    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [July 1, 2002]
    [Pages xii-1160]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

              Administration of George W. Bush, 2002

    [[Page 1153]]

     Remarks at a Rally on Inner-City Compassion in Cleveland, Ohio
     July 1, 2002

         Thank you very much for that warm welcome. I'm feeling great, by
    the way. [Laughter] And I'm glad I'm here. And thank you all for coming.
         We've just come from a discussion of community leaders all involved
    with trying to make Cleveland a compassionate, decent place for every
    citizen. Some were Democrats; some were Republicans; all of them
    Americans, all of them Americans who understand that out of the evil
    done to America can come some incredible good, that by loving a neighbor
    just like you'd like to be loved yourself, you can do some good in our
    country. You can fight evil by being a decent, honorable, compassionate
    citizen. And that's what I want to talk about today. I want to talk
    about the soul of America.
         First, I appreciate my traveling party and the folks who showed up
    here today. I want to thank Rod Paige for
    being the Secretary of Education. I like to remind people that when I
    was--came time to pick a Secretary of Education, that I wanted somebody
    who had actually been on the frontlines of education. I didn't need a
    theorist. I needed somebody who was a practical person, somebody--and I
    knew Rod when I was the Governor of Texas and he was the superintendent
    of our State's largest school district, Houston Independent School
    District. And our test scores soared when he was leading that district.
    And so I--fortunately, he came to Washington, DC. He's made a huge
    sacrifice to be there, and he's doing a fine job. And I want to
    appreciate Rod, and I appreciate his leadership. I appreciate his being
    a straightforward fellow. It's easy to understand where he's coming
    from. He's coming from this perspective: Every child must be educated in
    America--every child.
         I also brought another man along with me, Alphonso
    Jackson, who is the Deputy Secretary of
    HUD. Alphonso's job is to make sure we work tirelessly to promote
    homeownership in America. And I appreciate Alphonso coming. I'm going to
    talk a little bit about that later on.
         Of course, I appreciate so very much the elected officials who have
    joined. My friend the Governor of the great State of Ohio, Bob
    Taft, is with us. Your senior Senator, a fine
    friend and a good man, George Voinovich,
    is with us. I think you're--are you the senior Senator? He's the
    junior--he's the oldest junior Senator. [Laughter] He's a junior Senator
    who happens to be a senior citizen, he said. [Laughter] But a young--he
    thinks young. He's a great man.
         I appreciate members of the congressional delegation, both
    Republicans and Democrats alike: Ralph Regula,
    Steve LaTourette, Stephanie Tubbs
    Jones, and Dennis Kucinich. I appreciate you all coming. Thanks for being here.
    I appreciate you're here.
         I appreciate the attorney general, Betty Montgomery, from the great State of Ohio. I'm honored that the
    mayor of the great city of Cleveland would come; Mayor
    Campbell, thank you for being here. I'm
    honored you're here--appreciate you. I had the honor of listening to a
    elected--a local elected official, Ms. Fannie Lewis, who had some things to say. Thank you, Fannie, for coming.
         Today, as I landed at the airport, I had the honor of meeting a
    gentleman named Eugene Brudno, and Eugene is a
    Cleveland

    [[Page 1154]]

    resident who has spent a lot of time of volunteering in the community.
    The reason I mention Eugene is, one of the true strengths of this
    country is the fact that we've got so many citizens who have heard the
    call to help somebody in need, and they don't need a Government telling
    them to do it. They just do it because they love their community. And
    Gene has been loving his community for a long time. Gene, would you
    stand up and please wave? Thank you for coming.
         I want to thank Alex Machaskee for
    having sponsored the discussion we had today. I want to thank the United
    Way leadership for being here. I want to thank you all for coming. I am
    honored that you're here.
         I've got some things to say--it's really how great America--I mean,
    what a fabulous country we have. We are lucky to be Americans. And as
    Americans, we have responsibilities. We have responsibilities. If you
    live in this country and you want to be a patriotic soul, you have a
    responsibility. And I think one of those most important responsibilities
    is to help a neighbor in need. I do.
         And I've got a responsibility, too. Perhaps my biggest
    responsibility is to keep our homeland secure. I want to give you a
    brief update about our attempts to keep the homeland secure. At home,
    we're doing everything we can do. I want to thank all those on the
    frontline, the first time--the first-responders, the police and fire and
    EMS teams, for being prepared and ready and working long hours.
         In Washington, DC, we've got a lot of good folks who are spending a
    lot of time chasing down any hint or any lead, any idea that somebody
    might have to hurt us. We're on it. And you just need to know, we are
    actively focusing our attention and efforts to keep the homeland secure.
         We're fighting an enemy that hates what we stand for. They don't
    value human life. The death of innocent people doesn't bother them in
    the least. They've hijacked a great religion. They kill in the name of
    the religion when, in fact, they're nothing but a bunch of coldblooded
    fanatics and killers.
         I've asked the Congress to take all the agencies involved with the
    homeland defense--there's about 100 of them scattered all over
    Washington, DC. You can imagine what that is like, trying to hold
    somebody accountable. I said, ``We should put it all under one umbrella
    called the Cabinet officer, and give us a chance to align authority and
    responsibility. Give us a chance to change the culture of these
    agencies. Give us a chance to say, protecting the homeland is now the
    single most important priority of the Federal Government.''
         And I appreciate the response from both Republicans and Democrats
    alike to the initiative I laid out. It's tough for some. I recognize
    that. I mean, there's some turf in Washington. [Laughter] And people
    like to protect the turf. But by far most Members understand that it's
    more important to protect the American people than the turf.
         So we're making progress at home. But the surest way to protect the
    homeland is to hunt the killers down one by one and bring them to
    justice. And that's what we're going to do. And we're making progress.
         This isn't a--the type of war we're all used to. It's not the kind
    of war where there's tanks moving across, you know, some plain, and
    everybody gets to see the progress of the tanks. This isn't the kind of
    war where planes are in formation. This is a war that we fight against
    these shadowy terrorists that hide in caves or hide in big cities and
    send young souls to their death through suicide. That's the kind of
    people we're after. But we've hauled in over 2,400 people so far. I say
    ``we;'' I'm talking about not only the United States but a vast
    coalition of freedom-loving countries. And so we're after them one by
    one. I guess the best way to describe the strategy is to treat them for
    what they are, international criminals; get them on the run; and when we
    find them, bring them in and get them.

    [[Page 1155]]

         And that's what this mighty country is going to do, because, you
    see, we love our freedom. We stand for freedom. We love freedom of
    religion. We love freedom of the press. We love to speak freely. We love
    politics. We love what we're doing in this country. And anybody who
    threatens our freedoms will face the ire of the mighty United States of
    America.
         And we're in this deal for the long haul. There is not a calendar
    on my desk that says, by such-and-such a date, we quit. That's not how I
    think, and I don't believe that's how the American people think either.
    The American people understand that we need to be patient and resolved
    and determined to do what is right. History has called us into action.
    And for the sake of our young, for the sake of our children and our
    grandchildren, we must be strong enough and resolved enough to defend
    freedom to the core, to not waver or tire in the face of an enemy that
    hopes that we relinquish our love for freedom and the values we hold
    dear in America.
         You know, I can't imagine what was going through their mind when
    they attacked us. They must have thought America was so materialistic
    and so selfish and so self-absorbed that we might just file a lawsuit or
    two. [Laughter] They learned differently. They learned that we love our
    country and love our freedoms.
         But I want the youngsters here to understand, this great country
    doesn't seek revenge; we seek justice. And this great country, when we
    go somewhere, we don't go as conquerors; we go as liberators. I want our
    country to keep in mind what happened in Afghanistan. Afghanistan was a
    country that had been hijacked by these Al Qaida killers, with a
    complacent government. We said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're just
    like the terrorist. We're going to treat you just like the terrorist.''
    And we upheld that doctrine by removing the Taliban, but more
    importantly, we liberated people. For the first time, young girls go to
    school in Afghanistan, thanks to the United States and our coalition.
         And that's--and that's going to be our posture for a long time
    coming, too. We believe in freedom for all. We believe in the value of
    individual life. We're a compassionate, strong nation--a nation that
    through our determination will bring peace.
         Oh, I know that in the midst of this war, there is a lot of warlike
    talk, and I'm as guilty as--I'm guilty. [Laughter] I talk that way. But
    I want you to know, I love peace. I want the world to be at peace. I
    believe out of the evil done to America can come some good. And one of
    the goods is going to be a peaceful world, peace in places where we
    haven't seen peace in a long time and peace at home for our children and
    our grandchildren. I long--I long for a peaceful world for every citizen
    on the face of the globe. And I believe that the United States can lead
    to peace if we're strong and resolved and unified.
         And I also believe that as we make the world more peaceful and
    America more secure, we can make America a better place, a better place
    for all of us, not a better place for some, not a better place for a
    few, but a better place for all. I think that means that our Government,
    Federal Government, must be active to promote self-government and self-
    reliance and independence. It means that we must encourage individuals
    and communities and families to take more responsibility for themselves
    and their neighbors and our Nation.
         Our aim isn't to make Government bigger by spending more money. Our
    aim isn't to focus on finance, large or small. Our aim must be to mean
    that when we spend money, we spend it on what works to create a better
    society. I call this compassionate conservatism.
         It is conservative to trust the local folks to chart the path to
    excellence in education. It's conservative to liberate parents. It's
    conservative to pass power out of Washington, DC, when it comes to
    public

    [[Page 1156]]

    schools. It is compassionate to make sure not one child gets left behind
    in America.
        It is conservative to promote private property and ownership of
    homes. It is compassionate to understand there is an ownership gap in
    America, and we must use our resources to close that ownership gap by
    encouraging minority ownership of homes in America.
        It's conservative to reform welfare and reduce dependence on
    Government. It is compassionate to encourage work and family and values
    of personal responsibility.
        It is conservative to understand Government can hand out money, but
    it cannot put hope in people's hearts. And therefore, we should promote
    the good works of faith-based and community-based programs.
        It is compassionate to understand, in the land of plenty, there are
    pockets of despair and hopelessness. There are people who, when you say
    ``the American Dream,'' say, ``I don't know what that means.'' And it's
    compassionate to understand all of us, no matter what your political
    party is, must do something about it. We must work to make the American
    Dream reach into every single neighborhood all across America.
         I believe that starts with making sure everybody gets a good
    education. Rod talked about the No Child
    Left Behind legislation. Let me tell you what I think the bill says. I
    believe it says that our society must believe every child can learn, and
    that means we've set high standards. If you set low standards, guess
    what's going to happen? If you have low expectations, you know what's
    going to happen? We'll just give up on kids--see?
         It's so much harder to, by the way, educate inner-city--some inner-
    city children. It's easy to walk into a classroom full of inner-city
    African Americans, for example, and say, ``You can't learn. We'll move
    you through.'' Or how about classrooms full of children whose parents
    don't speak English as a first language? It's easy to quit on those
    kids. ``Heck, it's hard to educate a child whose parents don't speak
    English. Why don't we just shuffle them through the system?'' That means
    you have low hopes, low standards, low expectations. We start with a
    different premise: Every child can learn, regardless of their
    circumstances. And we expect every single child to learn in America.
         We said, ``Yes, there's a role for funding,'' and we increased
    funding for Title I programs here in Cleveland by 23 percent. And that's
    good, and that's important. We want to help the disadvantaged through
    funding. But Washington shouldn't be telling Cleveland how to run its
    school system. See, that's up to you all to figure out how to run your
    school system.
         But we've instituted a new reform, and it's an important reform. It
    says, if you do receive the money, if you decide to take Federal money,
    show us whether or not the children are learning, see. Show us whether
    or not expectations are being met.
         I've heard it all: ``We can't test.'' ``We test too much. We test
    too much.'' ``We shouldn't test children whether they can read.'' ``See,
    all you do is teach the test.'' Listen, if you can teach a child to
    read, they can pass a test. You teach them to read; don't worry about
    the tests.
         We need to know in America whether or not our children can read and
    write and add and subtract. That's what an accountability system is for.
    Not only do we need to know, but more importantly, the parents need to
    know whether or not the children can read and write and add and
    subtract. And if we find they can't, something else has to happen. We
    cannot allow our children to be trapped in schools that won't teach and
    won't change.
         Starting this September, as many as 3.5 million students across
    America who attend failing schools will have different options, of
    transferring to another public school. It's part of being an accountable
    society. It's part of strengthening public education.
         Listen, I think public education is one of the most important parts
    of democracy. In order to make sure the American Dream

    [[Page 1157]]

    reaches every neighborhood, we've got to have good public schools all
    across America. We must. So we've got to strengthen the public education
    system by encouraging different opportunities if there's failure.
         Low-income students, as a result of the new bill, in chronically
    failing schools will now have access to after-school tutoring. The money
    follows the child, and the parent can decide who provides the after-
    school tutoring.
         There is not a single avenue to success. In order to achieve
    educational excellence for every child, there's got to be a multiplicity
    of approaches. That's why I believe so strongly in local control of
    schools. The people of Cleveland and the State of Ohio decided that one
    of the approaches they wanted to take was to encourage a voucher system
    to be implemented. That was a local decision, and the Supreme Court of
    the United States gave a great victory to parents and students
    throughout the Nation by upholding the decisions made by local folks
    here in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. It is a constructive approach to
    improving public education. We're interested in aiming toward excellence
    for every child. And the voucher system is a part of the strategy to
    achieve that here in Cleveland.
         One of my jobs is to make sure that we continue to insist upon
    reform, to take this court decision and encourage others to make the
    same decision at the local level. One way to do so is through tax
    credits, which is now in my budget. I urge Congress, when we debate how
    to improve public education, to pass the tax credit so parents will have
    more flexibility and more choices when it comes to the education of
    their children, particularly K-through-12.
         I also--the Supreme Court in 1954 declared that our Nation cannot
    have two education systems. And that was the right decision--can't have
    two systems, one for African Americans and one for Whites. Last week,
    what's notable and important is that the Court declared that our Nation
    will not accept one education system for those who can afford to send
    their children to a school of their choice and for those who can't. And
    that's just as historic.
         I think by continuing to focus on high standards and results and
    local control of schools, we can all work together to make sure no child
    is left behind.
         And by the way, I had the honor of meeting Roberta Kitchen today. She should be giving the speech, not me.
    Where's Roberta? Hi, Roberta. Roberta is a mom of five children, and her
    passion is a passion which is shared by moms all across America. Her
    passion is pretty simple: ``I want my children to go to a safe school
    where he or she can realize their full potential.'' Roberta, thank you
    for your love for your children. I appreciate you.
         We also have got to do a better job of bringing the American Dream
    to all Americans by encouraging homeownership. There is a--we've got a
    homeownership gap in America. Let's face it. Over 75 percent of White
    Americans own their home, and less than 50 percent of Hispanos and
    African Americans don't own their home. And that's a gap. That's a
    homeownership gap, and we've got to do something about it.
         One of the barriers to homeownership is the cost of downpayment.
    And I'm working with Congress right now to have a downpayment assistance
    program to help the homeowner be able to afford the downpayment.
         I also believe that a barrier to entry is education. There's a lot
    of folks who, when they look at the fine print in the contract, don't
    quite understand what it means. Not only do we need to simplify the
    contracts, we've got to make sure that there's an outreach program to
    educate first-time homebuyers on what it means to own a home and how you
    do it, not to get nervous about the fine print, but to realize what's in
    the fine print so that the people can make good decisions. We've got
    money in the budget to do that. We want to work with the faith-

    [[Page 1158]]

    based community to encourage the education of people to understand what
    it means to own a home.
         I'm also working with the private sector to make sure they do their
    part. It's in the national realtors' interests, or the national
    homebuilders' interests that we encourage minority ownership of homes.
    We're trying to increase the demand for homes. One way to do that is to
    work with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to encourage capital, so that
    there's more money in the private sector for first-time homebuyers. We
    need billions of more dollars available for those who want to realize
    the dream. They have made the commitment to do so.
         And finally, we need legislation, tax credit legislation that will
    increase the supply of homes, affordable homes all across the country,
    affordable homes in inner-city Cleveland, where people are able to find
    a home and realize their dreams.
         The goal for this country is that by 2010 we have 5.5 million new
    minority homeowners. And when that happens--you watch what happens when
    these neighborhoods will become revitalized. It'll help the public
    school systems; it'll create such a sense of hope. This is a noble goal
    and one that I fervently believe we can achieve and must achieve to make
    America a better place.
         We've got work to do. The Senate has got work to do, in passing a
    reauthorization of the welfare reform bill. One of the great success
    stories in recent past has been to reform welfare so as we reduce
    dependency upon Government. And that's important. See, we believe in the
    worth of each individual and believe if we help people, they can realize
    their full potential.
         And it starts with finding work. It starts with a job. If somebody
    works, they're more likely to be able to realize dreams, to realize
    their God-given potential. And so we've got to continue to employ the
    resources and the vision to helping people find work. I believe work
    ought to be an incredibly important part, ought to be the standard by
    which welfare reform has been judged. And our society must work with
    local folks to implement strategies that will help people find work.
         Listen, the Government is willing to pay for re-education. The
    Government is willing to pay for job training. But we need people at--
    the local people, just right like you do out here in Cleveland, to take
    the hand of somebody in need and say, ``How can we help you? How can we
    help you realize the independence of finding--and the dignity, by the
    way--of finding work?''
         I want to thank the employers in Cleveland for showing
    responsibility by helping on the welfare-to-work initiative. And I want
    to thank the faith-based programs for taking the resources available and
    to help people find work. We've got to continue--we've got to continue
    to promote work as part of a independent--independent--to encourage
    independence. And at the same time we do so, we've got to teach people
    the values of marriage and family.
         And speaking about responsible society, one of the key things we've
    got to do here in America is make sure that all of us are responsible
    for the decisions we make, especially in this day and age, the CEOs of
    corporate America. We need to make sure that when the people put out
    their balance sheets, when people put out the facts and figures, there's
    no question about their veracity. There's no question that they're true
    numbers.
         You see, in order to keep the job base increasing in America, there
    must be trust. And some have violated the trust. They haven't assumed
    their responsibility. I expect there to be responsibility at all levels
    in our society. And I intend to fully enforce the law when people cheat
    on the balance sheets of corporate America. We laid out an initiative in
    March to provide better information to investors, to make corporate
    officers accountable and responsible, to make sure that there's an
    independent auditing system, make sure this business

    [[Page 1159]]

    about conflict of interest is eradicated. We need to rebuild the
    confidence in our job-creating system.
         Now, you need to know that by far the vast majority--by far--of
    corporate America are above board and doing their jobs just the way
    you'd expect them to do, that they treat their investors, their
    shareholders, and employees the way you'd want them to. And that's
    important for America to know. It's also important to know we're going
    after those who aren't and hold them accountable.
         Our economy, the foundation of our economy is strong. We've got
    good fiscal policy, good monetary policy. We just now got to get this--
    get trust built back in the country's leadership, which we will. We
    will. And one way to do it is to bring some of these folks to justice
    who have violated their trust. And we'll do that too.
         I also want you to know that my philosophy really does trust the
    American people. I trust people when it comes to--the parents when it
    comes to educating their children. I trust people when it comes to
    making right decisions about whether to own a home. I trust people when
    it comes to helping find work. The strength of this country is really
    not in our halls of Government; it's in the hearts and souls of the
    American people. That's really why America is so strong a nation as we
    are today.
         I also believe that--in the power of faith in people's lives, and
    that when we find people who have lost hope, maybe as a result of
    addiction or despair, that one way to help change America is to
    encourage those who have heard the call to love a neighbor to go love
    their fellow citizen. See, I've got great faith in America because I
    know our society can change one heart, one person at a time. And I know
    there are millions of soldiers in the armies of compassion who are
    willing to do just that. The Faith-Based Initiative that you've probably
    read about means this: Our Government should not fear programs which
    exist because of--a church or a synagogue or a mosque has decided to
    start one; we should not discriminate against programs based upon faith
    in America; we should enable them to access Federal money, because
    faith-based programs can change peoples lives, and America will be
    better off for it.
         I urge the Congress to get the bill on my desk that does two
    things: One, allows for faith-based programs to compete for taxpayers'
    money to help change people's lives; and secondly, allows nonitemizers
    to receive a deduction on their income taxes when they give money to a
    charity. We need to do everything we can to encourage the strength of
    America, to help change America for the better.
         Now, out of the evil done to America is going to come some
    incredible good here. I believe it. I believe that our citizens, many
    citizens are now hearing the call that a true patriot is somebody who
    serves something greater than themselves. A true patriot is somebody who
    asks a neighbor in need, ``What can I do to help?'' A patriot is
    somebody who understands that life is more--that life is complete when
    you make a sacrifice for somebody else.
         That certainly came home to a lot of Americans when Flight 93 was
    driven into the ground by citizens--normal, everyday citizens--who
    realized the plane they were on would be a weapon. And I want to remind
    you of what happened on that flight. They told their loved ones goodbye.
    They said a prayer, and they made the ultimate sacrifice for somebody
    else. That's the American spirit, as far as I'm concerned, the notion
    that in order--[applause].
        And it is that spirit which is exhibited every day in our country
    when people say, ``I think I want to mentor a child,'' and do so, and
    when people help an elderly shut-in, when people deliver food. It's the
    millions of acts of kindness and decency which define America, which
    show the true face of this great country--and I mean a great country.

    [[Page 1160]]

         It's a great honor to be the President of the greatest nation on
    the face of the Earth. Thank you for coming today, and God bless.

      Note:  The President spoke at 11:29 a.m. at the Playhouse Square
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Jane L. Campbell of
    Cleveland; Fannie M. Lewis, Cleveland City councilwoman, ward 7; and
    Alex Machaskee, board chairman, United Way of Greater Cleveland. The
    President also referred to Title I of the Improving America's Schools
    Act of 1994 (Public Law No. 103-382), which amended Title I of the
    Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public Law No. 89-10).
    The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of these remarks.