    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [March 13, 1997]
    [Pages 310-311]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Saxophone Club in Miami, Florida
    March 13, 1997

        Thank you. Thank you, Buddy MacKay. Thank you, Elaine Bloom. I want
    to thank all the people here from the Saxophone Club, and Merry Morris
    and Mr. Berger, the co-chairs of tonight's event. I want to thank Ed Kia
    and his trio who played earlier, and Albita and John Secada and these
    wonderful musicians. They were fabulous at the Inaugural, and they were
    great here tonight. I only wish they had sung about 10 more minutes. I
    love that song.
        Let me say, first and foremost, this is my first trip back to
    Florida since the election. It has been 60 years since a Democrat was
    reelected President and 20 years since a Democrat carried the State of
    Florida in any election. And I came to say, more than anything else,
    thank you, thank you, thank you.
        And it is true what Buddy MacKay said, my whole odyssey, the whole
    struggle that I have waged these long years, not just to be President
    but to change the direction of our country, got its first big boost in
    the State of Florida in December of 1991, in the straw poll. And Buddy
    was there, Elaine Bloom was there, and a number of others were, and we
    won it. And it was the beginning of a terrific personal adventure for
    Hillary and for me, but more importantly for a different direction for
    our country.
        And I want all of you to be proud who are here at this Saxophone
    Club event. You know, the Saxophone Clubs really started with the
    campaign of '92 with some young people who wanted to find a way for
    people who couldn't give a lot of money but wanted to give some money
    and work and to be a part of the political process and to be valued and
    to have their voices heard to do that. And that gave birth to these
    Saxophone Clubs. And they've spread all across the country now. And I
    always say, wherever I go, I don't want to do any kind of event unless
    we also have something for the Saxophone Club because I especially want
    to see the young people who come out to these events. And I want them to
    know that we're working every day for them and their future in
    Washington to make this country better in the years ahead. And I thank
    you for that.
        I want all of you who have helped us these last few years to be
    proud of the fact that we have the lowest combined rates of unemployment
    and inflation in over 30 years, that we just had an economy that
    produced more jobs in one Presidential term than any before in history,
    that we've had 4 years of declining crime rates and the biggest
    reduction in welfare rolls in history, that our country is leading the
    world toward reducing the nuclear threat, dealing with the new threats
    of biological and chemical weapons, working for peace from the Middle
    East to Northern Ireland, working--I'm going to meet with President
    Yeltsin next week in Helsinki to try to work on making sure that Europe

    [[Page 311]]

    will be free and democratic and it will have a positive relationship
    with Russia and that we can get rid of the nuclear problems that are
    still out there overhanging us from the cold war. We are moving ahead.
        And as Buddy MacKay said, I'm also going around the country on what
    has become a personal crusade for me and for Hillary and for the Vice
    President. Today I spoke in the North Carolina Legislature; Al Gore
    spoke in California. In a couple of weeks, Hillary and I are going to
    sponsor a conference in Washington on early childhood learning. And all
    of this is designed to make sure that for the next 4 years, we commit
    ourselves to making sure that in the 21st century every person in this
    country, without regard of their racial or ethnic background, will have
    access to world-class education and a chance to live out their dreams by
    developing their goals.
        Make no mistake about it, that's what all this is about. You are
    part of a movement to build this country and move it into a new century
    with the American dream alive for everyone, where we reject the
    divisions that so many try to impose on us at political times for
    political reasons and come together as one country, and where we
    continue to lead the world for peace and freedom and prosperity. That is
    the world I'm determined to leave to you in 4 years when I go out of
    office and a new century and a new millennium come into our lives. And
    together that's exactly what we're going to do.
        Thank you, and God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:15 p.m. at the Sheraton Bal Harbour
    Hotel.