Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7341088
label
Press Conference of Mayors Albert J. Smith of Skokie, Illinois, James T. Ryan of Arlington Heights, Illinois, George M. Bersted of Monmouth, Illinois, Lyman Parks of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jim Falk and Ron Nessen
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7341088
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Press Conference of Mayors Albert J. Smith of Skokie, Illinois, James T. Ryan of Arlington Heights, Illinois, George M. Bersted of Monmouth, Illinois, Lyman Parks of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jim Falk and Ron Nessen
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
7341088
levelOfDescription
item
productionDates
day
1
logicalDate
1975-10-01
month
10
year
1975
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
9d8323b6dfd7db82
ocrText
Digitized from Box 16 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 1, 1975
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
(Skokie, Illinois)
THE WHITE HOUSE
PRESS CONFERENCE
OF
ALBERT J. SMITH
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SKOKIE, ILLINOIS
JAMES T. RYAN
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS
GEORGE M. BERSTED
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS
LYMAN PARKS
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
JIM FALK
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE DOMESTIC COUNCIL
AND
RON NESSEN
PRESS SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT
NORTH SHORE HILTON HOTEL
11:03 A.M. CDT
MR. NESSEN: The mayors' meeting was running a
little late, and I know everybody doesn't want to miss
another motorcade, so I thought what I would do is begin
to tell you what happened there and then Jim Falk will
bring some mayors down here when and if the mayors'
meeting is over.
I believe your poolers gave you a pool report
on the opening remarks by the President, which had to do
with the support of the extension of the revenue sharing
program and his concerns that unless the mayors -- could
the folks who want to talk go elsewhere so the people who
want to hear the briefing can hear the briefing?
The President, as your poolers told you, told
the mayors that they need to bring pressure on their Members
of Congress and Senators to vote an extension of the
revenue sharing program with annual increases to keep up
with the cost of living or else this program could be in
danger both from simply lapsing through lack of action by
Congress, or through modifications which the President
feels would cripple the program.
At that point, your poolers left.
MORE
- 2 -
I would say that to describe the meeting in
general terms, in the areas that were discussed, I think
it would be very fair to say that the President and the
mayors almost 100 percent shared the same views. There was
a great deal of agreement between the President and the
mayors on the proper approach to various issues, which I
will tell you about, and little or no disagreement.
There was a discussion of the New York City
financial problem that was raised by one of the mayors.
Not many of the mayors spoke out on that issue, so I would
be reluctant to express an opinion for the mayors.
The President restated his views on New York
City, which I believe you are familiar with.
Q
Can you tell us what he said, Ron?
MR. NESSEN: He said the long-term ramifications
of the Federal Government stepping in at this point would
be very serious, it would encourage fiscal irresponsibility
and discourage good financial management of cities.
At a later point, he said that "Your constituents
wouldn't tolerate it if you ran your city as badly as New
York City has been run."
He also said that for the Federal Government to
step in at this point would, in the long run, destroy the
basic American philosophy, that the best Government is the
closest Government, was the way he expressed it.
In other words, the level of Government nearest
to the people, that philosophy would be destroyed by the
Federal Government coming in and taking over New York
City's financial problems.
The President pointed out that under one of the
proposals for curing New York City's financial problems,
the mayor, many of his powers as mayor have been taken
away from him and the President said" am sure none of you
mayors would want anything like that."
You know this board that is to oversee New York
City's financial problems, the majority on the board
represents the State.
Here is Jim with some of the mayors.
Let me quickly tell you the areas discussed, and
then we will introduce the mayors.
MORE
- 3 -
The President and the mayors generally agreed
about the need to reduce the amount of regulation and red
tape that is imposed on small cities by the Federal
Government. EPA regulations were especially mentioned.
There was a discussion of the interest rates on
bonds that small towns need to pay, and the President said
that his own program of fiscal responsibility in holding
the Federal deficit down was designed just for that reason,
to help keep the interest rates down since the Federal
Government borrows money first.
One of the mayors raised the question of crime,
and the President reiterated his position on crime, both
as spelled out in his crime bill and in his Yale speech,
and those were the general areas discussed.
Let me introduce the mayors who are going to
talk to you.
Q
Did gun control come up?
MR. NESSEN: It did not, Jim.
Q
What did he say about crime and who asked
about crime and what was his concern?
MR. NESSEN: It was raised by Mayor Miller of
Michigan City, Indiana, who said the rate of increase in
crime is higher in small towns than anywhere else,
and he said that his own feeling, which was one of the areas
in which the mayors agreed with the President -- was there
needed to be mandatory sentences SO people who are convicted
or accused of crime are not simply allowed to continue on
the streets.
Mayor Miller, I might say, probably won the award
for the quote of the day. He said, "Conservatives on the
crime issue are former liberals who got mugged the night
before."
Let me turn you over to Jim Falk. I think what
we will have to do is in about 15 minutes the White House
press needs to go to the bus. The local press, I think, could
stay here and continue to talk to the mayors.
MORE
- 4 -
MR. FALK: Ron, I apologize. I had written
down some names but they were not all the right names.
First, I would like to introduce the mayors
we have asked to come up and talk with you for a moment.
Our first mayor is Albert Smith of Skokie; then
Mayor Lyman Parks of Grand Rapids; Mayor Bersted of Monmouth;
and Mayor Ryan of Arlington Heights. We will let Mayor
Smith open and then let each of the mayors say a couple
of things and you can go on from there.
Mayor Smith.
MAYOR SMITH: Good morning. We would first be
remiss if we didn't express on behalf of the people of
Skokie our sincere appreciation to the President for having
selected our community for what I consider one of the
finest meetings that I have attended in my 10 years in
office. This is the first time that we mayors have had
the opportunity to sit down with the President of the
United States and discuss with him in depth the problems
that we face in the everyday operations of our communities.
The President was sympathetic, encouraging and,
above all, was here to communicate with us and we think
that this is a very significant meeting, a meeting that
will be long remembered in the village of Skokie and in
this Midwest area.
Any questions?
Q
The question is, did all the mayors agree
with the President on anything, and do you feel you have
had any impact on his thinking? He listens but does he
take heed?
MAYOR SMITH: Yes, I think he does listen and I do
feel we have had some impact. I think we have crystallized
in his thinking some of the problems which most people
feel are related only to the core or the metropolitan
city.
We have our problems, such as crime in an
ever increasing rate, the drug problem and how that relates
to our local communities and what we are trying to do
about it. In other words, all of our exchanges were
exchanges for the purpose of informing the President. He
took that information and in many instances said that in
the bills that will be coming before Congress, he will be
making recommendations based on those suggestions and
the input that we made today.
Yes, sir.
Q What did you think about what the President
said about the New York City situation? Did you agree
with him?
MORE
- 5 -
MAYOR SMITH: Yes, I am afraid I do. I think
the municipalities who have been responsible in the
operation of their communities should not be penalized
because of the actions of municipalities that have not
acted on a fiscally responsible basis.
Q You think New York City has not acted on
a fiscally responsible basis?
MAYOR SMITH: I don't think there is any question
in anyone's mind about that.
Q
To what party do you belong?
MAYOR SMITH: I guess I am a Democrat.
Q
Don't you think New York has special problems?
MAYOR SMITH: Yes, I think New York has special
problems but I think every community has special problems.
We in Skokie were quite interested in the input by the
President regarding EPA because our major problem in this
area is one of back-flooding of sewage, raw sewage, if
you will, into at least 20 to 30 percent of our homes
every time there is a reasonably hard rain. So we were
very concerned about what he had to say about EPA and
what is being done to help us with our problems in the
metropolitan sanitary district in solving those problems.
Q
Did the President say he would encourage
EPA to go a little easier on enforcing local auto emissions
standards?
MAYOR SMITH: No, there was no conversation regarding
that.
Q
Do you think the Federal Goverment is doing
enough about crime?
MAYOR SMITH: I think the Federal Government
has done more than enough in certain areas in the fight
on crime. We gave some input to the President that we
don't think the emphasis now should be where it has been
in the past. We think the emphasis should be switched to
the matter of the courts and the adjudication of the arrests
after they are made.
It is the impression of the mayors assembled,
if I may speak for them, that the problem is out of 100
arrests you don't get enough convictions to make any impression
and you put these people right back on the streets and
your crime continues.
Perhaps the Federal Government's emphasis in
the fight on crime now ought to be the expansion of the
facilities so these criminals can be housed and rehabilitated.
MORE
- 6 -
Q
What is the strongest impression you
believe came about from the mayors?
MAYOR SMITH: Thank you, gentlemen, we have
three other mayors here and I would like you to talk
to them.
Q
What is the strongest impression you think
the mayors left with the President?
MAYOR SMITH: The strongest impression I think
we left with the President was we appreciate his concern
about municipalities and their problems, and that we are
going to continue to let him know where we stand on various
issues before the Federal Government.
MR. FALK:
Thank you very much, Mayor.
There was one question asked about whether the
mayors came together on any particular issues and I think
it is fair to say the mayors were unanimously in support of
general revenue sharing and the discussions that were had
on that subject.
I would like now to introduce Mayor Parks of
Grand Rapids and then perhaps we could have each of the
mayors make a statement of a few words, and then you can
ask questions of the ones you want to ask questions of
after they have all had a chance to talk.
MAYOR PARKS: Thank you, Jim.
My concern -- and I am sure all of the mayors
present feel the same -- was the re-enactment of general
revenue sharing, and we heard the President this morning
voice again his concern and support for this re-enactment,
notwithstanding the fact, though, that we have our homework
to do in getting on top of our Congressmen and Senators to
get their support for the re-enactment of this legislation.
Q
Mayor Parks, is there concern Congress
might put some new restrictions on this?
MAYOR PARKS: We certainly recognize the importance
of getting the re-enactment passed, and we feel that there
are some people in Congress who would like to go back
to categorical grants as over against general revenue
sharing. We can't afford to let up.
Q
Is there any special concern over President
Ford's security in his travels?
MAYOR PARKS: Certainly we are always concerned
about the security of not only President Ford but all of
our Presidents.
MORE
- 7 -
Q
Mayor, you raised Title VI as an issue.
Are you satisfied with the President's response on that?
MAYOR PARKS: Yes, I was. I raised the question
and he is having it looked into. We do have some concerns
in this area.
Q
I would like to ask the other mayors, also,
about that same question. What would be the impact of
a lapsing of the public employment program?
MAYOR BERSTED: As far as cities my size are
concerned, of 11,000, basically we have not had need of
that program, and I would have to defer to the larger
cities who have used it. But most cities of our size, of
which there are over 1,200 in the country, I don't believe
they have to use that program.
Q
What is your name, sir?
MAYOR BERSTED: Bersted of Monmouth. I am of the
Illinois Municipal League.
Q
What about the other mayors? Could the
other mayors answer that question?
MAYOR RYAN: Your question was directed insofar as
Title V:I was concerned. As far as Arlington Heights is
concerned, where I am mayor, it doesn't have that much
impact.
I think as far as a nationwide basis is
concerned, there are communities that rely very, very
heavily on that program. There were a couple of
communities represented today at the meeting that did rely
and expressed their concern about it.
The one thing that I think has been touched upon
somewhat earlier is the unanimity of feeling we had with
respect to revenue sharing, all fully realizing there are
elements in Congress that would like to see revenue
sharing cease.
If revenue sharing were to cease or were to be
changed in any substantial fashion from what it is now,
so it would become more restricted, it would work nothing
other than an ultimate disaster on the communities such
as mine and those that were represented. It cuts across
the whole web and fabric of the communities across the
country, in my judgment.
MR. FALK: I just want to interject at this
point that I have just been asked that anyone who needs
to file can go ahead and file now. We are going to continue
with this conference and we will stay here as long as
anybody wants to ask questions, but I was asked to
say you may file.
MORE
- 8 -
Q
May the mayor of Skokie answer that?
MAYOR RYAN: He certainly may, but the question
on Title XI I perhaps can help you with a bit, also,
because Mayor Parks asked that as one of the very first
questions in the meeting. The response was that we do
have sufficient funding in the Title XI program to continue
to fund all of the programs being funded through FY 1976.
It is a supplemental program. It is supplemental
to the Comprehensive Employment Training Act. It is a
one-year emergency appropriation authorization.
The President has not made any decisions about
FY 1977 but there isn't any fear or shouldn't be any
fear of termination of that program earlier. It will
continue through FY 1976.
Q
Did anybody ask about the Child Nutrition
Act?
MAYOR RYAN: We discussed the child nutrition
bill that is presently headed for the President's desk
and there was a discussion both on what the President had
recommended to the Congress and on what the Congress had
actually enacted.
Q
What about his signing it?
MAYOR RYAN: The President indicated that it is
very, very difficult to be against child nutrition--it is
a very attractive title--but that the bill that the
Congress passed is approximately $1 billion 100 million
over his recommendations.
His recommendations would have not only have
saved $800 million but have helped every child that would
have needed help blow the poverty line with child nutrition
assistance. So it is really a question of the President's
proposal which would have saved $800 million versus the
Congressional authorization which is $1 billion 100 million
over.
Q
He didn't say what he is going to do?
MAYOR RYAN: He indicated, and I think that I
can give you almost an exact quote -- he said, "I can
hear the speeches in the Congress now if and when I veto it,
and they won't be very complimentary."
Q
Can we take a poll with the rest of you on
New York aid? Are all of you against Federal assistance
to New York?
MORE
- 9 -
A MAYOR: I would say generally the consensus
of the mayors there were that they would be against
Federal aid for New York. Am I correct?
A MAYOR: I think it would tend to penalize
those communities which have acted in a fiscally responsible
manner over a period of time. That is not to say we are
not feeling the rippling effects of what is happening in
New York. We are feeling it as far as our long-term
financing is concerned, about the lack of confidence
people have in governmental securities. But I don't think
it would be well taken to bail New York out.
Q Jim, did any of the mayors have any concern
about those large amounts of Federal revenue sharing
monies the townships have amassed, some of which
can't spend it?
A MAYOR: That particular point didn't come
up. I think quite clearly there is some concern, at least
for myself, as far as payments to some units of Government
that have not been wisely spending it, but that specific
point --
Q
What besides townships?
A MAYOR: I think there are other units without
getting specific. I am not really pointing a finger at
townships.
I think the other side of revenue sharing is
for local governments to use the money wisely. I think
a better way to use it wisely is to have less governmental
restriction on the manner in which it is used; that is, the
form-filling, the delay and so forth involved. It has
become an integral part of our revenue, there is no question
about it.
Q
Does any other mayor want to say anything
about what he thinks the Federal Government should do in
regard to crime?
MAYOR PARKS: I think first we recognize that
through LEAA funds that have helped many of our municipalities
to sophisticate our system, we have had great aid. Now,
I think there is another phase in that the recent allocation
of funds be directed toward seeing to it that judges
have the latitude to make these sentences that are
imposed mandatory and see to it that they are enforced,
that people do go to jail who commit crimes.
A MAYOR: I would just have one comment on the
Federal situation as far as crime is concerned. We talked
about it in a variety of fashions. We are all asking
for the Federal Government to spend more money to alleviate
crime at the local areas, which is just as bad in the suburbs
as in the inner city.
MORE
- 10 -
Of course, the biggest area is really handgun
control. I don't think there is any two ways about it.
We go through a national catharsis time and time again
as far as the mobility of handguns are concerned. Yet,
the only entity of Government that can do anything long-
lasting as far as handgun control is the Federal Government.
Local government and State governments have shown an
amazing inability to face that problem.
Q
What should Government do about handgun
control?
A MAYOR: I think with the mobility of handguns,
that are crossing State lines, of the 400,000 hard core
criminals referred to upstairs that are committing the
serious crimes, the one thing that links them together
is the handgun, and I don't know what more it really takes
to have strong Federal legislation, as far as handguns.
Q
Are you for registration or licensing them?
A MAYOR: I am for anything to eliminate people
walking the streets with almost gay abandon as far as handguns
are concerned.
Q
Did you ask the President why he doesn't
sponsor stronger legislation?
A MAYOR: The question was not asked, no.
Q
No handgun discussion at all?
A MAYOR: There was no discussion on handguns.
THE PRESS: Thank you.
END
(AT 11:30 A.M. CDT)