[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[April 30, 1992]
[Pages 671-675]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 671]]

Remarks to the Ohio Association of Broadcasters in Columbus, Ohio

April 30, 1992
    Thank you, Fred, very much; all of you, Gene and Dale and Tom, for 
the greeting out here. Good afternoon. I'm pleased to be back for my 
third appearance before--something about the Ohio Broadcasters.
    I have a few remarks to make on a subject, but before that I want to 
comment just on the events that are concerning our country, building a 
little on comments I made earlier in a statement to the Nation about the 
news out of Los Angeles.
    No one watching the television coverage of the violence yesterday 
afternoon and evening could have any reaction other than revulsion and 
pain. Mob brutality, the total loss of respect for human life was 
sickeningly sad. The frustration all of us felt seeing helpless victims 
pulled from vehicles and assaulted, it was hard not to turn our eyes 
away. But we must not turn our eyes away. We must keep on working to 
create a climate of understanding and tolerance and condemn a climate of 
bigotry and fear.
    Last night was tragic for our country. It was tragic for the city of 
Los Angeles, for the people of east L.A. But there were small acts in 
all of this ugliness that give us hope: The citizens who ignored the 
mob, those who helped get the battered victims out of the area. There 
were people who spent the night in the churches. Many were seeking 
guidance in the wake of the unfolding chaos in the streets, praying that 
man's gentler instincts be revealed in the hearts of people driven by 
hate.
    You say, ``What can we do?'' Well, before leaving Washington I spoke 
to Governor Wilson; I spoke to Mayor Tom Bradley; I spoke to Ben Hooks 
and some others on this problem. I also gave this statement to the 
Nation regarding our plans at the Federal Government level regarding the 
court case. We have instigated an investigation under civil rights 
protection. We will do what we can from the Federal Government to help 
those small business people that have been just wiped out by wanton 
destruction. I will keep telling the country that we must stand up 
against lawlessness and crime wherever it takes place. Regrettably, what 
is happening in the city or did happen last night was purely criminal. 
It was outrageous, what happened. We are all sickened by what we saw.
    On the larger issues, I've thought a lot about this. And say what 
you want, but it is important at a time like this to really talk about 
some old-fashioned values like respect for the others' rights, respect 
for property rights; manifest that respect in our actions as well as our 
words. We must make a compact with each other that we will not tolerate 
racism and bigotry and anti-Semitism and hate of any kind, anywhere, any 
time; not over the dinner table, not in the board room, not in the 
playground, nowhere.
    We must condemn violence. I make no apology for the rule of law or 
the requirement to live by it. And yes, in some places in America there 
is, regrettably, a cycle of poverty and despair. But if the system 
perpetuates this cycle, then we've got to change the system. We simply 
cannot condone violence as a way of changing the system.
    So we ought to change. We ought to try hard, change the status quo. 
We've got to do it peacefully, and we've got to do it thoughtfully. I am 
very hopeful that calm can be restored to this very important part of 
our country and that good will will prevail over the hatred that we've 
seen in the streets in the last few hours.
    I am now switching off to what I came here to talk to you all about. 
Let me just first say a word about this city and about the great man who 
gave his name to this city. Columbus dared to explore far beyond the 
horizons of his continent, and he discovered a new world. You talk about 
the vision thing, well, he had it.
    Speaking of vision, we wouldn't be attending the broadcasters 
convention had it not been for the daring of scientific prodigies like 
DeForest and Marconi. We should keep in mind just how new this thing 
called broadcasting is. The same year that my dad was born right here in 
Columbus, Ohio, just

[[Page 672]]

a few blocks away on East Broad Street, Marconi invented radio. It 
either makes me very old or makes radio very young; I can't figure out 
which that is. [Laughter] But I'm sure there are many here who can 
remember when the first TV broadcast went on the air. I can remember the 
first TV set I had, a great big square-looking box with a little tiny 
yellow-colored window. It was made by Hoffman. I don't think it proved 
to be too successful because I don't think they're making TV sets 
anymore. But it wasn't that long ago.
    Telecommunications is still in its infancy. I think that it's taking 
big steps now. As you look over the horizon at the future of this 
country in technology, the steps are going to be enormous. There's 
something bright and new in human history.
    In addition to all this new technology, I think we can look at a 
whole other area and talk about the worldwide spread of freedom and 
democracy. Around the globe, nations are joining a movement in which the 
United States is the great pioneer. We are, never forget it, the 
unsurpassed leader. And for those who will have you believe that this 
country is in a state of decline, travel abroad and see the respect with 
which this country is held.
    We've got to protect our freedoms. We've got to trust people with 
their freedoms. These form the core of our crusade to make this country 
stronger. A free economy will be a strong economy, and it will create 
more good jobs. We'll keep society healthy if we keep our family first, 
put family first. And by keeping our defenses strong, we're going to 
keep the peace.
    I'm working hard to open world markets. Open trade will create more 
and better jobs for this country. It offers our consumers lower prices 
and more choices. Expanding trade is one of five programs for this 
country's future that I view as really top priorities.
    We're working as well to revolutionize--this is the second one--to 
revolutionize, literally to reinvent our schools. Parents are leading 
the way. In community after community, they are standing up to the 
bureaucratic establishment; they're asserting their rights in their 
children's education. I salute Governor Voinovich, whose wife is with us 
here today, for the lead that Ohio is taking in achieving the goals of 
America 2000, our literally revolutionary education program.
    We're working for fundamental reform of Government, including a 
balanced budget amendment. Now it has strong support on both sides of 
the aisle. Clearly, it has to be phased in. But there's a change in the 
country; people are saying we've got to do better. I support strongly 
term limits to make Congress much more accountable. I think the time has 
come for that. I also believe, and have submitted suggestions to the 
Congress for this rather revolutionary idea, that Congress ought to live 
by the laws that it passes, laws that affect others. It is no longer 
right to be separate.
    The next category is, we are working to help the innovations and 
efficiencies of free market make quality health care available to all. I 
do not want to see us go to what they call a nationalized system or what 
some refer to as socialized medicine. We want to retain the quality of 
our health care, but we've got to give access to all, make insurance 
accessible to all. So we need to do that.
    Then the last point I want to make is, we are fighting the explosion 
of nuisance lawsuits. Let's spend more time helping each other and less 
time suing each other. And that means we need to put some limits on 
these outrageous liability claims.
    I might add that we are fighting hard to get the burdens of 
unreasonable Government regulation off the backs of the people. 
Regulation really imposes a hidden tax on every man, woman, and child in 
this country. In the State of the Union Address some 92 days ago, I lit 
a fire under our own administration's efforts for fundamental reform of 
Government regulation. This week we completed that 90-day moratorium 
that I ordered on new regulations. In just those 90 days we have 
completed or set in motion reforms that will save America $15 billion to 
$20 billion a year. And yesterday I ordered a 120-day extension on that 
moratorium, and I'm expecting many more achievements for freedom and for 
common sense.
    Fundamental reform of regulation cannot be achieved overnight, and 
it's going to

[[Page 673]]

take a lot of tough, imaginative, patient effort. But I am totally 
committed to reforming regulation because the cost of inaction would be 
much more than we could bear. Think of some of the burdens and the 
contradictions that we already face.
    Here in Columbus the city government has projected that over the 
next decade its cost of compliance with Federal environmental 
regulations alone will be $1.6 billion. And that's $856 per household 
per year. Now, this is for a community whose entire city budget last 
year was $591 million. The share of the city's budget to meet these 
regulations stands to increase from 10 percent to 23 percent. Right now, 
Columbus is one of the most attractive places in the country for people 
to work and live. But I can't say things will stay that way if the cost 
of meeting Government mandates keeps going right out through the roof.
    In Juneau, Alaska, a local charity, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, 
wanted to build an addition to its shelter for the homeless, also 
requiring more parking space. Unfortunately, the building project was 
delayed for a whole year because bureaucrats declared the site a 
wetland. Now, get this: The shelter is in the middle of town surrounded 
by concrete, dry concrete, I think, on a city block that includes two 
car dealerships, a plumbing store, and a storage business. There is 
something wrong with this picture. Obviously somebody in this episode 
was all wet, but it wasn't the real estate for the homeless shelter. I 
cite this as just the kind of example that we must fight against at the 
Federal level, that the local level must fight against, too.
    Back here in Ohio, an unreasonable Federal regulation almost forced 
the closing of this health plan in Dayton that we call the Dayton Area 
Health Plan. George Voinovich called this to my attention, an innovative 
managed-care program designed to offer high quality care to some 43,000 
Medicaid recipients in Dayton. Governor Voinovich and the Lieutenant 
Governor, Mike DeWine, who I did not introduce but who is with us here 
today, led the effort to change this inequity. Just this week I signed 
legislation granting an exemption for this Ohio reform initiative. I 
have confidence in the new ideas that Ohioans are developing on their 
own, and without the mandates from the know-it-alls in these 
subcommittees back in Washington, DC, or in our own bureaucracy. We 
don't do much for Americans' health when we put HMO's like the one in 
Dayton on the critical list.
    It's stories like these that remind us what a visionary Alexis de 
Tocqueville was. A century and a half ago, a century and a half ago he 
warned that if Americans were not careful, Government would, and here's 
the quote, ``cover the surface of society with a network of small, 
complicated rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original 
minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate.'' This is de 
Tocqueville, coming over and taking a look at our society back then. I 
don't know what would happen to him if he took a look at it today.
    We've heard the warning. We're fighting back. Our reform efforts are 
breathing new life into America's ability to compete, to innovate, and 
to create jobs. Every Federal agency that I asked to participate has 
responded with action to ease the burden of unnecessary regulation. From 
biotechnology to energy, to the banking field, and yes, to broadcasting 
and telecommunications, we are taking the shackles off of American 
enterprise.
    Let me take this occasion to salute the FCC, Federal Communications 
Commission, for its actions to relax needless restrictions on ownership 
of radio stations. The FCC also has taken action to allow competition 
among international satellite companies. Now, this will help reduce 
prices that Americans now pay on more than a billion telephone calls 
every year to other countries. These are very welcome reforms. Al Sikes, 
who is our Chairman, the FCC Chairman, believes in free markets, and he 
believes in innovation. It's clear to me that that is the right 
direction.
    Looking forward, one can't help but see that new telecommunications 
technologies will revolutionize science, education, and the way we do 
business. They will be an important boon to families. The day is coming 
when mothers and fathers will be able to spend more time at home with 
their children even as they make ever more productive contributions to 
our economy. The

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predictions for doing work at home in a productive way are absolutely 
outstanding, amazing. I think you're going to see a whole new area build 
up for productivity.
    In the same spirit as regulatory reform is privatization, facilities 
now run by government to be owned and operated by competitive 
enterprises, and thus serve the public more fairly and more efficiently. 
Today before I came out here to Columbus, I signed an Executive order 
that will give State and local governments more freedom to sell or lease 
their infrastructure to the private sector if they choose to do so. We 
hear complaints that America's infrastructure is crumbling and that 
States aren't putting enough money into expanding or repairing it. At 
the same time, many private companies want to invest in these projects. 
So our Executive order will remove impediments to competitive 
enterprises buying infrastructure assets; that means bridges or roads or 
housing and sewage treatment plants.
    This initiative could generate billions of dollars in new investment 
and millions of new jobs. American business has the funds to invest in 
infrastructure and has the funds to expand it. Through today's actions 
we will help more people enjoy cheaper and better waste water treatment 
service by letting businesses with real market incentives do the job. 
We'll help low-income tenants buy their own housing. The dignity that 
comes with homeownership is a wonderful thing for our country. We're 
promoting competition that could dramatically reduce the cost of urban 
mass transit. The money that States will receive for selling these 
facilities will be used to build even more new needed infrastructure or 
to lower the States' debts or to cut your taxes.
    Privatizing state enterprises is one of the great hopes for economic 
growth and rebirth from Mexico City to Moscow. Take a look at what's 
happened south of our border under the courageous President of Mexico, 
Carlos Salinas. Look at the many formerly government-owned entities that 
he has turned over to much more efficient operation in the private 
sector. There is an example from what Mexico is doing for us right here 
in the United States.
    Same thing is true in Moscow. As I sit down with the leaders from 
the new Commonwealth of Independent States, and I'll be meeting very 
soon with Kravchuk and shortly after that with Boris Yeltsin, we are 
encouraging them to move to the very kinds of privatization that I'm 
talking about here. I think you're going to find that they're doing it, 
and it's going to be highly successful. It offers them great hopes for 
recovery out of the economic morass that they're in right now.
    So this idea presents many chances for positive change, change 
abroad and change right here in our own country. And they're 
opportunities, frankly, that we simply cannot afford to overlook. And of 
one thing I am certain: The status quo, the old thinkers are not going 
to yield on this without a fight. The special interest crowd will not 
like the agenda that I've outlined for you today. They think that 
Government ought to own more, not less. They think that Government ought 
to mandate more, not less.
    When I meet with the Governors, and I've done that quite a few times 
since I've been President, all across party lines, all across 
ideological lines of conservative and liberal comes the cry from the 
Governors, ``Do not burden us with mandates coming out of some old-
thinking subcommittee in the Capitol Hill of Washington, DC.'' We are 
determined to try to facilitate what the Governors want by giving them 
flexibility and saddling them with far fewer mandates. Washington hasn't 
changed much since you all have been there. It is swarming with noisy 
lobbyists for the old interests who want this highly centralized Federal 
Government and people who have never met a regulation that they didn't 
really like.
    This is springtime, and a young man's thoughts turn, as does his 
radio dial, to baseball. So I thought I'd leave you with a favorite 
story. I don't know whether all these Yogi Berra stories are true or 
not; you know, ``Pair 'em up in threes,'' and things like that. 
[Laughter] In Yogi's hometown of St. Louis, the local people organized a 
celebration in his honor at the old Sportsman's Park. Yogi quavered with 
emotion as he stepped up to speak. ``First,'' he said, ``from the bottom 
of my heart let me thank all the people who have made this day 
necessary.''

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[Laughter]
    I think the point of the story is this: The freedom-loving people of 
this country, people of ingenuity and enterprise, people in leading-edge 
industries like your own, are not merely making renewal of limited 
Government possible; they're making it necessary. They're making it 
inevitable. Technological advance is accelerating so rapidly that the 
old guard can only hope in vain to keep up. We'll make intrusive and 
gluttonous Government a thing of the past. We've reached a turning 
point. And we're on the verge of watershed reforms to make Government 
stop stifling people who want to use their freedoms, their own freedoms, 
to create and to produce and to serve.
    The day is coming when enterprisers and innovators like yourselves 
will lead us into these exciting new horizons. The day is coming when 
dreams not yet imagined will come true. I am confident about the years 
ahead. I know we've had difficult times, but I don't believe for one 
single minute that the United States of America is in decline. The 
future is tremendously exciting. And if we handle the technological 
change with the innovative manner I've outlined here today, I believe we 
can usher in all kinds of new eras of prosperity for the working man and 
woman in this country.
    Again, I'm confident of the years ahead. The big thing is to keep 
this Nation a champion of ideas and of opportunity and, with that first 
subject in mind, of justice. We can reform our schools and our courts 
and our health system, our very system of Government. And we can assure 
that when we reach the new century America will still be the strongest, 
the bravest, and the freest Nation on the face of the Earth.
    It's good to be back with you. And thank you all very, very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 3:12 p.m. at the Hyatt 
                        on Capitol Square. In his remarks, he referred 
                        to Anthony (Fred) Cusimano, association vice 
                        president and general manager; Gene D'Angelo, 
                        president and general manager, WBNS-AM/FM/TV; 
                        Dale Bring, association executive vice 
                        president; Thomas S. Stewart, vice president and 
                        general manager, WBNS-AM/FM; and Benjamin L. 
                        Hooks, executive director, National Association 
                        for the Advancement of Colored People.