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1252777
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4/2/76 - Remarks to the Wisconsin Association of Manufacturers and Commerce, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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1252777
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document
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4/2/76 - Remarks to the Wisconsin Association of Manufacturers and Commerce, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Economics
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1252777
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1976-04-02
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1976
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1976-04-02
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4
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 27, "4/2/76 - Remarks to the Wisconsin
Association of Manufacturers and Commerce, Milwaukee, Wisconsin" of the President's
Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies 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. Gerald Ford 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Digitized from Box 27 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
REMARKS TO WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION OF
MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE,
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1976
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE
THANK YOU, ORVILLE.
(Orville Mertz is Chairman of the
WAM&C)
PAUL HASSETT
(President, WAM&C)
CONGRESSMAN BILL STEIGER
GOVERNOR WARREN KNOWLES
MEMBERS AND GUESTS OF THE WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION
OF MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE
-I-
I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON WITH
THE WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE
YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION REPRESENT THE FORCES OF BUSINESS
AND INDUSTRY THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED so MUCH,
\
NOT JUST TO THE
WELL-BEING OF THIS GREAT STATE, \ BUT TO THE WELL-BEING AND
PROSPERITY OF ALL THE UNITED STATES AND OF ALL AMERICANS
-2-
LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY HOW IT
SADDENED ME TO HEAR OF THE DEATH OF WISCONSIN'S DISTINGUISHED
EX-GOVERNOR, WALTER J. KOHLER
MR. KOHLER WAS A MAN
WHO WORKED HARD AND ACHIEVED MUCH IN BOTH PUBLIC SERVICE
AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, AND I BELIEVE HE SET AN EXAMPLE
FOR ALL OF US TO FOLLOW.
-3-
I LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING SOME OF YOUR
QUESTIONS -- BUT FIRST, LET ME MAKE A FEW BRIEF REMARKS
AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD QUITE A BIT
OF GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR ECONOMY RECENTLY
TODAY THE RATE
OF INFLATION IS ONLY HALF OF WHAT IT WAS IN 1974, AND WE'VE
WON BACK ALL THE JOBS THAT HAD BEEN LOST TO THE RECESSION
8.9
Mmemployment 96.7 7.5 active merease high
Jobo
2,600, 1975
2n addition
-4-
JUST LAST WEEK, WE SAW THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE
MONTHLY INCREASE IN OUR INDEX OF LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS.
and the anothe facts
THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT OUR ECONOMY IS WELL
ON ITS WAY TO A FULL RECOVERY
-
AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP
IT MOVING THAT WAY
HERE'S HOW I SEE THE GOOD NEWS FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE OVAL OFFICE
-5-
I THINK THE STORY BEHIND THOSE STATISTICS IS EVERY
BIT AS ENCOURAGING AS THE FIGURES THEMSELVES
IT IS THE
STORY OF A STRONG REVIVAL IN AMERICA'S CONFIDENCE
NOT ONLY ARE THINGS GETTING BETTER -- THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
KNOW THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER, AND THEY ARE ACTING ON
THAT KNOWLEDGE
-6-
THE STATISTICS SAY REAL INCOME IS RISING
TO AMERICAN CONSUMERS, THAT MEANS THEY HAVE GOTTEN OFF THE
TREADMILL OF INFLATION AND ARE MAKING REAL PROGRESS
THE FIGURES SAY UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE LAY-OFF
RATE ARE DOWN, WAY DOWN
TO AMERICAN WORKERS, THAT
MEANS THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW
THEY CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IT
-7-
THE FIGURES SAY RETAIL SALES
HOUS ING STARTS
AND NEW ORDERS RECEIVED BY MANUFACTURERS ARE UP
TO AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN LIKE YOURSELVES, THAT MEANS NEW
BUSINESSES CAN BE STARTED, \ AND CURRENT BUSINESSES EXPANDED
AND IMPROVED
-8-
THE STATISTICS ARE GOOD
BUT THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA ISN'T COMPOSED OF STATISTICS
IT'S COMPOSED
OF PEOPLE
AND WHEN THOSE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHERE
THEY ARE GOING
-
AS THEY DO NOW
THEN THIS COUNTRY
IS CLEARLY HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
-9-
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SHOWING THEIR FAITH
AND CONFIDENCE IN THE SOUND AND STEADY LONG-TERM POLICIES
WE HAVE PROPOSED AND WE HAVE FOLLOWED
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP UP THOSE REALISTIC POLICIES
FOR HEALTHY, NON-INFLATIONARY GROWTH
-10-
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THROWN OFF THE TRACK
I PROMISE YOU WE'RE NOT GOING TO RISK THE PROGRESS WE'VE
ALREADY MADE/BY GIVING WAY TO THE RENEWED ONSLAUGHT OF
THE BIG SPENDERS IN THE CONGRESS IN AN ELECTION YEAR
-II-
I'VE ALREADY VETOED 46 BILLS -- THEY TELL ME
THAT'S A RECORD
AND THE CONGRESS SUSTAINED 39 OF
THOSE VETOES, SAVING YOU AND ALL AMERICAN TAXPAYERS
13 BILLION DOLLARS
-12-
OUR FIGHT TO HOLD DOWN FEDERAL SPENDING HAS BEEN
COUPLED WITH MAJOR TAX CUTS, TO PUT MORE MONEY BACK INTO
THE HANDS OF THE AMERICAN CONSUMER
AND MY
ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN OTHER STEPS AS WELL, STEPS AIMED
AT ENCOURAGING THE BUSINESS INVESTMENT THAT WILL BE so VITAL
TO OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE.
-13-
IN ADDITION TO SUBSTANTIAL PERSONAL INCOME TAX
REDUCTIONS, I HAVE URGED THE CONGRESS TO LOWER THE CORPORATE
TAX RATE FROM 48 PERCENT TO 46 PERCENT
I HAVE ALSO
PROPOSED PHASING OUT THE DOUBLE TAXATION OF DIVIDENDS,
BROADENING STOCK OWNERSHIP, \ AND EAS ING THE BURDEN OF ESTATE
TAXES ON SMALL PRIVATE BUSINESSES AND FARMS
-14-
ONE ISSUE THAT ESPECIALLY CONCERNS ME IS THE
EXCESSIVE FEDERAL PAPERWORK REQUIRED OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
ON MARCH FIRST,
I SENT A LETTER TO THE HEADS OF ALL FEDERAL AGENC IES AND
DEPARTMENTS, DIRECTING THEM TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF REPORTS
WHICH COLLECT INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC BY AT LEAST
10 PERCENT BY JUNE 30th
-15-
I TOLD THEM I EXPECT PROMPT RESULTS -- AND
I MEAN IT
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EVEN BEFORE I SENT
THAT LETTER, WE HAD ALREADY ACHIEVED A NET REDUCTION OF
108 FEDERAL FORMS
THIS IS GOING TO BE A CONTINUING
PROGRAM UNDER MY ADMINISTRATION -- BECAUSE WHAT AMERICA
NEEDS IS PRODUCTIVITY,
NOT PAPERWORK
-16-
NEXT THURSDAY I WILL BE MEETING WITH THE HEADS
OF THE INDEPENDENT REGULATORY AGENCIES, AND I'M GOING TO
ASK THEM FOR THEIR COOPERATION AS WELL
IN ADDITION TO
REDUC ING PAPERWORK, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ON WORKING TO
LIGHTEN THE BURDEN OF FEDERAL REGULATION, AND TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE RULES ARE APPLIED FAIRLY AND UNIFORMLY
-17-
REGULATION IS MEANT TO BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
BUT HAM-STRINGING BUSINESS TYING IT UP IN KNOTS OF RED TAPE
HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE INTEREST OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC --
AND NEVER WILL BE
-18-
WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP
AMERICA'S GREAT FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM STRONG AND HEALTHY
WE'RE OFF TO A GOOD START IN 1976 -- AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP
UP THE PACE
NOW I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
END OF TEXT