[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[January 15, 1992]
[Pages 94-99]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session at a Town Hall Meeting in 
Exeter, New Hampshire

January 15, 1992
    The President. I am very, very pleased to be back. Mike, how are 
you? This guy meets me at Pease every time I come in there. [Laughter] 
Exeter rose-grower.
    Let me just say how really pleased I am to be here and to thank you 
for turning out. I want to make a couple of comments, and then it's 
mainly questions. Isn't it, Judd? First, I want to thank the Governor 
for being at my side. You know my and Barbara's affection for Governor 
Judd Gregg and for Hugh and Kay, old longtime friends who stay in touch 
and who have kept me informed of this State--both

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of them, both Greggs--of the problems that we face in this State. And 
I'm not talking political; I'm talking about hardship for people that 
are hurting.
    One of the things I'm pleased to be able to do here is to at least 
let the people of this State know that even though I am President and do 
have two or three other responsibilities, that when people are hurting, 
we care. We get the message there. We read the mail. We can understand. 
And I just wanted to get that out loud and clear because we're in a 
political year, and you hear a lot of people that have discovered New 
Hampshire for the first time running around trying to say something 
different. Of course, we care.
    Secondly, I am very grateful not only to the Governor but to Senator 
Bob Smith, Senator Rudman, who couldn't be with us--Bob Smith here 
today--who are doing a superb job, and then your Congressman, another 
dear friend, a man I respect, Bill Zeliff. These are leaders in the 
Congress. And they talk about pledges and all of this. Let me tell you 
something. I took a pledge when I was sworn in, the oath of office, and 
what I need a pledge about is to get more Congressmen and Senators like 
Senator Smith and Gordon Humphrey, who was in the Senate and is 
supporting me, and your Congressman here, Bill Zeliff, and Warren 
Rudman. Then we would be able to control this Federal spending better. 
Then we would be able to see that we get these tax improvements that 
I've been asking for. So that's the pledge I want, is the pledge from 
the people to give us more. And you're going to have to use your 
influence out of the State because you've done pretty darn well in the 
State in the United States Congress.
    So, that was one point I wanted to make. The other one is that 
people say, ``Well, you're in trouble in New Hampshire.'' Well, that may 
be. But I'm here to listen. I'm here to take the questions. I'm here to 
say, hey, there's a lot to do in partnership, the Federal Government, 
the State government where you've got superb leadership, and the people 
themselves.
    And of course, we care. And somebody gave me the analogy of a 
country-western song about a train, hoping they'd see the light at the 
end of the tunnel is not a train coming through. And I trumped it with 
saying, well, remember the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band one, if you've got any 
country music people here, ``If you're going to see a rainbow, you've 
got to stand a little rain.''
    Well, New Hampshire has stood more than its share of rain, job--
hurting and the families wondering how they're going to make their ends 
meet. But there is going to be a rainbow out there. There's some 
fundamentals that are pretty darn good. And yet, we've got to do better.
    And the last point I want to make is I hope that you will listen to 
the State of the Union Message. I have proposed, 3 straight years, 
growth agenda programs. Not some fancy quick fix that's going to have 
broad appeal in an election time, but things that would stimulate this 
economy. Now we're putting this all together again with new additions to 
it to take these proposals to the American people. And then what I hope 
we can do is rally the American people and get the economy moving by 
sound investment-oriented treatment of the Tax Code.
    That is what's needed, and still hold the line on spending. One of 
the few benefits of that budget agreement was that we have caps on the 
excesses of Federal spending, those things that can be controlled. And I 
want to keep them there. I do not want to bust the one restraint that is 
on the spenders in the United States Congress.
    So having said that, I hope you'll ask the questions. We'll have a 
good health program that I think will have appeal to the voters here 
because it's family; it keeps things close to the people themselves 
rather than having a lot of mandated benefits out of Washington.
    And this is the last point. I'm just back from a rather spectacular 
trip to Asia. I say spectacular--you try getting the flu at a dinner. 
[Laughter] I have a feeling the people in New England, and certainly 
having been a neighbor of this State for so long, understand that even 
Presidents get the flu. I said over there, even Democrats get it from 
time to time. [Laughter] But you've got to admit I did it in a dramatic 
way.
    Having said that, exports account for

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a tremendous amount of the growth in this country. A lot of the jobs, I 
think it's estimated--I was talking to Bob and Bill coming over here--
35,000 to 40,000 jobs in New Hampshire related to exports. So please 
don't buy this protection legislation that the Democrats and some others 
are putting out, this idea that we can shrink back inside. I want to put 
America first in the sense of the values, in the sense of getting this 
economy to be first, but not in the sense of some kind of protection 
legislation that is going to shrink markets and throw the working people 
of New Hampshire further out of work. Let's expand these markets.
    Now, fire away. Shoot. Any questions, even if they're tough ones. I 
know we've got a few fans in here for someone else. Bring them up.
    You're second. Got the first guy, and we'll be right over.

The Economy

    Q. Mr. President, first let me say the conditions in the country 
today, with our Government in deficit, most every State in the Union in 
deficit, and most every municipality in the country in deficit, never 
mind the households, what do we have to do--and I'm glad you brought a 
few--to get the Congressmen and the Senators in this country to realize 
when we have millions of people without jobs, homeless, without health 
care, and these fellows have the gall to vote themselves a raise, what 
can we do other than vote out every incumbent? I hate to see that, but I 
mean, what do we have to do to get the message across to these people in 
Washington?
    The President. Well, I think this kind of meeting helps. 
Fortunately, you have congressional delegations, the ones I mentioned 
from this State, that understand that. They fight against the excesses 
of Congress.
    One of the things that I proposed or seconded the motion on were 
these proposals that are there, and they're bipartisan, I might add, for 
Congress to reform itself in terms of proliferation of committees and 
needing reforms, Congress to adhere to the same laws that the American 
people have to adhere to. One of the comments that I've made after the 
Clarence Thomas hearings was that that needed to be done. They ought not 
to exempt themselves from the laws you and I have to honor. And this 
congressional delegation understands that; these people here do. So, 
you've got to spill over and use your influence across the border, two 
ways I might add, Maine and Massachusetts, good places to start. So, try 
that one.
    But no, you've got a good point. Look, I'm not up here to assign 
blame. I'll take my share of the blame. I don't take it for not caring 
or not understanding. I do. Barbara does. I hope we have projected the 
family concerns that we feel. We've tried to do that in this job. But 
I'm not here to blame.
    But I am here to remind the voters up here that in two previous 
State of the Unions I have proposed growth initiatives that would have 
stimulated the economy. Now I'm going to do it again, and this time I'm 
going to look the American people in the eye, as I did in the past, and 
say, ``All right, people are hurting more now. I've just come back from 
the State of New Hampshire, and a lot of people are out of work. And if 
you really care, pass this package. Then we can put it back into 
politics and debate it for the rest of this political year. But get 
something done that's going to get the people of this State and of this 
country back to work.'' That's the approach I'm going to take.
    Now, we had one here, and then I'll come over there.

AIDS

    Q. We had a wonderful Surgeon General who led us in health care in 
the man of Dr. Chick Koop.
    The President. Yes.
    Q. Can he help us with some of our health problems in the future?
    The President. Yes, he can. He's a good man. I think he wants to, 
too. I saw him the other day. And one of the things that Dr. Koop, who 
came into office and people said, ``Well, this guy's a little 
conservative for the national agenda.'' He wasn't; very sensitive guy. 
One of the things that he has done--and this is a sensitive subject; 
it's on my mind again because yesterday I met with

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Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson--is to project the idea that treating AIDS is a 
health problem.
    We are concerned about it. We care about it. When Barbara holds an 
AIDS baby in her arms, she's trying to express the compassion that both 
of us feel. When I go out to NIH and meet with those people that are 
afflicted with it--we have to do it on a health problem: Prevention, 
research and development, caring, making people understand this now is a 
national health problem.
    And Magic, who's on that Commission, following in the footsteps of 
the education that Chick Koop has put forward to the beginning, is 
saying, ``Look, lifestyle's important.'' He said, ``I've made some 
mistakes.'' And he did. He made some big ones. But now I want to help, 
get this thing out for open debate, compassionate treatment as a 
disease, and see what we can do. Then use our office, the bully pulpit 
of the White House and Chick Koop and others, our new Surgeon General, 
to educate people. We've got to treat with the health aspect through 
prevention and research. I think he will have--we'd love to have him 
involved.

Health Care

    Q. On the national health plan, what do you have planned as a help 
for the 35 million people who don't have health insurance?
    The President. The question in the back is a very important 
question. What are you going to do about the 35 million who don't have 
health insurance? What we've done so far is emphasizing prevention, 
emphasizing inoculations and this kind of thing. Now at the State of the 
Union, I will have what I think is the proper, if you'll permit me to 
hold back some of the details, but a comprehensive health care program 
that does not increase the Federal mandates but does bring protection to 
the numbers of people that are uninsured. Therein lies the big problem.
    So, we will have a comprehensive--it's only 2 weeks away, so stay 
tuned, and I think it will be done with the values I think of as New 
Hampshire values in mind, without busting the budget. I ask you, when 
you hear all these people who have just discovered New Hampshire on the 
road map coming up here with these health plans, ask them what that is 
going to do to the people that pay the taxes, as well as those who need 
the health care.
    So, I think we've got a good program, and I hope we can get the 
support from everybody in this room.
    Yes, in the back in the middle.
    Q. If I can just comment, I think we have time for about two more 
questions. We'd like to have everybody come up and have a chance to 
shake hands with the President.
    The President. Anybody got a real controversial one or want to make 
a statement? I want some guy that really wants to be tough, some tough 
guy. Who is it? This guy in the middle? Yes. Who are you for, first, and 
then let's hear the question. [Laughter]
    Q. I don't think you want to know.
    The President. No, but really, they shouldn't be soft balls. Call it 
as you see it, and you'll get it back.
    Q. I'm a registered Democrat.
    The President. All right, sir.

Education

    Q. I haven't made up my mind yet.
    Four years ago you proclaimed yourself the education President.
    The President. Yes.
    Q. Well, I'm a student at the University of New Hampshire, and to 
the best of my knowledge New Hampshire is 51st out of 50 States. We're 
behind Puerto Rico as well, as far as State funding for education. And I 
just haven't seen very much evidence of your being the education 
President.
    The President. The man asked a very important and very fair 
question. In the first place, Federal spending, and I can understand why 
you might not sense this, is up significantly in the Department of 
Education. As you know, Federal spending is 6 or 7 percent of the total 
education budget for the country. Educational spending, leave out 
Federal, is also up substantially.
    Here's the good news: We do have a good program. I went to the 50 
Governors. We put politics aside on this one, believe me. We've got the 
national education goals, six goals now. They were agreed by Democrats 
and Republicans alike. They are now encompassed in a program called 
America

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2000, which is a national education strategy. It literally calls for 
revolutionizing the schools.
    Yes, it requires some more Federal spending, but we're budgeting 
that. It requires much more participation of parents and of communities. 
I addressed a national Chamber meeting yesterday on it. Democrats, 
Republicans, liberals, conservatives coming together to say we've got to 
do it differently.
    Please take a look at that program. It is sensible. I'm determined 
to keep it out of the political crosscurrent. I don't care about my 
personal label; I am committed to education. This program, under the 
able leadership of Lamar Alexander, is one of the things that is 
beginning to get to the American consciousness.
    You and I might differ on this one; I still like the idea of parents 
being able to choose. When I came out of the military to the GI bill a 
thousand years ago nobody said, ``Hey, you've got to go to school A or 
school B, university A or B, or high school extension program A, B, or 
C.'' The person could choose. And choice in the State of Minnesota, 
formerly run by a Democratic Governor, has resulted in educational 
excellence.
    And so, one of the concepts of this is choice. Another one is doing 
better in math and science. Another is to continue the increases that 
we've already started on Head Start, ready to learn. Another one is, 
you're never too old to learn. Even I, and it's not just show business, 
have a little computer there, and I'm trying to learn it. I'm doing 
something, and I hope it's an example that you're never too old to 
learn, although I'm having a few difficulties with the cursor. 
[Laughter]
    The thing that troubles me is I don't think that we've gotten that 
across. It is a good, sensible program. It's really just starting, but 
it holds the answer because we are not going to be as competitive in 
this world if we don't do better in math or science.
    Another part of it is voluntary testing at the 4th, 8th, and high 
school level. And it's voluntary. But there's nothing wrong with 
testing. There's nothing wrong with standards so a school knows whether 
it's keeping up with other schools. We've gotten away from that sense of 
discipline. Then I want the schools to be drug-free so a kid can go and 
learn in a safe environment.
    So, those are some of the ingredients of our program called America 
2000.

War on Drugs

    Q. Mr. President, it seems that as the economy gets worse and worse, 
that more and more people are turning to the sales of drugs and more and 
more people are using drugs as they see the economy toughen and their 
families suffering. What do you propose to do about this problem because 
it seems to keep getting worse?
    The President. Let me repeat the question because I want to argue 
with the premise a little bit, not totally. The premise is, it seems to 
be getting worse on narcotics, drugs, amongst young people, and what do 
you propose to do about it?
    We have a national drug strategy. We are making significant if not 
dramatic progress amongst young people, for example, in the use of 
cocaine, down by 10 percent. Where we're hurting as a society is the 35 
and older, kind of the addicted crowd is not shaking it.
    Education is a part of it. Treatment is a part of it. Interdiction, 
a much more successful interdiction effort, is a part of it. But the 
national drug strategy is working. And then there's another ingredient 
to this. It's the private partnership under the leadership of a guy 
named Jim Burke. We're spending $1 million--they are, not Government--$1 
million a day with, I don't know whether you've seen them, with 
advertisements, pro bono advertisements trying to help educate children 
and parents that drugs are--you know, turn off of drugs.
    We are making progress. We've made big progress in marijuana, made 
big progress in cocaine use. And yet, we've still got a long way to go. 
So, we'll keep fighting the problem, but I just want to give a little 
hope out there that these figures are fairly encouraging in terms of the 
age group that you asked about.
    Last pitch is this on it: I still think that the people of New 
Hampshire, in spite of the economic problems and being out of work, 
still really epitomize for a lot of the

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rest of the country what Barbara and I talk about as family values. I 
worry about the decimation of the American family. Everything we do, 
like child care, we try to make it that the family has a choice, or 
education, that the family does.
    Barbara is out there trying to get people--``Read to the kids.'' So, 
I do think that family involvement is vital to the success. The Federal 
Government cannot get this drug thing done by itself. We've got a 
program. We've got to keep the families together and the families 
involved in solving this. That isn't a vote-getter, and that isn't going 
to outpromise some Democrat halfway across the State. But it is 
something I feel very, very strongly about and will continue to try to 
help the American people understand.
    You've got to read to your kids. You've got to hug them. You've got 
to lift them up and dust them off and put them back into the game. And 
if you don't do that, they drift off into some of this mire. In the 
inner city they need help on it, too.

[At this point, County Commissioner Maureen Barrows presented a book on 
the history of Exeter to the President.]

    The President. Listen, I apologize, but we're really almost just 
getting started. This is not show business. I mean, when a guy asked a 
very good question on education it gave me a chance to say what I think, 
but also it shows what concerns people. So I hope you don't feel this--
whoops, even the guy at the end of the table here feels that it's just 
some kind of a useless exercise.
    But message: I care. We're trying. We need help. We have had and 
will continue to have, I think, sound and sensible programs.
    And let's not forget this: It was one year ago that I had to make a 
very fateful decision that affected the lives of a lot of Americans. And 
we saw instantly the return of American pride. It doesn't matter about 
how you feel about when we should have gone to war, the country came 
together. I want to use that same kind of leadership to bring the 
country together now on the social problems that affect us and on 
getting this economy going and getting New Hampshire back to work. And I 
need your help.
    Thank you very, very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 10:50 a.m. at the 
                        Exeter Town Hall. In his remarks, he referred to 
                        Michael Dagostino, a retired rose-grower in 
                        Exeter, and Hugh and Kay Gregg, parents of Gov. 
                        Judd Gregg.