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1252884
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5/24/76 - Remarks at Public Rally on Arrival at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, CA
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1252884
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5/24/76 - Remarks at Public Rally on Arrival at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, CA
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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California
Presidential campaign, 1976
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Economics
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1976-05-24
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1976
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1976-05-24
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 33, "5/24/76 - Remarks at Public Rally on
Arrival at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, CA" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 33 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
...
VAN NUYS AIRPORT
REMARKS AT SAN FERNANDO VALLEY PUBLIC RALLY
MONDAY, MAY 24, 1976
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
AIR NATIONAL GUARD FACILITY
VAN NUYS
-- THANK YOU, BARRY
(Barry Goldwater, Jr. introduces you)
-- EV YOUNGER
-- PAUL PRIOLO
(GOP Leader, California Assembly)
-- JOHNNY GRANT
-- FELLOW AMERICANS
Bob Wilbinson
Roseman
alice
from Ted sul
-1-9-2-
MY MESSAGE TODAY TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CAN BE SUMMED UP IN JUST A FEW WORDS:
-3-
AS MUCH AS I BELIEVE IN A STRONG AND PROSPEROUS
AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY, I HAVE COME HERE TO SAY THAT
THIS YEAR -- THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO TRADE IN
YOUR RELIABLE FORD -- FOR A FLASHIER MODEL
-4-
LET ME TELL YOU WHY I AM ASKING YOU
MY FELLOW
AMERICANS
FOR YOUR SUPPORT: BECAUSE I HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB
UNDER TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES.
BECAUSE WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE
PEACE
MOVED AMERICA ON THE ROAD TO PROSPERITY
AND RESTORED
CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN THE PRESIDENCY
I WANT A MANDATE FROM
CALIFORNIA AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FINISH THAT JOB
-5-
PEACE,
PROSPERITY AND TRUST ARE MY RECORD OF PERFORMANCE
SINCE I BECAME PRESIDENT
IT IS A RECORD ACHIEVED AGAINST
tough oddo
WHAT SEEMED LIKE INSURMOUNTABLE ORSTACLES
-6-
CONS IDER FOR MOMENT WHERE WE WERE IN THE
VERY FIRST MONTHS OF MY PRESIDENCY
-7-
YOU WILL RECALL SOME WELL-KNOWN ECONOMISTS,
LABOR AND POLITICAL LEADERS WERE PREDICTING THAT WE WERE
HEAD ING INTO A DEEP DEPRESSION,
THAT UNEMPLOYMENT WOULD SOON
EXCEED TEN PERCENT,
THAT ONLY MASSIVE ACTION BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULD AVERT CATASTROPHE®
-8-
INFLATION HAD SOARED TO AN ANNUAL RATE OF OVER
TWELVE PERCENT
INTEREST RATES WERE COING THROUGH THE ROOF
FAR TOO MANY AMERICANS WERE LAID OFF AND COULD NOT EIND
NEW JOBS
-9-
THE
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 HUCE SUBSIDIES
\-
FOR MORE AND BIGGER
GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND HIGHER DEFICIT GOVERNMENT SPENDING
-10-
THE PROPHETS OF DOOM WERE WRONG -- AND
KNEW
THE WERE WRON Go
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
-11-
WE RESISTED BIG SPENDING SCHEMES THAT WOULD
HAVE CAUSED LARGER FEDERAL DEFICITS AND EVEN MORE DESTRUCTIVE
INFLATION
WE REJECTED THE DISCREDITED TECHNIQUES OF THE
OLD POLITICS
"TAX AND TAX, SPEND AND SPEND,
ELECT AND ELECT."
-12-
INSTEAD, WE PURSUED A CALM, STEADY POLICY TO INSURE
AMERICA'S ECONOMIC HEALTH
-
NOT FOR JUST AN ELECTION YEAR
BUT FOR THE G, LONG PULL
-13-
WE HAD FAITH THAT THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF PRIVATE
ENTERPRISE WOULD REGAIN ITS STRENGTH AND, AS A RESULT, WE MEET
TODAY NOT IN THE GLOOM OF A RECESSION
BUT IN THE FULL SURGE
OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY
-14-
EIGHTY-SEVEN MILLION, 400 THOUSAND AMERICANS
ARE ON THE JOB TODAY -- AND THAT IS AN ALL-TIME RECORD
-15-
WE HAVE ADDED ALMOST THREE AND A HALF MILLION JOBS
TO THE AMERICAN ECONOMY SINCE THE BOTTOM OF THE RECESSION
A YEAR AGO, AND 700,000 JOBS IN THE LAST MONTH ALONE
THIS IS REAL,
UT
EVIDENCE OF NEW PROSPERITY,
BUT I WILL
NOT BE SATISFIED UNTIL EVERY AMERICAN WHO WANTS A JOB CAN
FIND A JOB
-16-
INFLATION HAS BEEN CUT IN HALF DURING THE PAST
21 MONTHS, AND WE WILL KEEP THE PRESSURE ON 50 THAT IT WON'T
EVER TUREATEN OUR ECONOMIC STABILITY ACAIN
-17-
I VETOED 49 BILLS THAT THE CONGRESS SENT ME,
AND 42 OF THOSE VETOES WERE SUSTAINED,
SAVING THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER 13 BILLION DOLLARS
-18-
THAT'S ADOUT ABOUT 200 DOLLARS FOR EVERY FAMILY
IN AMERICA -- AND IF THE CONGRESS KEEPS SENDING ME
THESE BIG-SPENDING BUDGET-BUSTING BILLS, I WILL USE MY VETO
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
-19-
IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU GOT TO SPEND YOUR MONEY
THE WAY YOU WANT TO SPEND IT, INSTEAD OF LETTING THE CONGRESS
SPEND IT FOR YOU
I AM DETERMINED THAT YOUR TAX DOLLARS WORK
AS HARD FOR YOU AS YOU WORKED FOR THEM
-20-
WHEREVER POSSIBLE,
I WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO SPEND LESS
AND TAX LESS
LAST YEAR WE REDUCED FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
THIS YEAR I PROPOSED ANOTHER TEN BILLION DOLLAR TAX CUT TO BEGIN
ON JULY FIRST WHICH WOULD RAISE THE PERSONAL EXEMPTION
ON YOUR INCOME TAXES FROM 750 TO 1,000 DOLLARS
-22-
LET ME ASSURE YOU I WILL FIGHT THE CONGRESS
EVERY STEP OF THE WAY TO GET YOU THE TAX RELIEF YOU DESERVE
-23-
IN ADDITION TO AMERICA'S NEW ECONOMIC SECURITY,
WE ARE INCREASING AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY
ASWELL
TODAY AMERICA IS AT PEACE
THERE ARE NO AMERICAN
BOYS FIGHTING ANYWHERE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH
-
AND I INTEND
TO KEEP IT THAT WAY
-24-
TO MAKE SURE OUR MILITARY STRENGTH REMAINS
UNSURPASSED IN THE FUTURE, I PROPOSED THE TWO LARGEST
DEFENSE BUDGETS IN AMERICAN HISTORY
-25-
BETWEEN 1964 AND 1974 THE CONGRESS CUT
FIFTY BILLION DOLLARS FROM DEFENSE SPENDING, AND REDUCED
THE NATIONAL DEFENSE SHARE OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET TO ITS LOWEST
POINT SINCE PEARL HARBOR
-26-
DURING MY ADMINISTRATION, WE ARE REVERSING
THAT DANGEROUS TREND
IN THE LAST 21 MONTHS WE HAVE
JUST ABOUT CONVINCED THE CONGRESS TO STOP SHORTCHANGING
AMERICA S DEFENSE
-27-
WITH FOUR YEARS AND WITH A SOLID MANDATE FROM YOU,
WE CAN FINISH THE JOB AND MAKE AMERICA TRULY SECURE
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
-28-
I WILL MAINTAIN THE PEACE
SECURE THAT PEACE THROUGH
STRENGTH AND PERSEVERANCE -- AND LEAVE THAT LEGACY OF PEACE FOR
OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN
-29-
I WILL CONTINUE MY POLICIES OF CUTTING YOUR TAXES,
EXPANDING THE PRIVATE ECONOMY,
REDUCING BUREAUCRACY
AND USELESS REGULATION, AND RESTRAINING
FEDERAL SPENDING.
-30-
THOSE 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
-31-
FINALLY, I WILL FINISH MY MOST IMPORTANT JOB --
RESTORATION OF TRUST IN THE PRESIDENCY ITSELF
-32-
AS YOUR PRESIDENT,
I WILL PROMISE NO MORE THAN
I CAN DELIVER AND I WILL DELIVER EVERYTHING THAT I PROMISE
I NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO ENSURE PEACE, PROSPERITY,
AND TRUST FOR THE FUTURE
THE FUTURE THAT WE OWE TO OUR
CHILDREN
-33-
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
1LL TELL you, -34- WHAT / SEE
WHAT
I
SEE AHEAD FOR THI S OKLAH
?
AHEAD FOR THIS GREAT
COUNTRY OF OURS !
-35-
I SEE A STRONG AND CONFIDENT AMERICA,
SECURE IN A
a mation
STRENGTH THAT CANNOT ALONE BE COUNTED IN MEGATONS -- AND
n
BLESSINS
REJOICING IN RICHES THAT CANNOT BE ERODED BY INFLATION OR
TAXATION.
-36-
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