[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[February 25, 1992]
[Pages 314-318]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Bush-Quayle Fundraising Dinner in Los Angeles, California

February 25, 1992
    Thank you all very, very much. And what a pleasure it is to be here 
with Pete Wilson, to be introduced by this man who is doing so much for 
the State. And thank you for heading our campaign and being at our side 
today. It is a pleasure to see you and Gayle. May I thank our master of 
ceremonies, Johnny Grant; say to the next team, Rabbi Greenbaum and 
Cheryl Ladd, who did a great job on the pledge without missing a beat; 
and Bobby Britt who did the national anthem. And thanks to everyone who 
has organized this extraordinary gathering. What did you do? Tell these 
folks that they had moved the Academy Awards to tonight, I think, when 
we look around back here. And I'm very grateful.
    And let me just say it's also a great pleasure to see Don Bren, who 
is one of our national cochairmen, and Lod Cook, another one. And thanks 
to both of you for making this a highly successful event. Greetings also 
to Bobby Holt, who is our national finance chairman; former Secretary 
Bob Mosbacher, who did a superb job as our Secretary of Commerce, who is 
the chairman of our campaign; and all the other Bush-Quayle vice 
chairmen here tonight.

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    What an amazing crowd and what enthusiasm. And you all make me feel 
so young, especially Bob Hope. [Laughter] You know, Bob told you only 
half the story. That story he told was true about Desert Storm. He went 
over there, but what he forgot to tell you because of his modesty is, I 
got more reports back from Norm Schwarzkopf and from Powell and from all 
of them about the lift that gave to those kids, many of whom had been 
months sitting out in the desert. And we're very, very grateful to him.
    And I'm touched, to paraphrase John Kennedy, I'm touched by your 
warm response, but not half as touched as all of you have been. This has 
been a big success.
    Let me start tonight by sharing my concern for all the many southern 
Californians who have been ravaged by the record floods here. And I'm 
pleased to say that today, on Air Force One, I signed a declaration to 
provide much-needed disaster relief to flood victims. You're hurting, 
and we'll get you help. And the Governor promptly moved on that for the 
State.
    I want to talk tonight about some of the challenges that we face, 
about the decisions that will make this election year, that really are 
going to chart this country's history for the next 5 years. And let me 
say it straight: What Government can do and what it can't do, and what I 
will do as President, and then where I'll need your help.
    Let's start with the number one issue on everyone's mind, and that 
is the economy. One month ago, as Pete said, in that State of the Union, 
I laid out a two-part economic action plan: for the short term, a plan 
to get this economy moving as early as this spring, and then a longer 
term plan to keep America competitive in the next century. And I asked 
the Democrats who control the Congress to act for the good of the 
country, to lay politics aside. And I gave Congress those 52 days to 
pass my plan.
    And since then, some Democrats have been wrestling with their 
consciences. It's still too early to predict who will win. But instead 
of working on my plan, the House Democrats surfaced their own. And true 
to form, it is a temporary tax cut in exchange for a permanent tax hike. 
And that tax cut works out to 25 cents per person. Sounds big in a 
package for the consumption in the political arena, but that's what it 
makes, 25 cents per person. And to make it permanent the Democrats would 
have to jack up the income tax rate for every American making more than 
$35,000 a year, $35,000. For a plan that is supposed to help the middle 
class, that's going to come as real news to a lot of factory workers and 
schoolteachers and everyday Americans struggling to make ends meet.
    So let's face it, the Democrats are going to tax the middle class 
for the same reason that Willie Sutton robbed banks, because that's 
where the money is. They say they're going to hit the rich, and they end 
up hitting the small guy.
    Now, my economic plan is built on seven specific proposals to 
stimulate this tired economy. And if you want to give American companies 
a reason to expand, then give them--and this can be done in the 
remaining days--my investment tax allowance. Speed up depreciation. And 
if you really want to do something about boosting the sagging housing 
market and if you want to give American families a shot at the American 
dream, then give those first-time homebuyers what my plan does, a $5,000 
tax credit toward that first home. Give those young families a chance.
    And finally, let me say this to the Congress: If you are serious 
about competitiveness and if you are serious about creating the jobs, 
then cut the tax on capital gains and stimulate investment.
    That's not the only fight I've got with the Capitol Hill crowd. Take 
a look at national defense. And it is important to remind ourselves that 
365 days ago to this very minute we were starting that flanking movement 
around the Iraqi army in the sands. And a few months before that, nobody 
dreamed we'd be faced with that kind of aggression. For decades, we 
faced a dangerous enemy abroad. And we fought those at home who would 
have stripped this Nation of the strength that it needed to defend 
itself, those that always wanted to cut defense. Republicans fought hard 
on both fronts. And winning the defense battle on Capitol Hill helped us 
win the cold war. And no 
one understood that better than my predecessor, Ronald Reagan. He stood 
for a

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strong defense and stood up for our principles.
    And now, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, imperial communism 
as we know it gone, we can reduce defense spending substantially. I sat 
down with the Joint Chiefs and Chairman Powell and the Secretary of 
Defense, and we worked out a sensible defense build-down. We're talking 
about $50 billion more cut, one that will recognize post-cold-war 
realities, but still leave this country with the muscle that we need to 
meet whatever danger comes our way.
    I know that's a concern here in southern California, with its proud 
tradition of pushing the frontier in aerospace and producing weapon 
systems that redefined state-of-the-art. We have a number of Federal 
programs aimed now, as we cut down on defense spending, at helping those 
workers, those good workers, those defense industry workers as they seek 
new careers. And we're taking steps to ease the transition that many 
firms will face as they shift from defense-related work to the 
commercial economy. And that's what my technology transfer initiative is 
all about, getting research done in Government labs out into the private 
economy. And in May we're going to bring that message to Cal Tech 
through our national technology initiative. Our approach is the sensible 
way to go, the right way to keep the economy sound and at the same time 
keep our Nation strong and safe.
    But there are Democrats with a very different plan in mind. And they 
want to use the end of the cold war to open a bidding war to see who can 
gut defense the fastest. And one scheme would cut defense by an 
additional $200 billion. And nationwide, cuts on that scale would wipe 
out hundreds of thousands of jobs, to say nothing about rendering us 
incapable of responding to aggression overseas.
    Right now, $1 out of every $5 spent on defense is spent right here 
in California. And think of the shockwaves that reckless defense cuts 
would touch off in the construction and in the electronics and aerospace 
industries and the aftershock for the real estate markets. Think of the 
workers, the welders to the engineers, thrown out of work and onto 
welfare. For the sake of national security and for the sake of just 
plain economic common sense and for the sake of this State and the 
country, I ask you to draw the line and say no to those who want to 
recklessly gut the national defense of this country.
    We can turn this economy around provided we deal in economic 
reality. And it all comes down to this: To succeed economically at home, 
we've got to lead economically abroad. And there's no better case in 
point than California. This State accounts for $1 in every $7 of 
American exports. In 1990 alone, two-way trade reached nearly $166 
billion. Statewide, that means 725,000 jobs, close to three-quarters of 
a million jobs tied to trade.
    And it's more true than ever before today that America's future lies 
in opening markets. But our opponents aren't about to let fact intrude 
on fantasy. Their prescription for the nineties is to sound an economic 
retreat and raise the trade barriers and build new barricades to keep 
imports out and take this country back to the dangerous pre-World War II 
isolationism. I am not going to let that happen as long as I am 
President of the United States. We are going to stay engaged and lead 
the world.
    That is not the American way. We don't cut and run; we compete. And 
I'll put my faith in the American worker. So clear away the trade 
barriers, go head-to-head, and the American worker will outthink and 
outperform and outproduce anybody, anyplace, anytime.
    People here want to know that increased trade doesn't mean a 
tradeoff when it comes to concerns about our environment. And earlier 
this afternoon we had a wonderful meeting. I announced the new 
initiative to ensure that the promise of free trade includes protection 
for the environment. And we're working with the Government of Mexico. 
And we will commit well over $1 billion in new resources over the next 3 
years to protect drinking water, pay for cleanups, and enforce hazardous 
waste laws along the U.S.-Mexican border. And I can say to the people of 
this great State: Here's proof that we can sustain a strong economy and 
a sound environment.
    Whether it's the environment, the economy, or any other issue, 
there's a new reality

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now in the way people live and work and look at Government. People don't 
really buy the old ``big Government'' rhetoric. They've seen enough 
social engineering. And they know America's greatness doesn't spring 
from Government. Our strengths are in our people, in our families, in 
our communities. And Government can't raise your kids to know right from 
wrong. It can't legislate happy endings. Government isn't why people 
work hard, raise a family, save for retirement.
    Year after year, the folks who control the Congress have pushed 
spending higher and higher. In 1993, the Federal Government will spend 
$1.5 trillion of taxpayers' money. And people are entitled to ask, ``Am 
I getting my $1.5 trillion's worth?'' We need to get back to the basics. 
Government is too big, and it spends too much. So give me the line-item 
veto, and let the executive branch try to cut some of the fat out of the 
budget. Forty-three Governors have it, and 43 Governors do a good job 
utilizing it. We need for Government to do less but do better and to 
focus on what people want and deserve: safe streets, good schools, a 
strong economy, and a strong country.
    And today we see the return of responsibility, an old idea that 
never really went out of style. People have had it with the no-fault 
lifestyle. In their private lives they know actions have consequences. 
And what they want is a Government whose policies and programs recognize 
that people are responsible for their actions and that Government is 
responsible to the people. And if you think about it, that's nothing 
more than a working definition of freedom.
    Because we believe in responsibility, we believe in education 
reform. And we've laid out a strategy called America 2000. It literally 
revolutionizes our schools. Doing it the old way isn't good enough 
anymore. And we need to hold our kids and our teachers to a higher 
standard. And here's a radical notion, as our national education plan 
calls for: Let's test our kids to see where we're doing well and where 
we need more work. And our schools need a dose of competition with each 
other. Right now in public schools in Los Angeles and across the 
country, kids are a captive audience. Now, give parents a chance to 
choose their children's schools, and you'll see our schools start doing 
their homework. School choice is right, and it is working in many 
States. School choice will work across this Nation.
    And because we believe in responsibility, we back legal reform. 
Sorry to say this in ``L.A. Law'' country, but here's the plain fact: 
America has become the land of the lawsuit. And we put forward a plan to 
cut down the number of frivolous suits. They sap our economy, and they 
strain our patience. And when a father can't coach Little League because 
he's worried about getting sued, something's wrong. And when your 
neighbor becomes a plaintiff, something's wrong. Our country would be a 
lot better off if we spent as much time helping each other as we do 
suing each other. And so I will challenge the Congress again and again 
to do something about the reforms that we have pending up there on 
Capitol Hill right now.
    Because we believe in responsibility, we take a hard line on crime 
and drugs. Tomorrow Barbara and I fly down to San Antonio, and there 
I'll meet with five Presidents of Latin American countries, Latin 
American leaders, work with them to sharpen our strategy to beat this 
scourge. And yes, we're waging a war to cut the supply lines that funnel 
drugs into the crack houses that plague good neighborhoods across L.A. 
County. Interception of drugs coming in is way, way up. But we're 
battling, also, on the demand side. And we set a goal to drive down 
current adolescent cocaine use by 30 percent. And we've seen a dramatic 
60-percent decrease. Now, that's good news.
    But we all know we can't claim victory yet. We must show that here, 
too, actions have consequences. And that's why we need stiffer sentences 
for drug dealers. We need courts that punish criminals, not honest cops 
out there trying to do their jobs. We need laws that make life tougher 
on the criminals than on the victims of crime. And we need to get that 
House of Representatives to pass my crime bill and pass it now.
    Because we believe in responsibility, we believe in welfare reform. 
And people are willing to support benefits. Look, we care. We're 
Americans. We care about the other

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guy. But Americans want to see some connection between welfare and work. 
They want to see governments at every level work together to track down 
the deadbeat fathers, those who can't be bothered to pay child support. 
And they want to see us break the cycle of dependency that destroys 
dignity and passes down poverty from one generation to the next. That's 
wrong to do that, and we're going to do something to change it.
    Right here in California, your able Governor Pete Wilson's got a 
plan that will encourage people on welfare to take work when they can 
find it; for pregnant teens or parents to stay in school, get the 
education they'll need to make a better future, a future where they 
won't need that next welfare check. And we support him. You say, what 
can we do to help California? Simple, we can start by getting Washington 
out of the way. And I'll tell you, we will do all that we can to remove 
the burdensome Federal regulations, to help you cut through the web of 
redtape to real reform.
    The reforms I've spoken about tonight can spark a revolution to 
bring this country home to the bedrock beliefs that have made us great: 
Faith and family, responsibility and respect, community and country. 
Simple words, certain truths that hold a world of meaning for every 
American.
    And I might say parenthetically, if I could be prideful in my 
comment, I am very, very proud of what Barbara does to demonstrate 
strength of family and the caring that we all feel in our hearts.
    But here's what I know about this country's future: No matter how 
tough times are right now, no matter what trials we face, America's best 
day always lies ahead. And I believed that when I was a little boy. I 
believe it now. I believe it every day I live because that is the great 
glory of the United States of America.
    Thank you all, and may God bless our great country.

                    Note: The President spoke at 8:58 p.m. at the 
                        Century Plaza Hotel. A tape was not available 
                        for verification of the content of these 
                        remarks.