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Bob Price Appreciation Dinner, Plainview, TX, April 17, 1971
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4526356
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Bob Price Appreciation Dinner, Plainview, TX, April 17, 1971
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Revenue sharing
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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1971
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The original documents are located in Box D31, folder "Bob Price Appreciation Dinner,
Plainview, TX, April 17, 1971" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and
Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Distribution 20 expies to m. Ford only maffice Copy
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. SATURDAY--
April 17, 1971
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., at a Bob Price Appreciation
Dinner, Saturday evening, April 17, 1971, at the Alcove Restaurant, Plainview, Texas.
The Seventies are a time of breathtaking change and a time of monumental
challenge.
Tonight I will talk with you about the greatest challenges of the Seventies--
the challenge of Communist aggression in Indochina and the search for an enduring
peace; the challenge posed by the economy, where we must wrestle with the hangover
from the inflationary binge of the late 1960s while making a transition from wartime
to peacetime; and the challenge of governmental reform, where we must restructure
government so it becomes the servant and not the master of the people.
Despite the cries of "pullout now" we continue to resist Communist aggression
in Southeast Asia and to work for meaningful peace inthat war-torn region of the world
Our goal in Vietnam is to make it possible for the South Vietnamese to
determine their own future--not to have it imposed upon them by Communist leaders
in Hanoi.
With the solid success in Cambodia and the reasonably good success in Laos
and the continued gains in Vietnamization, we have moved close to that goal.
Prospects are good that we will see the survival of a viable and independent South
Vietnam.
Anyone who wants to see the South Vietnamese government gain the upper hand
against the Communists cannot help but be heartened by the progress we have made.
As for those who shout "pullout now," they would write off completely the
investment we have made in Southeast Asia toward a full generation of peace. They
would throw in the towel at the very moment when success is in sight. They would
capitulate just when our objective is near at hand.
We are withdrawing from Vietnam in accordance with a carefully thought out
plan. The President has drawn our forces in Vietnam down by nearly 250,000 men--and
the withdrawals will continue at a faster pace.
It matters very much how we end our involvement in the Vietnam War. It is
easy to have peace simply by saying to the enemy, "It's all yours." I say we should
end our involvement in Vietnam in a way that stems the Communist tide in Southeast
Asia. And that is what we are doing.
FORD LIBRARY
Our withdrawal from Vietnam has, of course, had a tremendous impact on our
(more)
Digitized from Box D31 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
economy. Defense spending cuts reduced employment in 1970 by 600,000 in private
industry, 400,000 in the armed forces and 100,000 in Pentagon civilian jobs.
We have cut Vietnam spending in half--and we have deliberately cooled off the
rest of the economy to bring inflation under control.
Now we must stimulate the economy while continuing to fight inflation. And
we are doing exactly that. What we need now is an upsurge in consumer confidence to
get the economy rolling. We will take whatever measures are necessary to accomplish
our goals.
There is another challenge perhaps more difficult to meet than restoring
vigor to our economy.
I speak of providing all of our citizens with an opportunity to participate
in American society and to shape the governmental decisions affecting their lives.
I speak of easing the tremendous tax pressures at the local level which are creating
almost unbearable burdens for our citizens.
Today we are living through a crisis caused by too much government--a paralysis
of social progress caused by a mountainous Federal bureaucracy in Washington--a crisis
caused by too much money and power in the hands of Federal bureaucrats.
While the government in Washington has become muscle-bound, State and local
governments have been struggling with problems the bureaucrats can't solve. And the
cost of State and local government has skyrocketed.
State and local spending has jumped 372 per cent from 1950 through 1969--from
$28 billion to $132 billion.
State and local taxes, on a per capita basis, have spiraled from $105 in 1950
to $380 in 1969, an increase of 262 per cent.
States have increased major taxes 300 times during the last decade.
In the last two decades Federal aid to state and local governments has risen
from $2.5 billion to over $30 billion. And yet the local problems remain.
The Federal categorical grants-in-aid system has more than 500 different
spigots, thousands of administrators and a jungle of regulations.
How do we escape from this jungle? How do we put the money where the problems
are?
The answer is the President's program of Federal revenue sharing--an extra
$5 billion or more a year without strings attached and $11 billion allocated for
local solving of rural and urban problems on a broad basis of aid, with the red tape
slashed away.
Here is an opportunity to alleviate the fiscal crisis facing our states,
cities, counties and townships. Here's a chance to reduce the pressure for state and
local tax increases. Here is a chance to make state and local government work and
build a better America.
# # #
20 copies to
O Office Copy
NEWS
CONGRESSMAN
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M. SATURDAY--
April 17, 1971
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., at a Bob Price Appreciation
Dinner, Saturday evening, April 17, 1971, at the Alcove Restaurant, Plainview, Texas.
The Seventies are a time of breathtaking change and a time of monumental
challenge.
Tonight I will talk with you about the greatest challenges of the Seventies--
the challenge of Communist aggression in Indochina and the search for an enduring
peace; the challenge posed by the economy, where we must wrestle with the hangover
from the inflationary binge of the late 1960s while making a transition from wartime
to peacetime; and the challenge of governmental reform, where we must restructure
government so it becomes the servant and not the master of the people.
Despite the cries of "pullout now" we continue to resist Communist aggression
in Southeast Asia and to work for meaningful peace in that war-torn region of the world
Our goal in Vietnam is to make it possible for the South Vietnamese to
determine their own future--not to have it imposed upon them by Communist leaders
in Hanoi.
With the solid success in Cambodia and the reasonably good success in Laos
and the continued gains in Vietnamization, we have moved close to that goal.
Prospects are good that we will see the survival of a viable and independent South
Vietnam.
Anyone who wants to see the South Vietnamese government gain the upper hand
against the Communists cannot help but be heartened by the progress we have made.
As for those who shout "pullout now," they would write off completely the
investment we have made in Southeast Asia toward a full generation of peace. They
would throw in the towel at the very moment when success is in sight. They would
capitulate just when our objective is near at hand.
We are withdrawing from Vietnam in accordance with a carefully thought out
plan. The President has drawn our forces in Vietnam down by nearly 250,000 men--and
the withdrawals will continue at a faster pace.
It matters very much how we end our involvement in the Vietnam War. It is
easy to have peace simply by saying to the enemy, "It's all yours." I say we should
end our involvement in Vietnam in a way that stems the Communist tide in Southeast
Asia. And that is what we are doing.
Our withdrawal from Vietnam has, of course, had a tremendous impact on
BER our R. FORD LIBRAR.
(more)
economy. Defense spending cuts reduced employment in 1970 by 600,000 in private
industry, 400,000 in the armed forces and 100,000 in Pentagon civilian jobs.
We have cut Vietnam spending in half--and we have deliberately cooled off the
rest of the economy to bring inflation under control.
Now we must stimulate the economy while continuing to fight inflation. And
we are doing exactly that. What we need now is an upsurge in consumer confidence to
get the economy rolling. We will take whatever measures are necessary to accomplish
our goals.
There is another challenge perhaps more difficult to meet than restoring
vigor to our economy.
I speak of providing all of our citizens with an opportunity to participate
in American society and to shape the governmental decisions affecting their lives.
I speak of easing the tremendous tax pressures at the local level which are creating
almost unbearable burdens for our citizens.
Today we are living through a crisis caused by too much government--a paralysis
of social progress caused by a mountainous Federal bureaucracy in Washington--a crisis
caused by too much money and power in the hands of Federal bureaucrats.
While the government in Washington has become muscle-bound, State and local
governments have been struggling with problems the bureaucrats can't solve. And the
cost of State and local government has skyrocketed.
State and local spending has jumped 372 per cent from 1950 through 1969--from
$28 billion to $132 billion.
State and local taxes, on a per capita basis, have spiraled from $105 in 1950
to $380 in 1969, an increase of 262 per cent.
States have increased major taxes 300 times during the last decade.
In the last two decades Federal aid to state and local governments has risen
from $2.5 billion to over $30 billion. And yet the local problems remain.
The Federal categorical grants-in-aid system has more than 500 different
spigots, thousands of administrators and a jungle of regulations.
How do we escape from this jungle? How do we put the money where the problems
are?
The answer is the President's program of Federal revenue sharing--an extra
$5 billion or more a year without strings attached and $11 billion allocated for
local solving of rural and urban problems on a broad basis of aid, with the red tape
slashed away.
Here is an opportunity to alleviate the fiscal crisis facing our states,
cities, counties and townships. Here's a chance to reduce the pressure for state and
local tax increases. Here is a chance to make state and local government work and
build a better America.
# # #