a monolithic enemy\nalliance but as a group of nations whose common ideology is transcended by powerful\nnationalistic aspirations. In line with that view, the President is adapting\nUnited States policy to those nationalistic interests.\nThis new concept of U.S. foreign policy also is reflected in the new Nixon\nDoctrine for Asia -- the \"do-it-yourself policy\" which Mr. Nixon has laid down\nfor the nations of Southeast Asia. This is a policy which declares to Americans\nand to all the world that there will be no more Vietnams.\nUnder President Nixon, we have seized the initiative in foreign affairs\neven in the face of Communist aggression. We have proclaimed and promoted\ndoctrines of international law and justice which have given the United States a\nnew and lofty standing in the court of world opinion.\nDomestically, the President has succeeded in getting people to lower their\nvoices\nand their arms, too.\nIn quest of domestic tranquillity, the Nixon Administration has launched a\nstrong crackdown against organized crime. The President also has sent Congress\nlegislation which would deal heavier blows against organized crime and would\nimprove the Nation's court system.\nThere has been special emphasis on law enforcement in each of the\nAdministration's anticrime measures. The President wants criminals off the\nstreets, and he knows there is no surer way to get them off the streets than to\nhelp build up law enforcement in this country.\nThe Nixon Administration has made the fight against crime one of its\ncentral concerns. While other departmental budgets have been cut in a hold-down\n(more)\n-4-\non Federal spending, the Justice Department budget has been increased. The level\nof law enforcement activity and narcotics control has been stepped up.\nThe Nixon Administration recognizes, as do all of you, that the first\ncivil right of every American -- black or white -- is the right to protection from\ncrime and violence.\nI wish our Negro leaders throughout America would recognize that. I wish\nthey would accept the responsibility for informing their people that it is\nprimarily the poor blacks who are the victims of violent crime in our country.\nI wish all of our Negro leaders would emulate Sterling Tucker, vice-chairman of\nthe Washington, D.C., City Council, who recently spoke out in support of vigorous\nlaw enforcement and condemned those who tacitly condone violations of the law.\nIt is said there can be no progress without order. I subscribe to that.\nI would add that there cannot long be order without progress. I believe\nthe Nixon Administration is promoting the kind of order and the kind of progress\nwhich will operate together to move this country forward.\nWe need a responsible common-sense approach to our urban problems. We are\ngetting it from President Nixon.\nThe primary Nixon answer to the urban crisis is jobs and job training. The\naccent is on the solid American ethic of working for a living. The President's\napproach is based on the idea that a man never stands so tall as when he stands\non his own two feet.\nThis is why President Nixon has proposed the first major reform of this\ncountry's welfare system since it first was established. This is why the President\nurges Workfare instead of Welfare. This is the way of dignity and decency. This\nis the American way. A hand up instead of a handout. That's the only way to\nbridge the gap between the Haves and Have-Nots in America.\nI think President Nixon has managed to bring order to this country. He has\nmanaged to do SO because he has brought order to the Presidency. We now find\nthat the days of government by crisis have given way to crisis prevention. The\nscatter-gun approach is yielding to an assembling of new priorities.\nWelfare reform is just one of the great array of reforms proposed by\nPresident Nixon -- reforms which I believe the American people have long wanted.\nDraft reform which will make the selective service system as fair as possible\nuntil we can establish a truly all-volunteer Army; postal reform which will create\na government-owned self-supporting postal corporation in place of the present\nimpossible system; poverty program reform which keeps the Office of Economic\n(more)\n--5-\nOpportunity as an innovative agency but spins off successful experimental programs\nto old-line Government departments; manpower training reform which consolidates\nFederal manpower training programs; tax reform which takes millions of poor citizens\noff the taxrolls, reduces taxes for millions of other low-income Americans, gives\na long-deserved break to middle-income individuals, and prevents the most wealthy\nfrom escaping taxation altogether; a New Federalism which provides an increasing\nslice of Federal income tax revenue for the cities and states and gives them new\nvigor as solvers of the problems to which they are closest; a decentralization of\ngovernment authority which places greater reliance on local officials and greater\npower in the hands of the people.\nDecentralization of government authority -- flow of power back to the cities\nand states, back to the people. This is a central theme of the Nixon Administration.\nPower concentrated in Washington is not always effective power. It is\nsometimes self-defeating. The Federal bureaucracy is most complex, and it feeds\nupon itself. As it grows larger, the Federal Government's ability to help solve\nlocal problems often grows less.\nI would like to quote to you from remarks made last May 29 at the 75th\nannual convention of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association in Atlantic City, N.J.\n\"Thirty odd years ago the federal establishment was small, as some of you\nwill remember, and income taxes were around 2 or 3 per cent. Most people didn't\npay any at all. And then Franklin Roosevelt was elected, and then for the first\ntime the control of our government fell into the hands of modern liberals and\ntheir view was that the power of the federal government should be used to\ntreat and to cure this country's social ills. Well, they did treat a few and\nthey improved a few, but they didn't cure any. They started Social Security,\nguarantees of bank deposits and a few other things that were useful and helpful,\nbut they also brought to Washington what might be called the illusion of\nbureaucratic omnipotence, the illusion that if a government collects enough money,\ncreats enough agencies and enough bureaus, and worms its way far enough into the\nprivate aspects of American life it will make us all prosperous, healthy and happy.\n\"Well, Max Weber, the sociologist, proved a long time ago that a big\nbureaucracy, once it is established, ceases to work at the job it was given to do\nand begins working only for itself, trying ahead of all else to increase its\nbudget, its staff, its size and its power.\"\nI imagine every man in this room thinks those words were spoken by a\ndeep-dyed conservative. Not SO. The author of those words is David Brinkley,\n(more)\n-6-\nthe radio and television commentator who on more than one occasion has described\nhimself as a liberal -- and did so at the Pennsylvania Bankers convention.\nBrinkley went on to say he had visited about 40 states in the last few\nmonths and had found Americans wanting a change, \"a basic change.' He added that\n\"there is every sign of a deep distrust of the present size and style of the\nWashington establishment and of the kind of leadership we have had from it for\nabout 20 years.\"\nRichard Nixon is dedicated to producing the kind of change of which David\nBrinkley spoke.\nThat is why he is talking about reversing the flow of power from Washington\nto the states and cities. That is why he has reduced Federal employment by 48,000.\nThat is why he is talking about sharing Federal income tax revenue with the\ncities and states. He wants to implement the basic change the people so desperately\ndesire.\nNot long ago President Nixon, in a nice way, asked the Congress to help\nhim bring about the basic changes the American people are asking for. He conceded\nthat some of the slowness in the legislative process could be attributed to the\nnewness of his own administration.\nThen he made the reform theme clear. He said: \"The legislative program of\nthis Administration differs fundamentally from previous administrations. We do\nnot seek more and more of the same. We were not elected to pile new resources and\nmanpower on top of old programs. We were elected to initiate an era of change.\"\nIn effect, the President said to the Congress: I am not going to argue about\nwhy SO little has been done to date. But this is what I have proposed. Now what\nare you going to do about it?\nThat, I think, is a fair question. And it is a fair question not only to ask\nof the Congress but of the American people. What are we going to do about it?\nLet us not look only to the National Administration for correction of our\npast mistakes. We all have a stake in our Nation. Let us all assume some of the\nresponsibility for setting the affairs of our country in order.\nThere is too much of an attitude today that \"all is fine so long as I get\nmine.\" We msut rid ourselves of that approach. We must all become selfless if\nAmerica is to survive as a Nation and a people. We must individually and\ncollectively seek the greatest good for the greatest number.\nThe responsibility for guiding the future of America rests not only with the\nCongress, not only with governmental leaders, not only with the President. That\n(more)\n-7-\nresponsibility devolves upon us all. Each of our lives impinges upon the lives\nof others. To the extent that we all live the good life, the unselfish life,\nthe lives of all others are enriched.\nWe all believe in the American Dream. Let us live so that all may share\nin it.\n###"
}