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    "localId": "4526344",
    "label": "Michigan Association of County Officials, Grand Rapids, MI, January 18, 1971",
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    "id": "4526344",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Michigan Association of County Officials, Grand Rapids, MI, January 18, 1971",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526344",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Clean Air Act",
        "Crime",
        "Environmental protection",
        "Legislation",
        "Revenue sharing",
        "Water pollution",
        "Welfare"
    ],
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D30, folder \"Michigan Association of County\nOfficials, Grand Rapids, MI, January 18, 1971\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press\nSecretary 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 The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain.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 D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nMICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY OFFICIALS\nGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, 7 P.M. MONDAY,\nJANUARY 18, 1971\nIts up , Rowneys senter now\nIN 1969 AMERICANS MADE THE\nIMPOSSIBLE DREAM COME TRUE. THEY MADE\nTHE MOON MAN PROVINCE.\nIMMEDIATELY THERE WERE THOSE WHO\nDECLARED THAT NOTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE OF\nACHIEVEMENT IN AMERICA. PEOPLE THROUGHOUT\nOUR LAND WERE CAUGHT UP IN A WAVE OF\nEUPHORIA. THE HORIZONS WERE LIMITLESS.\nALL PROBLEMS COULD BE SOLVED IF WE WOULD\nONLY UNITE IN A SHOW OF NATIONAL WILL.\nSINCE THAT TIME THE EUPHORIA\nHAS EVAPORATED.\n/\nSOBERER VOICES HAVE NOTED\nTHAT CONTROLLING INFLATION ELIMINATING\nRACISM,/GENERATING PROSPERITY AND WIPING\nOUT HUNGER ARE VASTLY MORE DIFFICULT\nACHIEVE THAN ROCKETING TO THE MOON.\nGERALE TOFORD LIBRARY\n-2-\nMY OWN FEELING IS THAT THE\nEUPHORIA WAS NOT ENTIRELY MISPLACED. NOR\nIS THERE ANY REASON TO BE PESSIMISTIC\nABOUT ACHIEVING ECONOMIC SECURITY, / SOCIAL\nJUSTICE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF\nLIFE FOR ALL AMERICANS.\nIT IS EASY TO FORGET THAT THE\nFIRST MANNED U.S. SPACE FLIGHT TOOK PLACE\nMORE THAN FOUR YEARS BEFORE NEIL ARMSTRONG\nEMERGED FROM HIS SPACECRAFT AND ANNOUNCED\nTHAT \"EAGLE HAS LANDED.\"\nWHAT I AM SAYING, OF COURSE, IS\nTHAT SOLVING OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC\nPROBLEMS TAKES TIME, JUST AS IT TOOK TIME\nFOR US TO MASTER THE TREMENDOUS COMPLEXITIES\nOF MANNED SPACE FLIGHT. THERE ARE\nOBSTACLES -- THERE WILL BE FAILURES -- BUT\nI BELIEVE WE ULTIMATELY WILL TRIUMPH.\nDERALD FORD LIBRARY\nWE WILL NOT BE EMPLOYING THE\nSAME ARRAY OF TECHNOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC\n-3-\nSKILLS THAT PUT MEN ON THE MOON TO SOLVE\nOUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. BUT SOLVE\nTHEM WE WILL -- IN TIME.\nIT IS POSSIBLE TO ENGINEER AN\nIMPOSSIBLE DREAM INTO REALITY -- AND I THINK\nWE STAND ON THE THRESHOLD OF DOING SO\nWHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT IS THE\nRETURN OF POWER TO THE LOCAL SCENE --\nThen\nREDIRECTING TO THE LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT\nstand\n100\n$500\nSOME OF THE POWER THAT HAS FLOWED\n500\nUNCEASINGLY AND INCREASINGLY TO WASHINGTON\nIN\nTHE LAST FOUR DECADES.\nI THINK THERE CURRENTLY IS A\nSICKNESS IN THE AMERICAN SYSTEM -- AND I\nCERTAINLY AM NOT A MEMBER OF THE NEW LEFT.\nhowever\nTHE SICKNESS I SPEAK OF IS THE\nPOWERLESSNESS OF LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT\nTO DEAL ADEQUATELY WITH THE PROBLEMS WHICH\nCONFRONT THEM -- A POWERLESSNESS WHICH IS\nLIBRARY\n-4-\nDUE TO LACK OF SUFFICIENT FUNDS AND A\nGOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE WHICH FINDS\nWASHINGTON CALLING TOO MANY OF THE SHOTS.\nTHE REMEDY APPEARS OBVIOUS AND\nRELATIVELY SIMPLE. SINCE WASHINGTON IS THE\nMANEY\nBIG TAX COLLECTOR, LET'S HAVE WASHINGTON\nCUT IN THE LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT FOR\nA SHARE OF THE FEDERAL TAX TAKE.\nTHE THE\nA\nAFTER ALL, IT'S THE PEOPLE'S MONEY.\nSO LET'S PUT THAT MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO THE\nMOST GOOD. LET'S PUT THAT MONEY WHERE THE\nPROBLEMS ARE, AND LET LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS\nUSE THOSE FUNDS ACCORDING TO LOCAL\nPRIORITIES.\nTHE ADMINISTRATION'S\nREVENUE-SHARING BILL WAS INTRODUCED IN THE\n91ST CONGRESS ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1969.\nI CO-SPONSORED THE HOUSE BILL, H.R. 13982. FORD\nUNFORTUNATELY, THE BILL DID GER NOT\nLIBRARY\n-5-\nEVEN GET A HEARING IN THE 91ST CONGRESS.\nI AM HOPEFUL THAT REVENUE-SHARING WILL BE\nENACTED INTO LAW BY THE 92ND CONGRESS.\nUNDER THE OLD ADMINISTRATION\n$500 MILLION WAS TO BE DISTRIBUTED\nNATIONWIDE THE FIRST YEAR THAT\nREVENUE - SHARING WENT INTO EFFECT. THIS\nWAS TO GROW TO $5 BILLION WITHIN FIVE YEARS.\nUNDER THAT PLAN, MICHIGAN\nULTIMATELY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED\n$161 MILLION, WITH $34,732,348 GOING TO\nTHE CITIES, $15,587,617 TO THE COUNTIES AND\n$2,290,374 TO THE TOWNSHIPS.\nTHERE IS GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE\nTHE NEW ADMINISTRATION REVENUE - SHAR ING\nBILL WILL GO FAR BEYOND THOSE SUMS.\nYOU PROBABLY KNOW HOW THE PLAN\nWOULD WORK. MONEY WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO\nTHE STATES ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, WITH AN\nLIBRAR\n-6-\nADJUSTMENT FOR THE RELATIVE TAX EFFORT OF\nAN INDIVIDUAL STATE AND ITS LOCAL UNITS\nOF GOVERNMENT COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL\nAVERAGE. WHILE NO RESTRUCTIONS WOULD BE\nPLACED ON USE OF THE FUNDS, THE STATE\nWOULD BE REQUIRED TO AUTOMATICALLY PASS\nON A SPECIFIED AMOUNT OF ITS ENTIRE\nFEDERALLY-SHARED RECEIPTS TO LOCAL UNITS\nOF GOVERNMENT. THE AMOUNT OF PASS-THROUGH\nWOULD DEPEND ON A PERCENTAGE WHICH\nREPRESENTS THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE RAISED\nBY LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT FROM THEIR\nOWN SOURCES, DIVIDED BY THE AMOUNT OF\nREVENUE RAISED BY THE STATE AND ALL OF\nITS UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.\nTHINK FEDERAL REVENUE - SHAR ING\nIS MUST LEGISLATION. THE KEY TO GETTING\nIT ENACTED IS THE POSITION TAKEN BY THE\n-7-\nHOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, ITS\nCHAIRMAN, DEMOCRAT WILBUR MILLS OF ARKANSAS,\nAND CARL ALBERT, WHO IS TO BECOME SPEAKER\nOF THE HOUSE. UNFORTUNATELY, MILLS AND\nALBERT ARE AT PRESENT OPPOSED TO\nREVENUE-SHARING.\nLET ME TURN NOW TO ANOTHER\nADMINISTRATION PROGRAM WHICH IS AIMED AT\nREDIRECTING POWER FROM WASHINGTON TO THE\nLOCAL SCENE.\nWE HAVE, OF COURSE, THE\nTREMENDOUS TASK OF REFUELING OUR ECONOMY\nAND EXPANDING JOB OPPORTUNITIES WHILE\nSEEKING TO CONTROL INFLATION. BUT AT THE\nSAME TIME WE HAVE THE PROBLEM OF MATCHING\nTHE UNEMPLOYED WITH AVAILABLE JOBS.\nIN OUR EFFORTS TO MATCH MEN AND\nJOBS WE HAVE CREATED A BUREAUCRATIC MAZE,\nSOME OF IT FEDERALLY FUNDED, SOME OF IT\nFORD is LIBRARY GERALD\n-8-\nPRIVATELY FUNDED, AND SOME OF IT LOCALLY\nFUNDED WITH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. IT ALL\nCOMES UNDER THE HEADING OF MANPOWER\nTRAINING\nMAYORS AND OTHER LOCAL OFFICIALS\nHAVE LITTLE SAY AS TO WHAT MONEY IS SPENT\nWITHIN THEIR JURISDICTIONS OR HOW IT IS\nSPENT ON FEDERALLY-SUPPORTED MANPOWER\nPROGRAMS.\nPRESIDENT NIXON WANTS TO REMEDY\nTHAT -- AND SO IN 1969 HE PROPOSED THAT\nSTATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BE GIVEN\nplus\nPRIMARY CONTROL OVER MANPOWER PROGRAMS AND\nAN IMPORTANT VOICE IN CHANNELING MANPOWER\nMONEY INTO AREAS OF GREATEST NEED.\nTHE 91ST CONGRESS PASSED A\nMANPOWER BILL BUT THE SENATE TOOK THE\nGERALD R.FORD LIBRARY\nWPA\nADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSAL AND MADE A\nMAKE-WORK BILL OUT OF IT, SO THE PRESIDENT\nVETOED IT.\n-9-\nI AM HOPEFUL THAT THE 92ND\nCONGRESS WILL ENACT A MANPOWER TRAINING\nACT IN 1971 WITH EMPHASIS ON GIVING STATES\nAND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PRIMARY CONTROL OF THE\nPROGRAM. I WANT TO SEE FEDERAL MONEY USED\nTO MEET LOCAL NEEDS AS THEY ARE DETERMINED\nBY LOCAL OFFICIALS. 1N SUCH LEGISLATION\nTHERE SHOULD BE A LEGITIMATE AREA OF\nSERVICE FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR -- THE\nFREE-ENTERPRISE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY.\nwith\nTHAT IS THE MEANING OF\n1\nx\nsharing\nPRESIDENT NIXON'S \"NEW FEDERALISM \" AND\nTHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF \"POWER TO THE\nPEOPLE.\"\n\"\nWHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE\nIS A MAJOR SHIFT IN POWER FROM THE FEDERAL\nGOVERNMENT TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNING\nBODIES. THAT IS WHAT IS IMPLICIT IN THIS\n-10-\nLEGISLATION -- REVENUE - SHAR ING AND THE\nADMINISTRATIONS MANPOWER TRAINING BILL.\nTHIS IS WHAT THE STAKES ARE FOR YOU AS\nCOUNTY OFFICIALS.\nI WILL TALK ABOUT JUST ONE MORE\n91ST CONGRESS LEFTOVER BEFORE DISCUSSING\nLEGISLATION WHICH WAS ENACTED, LEGISLATION\nWITH AN IMPACT UPON LOCAL COMMUNITIES.\nTHE LEFTOVER, AND IT SHOULD\nBECOME A 92ND CONGRESS MAIN COURSE, IS\nPRESIDENT NIXON'S WELFARE REFORM PROGRAM.\nSOMETHING I AM FOND OF SAYING ABOUT THE\nADMINISTRATION?S: WELFARE REFORM PROPOSAL\nIS THAT IT MUST BE GOOD BECAUSE IT IS\nOPPOSED BOTH ON THE FAR LEFT AND THE FAR\nRIGHT\nJet me noh - Does anyone defend to\nTHIS MUCH WE ARE ALL SURE OF.\nTHE PRESENT WELFARE SYSTEM IS INEFFICIENT\nAND INEQUITABLE AND IS STEADILY BECOMING\n139 FORD LIBRARY\n-11-\nMORE COSTLY. IT is, IN A WORD, A SCANDAL.\nWITHIN THE PAST 10 YEARS, THE\nCOST OF AID TO FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT\nCHILDREN (AFDC) HAS MORE THAN TRIPLED.\nYET IT TEARS FAMILIES APART.\nNONE OF THE PRESENT ASSISTANCE\nPROGRAMS HELP THE WORKING POOR, YET NEARLY\n60 PER CENT OF ALL POOR CHILDREN IN THE\nUNITED STATES LIVE IN SUCH FAMILIES.\nTHE WELFARE ROLLS HAVE BECOME\nA TRAP WHERE THE VERY POOR ARE CAUGHT AND\nSTAY, AND THE NUMBER OF THOSE TRAPPED\nKEEPS GROWING.\nWHAT WOULD THE ADMINISTRATIONS\nWELFARE REFORM PROGRAM DO? IT WOULD PUT AN\nINCOME FLOOR UNDER EVERY COVERED FAMILY AND\nDISABLED PERSON. IT WOULD HELP THE WORKING\nPOOR. IT WOULD HELP KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER.\nIT WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE ABLE-BODIED WORK.\n-12-\nIT WOULD TREAT ALL FAMILY ASSISTANCE\nRECIPIENTS FAIRLY AND WITH DIGNITY. IT\nWOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE POOR TO\nGET OUT OF THE WELFARE TRAP AND BECOME\nSELF-SUPPORTING. It would not penalize a person for Working.\nTHIS PROGRAM, WHEN ENACTED, WILL\nBECOME THE GREATEST SOCIAL REFORM IN\nNEARLY FOUR DECADES. WE NEED WELFARE\nREFORM. WE MUST HAVE IT.\nLOOKING AT WHAT THE 91ST CONGRESS\nSUCCEEDED IN DOING, IT'S A TOSSUP WHETHER\nTO CALL IT AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONGRESS OR\nA CRIME-FIGHTING CONGRESS.\nPOLLUTION IS ONE OF THE GREAT\nCHALLENGES OF THE SEVENTIES. CRIME\nCONTINUES TO CONFRONT US AS ONE OF OUR MOST\nPERPLEXING PROBLEMS.\nFORTUNATELY THE PUBLIC HAS\nBECOME ACUTELY AWARE OF THE DANGERS IN\n-13-\nBOTH OF THESE AREAS, AND WITH PUBLIC\nSUPPORT WE ARE GETTING A LEGISLATIVE\nRESPONSE.\n[ITHINK] THE DECADE OF THE\nSEVENTIES WILL SEE THE PROBLEMS OF POLLUTION\nAND CRIME BOTH RECEDE. WE HAVE MADE A\nGOOD START IN MEETING THE CHALLENGE.\nTHE CONGRESS PASSED A NEW TOUGH\nCLEAN AIR BILL / INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE\nFIGHT AGAINST WATER POLLUTION, EXPANDED\nTHE ATTACK AGAINST SOLID WASTE POLLUTION,/\nSTRENGTHENED AND IMPROVED THE SAFE STREETS\nACT ,/ ADOPTED AN ORGANIZED CRIME CONTROL\nACT, AND APPROVED A COMPREHENSIVE DRUG\nCONTROL ACT.\nTHERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE DONE,\nNOTABLY IN THE FIELD OF WATER POLLUTION\nCONTROL, BUT WE HAVE REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC\nABOUT OUR EFFORTS BOTH TO SAVE OUR\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\n-14-\nENVIRONMENT AND TO CONTROL CRIME.\nYOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW\nCLEAN AIR ACT. YOU KNOW THAT IT CALLS FOR\nA 90 PER CENT POLLUTION-FREE AUTOMOBILE\nENGINE BY 1975. WHAT YOU PERHAPS DO NOT\nKNOW IS THAT IT ALSO REQUIRES SOME\nHARD-HEADED ACTION ON THE PART OF THE\nSTATES ONCE FEDERAL AIR STANDARDS ARE\nSET. FOR INSTANCE, ELECTRIC POWER SOURCES\nARE HIGH ON THE LIST OF FACILITIES TO BE\nCURBED IF FEDERAL STANDARDS ARE TO BE MET.\nYET WE FACE THE THREAT OF A SHORTAGE OF\nELECTRIC POWER. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THESE\nINTERESTS AND KEEP YOUR JOBS AND YOUR\nSANITY? TIME WILL TELL.\nSTATES MUST PREPARE PLANS TO\nMEET THE FEDERAL STANDARDS WITHIN THREE (3)\nYEARS. IF A STATE LAGS IN ENFORCING ITS\nFORD\nPLAN, THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL\n-15-\nPROTECTION AGENCY MAY ISSUE AN ORDER TO\nA VIOLATOR REQUIRING COMPLIANCE OR TAKE\nA VIOLATOR TO COURT.\nTHE NEW SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL\nACT IS AIMED AT PROMOTING NEW AND BETTER\nWAYS OF GETTING RID OF SOLID WASTE. THE\nEMPHASIS IS ON RECLAMATION OR WHAT IS KNOWN\nAS RECYCLING. IT ENCOURAGES LOCAL\nPLANNING, WITH GRANTS OF UP TO 3RDS FOR\nONE COMMUNITY AND UP TO 3/4THS FOR A JOINT\nPROJECT. IT ALSO PROVIDES CONSTRUCTION\nGRANTS OF 25 PER CENT FOR ONE COMMUNITY\nAND 50 PER CENT FOR A JOINT PROJECT. THE\nNEW ACT AUTHORIZES APPROPRIATIONS OF UP\nTO $451 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.\nI MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE\n91ST CONGRESS MIGHT BECOME KNOWN AS A\nCRIME-FIGHTING CONGRESS. WE HAVE INDEED\nSTEPPED UP THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME IN A\n-16-\nNUMBER OF WAYS.\nNOT ONLY HAVE WE LAUNCHED A\nBROADER ATTACK AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME,\nBUT WE HAVE GREATLY INCREASED FEDERAL AID\nTO STATES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES UNDER THE\nSAFE STREETS ACT AND HAVE TAKEN STEPS TOWARD\nEXPANDED REHABILITATION OF CONVICTED\nOFFENDERS. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT PRISON\nREFORM IS ONE KEY TO A SHARP REDUCTION IN\nTHE INCIDENCE OF CRIME.\nIN THE AREA OF ORGANIZED CRIME,\nWE WENT TO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM WITH\nLEGISLATION AIMED AT GETTING RELUCTANT\nWITNESSES TO TESTIFY AGAINST MOBSTERS.\nTHE BASIC THRUST OF THE NEW ORGANIZED CRIME\nCONTROL ACT IS TO GET THE FACTS NEEDED TO\nOBTAIN NOT ONLY INDICTMENTS BUT CONVICTIONS.\nTHIS SAME ACT PUTS THE F.B.I. INTO THE\nBUSINESS OF INVESTIGATING BOMBINGS OF\nR.FORD & LIBRARY GERALD\n-17-\nGOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, LOCAL POLICE STATIONS\nAND CAMPUS BUILDINGS. I CO-SPONSORED THIS\nLEGISLATION.\nWE HAVE ALSO LAUNCHED THE MOST\nFAR-REACHING FEDERAL ATTACK ON DRUG ABUSE\nEVER UNDERTAKEN IN THE UNITED STATES. WITH\nPASSAGE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG CONTROL\nACT OF 1970, WE GET TOUGHER WITH THE\nPEDDLER AND PUSHER / SEEK TO REHABILITATE THE\nUSER\nAND WARN AWAY THE POTENTIAL USER.\nTHE EDUCATIONAL PROVISIONS OF THE NEW ACT\nARE PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT. STATE AND LOCAL\nEFFORTS WILL BE VITAL TO THIS EDUCATION\nPROGRAM.\nIN SUMMARY, THE ANTI-CRIME\nACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 91ST CONGRESS ARE\nMOST IMPRESSIVE. THE ENACTMENTS INCLUDE\nNOT ONLY THE ORGANIZED CRIME CONTROL ACT,\nDRUG CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT BUT\nDERALD R.FORD LIBRARY\n-18-\nEXPLOSIVES CONTROL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT\nAMENDMENTS, A FEDERAL YOUTH CORRECTIONS\nACT, AND AN ANTI-OBSCENITY BILL APPROVED\nAS AN AMENDMENT TO THE POSTAL REORGANIZATION\nACT.\nWHILE THE EFFECTS OF THIS\nLEGISLATION MAY NOT BE FELT OVERNIGHT, IT\nIS SAFE TO SAY THAT THE 91ST CONGRESS --\nWITH PRODDING FROM THE PRESIDENT -- OUTDID\nANY OTHER CONGRESS IN HISTORY WITH THE\nANTI-CRIME MEASURES IT ENACTED.\nNOW LET ME TOUCH BRIEFLY ON ONE\nOTHER LEGISLATIVE SUBJECT OF GREAT LOCAL\nINTEREST -- PROGRAMS TO AID THE FIGHT\nAGAINST HEART DISEASE, CANCER, STROKE AND\nKIDNEY AILMENTS.\nTHE 91ST CONGRESS PASSED TWO\nPUBLIC HEALTH BILLS WHICH WILL ASSURE\nAMERICANS BETTER DIAGNOSTIC CARE AND\n-19-\nTREATMENT OF THESE DISEASES.\nTHESE BILLS EXPAND THE REGIONAL\nMEDICAL AND COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH PLANNING\nPROGRAM.\nONE BILL AUTHORIZES GRANTS OVER\nA THREE-YEAR PERIOD FOR LOCAL-BASED\nPROGRAMS DESIGNED TO DETECT HEART DISEASE\nCANCER OR KIDNEY AILMENTS WHILE THESE\nDISEASES ARE STILL IN THEIR EARLY STAGES.\nTHE OTHER BILL EXTENDS FOR THREE\nYEARS PROJECT GRANTS FOR COMPREHENSIVE\nHEALTH PLANNING ON THE STATE AND LOCAL\nLEVEL AND PROVIDES FUNDS FOR IMPROVED\nPUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES.\nTHIS LEGISLATION ALSO ASSURES\nTHAT RESEARCH PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE THE\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\nSTATISTICAL INFORMATION THEY NEED TO\nDEVELOP CURES FOR THESE DREADED DISEASES.\nCARING FOR OUR SICK AND FINDING\n-20-\nCURES FOR DISEASES SUCH AS CANCER MUST BE\nONE OF OUR TOP NATIONAL PRIORITIES. WE\nCANNOT SIT BACK AND HOPE THESE DISEASES\nWILL DISAPPEAR. WE MUST FINANCE THE\nRESEARCH NEEDED TO FIND THE CURES.\nLOOKING AHEAD TO THE 92ND\nCONGRESS, I HOPE IT WILL BE A \"HEALTH\nCONGRESS.\" I LOOK FOR STRONG MEASURES TO\nMEET THE RISING COSTS OF HEALTH CARE AND FOR\nADDITIONAL LEGISLATION AIMED AT FINDING\nTHE CURES FOR DREADED DISEASES LIKE CANCER.\nDESPITE ALL THE ADVANCES OF THE\nPAST TWO YEARS, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN A\nPERIOD OF TESTING WHICH WILL DETERMINE\nWHETHER MEN CAN GOVERN THEMSELVES UNDER\nTHE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.\nGERALD R.FORD LIBRARY\nMUCH NEEDED LEGISLATION WAS\nPASSED BY THE 91ST CONGRESS BUT MANY VITAL\nMEASURES WERE LEFT ON THE CALENDAR FOR 1971\n-21-\nGOVERNMENT MUST MEET ITS\nOBLIGATIONS FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE\nFOR AMERICANS IN THE SEVENTIES AND BEYOND.\nWE CAN DO THAT IF GOVERNMENT AT ALL\nLEVELS -- FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL -- WILL\nJOIN HANDS IN PROGRESSIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING\nACTION FOR THE GOOD OF EVERYONE\nMAKE\nGOVERNMENT MORE RESPONSIVE TO HUMAN NEEDS\n/\nAND DEMONSTRATE GOVERNMENT'S AWARENESS OF\nSUCH VALUES AS EQUITY AND JUSTICE.\nIF WE DO THIS, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE\nWILL BE OURS AND THE ENTIRE NATION WILL BE\nTHE STRONGER. THANK YOU.\n-- END - & &\nDistribution Full\nGalleries mail 6:30p. 1/15/21 Office Copy\na.m. 1/18/71\nREMARKS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nREPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES\nBEFORE THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY OFFICIALS\nGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN\n7:00 p.m. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1971\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY AT 7 P.M. MONDAY\nIn 1969 Americans made the impossible dream come true. They made the moon\nman's province.\nImmediately there were those who declared that nothing was impossible of\nachievement in America. People throughout our land were caught up in a wave of\neuphoria. The horizons were limitless. All problems could be solved if we would\nonly unite in a show of national will.\nSince that time the euphoria has evaporated. Soberer voices have noted that\ncontrolling inflation, eliminating racism, generating prosperity and wiping out\nhunger are vastly more difficult to achieve than rocketing to the moon.\nMy own feeling is that the euphoria was not entirely misplaced. Nor is\nthere any reason to be pessimistic about achieving economic security, social\njustice and improvement of the quality of life for all Americans.\nIt is easy to forget that the first manned U.S. space flight took place\nmore than four years before Neil Armstrong emerged from his spacecraft and\nannounced that \"Eagle has landed.\"\nWhat I am saying, of course, is that solving our social and economic problems\ntakes time, just as it took time for us to master the tremendous complexities of\nmanned space flight. There are obstacles--there will be failures--but I believe\nwe ultimately will triumph.\nWe will not be employing the same array of technological and scientific\nskills that put men on the moon to solve our social and economic problems. But\nsolve them we will--in time.\nIt is possible to engineer an impossible dream into reality--and I think we\nstand on the threshold of doing SO.\nWhat I am talking about is the return of power to the local scene--\nredirecting to the local units of government some of the power that has flowed\nunceasingly and increasingly to Washington in the last four decades.\nI think there currently is a sickness in the American system-and I certainly\nam not a member of the New Left.\n(more)\n-2-\nThe sickness I speak of is the powerlessness of local units of government to\ndeal adequately with the problems which confront them--a powerlessness which is due\nto lack of sufficient funds and a governmental structure which finds Washington\ncalling too many of the shots.\nThe remedy appears obvious and relatively simple. Since Washington is the\nbig tax collector, let's have Washington cut in the local units of government for\na share of the Federal tax take.\nAfter all, it's the people's money. So let's put that money where it will\ndo the most good. Let's put that money where the problems are, and let local\nadministrators use those funds according to local priorities.\nThe Administration's revenue-sharing bill was introduced in the 91st Congress\non Sept. 23, 1969. I co-sponsored the House bill, H.R. 13982.\nUnfortunately, the bill did not even get a hearing in the 91st Congress.\nI am hopeful that revenue-sharing will be enacted into law by the 92nd Congress.\nUnder the old Administration bill, $500 million was to be distributed\nnationwide the first year that revenue-sharing went into effect. This was to grow\nto $5 billion within five years.\nUnder that plan, Michigan ultimately would have received $161 million, with\n$34,732,348 going to the cities, $15,587,617 to the counties and $2,290,374 to the\ntownships.\nThere is good reason to believe the new administration revenue-sharing bill\nwill go far beyond those sums.\nYou probably know how the plan would work. Money would be distributed to\nthe states on a per capita basis, with an adjustment for the relative tax effort\nof an individual state and its local units of government compared to the national\naverage. While no restrictions would be placed on use of the funds, the state\nwould be required to automatically pass on a specified amount of its entire\nFederally-shared receipts to local units of government. The amount of pass-through\nwould depend on a percentage which represents the amount of revenue raised by local\nunits of government from their own sources, divided by the amount of revenue\nraised by the state and all of its units of local government.\nI think Federal revenue-sharing is must legislation. The key to getting it\nenacted is the position taken by the House Ways and Means Committee, its chairman,\nDemocrat Wilbur Mills of Arkansas, and Carl Albert, who is to become Speaker of the\nHouse. Unfortunately, Mills and Albert are at present opposed to revenue-sharing.\n(more)\n-3-\nLet me turn now to another Administration program which is aimed at\nredirecting power from Washington to the local scene.\nWe have, of course, the tremendous task of refueling our economy and\nexpanding job opportunities while seeking to control inflation. But at the same\ntime we have the problem of matching the unemployed with available jobs.\nIn our efforts to match men and jobs we have created a bureaucratic maze,\nsome of it federally funded, some of it privately funded, and some of it locally\nfunded with federal assistance. It all comes under the heading of Manpower\nTraining.\nMayors and other local officials have little say as to what money is spent\nwithin their jurisdictions or how it is spent on federally-supported manpower\nprograms.\nPresident Nixon wants to remedy that--and so in 1969 he proposed that states\nand local governments be given primary control over manpower programs and an\nimportant voice in channeling manpower money into areas of greatest need.\nThe 91st Congress passed a manpower bill but the Senate took the\nAdministration's proposal and made a make-work bill out of it. So the President\nvetoed it.\nI am hopeful that the 92nd Congress will enact a Manpower Training Act in\n1971, with emphasis on giving states and local governments primary control of the\nprogram. I want to see Federal money used to meet local needs as they are\ndetermined by local officials. In such legislation there should be a legitimate\narea of service for the private sector-the free-enterprise employment agency.\nThat is the meaning of President Nixon's \"New Federalism,\" and that is the\nreal meaning of \"Power to the People.'\nWhat we are talking about here is a major shift in power from the Federal\nGovernment to state and local governing bodies. That is what is implicit in this\nlegislation--revenue-sharing and the Administration's manpower training bill. This\nis what the stakes are for you as county officials.\nI will talk about just one more 91st Congress leftover before discussing\nlegislation which was enacted, legislation with an impact upon local communities.\nThe leftover, and it should become a 92nd Congress main course, is President\nNixon's welfare reform program. Something I am fond of saying about the\nAdministration's welfare reform proposal is that it must be good because it is\nopposed both on the Far Left and the Far Right.\n(more)\n-4-\nThis much we are all sure of. The present welfare system is inefficient and\ninequitable and is steadily becoming more costly. It is, in a word, a scandal.\nWithin the past 10 years, the cost of aid to families with dependent\nchildren (AFDC) has more than tripled. Yet it tears families apart.\nNone of the present assistance programs help the working poor, yet nearly\n60 per cent of all poor children in the United States live in such families.\nThe welfare rolls have become a trap where the very poor are caught and\nstay, and the number of those trapped keeps growing.\nWhat would the Administration's welfare reform program do? It would put an\nincome floor under every covered family and disabled person. It would help the\nworking poor. It would help keep families together. It would require that the\nable-bodied work. It would treat all family assistance recipients fairly and with\ndignity. It would make it possible for the poor to get out of the welfare trap\nand become self-supporting.\nThis program, when enacted, will become the greatest social reform in\nnearly four decades. We need welfare reform. We must have it.\nLooking at what the 91st Congress succeeded in doing, it's a tossup whether\nto call it an Environmental Congress or a Crime-Fighting Congress.\nPollution is one of the great challenges of the Seventies. Crime continues\nto confront us as one of our most perplexing problems.\nFortunately the public has become acutely aware of the dangers in both of\nthese areas, and with public support we are getting a legislative response.\nI think the decade of the Seventies will see the problems of pollution and\ncrime both recede. We have made a good start in meeting the challenge.\nThe Congress passed a new tough clean air bill, increased funding for the\nfight against water pollution, expanded the attack against solid waste pollution,\nstrengthened and improved the Safe Streets Act, adopted an Organized Crime Control\nAct, and approved a Comprehensive Drug Control Act.\nThere is much more to be done, notably in the field of water pollution\ncontrol, but we have reason to be optimistic about our efforts both to save our\nenvironment and to control crime.\nYou are familiar with the new Clean Air Act. You know that it calls for a\n90 per cent pollution-free automobile engine by 1975. What you perhaps do not know\nis that it also requires some hard-headed action on the part of the States once\nFederal air standards are set. For instance, electric power sources are high on\n(more)\n-5-\nthe list of facilities to be curbed if Federal standards are to be met. Yet we\nface the threat of a shortage of electric power. How do you balance these interests\nand keep your jobs and your sanity? Time will tell.\nStates must prepare plans to meet the Federal standards within three years.\nIf a state lags in enforcing its plan, the administrator of the Environmental\nProtection Agency may issue an order to a violator requiring compliance or take a\nviolator to court.\nThe new Solid Waste Disposal Act is aimed at promoting new and better ways\nof getting rid of solid waste. The emphasis is on reclamation or what is known as\nrecycling. It encourages local planning, with grants of up to 2/3rds for one\ncommunity and up to 3/4ths for a joint project. It also provides construction\ngrants of 25 per cent for one community and 50 per cent for a joint project. The\nnew Act authorizes appropriations of up to $451 million over the next three years.\nI mentioned earlier that the 91st Congress might become known as a\nCrime-Fighting Congress. We have indeed stepped up the fight against crime in a\nnumber of ways.\nNot only have we launched a broader attack against organized crime, but we\nhave greatly increased Federal aid to states and local communities under the Safe\nStreets Act and have taken steps toward expanded rehabilitation of convicted\noffenders. I firmly believe that prison reform is one key to a sharp reduction in\nthe incidence of crime.\nIn the area of organized crime, we went to the heart of the problem with\nlegislation aimed at getting reluctant witnesses to testify against mobsters. The\nbasic thrust of the new Organized Crime Control Act is to get the facts needed to\nobtain not only indictments but convictions. This same Act puts the F.B.I. into\nthe business of investigating bombings of government buildings, local police\nstations and campus buildings. I co-sponsored this legislation.\nWe have also launched the most far-reaching Federal attack on drug abuse\never undertaken in the United States. With passage of the Comprehensive Drug\nControl Act of 1970, we get tougher with the peddler and pusher, seek to rehabilitate\nthe user, and warn away the potential user. The educational provisions of the new\nAct are perhaps most important. State and local efforts will be vital to this\neducation program.\nIn summary, the anti-crime accomplishments of the 91st Congress are most\nimpressive. The enactments include not only the Organized Crime Control,\n(more)\n-6-\nDrug Control and Safe Streets Act but explosives control, Criminal Justice Act\namendments, a Federal Youth Corrections Act, and an anti-obscenity bill approved as\nan amendment to the Postal Reorganization Act.\nWhile the effects of this legislation may not be felt overnight, it is safe\nto say that the 91st Congress--with prodding from the President--outdid any other\nCongress in history with the anti-crime measures it enacted.\nNow let me touch briefly on one other legislative subject of great local\ninterest programs to aid the fight against heart disease, cancer, stroke and\nkidney ailments.\nThe 91st Congress passed two public health bills which will assure Americans\nbetter diagnostic care and treatment of these diseases.\nThese bills expand the regional medical and comprehensive health planning\nprogram.\nOne bill authorizes grants over a three-year period for local-based programs\ndesigned to detect heart disease, cancer or kidney ailments while these diseases\nare still in their early stages.\nThe other bill extends for three years project grants for comprehensive\nhealth planning on the state and local level and provides funds for improved public\nhealth services.\nThis legislation also assures that research people will receive the\nstatistical information they need to develop cures for these dreaded diseases.\nCaring for our sick and finding cures for diseases such as cancer must be\none of our top national priorities. We cannot sit back and hope these diseases\nwill disappear. We must finance the research needed to find the cures.\nLooking ahead to the 92nd Congress, I hope it will be a \"Health Congress.\"\nI look for strong measures to meet the rising costs of health care and for\nadditional legislation aimed at finding the cures for dreaded diseases like cancer.\nDespite all the advances of the past two years, we are currently in a\nperiod of testing which will determine whether men can govern themselves under the\ndemocratic process.\nMuch needed legislation was passed by the 91st Congress but many vital\nmeasures were left on the calendar for 1971.\nGovernment must meet its obligations for a better quality of life for\nAmericans in the Seventies and beyond. We can do that if government at all\nlevels--Federal, state and local-will join hands in progressive problem-solving\n(more)\n-7-\naction for the good of everyone, make government more responsive to human needs\nand demonstrate government's awareness of such values as equity and justice.\nIf we do this, public confidence will be ours and the entire Nation will\nbe the stronger. Thank you.\n###\nFORD\n&\nREMARKS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nREPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES\nBEFORE THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY OFFICIALS\nGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN\n7:00 p.m. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1971\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY AT 7 P.M. MONDAY\nIn 1969 Americans made the impossible dream come true. They made the moon\nman's province.\nImmediately there were those who declared that nothing was impossible of\nachievement in America. People throughout our land were caught up in a wave of\neuphoria. The horizons were limitless. All problems could be solved if we would\nonly unite in a show of national will.\nSince that time the euphoria has evaporated. Soberer voices have noted that\ncontrolling inflation, eliminating racism, generating prosperity and wiping out\nhunger are vastly more difficult to achieve than rocketing to the moon.\nMy own feeling is that the euphoria was not entirely misplaced. Nor is\nthere any reason to be pessimistic about achieving economic security, social\njustice and improvement of the quality of life for all Americans.\nIt is easy to forget that the first manned U.S. space flight took place\nmore than four years before Neil Armstrong emerged from his spacecraft and\nannounced that \"Eagle has landed.'\nWhat I am saying, of course, is that solving our social and economic problems\ntakes time, just as it took time for us to master the tremendous complexities of\nmanned space flight. There are obstacles-there will be failures--but I believe\nwe ultimately will triumph.\nWe will not be employing the same array of technological and scientific\nskills that put men on the moon to solve our social and economic problems. But\nsolve them we will--in time.\nIt is possible to engineer an impossible dream into reality--and I think we\nstand on the threshold of doing SO.\nWhat I am talking about is the return of power to the local scene--\nredirecting to the local units of government some of the power that has flowed\nunceasingly and increasingly to Washington in the last four decades.\nI think there currently is a sickness in the American system-and I certainly\nam not a member of the New Left.\n(more)\n-2-\nThe sickness I speak of is the powerlessness of local units of government to\ndeal adequately with the problems which confront them--a powerlessness which is due\nto lack of sufficient funds and a governmental structure which finds Washington\ncalling too many of the shots.\nThe remedy appears obvious and relatively simple. Since Washington is the\nbig tax collector, let's have Washington cut in the local units of government for\na share of the Federal tax take.\nAfter all, it's the people's money. So let's put that money where it will\ndo the most good. Let's put that money where the problems are, and let local\nadministrators use those funds according to local priorities.\nThe Administration's revenue-sharing bill was introduced in the 91st Congress\non Sept. 23, 1969. I co-sponsored the House bill, H.R. 13982.\nUnfortunately, the bill did not even get a hearing in the 91st Congress.\nI am hopeful that revenue-sharing will be enacted into law by the 92nd Congress.\nUnder the old Administration bill, $500 million was to be distributed\nnationwide the first year that revenue-sharing went into effect. This was to grow\nto $5 billion within five years.\nUnder that plan, Michigan ultimately would have received $161 million, with\n$34,732,348 going to the cities, $15,587,617 to the counties and $2,290,374 to the\ntownships.\nThere is good reason to believe the new administration revenue-sharing bill\nwill go far beyond those sums.\nYou probably know how the plan would work. Money would be distributed to\nthe states on a per capita basis, with an adjustment for the relative tax effort\nof an individual state and its local units of government compared to the national\naverage. While no restrictions would be placed on use of the funds, the state\nwould be required to automatically pass on a specified amount of its entire\nFederally-shared receipts to local units of government. The amount of pass-through\nwould depend on a percentage which represents the amount of revenue raised by local\nunits of government from their own sources, divided by the amount of revenue\nraised by the state and all of its units of local government.\nI think Federal revenue-sharing is must legislation. The key to getting it\nenacted is the position taken by the House Ways and Means Committee, its chairman,\nDemocrat Wilbur Mills of Arkansas, and Carl Albert, who is to become Speaker of the\nHouse. Unfortunately, Mills and Albert are at present opposed to revenue-sharing.\n(more)\n-3-\nLet me turn now to another Administration program which is aimed at\nredirecting power from Washington to the local scene.\nWe have, of course, the tremendous task of refueling our economy and\nexpanding job opportunities while seeking to control inflation. But at the same\ntime we have the problem of matching the unemployed with available jobs.\nIn our efforts to match men and jobs we have created a bureaucratic maze,\nsome of it federally funded, some of it privately funded, and some of it locally\nfunded with federal assistance. It all comes under the heading of Manpower\nTraining.\nMayors and other local officials have little say as to what money is spent\nwithin their jurisdictions or how it is spent on federally-supported manpower\nprograms.\nPresident Nixon wants to remedy that--and so in 1969 he proposed that states\nand local governments be given primary control over manpower programs and an\nimportant voice in channeling manpower money into areas of greatest need.\nThe 91st Congress passed a manpower bill but the Senate took the\nAdministration's proposal and made a make-work bill out of it. So the President\nvetoed it.\nI am hopeful that the 92nd Congress will enact a Manpower Training Act in\n1971, with emphasis on giving states and local governments primary control of the\nprogram. I want to see Federal money used to meet local needs as they are\ndetermined by local officials. In such legislation there should be a legitimate\narea of service for the private sector--the free-enterprise employment agency.\nThat is the meaning of President Nixon's \"New Federalism,\" and that is the\nreal meaning of \"Power to the People. \"\nWhat we are talking about here is a major shift in power from the Federal\nGovernment to state and local governing bodies. That is what is implicit in this\nlegislation--revenue-sharing and the Administration's manpower training bill. This\nis what the stakes are for you as county officials.\nI will talk about just one more 91st Congress leftover before discussing\nlegislation which was enacted, legislation with an impact upon local communities.\nThe leftover, and it should become a 92nd Congress main course, is President\nNixon's welfare reform program. Something I am fond of saying about the\nAdministration's welfare reform proposal is that it must be good because it is\nopposed both on the Far Left and the Far Right.\n(more)\n-4-\nThis much we are all sure of. The present welfare system is inefficient and\ninequitable and is steadily becoming more costly. It is, in a word, a scandal.\nWithin the past 10 years, the cost of aid to families with dependent\nchildren (AFDC) has more than tripled. Yet it tears families apart.\nNone of the present assistance programs help the working poor, yet nearly\n60 per cent of all poor children in the United States live in such families.\nThe welfare rolls have become a trap where the very poor are caught and\nstay, and the number of those trapped keeps growing.\nWhat would the Administration's welfare reform program do? It would put an\nincome floor under every covered family and disabled person. It would help the\nworking poor. It would help keep families together. It would require that the\nable-bodied work. It would treat all family assistance recipients fairly and with\ndignity. It would make it possible for the poor to get out of the welfare trap\nand become self-supporting.\nThis program, when enacted, will become the greatest social reform in\nnearly four decades. We need welfare reform. We must have it.\nLooking at what the 91st Congress succeeded in doing, it's a tossup whether\nto call it an Environmental Congress or a Crime-Fighting Congress.\nPollution is one of the great challenges of the Seventies. Crime continues\nto confront us as one of our most perplexing problems.\nFortunately the public has become acutely aware of the dangers in both of\nthese areas, and with public support we are getting a legislative response.\nI think the decade of the Seventies will see the problems of pollution and\ncrime both recede. We have made a good start in meeting the challenge.\nThe Congress passed a new tough clean air bill, increased funding for the\nfight against water pollution, expanded the attack against solid waste pollution,\nstrengthened and improved the Safe Streets Act, adopted an Organized Crime Control\nAct, and approved a Comprehensive Drug Control Act.\nThere is much more to be done, notably in the field of water pollution\ncontrol, but we have reason to be optimistic about our efforts both to save our\nenvironment and to control crime.\nYou are familiar with the new Clean Air Act. You know that it calls for a\n90 per cent pollution-free automobile engine by 1975. What you perhaps do not know\nis that it also requires some hard-headed action on the part of the States once\nFederal air standards are set. For instance, electric power sources are high on\n(more)\n-5-\nthe list of facilities to be curbed if Federal standards are to be met. Yet we\nface the threat of a shortage of electric power. How do you balance these interests\nand keep your jobs and your sanity? Time will tell.\nStates must prepare plans to meet the Federal standards within three years.\nIf a state lags in enforcing its plan, the administrator of the Environmental\nProtection Agency may issue an order to a violator requiring compliance or take a\nviolator to court.\nThe new Solid Waste Disposal Act is aimed at promoting new and better ways\nof getting rid of solid waste. The emphasis is on reclamation or what is known as\nrecycling. It encourages local planning, with grants of up to 2/3rds for one\ncommunity and up to 3/4ths for a joint project. It also provides construction\ngrants of 25 per cent for one community and 50 per cent for a joint project. The\nnew Act authorizes appropriations of up to $451 million over the next three years.\nI mentioned earlier that the 91st Congress might become known as a\nCrime-Fighting Congress. We have indeed stepped up the fight against crime in a\nnumber of ways.\nNot only have we launched a broader attack against organized crime, but we\nhave greatly increased Federal aid to states and local communities under the Safe\nStreets Act and have taken steps toward expanded rehabilitation of convicted\noffenders. I firmly believe that prison reform is one key to a sharp reduction in\nthe incidence of crime.\nIn the area of organized crime, we went to the heart of the problem with\nlegislation aimed at getting reluctant witnesses to testify against mobsters. The\nbasic thrust of the new Organized Crime Control Act is to get the facts needed to\nobtain not only indictments but convictions. This same Act puts the F.B.I. into\nthe business of investigating bombings of government buildings, local police\nstations and campus buildings. I co-sponsored this legislation.\nWe have also launched the most far-reaching Federal attack on drug abuse\never undertaken in the United States. With passage of the Comprehensive Drug\nControl Act of 1970, we get tougher with the peddler and pusher, seek to rehabilitate\nthe user, and warn away the potential user. The educational provisions of the new\nAct are perhaps most important. State and local efforts will be vital to this\neducation program.\nIn summary, the anti-crime accomplishments of the 91st Congress are most\nimpressive. The enactments include not only the Organized Crime Control,\n(more)\n-6-\nDrug Control and Safe Streets Act but explosives control, Criminal Justice Act\namendments, a Federal Youth Corrections Act, and an anti-obscenity bill approved as\nan amendment to the Postal Reorganization Act.\nWhile the effects of this legislation may not be felt overnight, it is safe\nto say that the 91st Congress--with prodding from the President--outdid any other\nCongress in history with the anti-crime measures it enacted.\nNow let me touch briefly on one other legislative subject of great local\ninterest programs to aid the fight against heart disease, cancer, stroke and\nkidney ailments.\nThe 91st Congress passed two public health bills which will assure Americans\nbetter diagnostic care and treatment of these diseases.\nThese bills expand the regional medical and comprehensive health planning\nprogram.\nOne bill authorizes grants over a three-year period for local-based programs\ndesigned to detect heart disease, cancer or kidney ailments while these diseases\nare still in their early stages.\nThe other bill extends for three years project grants for comprehensive\nhealth planning on the state and local level and provides funds for improved public\nhealth services.\nThis legislation also assures that research people will receive the\nstatistical information they need to develop cures for these dreaded diseases.\nCaring for our sick and finding cures for diseases such as cancer must be\none of our top national priorities. We cannot sit back and hope these diseases\nwill disappear. We must finance the research needed to find the cures.\nLooking ahead to the 92nd Congress, I hope it will be a \"Health Congress.\"\nI look for strong measures to meet the rising costs of health care and for\nadditional legislation aimed at finding the cures for dreaded diseases like cancer.\nDespite all the advances of the past two years, we are currently in a\nperiod of testing which will determine whether men can govern themselves under the\ndemocratic process.\nMuch needed legislation was passed by the 91st Congress but many vital\nmeasures were left on the calendar for 1971.\nGovernment must meet its obligations for a better quality of life for\nAmericans in the Seventies and beyond. We can do that if government at all\nlevels--Federal, state and local-will join hands in progressive problem-solving\n(more)\n-7-\naction for the good of everyone, make government more responsive to human needs\nand demonstrate government's awareness of such values as equity and justice.\nIf we do this, public confidence will be ours and the entire Nation will\nbe the stronger. Thank you.\n###"
}