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1252877
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5/22/76 - Remarks at a Public Forum in Library Park, Medford, Oregon
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1252877
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document
title
5/22/76 - Remarks at a Public Forum in Library Park, Medford, Oregon
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collections
President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Oregon
Economics
Speeches, addresses, etc.
National security
Presidential campaign, 1976
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1252877
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22
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1976-05-22
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5
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1976
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22
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1976-05-22
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5
year
1976
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The original documents are located in Box 32, "5/22/76 - Remarks at a Public Forum in
Library Park, Medford, Oregon" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 32 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
PUBLIC RALLY
MEDFORD, OREGON
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1976
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIBERTY PARK
THANK YOU, JOHN.
(Jonn Dellenback introduces you.)
SENATOR MARK HATFIELD
MAYOR BEN FAGONE
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
FELLOW AMERICANS
Windell Wrightt Wyatt
-1-
I FLEW OUT HERE THIS MORNING TO SPEND FOUR DAYS
ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THE WEST COAST.
MY VERY FIRST STOP
ON THIS TRIP IS RIGHT HERE IN MEDFORD.
I'M GLAD TO BE HERE.
I KNOW YOU'RE ALWAYS
GLAD TO BE HERE.
THIS IS GOD'S COUNTRY.
-2-
SOME STATES HAVE MOUNTAIN RANGES
SOME BORDER ON THE OCEAN
SOME HAVE FERTILE VALLEYS,
BROAD FORESTS AND SPARKLING RIVERS
IN SOME YOU CAN SKI.
IN OTHERS YOU CAN SWIM
BUT HERE IN OREGON, YOU'VE GOT IT ALL
-3-
YOU WERE THE FIRST STATE IN AMERICAN HISTORY
TO HOLD PRIMARY ELECTIONS, WHICH I MENTION NOT ONLY BECAUSE
IT IS OF HISTORIC INTEREST, BUT BECAUSE IT IS A WAY
OF GETTING INTO THE SUBJECT OF MY TALK TODAY
-4-
I AM ASKING MY FELLOW AMERICANS FOR THEIR SUPPORT
BECAUSE I HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB UNDER TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES.
BECAUSE I'VE MAINTAINED THE PEACE, MOVED AMERICA ON THE ROAD
TO PROSPERITY AND RESTORED CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN THE PRESIDENCY.
I WANT A MANDATE FROM OREGON AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FINISH
THAT JOB.
-5-
CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT WHERE WE WERE
IN THE VERY FIRST MONTHS OF MY PRESIDENCY
-6-
YOU WILL RECALL SOME WELL-KNOWN ECONOMISTS,
LABOR
AND POLITICAL LEADERS WERE PREDICTING THAT WE WERE HEADING
INTO A DEEP DEPRESSION, THAT UNEMPLOYMENT WOULD SOON EXCEED
TEN PERCENT,
THAT ONLY MASSIVE ACTION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
COULD AVERT CATASTROPHE
-7-
INFLATION HAD SOARED TO AN ANNUAL RATE
OF OVER TWELVE PERCENT
INTEREST RATES WERE GOING
THROUGH THE ROOF
FAR TOO MANY AMERICANS WERE LAID OFF
AND COULD NOT FIND NEW JOBS
-8-
JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE HIT THE BOTTOM
OF OUR WORST RECESSION IN 40 YEARS
MANY WERE URGING
THAT WE PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON
IN THE CONGRESS, THE ECONOMIC
DOWNTURN SET OFF A CLAMOR FOR HUGE EMERGENCY FEDERAL SUBSIDIES,
FOR MORE AND BIGGER GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND HIGHER DEFICIT
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
-9-
THE PROPHETS OF DOOM WERE WRONG -- AND I KNEW
THEY WERE WRONG
WE DID NOT PANIC
I NEVER LOST SIGHT
OF A BELIEF I HAVE HELD FOR ALL OF MY POLITICAL LIFE:
THAT A GOVERNMENT BIG ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU
WANT -- IS A GOVERNMENT BIG ENOUGH TO TAKE FROM YOU
EVERYTHING YOU HAVE
-10-
WE RESISTED BIG SPENDING SCHEMES THAT WOULD HAVE
CAUSED LARGER FEDERAL DEFICITS AND EVEN MORE DESTRUCTIVE
INFLATION. WE REJECTED THE OLD POLITICAL TECHNIQUES OF TAX AND
TAX, SPEND AND SPEND, ELECT AND ELECT.
-10 a-
I VETOED 49 BILLS, 42 WERE SUSTAINED AND THE
TAXPAYERS WERE SAVED 13 BILLION DOLLARS.
IF CONGRESS SENDS
ME MORE BUDGET BUSTING BILLS -- I'LL VETO THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN
AND AGAIN.
-11-
INSTEAD, WE PURSUED A CALM, STEADY POLICY
TO INSURE AMERICA'S ECONOMIC HEALTH
-
NOT JUST FOR A MONTH,
OR JUST FOR AN ELECTION YEAR, BUT OVER THE LONG HAUL
-12-
WE HAD FAITH THAT THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF PRIVATE
ENTERPRISE WOULD REGAIN ITS STRENGTH.
AS A RESULT, WE MEET
TODAY NOT IN THE GLOOM OF A RECESSION -- BUT IN THE FULL SURGE
OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
-13-
EIGHTY-SEVEN MILLION, 400 THOUSAND AMERICANS
ARE ON THE JOB TODAY --- THAT IS AN ALL-TIME RECORD.
-14-
WE HAVE ADDED ALMOST THREE AND A HALF MILLION JOBS
TO THE AMERICAN ECONOMY SINCE THE BOTTOM OF THE RECESSION
A YEAR AGO, AND 700 THOUSAND JOBS IN THE LAST MONTH ALONE.
THIS IS REAL EVIDENCE OF NEW PROSPERITY.
-15-
THE SPECIAL NATURE OF OREGON'S ECONOMY - - ITS HEAVY
RELIANCE ON THE PRODUCTS OF ITS FORESTS - HAS CAUSED IT TO SUFFER
HEAVILY ECONOMICALLY.
I'M PLEASED THAT OREGON'S ECONOMY
HAS BEEN STEADILY IMPROVING.
-15 a-
BUT I WILL NOT BE SATISFIED UNTIL EVERY OREGONIAN AND EVERY OTHER
AMERICAN WHO WANTS A JOB CAN FIND A JOB.
INFLATION HAS BEEN CUT IN HALF DURING THE PAST
21 MONTHS.
I INTEND TO CUT IT EVEN MORE.
-16-
IN ADDITION TO AMERICA'S NEW ECONOMIC SECURITY,
WE ARE INCREASING AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY, AS WELL.
WE HAVE THE BEST EQUIPPED, BEST-TRAINED,
BEST-LED FIGHTING FORCE IN THE WORLD
\
AND THEY ARE
ALL VOLUNTEERS
-17-
TO MAKE POSITIVE OUR MILITARY STRENGTH REMAINS
UNSURPASSED IN THE FUTURE, I PROPOSED THE TWO LARGEST DEFENSE
BUDGETS IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
-18-
WITH FOUR YEARS AND WITH A SOLID MANDATE
FROM YOU, WE CAN FINISH THE JOB AND MAKE AMERICA
TRULY SECURE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
-19-
I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE
YOU TODAY AND TALK ABOUT MY POLICIES THAT HAVE RETURNED PEACE,
INCREASING PROSPERITY AND TRUST TO AMERICA.
TODAY AMERICA IS AT PEACE.
YOUR SONS ARE NOT
BEING DRAFTED,
THEY ARE NOT DYING ON ANY BATTLEFIELD.
-20-
I WILL MAINTAIN THE PEACE, SECURE THAT PEACE
THROUGH STRENGTH AND PERSEVERANCE AND LEAVE THAT LEGACY OF PEACE
FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN.
-21-
I WILL CONTINUE MY POLICIES OF CUTTING YOUR
TAXES, EXPANDING THE PRIVATE ECONOMY, REDUCING BUREAUCRACY
AND USELESS REGULATION, AND RESTRAINING FEDERAL SPENDING.
-21 a-
FEDERAL TAXES ARE TOO HIGH. WE CUT FEDERAL TAXES
LAST YEAR AND I RECOMMENDED ANOTHER 10 BILLION DOLLAR CUT
TO BEGIN JULY 1ST - INCLUDING AN INCREASE IN YOUR PERSONAL
EXEMPTION FROM 750 DOLLARS TO ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
-22-
MY POLICIES HAVE BROUGHT US FROM THE DEPTHS OF RECESSION
TO A SUSTAINED RECOVERY, AND WILL ENSURE THAT RUNAWAY
INFLATION NEVER AGAIN ROBS US OR OUR LOVED ONES OF THE
REWARDS OF HONEST WORK AND LIFETIME SAVINGS.
-23-
I WILL PURSUE THE STEADY COURSE THAT HAS LED FROM
WAR TO PEACE, FROM RECESSION TO RECOVERY, FROM CYNICISM TO
CONFIDENCE, FROM FEAR TO FAITH.
FINALLY, I WILL FINISH MY MOST IMPORTANT JOB,
RESTORATION OF TRUST IN THE PRESIDENCY ITSELF.
-24-
I DID NOT SEEK THIS OFFICE --- BUT NEITHER WILL I SHIRK IT.
I NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO ENSURE PEACE, PROSPERITY
AND TRUST FOR THE FUTURE.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO COME AFTER US.
-25-
AMERICANS HAVE ALWAYS WANTED LIFE TO BE BETTER FOR
OUR CHILDREN THAN IT WAS FOR US, BECAUSE LIFE FOR US HAS BEEN
BETTER THAN IT WAS FOR OUR PARENTS.
WHAT DO I SEE AHEAD FOR THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY
OF OURS?
-26-
I SEE A STRONG AND CONFIDENT AMERICA, SECURE IN
A STRENGTH THAT CANNOT ALONE BE COUNTED IN MEGATONS AND
REJOICING IN RICHES THAT CANNOT BE ERODED BY INFLATION
OR TAXATION
-27-
I SEE AN AMERICA WHERE LIFE IS VALUED FOR ITS
QUALITY AS WELL AS ITS COMFORT, WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL IS
INVIOLATE IN HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, WHERE THE
GOVERNMENT SERVES AND THE PEOPLE RULE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
END OF TEXT