[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
[May 4, 2004]
[Pages 740-754]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session in Dayton, Ohio
May 4, 2004
The President. Thank you all. Please be seated. Mind if I take off
my coat? I think I will. Listen, thank you all for coming. I'm thrilled
to be here. I'm sorry I'm a little late. I got a little windy up in
Toledo. [Laughter] But I appreciate you coming by for what we call a
conversation. I'm going to talk a little bit. Some fellow citizens here
are going to talk a little bit about their lives in order to better
illustrate our vision for an America that is safer and stronger and
better. And if we've got some time, I'll answer some questions. Then
I've got to get on the bus. [Laughter] The bus driver said, ``If you
talk too long, I'm pulling out of here.'' [Laughter]
I'm here to let you know that I want to serve as your President for
4 more years. [Applause] Thank you all. And I want to tell you why. I'm
here to explain the reason why. We've got a job to do, a job to make
sure this country is as safe as it can be, as strong as it should be,
and as compassionate as it will be.
I'm also here to let you know that I need your help, that I need
your help in convincing your neighbors to register to vote, to do their
duty as Americans to vote.
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And don't be afraid to talk to people from the other party or people who
may not be affiliated with any party, because our message is positive
and optimistic and hopeful for every single American.
The good news is Laura W. Bush wants to serve
for 4 more years as well. I regret she's not here. I talked to her on
the plane earlier this morning. She said to send her very best. She is
a--I'm a lucky guy. She's a great wife, a wonderful mother, and a
fabulous First Lady of the United States. She's come to recognize what I
know about the job, is that we can make a difference in people's lives,
a positive difference. She is very much involved with encouraging
teachers to teach, saying to people, ``Look, if you're looking for a
second career, say, if you served in the military and you're looking for
something to do, get into the classroom and make a difference in some
child's life.'' She understands the importance of reading. She was a
public school librarian when I met her. She didn't like politics, and
she didn't like politicians. [Laughter] Look where she is. [Laughter]
She can speak to freedom and the importance
of freedom in societies like--she has the ability to speak to the women
of Afghanistan like she did on a radio broadcast. Listen, Laura
understands what I know: It's a high privilege to serve the people of
this country, and it's a fantastic opportunity to make the country as
best as it can possibly be. She sends her best. She is--look, the best
reason to put me back in there is so she's got 4 more years. [Laughter]
When you're out talking to your neighbors, remind them that I have
put together a really good team to serve the country, people from all
walks of life, men and women in positions of high responsibility, people
from different backgrounds, people who are honorable citizens who have
come to serve not their self-interest but to serve our country.
I got a great Vice President I'm running with in Dick
Cheney. I remember being at a rally with my
mother--Mother is still, you'll be happy to
hear, a little feisty and outspoken at times. [Laughter] I said, ``Dick
Cheney is the finest Vice President our country has ever had.''
[Laughter] You can imagine what Mother said. [Laughter]
I appreciate Congressman Dave Hobson for
being here today. Where are you, Big Dave? Thank you, sir. Glad you're
here--a fine Member of the House, a strong ally, and a good man.
Appreciate you coming, Dave. I want to thank Congressman Mike
Turner. I see you, Mike. I'm proud you're
here, Mike.
I know Jennette Bradley is with us,
and Joe Deters, members of the State--there
they go. Good to see you all. Thanks for coming, Governor and Joe. Majority Whip Jeff Jacobson and State Rep. Jon Husted--where
are you both? Oh, there they go. Thought you'd get a better seat than
that. [Laughter] Sign up a few more volunteers. [Laughter]
Listen, I want to thank Bob Bennett,
the Ohio party chairman. I want to thank all the grassroots activists
that are here. I need your help. I'm going to say it again. I'm here
really to say, let's get after it. I want to win. I want to do
everything I can to make sure this country is as safe as it can possibly
be, and that's my most solemn duty. It was a duty that came home loud
and clear on September the 11th, 2001. My job is to rally our Government
to protect Americans from harm.
And we're working hard to do so. We changed the whole attitude in
Washington about sharing intelligence between agencies, buttoning up the
country as best as we possibly can. I think they're doing a darn good
job at the airports. I know it's inconvenient, but it's all part of
doing our duty to make this country secure. We have to be correct 100
percent of the time in order to protect America. The enemy has got to be
right once, which really says that the best way to secure the homeland
is to chase these killers down, one at a time, and bring them to
justice.
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I've got a plan to win the war on terror. We're making progress.
We're not in this battle alone. First, just understand the nature of the
war. Some say, ``Well, this is just a matter of law enforcement and
intelligence.'' No, that's not what it is. It's an issue that requires
all our assets. It's an issue that requires the nature of the enemy if
we're going to be able to solve the problem. These are coldblooded
killers. They could care less about innocence or guilt. They have no
conscience. There's no need to negotiate with them. You can't convince
them of the error of their ways. This country must be strong and
resolute, and we must never falter in the face of this enemy if we
expect to secure the homeland.
It is essential that America lead through strength on this issue,
lead by using all the assets we have at our disposal, not just some. It
is important that when an American President speaks, he means what he
says. It's important for the President to be clear in his language and
resolute in the intention. That's when I said that--for example, when I
said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the
terrorist''--once you say that, you better be willing to act on it. We
were willing to act on it, and now the Taliban is no longer in power in
Afghanistan.
Part of the war on terror is chasing Al Qaida down, and about two-
thirds of their known leaders have been brought to justice, which is
positive. The rest of them know we're breathing down their neck. Part of
the war is to make sure there's no safe haven. And so, by removing the
Taliban out of Afghanistan and introducing democracy into this country,
Al Qaida lost safe haven.
But something else happened that's incredibly important for
particularly the young to understand. The Taliban were incredibly
barbaric people. They were so backward that many young girls never got
to go to school. That's hard to envision, isn't it, for an American to
say, ``Gosh, what is it like to live in a country where young girls are
denied an education?'' But that's the way they were. So not only did we
deny safe haven, not only did we do what we said we're going to do, but
now young girls have a chance to succeed in Afghanistan, thanks to the
United States of America and our friends and allies. We're liberators.
We care deeply about human freedom and the human condition.
The President must always remember the lessons learned from
September the 11th. And here's the lesson learned for this country, that
when we see a threat, we cannot let it gather, that if we see a threat
to our security, we can no longer hope it goes away. We can no longer
say, ``Gosh, maybe the tyrant will change his mind.'' We don't have that
luxury anymore. September the 11th taught us that we must deal with
threats before they fully materialize.
I saw a threat in Iraq and--by looking at the intelligence.
Congress, by the way, looked at the same intelligence, the same
intelligence I looked at. They saw a threat. The United Nations Security
Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat. The threat we
saw was based upon not only the intelligence but based upon the prior
behavior of Mr. Saddam Hussein, a person who
clearly hated America. He's a person that had used weapons of mass
destruction against his own people and against people in his
neighborhood. He's a person that had terrorist ties. After all, he's the
person that paid suiciders money to blow up innocent lives in the Middle
East. He was a tyrant to his own people.
No, we saw a threat, and the United Nations Security Council, if you
remember, said, ``Disarm, or face serious consequences.'' That's what
the U.N. Security Council said, with America's vote. When America says
something, it better mean it. And so when we said, ``Disarm,'' to Saddam
Hussein, we meant it. He chose defiance once
again. He refused to comply with the demands of the free world. Given
his history, given the fact that he was a madman,
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I was faced with the choice of whether to take his word or defend
America. I will defend America every time.
First of all, if any of you have a loved one in the military, I want
to thank you for your patience and your understanding. And I want to
thank them for their sacrifice and service.
The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power, and so are the Iraqi people. They long to be
free. They want to be free. Moms and dads in Iraq want to raise their
children in a peaceful world. They want their children, just like we
want our children, to grow up and realize dreams and aspirations. That's
what they want. There's a few people there who are trying to stop the
advance of freedom, and that's what we're facing.
It's tough work. It's been a hard couple of months for the American
people. But I want you to know what I've told family members of--who
have lost a loved one: Your son or daughter sacrificed for something
incredibly important, which is freedom and peace. A free society in Iraq
will lead to a more peaceful world. Not only have we removed a threat to
America, but we now have a chance to spread freedom into a part of the
world that is desperate for freedom. Free societies are peaceful
societies. Free societies are hopeful societies. The long-term interest
of this country, the long-term interest of the world revolve around
whether or not we have the courage and the resolve and the determination
to spread freedom in the Middle East, starting in Iraq. We have that
resolve.
We have a plan. We have a plan to make Iraq more secure. Our troops
will get what they need to do their job. Our troops will receive the
help. And we have a plan to turn over sovereignty to the Iraqi--to an
Iraqi entity. That's what we said we're going to do. When America
speaks, it's got to mean what it says. Everybody is watching us--
everybody is watching.
I love to tell the story about a dinner with Prime Minister
Koizumi. Maybe this will help put this in
perspective. Prime Minister Koizumi is the Prime Minister of Japan. And
we were having dinner in Tokyo, and we were talking about how we can
work together to make the world more peaceful, starting with how to make
sure that the Korean Peninsula is peaceful by keeping pressure on Kim
Chong-il not to develop a nuclear weapon. See,
the mutual goal is not to--is to keep the Korean Peninsula nuclear-
weapons free. That's important. You can imagine. Kim Chong-il is a
tyrant. He's a danger. Here I was talking to the Prime Minister of a
country that was at war with the United States, had attacked our
country, and it dawned on me that if we had gotten it wrong after World
War II, I might not have been having this conversation about how to keep
the peace. Also during the conversation, I realized that when we get it
right in Iraq--and we will--when Iraq is free, someday an American
President will be having the discussion with the duly elected official
of Iraq about how to work together to bring peace in a troubled region
of the world.
What we're doing is historic in nature. We have a chance to change
the world for the better. We have a chance to spread freedom in parts of
the world that are desperate for freedom. And as a result, America will
have short-term security and long-term security.
Let me tell you something about freedom. It's a cornerstone of our
foreign policy. One of the reasons I believe I need to be your President
for 4 more years is because I understand that freedom is not America's
gift to the world; freedom is the almighty God's gift to each man and
woman in this world, and we have an obligation--[applause]. Thank you
all.
A stronger America is also important for our future. I have a
vision, a clear vision as to how to keep our country strong. It starts
with making sure the economy is strong, and I've got to tell you, I'm
one optimistic fellow about our economy. And
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the reason why is I know what we have overcome. We've overcome a lot.
Think about what this country has been through in the last 3 years.
We've been through a recession that started in early 2001. That means we
were going backwards. It's hard to be a worker in an industry that has
been beset by recession. It's hard to be a small-business owner if
you're worried about the future. It was a negative period of time.
We started overcoming that, and the enemy hit us, and that hurt our
economy too. It not only changed how we've got to view the world; it
hurt our economy. It just did.
And then we started coming out of that, and we realized there were
some citizens in our country who forgot what it meant to be responsible
citizens. In other words, they didn't tell the truth. We had some
corporate wrongdoers. We had a corporate scandal that shook our
confidence. When you can't believe the numbers you're reading, if you're
an investor or a worker, an employee, or an officer, it shakes your
confidence about the American system. We dealt with it. We passed tough
laws and made it clear we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the
boardrooms of America.
As well the march to war in Iraq affected capital markets and
affected the optimism of the country. Imagine seeing on your TV screens
the words ``March to War.'' ``America is marching to war.'' And if
you're a planner or a small-business owner or somebody looking for work,
it's a pretty negative environment in which to be making decisions. No,
marching to war is not a positive thought. We're now marching to peace,
and yet, we've overcome all those obstacles in a short period of time.
This economy of ours today is strong, and it's getting stronger. And
the question is, how do we keep it strong as we go into the next decade?
I say it's strong--first quarter growth was 4.2 percent. That's strong.
That's good. Well, I say it's strong--we increased jobs nationwide by
308,000 in the month of March. New jobs here in Ohio are increasing in
the month of March. I say it's strong--today there's a report out that
showed that factory orders is up by 4.3 percent, the largest order
increase in 2 years. In other words, there's indication after
indication--it's strong. More people--the homeownership rate is the
highest it's ever been in our Nation's history. That's good. We want
more people owning something. This administration understands that if
you own something, if you own your business, if you own your home,
you're going to have a vital interest in the future of this country.
No, the indications are good. There are still people who hurt, and I
understand that. There are people in parts of Ohio who haven't felt the
recovery yet, but we're getting better. And we've got to make sure we
have progrowth policies. I'm running because I want to make sure the
progrowth agenda doesn't get disrupted.
What do you mean by that? Well, I believe strongly that one of the
reasons why this economy is as strong as it is, is because we cut taxes,
because the more people--we're going to hear from some couples in a
minute about what--a couple--about what it meant to cut taxes. But we
cut taxes. Let me tell you, when you have more money in your pocket, it
generally increases demand for a good or a service. And when demand goes
up, somebody is going to meet that good or a service, which means
somebody is more likely to have a job or to find work. That's what that
means. It was an important part--I like to tell people that this
economic growth we're seeing is the result of tax relief--partially
because of tax relief, and it shows that the American people are
spending their money far better than the Federal Government would have.
Some in Washington don't like that rhetoric. They think the Federal
Government can spend it better than you can. That's just a difference of
opinion. You better be careful in a campaign if somebody starts
promising spending. Heck, we've got 6
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months to go, and the fellow I'm running against
is already over a trillion dollars in new programs. We're counting them
up. He says he's going to pay for it by tax on the rich. You can't tax
the rich enough to pay for all his promises. So guess who's going to
pay? You're going to pay. And we're not going to let him do that,
though. That would be terrible for the economy. The American people
don't need a tax increase.
The question is, who has got the vision to make sure this country is
the strongest economic nation in the world? I'm going to argue I do.
See, the way to make sure we're strong and people can find work is to
make sure this is the best place to do business in the world; this is
the best place for people to risk capital; this is the best place for
people to realize their dreams by starting their own business. That's
what this campaign is about in the future--means we better get tort
reform, better make sure that we do not have frivolous or junk lawsuits
that make it difficult for people to be able to make a living.
And that includes medical liability reform. In order to make sure
that we can grow our economy, in order to make sure people are able to
feel comfortable about expanding their job base, we've got to do
something about the cost of health care. Frivolous and junk lawsuits run
up the cost of health care. They make health care more--less affordable
and less accessible. The Congress needs to act. You need a President who
is willing to push for medical liability reform in Washington, DC.
We need to continue to promote health savings accounts, which make
sure that customers and docs have got the--patients and docs have got
the proper relationship. We want the patient-doctor relationship to be
the center of decisionmaking in health care, not Federal bureaucracy. We
want to promote association health care plans to make sure small
businesses are able to better afford health care.
Listen, the vision has got to be to make sure this is a good place
to do business and that the ingredients are available for the
entrepreneurial spirit to be strong. That's why we need an energy plan.
We don't have an energy plan. It's stuck in the United States Congress.
We need a plan that promotes alternative sources of energy. Look,
I'd love to be the President someday to be able to say, ``The corn crop
is good. Therefore, we're less dependent on foreign sources of energy.''
I'd like to be able to grow energy, but it's going to take a while to
get the research and development to kick in.
We need alternative sources of energy. We need to promote clean coal
technology. We need to use the resources we've got. We ought to be
exploring for more natural gas at home. We ought to be using our
technology to encourage the spread of safe nuclear power. We ought to
be, on all fronts, making sure we--but my point is this--my point is
this: We can encourage conservation; we can encourage reliable supplies
of energy; and we must do so to become less dependent on foreign sources
of energy. If we expect to be competitive, we've got to have an energy
plan.
Two other things I want to talk about right quick. One is, there's a
lot of talk about trade. I'm going to tell you something: I need to be
President to reject economic isolationism from taking hold in America.
We should not isolate ourselves from the world. That would be bad for
workers. It would be bad for long-term economic growth.
Presidents before me have made the decision to open up our markets
so consumers benefit from trade. You see, if you're a consumer here in
America and you've got different options from which to choose, you're
generally going to get better price and better quality. That's the way
the economy works. But what hasn't happened is, foreign markets haven't
opened up like ours have.
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The message I give to the American people is, in order for us to
grow our job base and to stay competitive and stay strong, is for us not
to fear competition but to welcome it, so long as there's a level
playing field. We can compete with anybody. Our workers are productive.
Our farmers and ranchers are great. Our high-tech industry is
imaginative and strong. The policy of Government ought to be to open up
new markets for American entrepreneurs and businesspeople and farmers
and ranchers. We can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere.
Government must put good policy in place that encourages the spread
of innovative technology. My dream is for everybody in America to have
broadband technology in their home by the year 2007. This is--broadband
technology, if done right, is going to revolutionize education and
health care. It will make this society more entrepreneurial, make the
people of America more productive. It's a great way--a great
opportunity. We had a good break. The Senate passed a moratorium on
access taxes to broadband. My view is there ought to be not any taxes on
broadband. If you want it to spread across the country, don't tax it.
Plus we've got to get rid of regulatory hurdles so that it spreads
around. Innovative society--an innovative society is one that's
necessary for us to compete, but there are problems with an innovative
society. We're going to talk a little bit about the opportunities and
the challenges that an innovative society provides.
Let me put it to you this way: Technology races through our economy,
and it makes us more competitive. There are new ideas, but workers lag.
Some industries are old. Some new industries spring up. But the
transition from the old industry to the new industry is a difficult
transition for many of our workers. We will not be a productive leader
in the world if we don't get our education systems right.
On the one hand, we've got to make sure our youngsters learn to read
and write and add and subtract early, before it is too late. And that's
why the No Child Left Behind Act that I had the honor of signing is a
really good start. We're challenging the soft bigotry of low
expectations. We're shutting down this business of simply shuffling kids
through the system. We're making sure they learn to read early, before
it's too late, and they're getting help if they need help. We're going
to raise the bar. We're going to make sure every child from every
background gets as good an education as possible.
But you've got to also understand there are workers in this world
who are working for companies that--where the job base is dwindling. And
yet, there are also jobs in the neighborhood, and we need to use the
community college system in a wise way to make sure that we train people
for the jobs of the 21st century. We'll talk about this in a minute. But
what I'm telling you about--a vision that understands America's role in
the world is one that says, ``Education is the cornerstone--practical
education to make sure the workers get the training they need to be
productive workers as our economy transition to the 21st century
economy.''
Finally, let me tell you about how to make America a better place.
The President has got to understand the proper role between Government
and compassion--between--the proper role between Government and the
strength of the country. The strength of this country is the hearts and
souls of the American citizens. That's our strength.
The Government is not a loving organization. I'm sure there's loving
people in Government. I'm one. [Laughter] But Government, itself, is not
loving. Government is law and justice. Love comes when somebody--a soul
says, ``What can I do to make my community a better place? What can I do
to mentor a child? What can I do to love my neighbor just like I'd like
to be loved myself?'' I need to be President for 4 more years to rally
that spirit, to
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call upon that great strength of America so our society changes, one
heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.
Let me talk a little bit about some of the people I've had the honor
of meeting. I met the Berkeys, Kim and
Becky. They're with us today. Kim is a cargo
handler at Menlo Forwarding. Is that right?
Kim Berkey. [Inaudible]
The President. Yes. And Becky is with
him, his wife. They--they're a tax--I call them a tax family. The reason
why is because they saved money, $1,900, from the tax cut. That's $1,900
of their own money they get to keep, not like the Government--and it's
1,900 this year too.
See, we raised the child credit to $1,000, which helped people raise
families. It's an important part of the tax relief. We reduced the
marriage penalty. We got a Tax Code that penalizes marriage. It seems to
me it sends the wrong signal. We ought to be encouraging marriage and
family, not penalizing marriage.
They saved $1,900.
It's a lot of money to them--at least that's what they told me. If
Congress doesn't act, there's going to be a tax increase on these folks.
It doesn't make any sense, does it, to be raising taxes on them at this
point when the economy begins to grow. And $1,900, it gives them more
money to pay down credit. It gives them more money to take care of their
family.
Is that right? What did you do with all that money?
Mr. Berkey. Well, mostly we used it just to
pay off some bills, much like most of our friends, because raising a
family is very expensive nowadays. I brought my three children, and as
you can see, just feeding them guys took most of that $800. [Laughter]
The President. Good-looking family you got there. Thanks for coming.
If they don't move--Congress doesn't move, they're going to have an increase of about $900 taxes. I don't
know what that would do to you. I'm not a lawyer, but that's a leading
question, isn't it? [Laughter] Go ahead. Speak up, Mom.
Becky Berkey. Any kind of an increase is
just going to make things tighter. You know, I like to have the money
here.
The President. See, we've got money in Washington. We just have to
set our priorities. I've laid out a plan to cut this deficit in half in
5 years, but Congress is going to have to be careful about how they
spend your money. It's a plan that prioritizes the military, prioritizes
defending the homeland, but it's a plan that says to Congress, you know,
``Be wise about using the people's money.'' I don't have to worry about
these two Congressmen. They're wise about the money.
But we don't need to be taking money out of these people's pockets,
see? We don't need a bunch of promisers in Washington, DC, who say,
``Well, I better fulfill my promise by taxing these good folks.'' It's
not only bad for them; it's bad for the overall economy. Taking $900 out
of their pocket affects the economy. And we're beginning to grow, and it
requires--what this Nation needs is a person who understands how
economies grow. Governments don't make economies grow. People make
economies grow, and these people need to get their money.
Thank you all for coming.
When you're talking to your friends and neighbors about the tax
rhetoric, remind them that an essential part of a vibrant economy is the
small-business sector. Seventy percent of new jobs are created by small-
business owners in America. That's pretty good, isn't it? So if you're
worried about job creation in Ohio, you better stay focused on small-
business owners.
And we've got an owner with us. Dave Dysinger owns his own business. Isn't that exciting to hear, ``I
own''--can you imagine saying, ``I own my own business?'' It's exciting
words for the entrepreneur, ``I own my business--it's my business.'' He
owns his. And I just want to--you've just got to tell
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your neighbors the truth about the tax relief. When you cut rates,
overall rates for everybody, you're really affecting small business,
because most small businesses are sole proprietorships or Subchapter S
corporations. So when you hear people say, ``I'm going to tax the
rich,'' really what they're saying--they may try to tax the rich. The
rich generally have good accountants so they don't get taxed much, and
the small businesses will take the brunt of the tax-the-rich scheme. And
that hurts our economy.
Dave, tell us about your business.
[Dave Dysinger, president, Dysinger, Inc., Dayton, OH, made brief
remarks, concluding as follows.]
Mr. Dysinger. We are back in a growth
cycle. We're up to 21 employees now. We expect to hire 10 more and 20
next year.
The President. There you go.
Mr. Dysinger. So we're moving.
The President. We care about outsourcing in America. We want people
working here, but the wrong policy would have been, ``Let's go through
economic isolationist policy. Let's wall us off from the world.''
Instead, the right policy was to stimulate growth at home.
See, he's helping make my point. My point
is, let us be confident about ourselves. Let's put the right policies in
place that encourage growth at home. Here's a fellow that--his business
dropped, and it's now on the upswing. Did you notice he said he's going
to hire 10 people this year? There's a lot of Daves in America. There's
a lot of small businesses who are feeling the way he's feeling. Seventy
percent of new jobs are created by the small-business sector of the
economy, and you just heard an entrepreneur say 10 this year, 15 next
year? Twenty next year?
Mr. Dysinger. Twenty next year.
The President. Do I hear 25?
Mr. Dysinger. I hope.
The President. Not yet. I want Dave to
explain his investment strategy. Are you going to make any investments?
Mr. Dysinger. Yes, to make room for the
people, we're going to have to add facility, so we expect to double our
facility size this year. And we need to buy--we're going to buy some
used machinery and some new machinery. We expect to spend probably $2
million over the next 12 months.
The President. Right. Let me tell you about the connection between
what he just said--and by the way, part of
his decisionmaking was because he's optimistic about expanding. I
suspect part of his decisionmaking had to do with the bonus depreciation
you got in the tax bill. In other words, there was an incentive to
encourage people to invest.
Mr. Dysinger. That's right.
The President. Yes, see. That's a leading question. I already knew
the answer. But let me--[laughter]--but the reason I bring that up is
that when you hear Dave say he's going to buy
some equipment or invest, somebody has got to make the equipment. In
other words, he said, ``I want to--I'm increasing demand for
equipment.'' And somebody is going to respond to his demand, and when
they make the equipment, somebody has got to be employed to do so. And
if the person making the equipment has got more orders than the previous
year, it may mean that he is expanding as well.
So here is Dave saying, ``I'm expanding.
I need to invest.'' The person who he is buying from also may be now in
a position to--and that's how the economy works. It starts with
influencing the decision--in this case, of a small-business
entrepreneur--by good tax policy, and I think it happens to be good
economic policy to be optimistic and confident about our future. And
it's his decision, not the Government's decision. It's his decision that
stimulates further economic growth and vitality.
[[Page 749]]
I want to thank you for being an entrepreneur. I wish you all the
best in your business.
Mr. Dysinger. I'd like to thank you also.
The fact is, I'm proud and grateful to be an American. And I am very
thankful for the leadership you bring to us here in these hard times.
The President. Thank you, sir. [Applause] Thank you all. Thank you
all. Let me--thanks. Thanks a lot, Dave. I'm
glad I invited you. [Laughter]
I mentioned the role of community colleges. We've got a plan called
the Jobs for the 21st Century, and an integral part of that is to make
sure the Workforce Investment Act actually gets money to people who are
looking for work. And a key component of a job strategy has got to be to
rely upon your asset base. And we've got a great asset base at the
community colleges. Community colleges are flexible. They're affordable.
They're available. And the thing I love about community colleges, when
they're run right, they're able to match employer demand with employees
that want to work. In other words, they're able to train somebody for
jobs which actually exist. And part of our focus is to empower community
colleges to enter collaborative efforts with local employers.
If you happen to be on the chamber of commerce, by the way, and
you've got a community college around, use it to attract industry.
People want to make sure they've got trained workers. Use your community
colleges.
We've got Steve Johnson with us. You
probably think I'm going to pick him because he got his Ph.D. from the
University of Texas. No, that's not why we got him. We got him because
he's running Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.
My fellow Texan--no--tell us about
your community college.
[Steven Lee Johnson, president, Sinclair Community College, made brief
remarks.]
The President. What he's telling you is, is that--notice he
mentioned Dave's name. He is available to design a curriculum that helps Dave and,
at the same time, helps the workers.
One of the interesting areas--one of the things I find around the
country is that there's great demand in the health care field in America
today. In other words, old jobs are being replaced by new jobs.
Is that the case here or not?
Dr. Johnson. That's the case. In fact,
a lot of the support that Sinclair has received over the years from
Federal grants, National Science Foundation, Department of Labor grants,
Department of Education grants, has allowed us to revamp and overhaul
our curriculum, has allowed us to put in technology training programs
that are for today and for tomorrow.
The President. Yes. The Federal Government helps. It sets
priorities. You know, there's displaced workers--money to help displaced
workers. If a community gets hit hard by a layoff, there's money
available to help the community colleges train people for jobs which
exist. Part of the problem we have in America is there are jobs that are
available, and people just aren't trained to meet them.
The other interesting thing about our country and the economy today
and where the community colleges provide a very important role is that
we're becoming a more productive society. In other words, there's the
premium on being a productive worker, which requires different kinds of
skill sets than you had in the past. In other words, envision going from
the shovel to the backhoe. You had to learn how to drive the backhoe,
and when you did, you were incredibly more productive than you were with
a shovel. It's that same equivalent that's taking place throughout our
economy right now. We're in a time of transition, and community colleges
help workers become more productive.
But productivity increases for a worker means higher pay. The more
productive a
[[Page 750]]
society you are, the more your standard of living goes up. And so one of
the things that we're going to talk about here in a minute is how a
particular individual can become more productive through going to the
community college and then enhance her standard of living.
Have you got anything else you want to offer, Steve?
Dr. Johnson. Just one other thing,
President Bush----
The President. I thought you had something on the tip of your
tongue.
Dr. Johnson. I just have one thing.
You know how we are. I just want to say that you are very--we really
appreciate your support of community colleges and of Sinclair Community
College. And you are very complimentary, and you do know--I want to
point out that it's the community leaders in this room that built
Sinclair Community College, maintain Sinclair Community College. And
that's the story across America, local leaders building colleges to
serve the needs of today and tomorrow.
The President. Yes, and that's the way it should be, by the way. The
Federal Government can help on targeted assistance. We can help with
collaborative efforts, but like public schools, community colleges need
to be run by the local folks. You don't want to Federalize education.
Thank you.
Ready? Okay, I want you to hear, I think, an amazing story. Nancy
Scott is with us. Nancy, thank you for coming.
Mother of three--I think she's got the toughest job in America. She's a
single mother of three. That's hard work. Nancy, tell us what you did,
where you went to school, and what you're doing, please.
[Nancy Scott made brief remarks.]
The President. Okay, let me stop you. I know you're just getting
wound up, and there's nothing worse than--[laughter]. She goes back to school. First of all, Government can't
make Nancy Scott go back to school. She's got to want to succeed,
herself. She has a great spirit.
There's help available. Pell grants are important. I'm a big
supporter of Pell grants. It makes sense to help people go back to
school.
And the third thing that you just heard her
say is her income doubled. In other words, she became a more productive
worker. She gained new skills, skills that are more applicable to the
21st century jobs that are now being created, and her income doubled.
People have got to understand that helping a worker become more
productive not only helps fill jobs but, more importantly, helps the
worker and her family, in this case, to double her income.
Go ahead.
Ms. Scott. I would just like to add that,
other than that, my family and friends here and in New York are praying
for you, Mr. President.
The President. Thank you. I appreciate you saying that.
Ms. Scott. And we stand behind you.
The President. Thanks a lot. I'm honored. Thank you for coming. I
appreciate you.
That's--isn't that a fabulous story? See, that's the story of the
21st century. We need to continue stories like this as we--as our
economy changes. There are a lot of people like Nancy who want to meet their obligations and their
responsibilities and want to be helped so they can become productive. I
love the story of Nancy Scott. I meet people like that all the time. The
community college is an essential part of making sure that we're
competitive in the future by enabling our workers, who are the best in
the world, to have the skills necessary to compete. That's what we're
talking about.
Let me--I'm fixing to go to--fixing to get on the bus. I do want to
answer some questions before I get out of here. Here's your chance.
Yes, ma'am.
[[Page 751]]
Support for Troops in Iraq
Q. Yes--my husband is serving in Iraq----
The President. Your husband is in Iraq now?
Q. Right.
The President. Thank you. What's he doing?
Q. He's with the civil affairs, and he supports you 100 percent for
being there. And I support you, and his family supports you for being
there. My question is, is there any plans of getting out the personnel
vehicles from the Vietnam era to help with the protection from the--
until the Humvees get----
The President. Yes.
Q. ----for their--protection for the soldiers?
The President. Right. The plan is to continue to upgrade the Humvees
and to bring in more Strykers. Look, I want you to know--and, first of
all, thank your husband. But I want our troops to have the very best.
This--you hear--this is politics. It's kind of a political season, so
you hear things that--people say things like we don't want our soldiers
to have the best. But we put an $87 billion supplemental out there. A
big chunk of that money was to make sure we upgraded the equipment our
soldiers were getting to make them safe. That's a lot of money. It takes
a while to get the Kevlar vests, the latest Kevlar vests manufactured.
We're distributing it. I supported the 67 billion for the troops--87
billion overall.
I want to remind you what my opponent said
about that. [Laughter] He said he voted for the 87 billion, right before
he voted against it. [Laughter] Look, we just need strong support for
our troops. And I have a solemn duty to say to you as clearly as I can,
we will do the very best we possibly can to make your loved one safe.
That's what we owe the family members, and that's what we owe the
troops.
Yes, sir.
Education
Q. Mr. President, I consider it a great honor to be here today to be
with you. I am a retired educator, and as you know, many of the people
in my profession profess to be very opposed to the things that the
Republicans are proposing. And I made a comment here earlier today to
some friends that if the educators will speak the truth, the real truth,
we can teach every child and not leave them behind. But it takes not
just money. It takes the backing of the family. It takes backing of the
school. It takes backing of everyone to make that child want to learn,
and it's not dollars that's going to pull him out the way the NEA says
it is.
So as the retired principal of West Carrollton Junior High School, I
support your plan 100 percent, and I know many, many educators that
support it as well. They're not all on the side of the NEA.
The President. Well, I appreciate you. Thanks for being in
education. Thank you.
Let me say something. Look, the key is that we use curriculum that
works. The key is that we encourage our teachers. The key is we don't
federalize public schools. The key is, where we find failure, we address
it. In order to address failure, you've got to figure it out in the
first place. That's why measuring is so important.
There was a big battle over measuring when I was Governor of Texas.
There's a battle over measuring when it comes to Federal dollars. People
don't want to measure--some people don't. How do you know if you don't
measure? How can you tell whether a child is just being shuffled through
the system, unless you're willing to say, ``See if you can read?''
Early, by the way--you've got to test early to determine whether or not
a child has got the skills necessary to become a productive citizen,
which is reading. And if you find there's a deficiency, we've got money
in the budget to correct it early, before it's too late.
[[Page 752]]
The whole cornerstone of the No Child Left Behind Act is this great
sense of possibility for every child. If you do not believe every child
can learn to read and write, then you say it's okay not to measure. If
you believe every child can learn to read and write, you want to measure
to determine if they can. And if so, you reward the schools that are
meeting expectations, and if not, you change. [Applause] I appreciate
that.
Request for Autograph
Q. Mr. President, would you please sign this? [Laughter]
The President. Yes. In a minute. [Laughter]
Yes, sir.
Steel Prices
Q. The question is, due to your administration, our business has
turned around phenomenally. The last 2 months have been record months,
but where we're taking a hit at is the steel industry. The prices are
skyrocketing.
The President. Yes. Well, I understand. And the reason why is
because the world is recovering. You see, when demand--worldwide demand
was depressed for steel because there was slowness in the world, there
was an oversupply. And what's happened is, is that demand has
outstripped supply because countries like China are now demanding more
steel. They're beginning to grow. The whole world is beginning to grow.
The United States is beginning to grow.
And I understand the pressures. Obviously, in a market-oriented
world, which I believe the world should be, there will be price-driven
expansion. In other words, there will be more steel producers or more
steel coming on to meet the increased demand. And I understand what
you're going through, but just remember, it wasn't all that long ago
that the price of steel was at the bottom end of the pricing structure.
And we're going through a cycle now because the world is expanding. Our
exports are up, by the way. We want the world to expand. We want there
to be prosperity around the world. It makes--it gives us a better chance
to sell what we make into other markets.
And so I understand where you're coming from. And I guess what I'm
telling you is there's cyclicality in the economy, particularly when it
comes to steel pricing.
Yes? Go ahead and bring that plate over here. I can listen and sign
at the same time.
Yes, ma'am.
The Presidency
Q. My name is Erica Keene. I'm 8 years old.
And what's the funnest thing to be--about being President? [Laughter]
The President. The funnest thing is this: Making decisions that make
the world a better place. I've got to make a lot of decisions--some of
them you'll see, and some of them you don't see--which means that in
order to make good decisions, you better know what you believe; you
better stand on principle.
Secondly, in order to make good decisions, I've got to listen to
smart people. I like to be around smart, intelligent, capable people. I
like to walk into a room full of people like Condi Rice or Dick Cheney or Don
Rumsfeld or Colin Powell.
I like to tell people the Oval Office is a powerful place. People
will stand outside the Oval Office, and they say, ``I can't wait to get
in there and tell him what for.'' And then they open the door, and they
walk in this majestic shrine to democracy, and they're overwhelmed by
the atmosphere. And they say, ``Man, you're looking beautiful, Mr.
President''--[laughter]--which means you better have people around you
who tell you the truth. [Laughter]
A decisionmaker must be willing to listen, must be willing to count
on others to give good, solid advice. As you go out and gather the vote,
remind people I've
[[Page 753]]
put together a really fantastic team of citizens. And they're good and
honest folks who are smart and capable.
No, the best thing about this job is making decisions that I think
will influence the world and the country in positive ways.
Let me talk to you real quick about history. I don't think a
President, if he does big things, will be around to see the history of
his administration. Oh, yes, there will be the subjective history. There
will be the political history. There will be the short-term history
about an administration. But you won't be able to see the big things
that have changed, the momentum of freedom in parts of the world that's
desperate for freedom or a cultural change in the country, to see the
ultimate effects of a cultural change from one that--a culture that
said, ``If it feels good, just go ahead and do it,'' and, ``If you've
got a problem, blame somebody else,'' to a culture in which each of
understands we're responsible for the decisions we make in life.
So the idea--the best part of this job is to set in motion big
changes of history. It's unbelievably exciting to be in a position to do
that. That's why I want to be the President for 4 more years. I see
clearly where I want to lead the country. I see the obligations we have
as a great nation. We have an obligation, where we see tyranny and
slavery, to act. I don't mean militarily. I mean using our influence to
free people. We have the obligation to free people from tyranny, and we
have the obligation to free people from disease. One of the things this
country has done that I'm incredibly proud of is we're leading the fight
against HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa, for example. It is an
incredibly important mission for this great and compassionate country.
Yes. You've written this question down. That's dangerous.
Q. Yes, but that's because I'm a little nervous.
The President. Okay, well, don't worry. It's just the President and
a huge press corps. [Laughter]
Q. First of all, I want to say I'm very honored to be here with you
today. I brought my wife and my daughter with me.
The President. Good. How old is the daughter? I'll just try--I'm
trying to get you relaxed.
Q. My daughter is 14. She's right here.
The President. Do not introduce a 14-year-old daughter. I keep
telling you. [Laughter]
Q. My daughter--my wife, Debbie, is over here.
The President. Hi, Debbie. How are you? How is he doing so far?
Okay, good.
President's Faith/2004 Election
Q. First of all, Mr. President, thank you. I want to thank you for
being a man of faith. And as a fellow--[applause].
The President. Thank you. Okay. He may have a question back there.
[Laughter]
Q. Wow. Anyhow, as a fellow man of faith, how has the faith, first,
affected you as a man? How has your faith affected you as President? And
further, how do you think faith will affect the outcome of the 2004
election? Thank you.
The President. Yes. That's a good question. First, let me make this
abundantly clear to you: The job of the President is to promote a
society in which people are free to worship as they see fit. A valuable
and cherished tradition of America is that you can worship an Almighty
if you want to, and you're just as patriotic if you choose not to, that
if you choose to worship, you can worship any religion that you choose.
My job is to make sure that that is a absolute part of the American
society in the future.
From an individual perspective, as a person, I rely upon faith to
give me the strength necessary to do my job. One of the interesting
parts of the job, something that I discovered as President, is the fact
that a lot of people pray for me. That's
[[Page 754]]
a very humbling thought when you think about little old me. People pray
for George W. and his family. I don't ask. People just do, and for that
I'm grateful, incredibly grateful. I believe in prayer, and I appreciate
the prayers of people.
I think the 2004 election will be determined by the American
people's decision as to who best can lead the country. That's what I
think will determine the 2004 election. I think it's the collective will
of the people which make that determination. Some people of faith will
participate. Some who don't necessarily agree with faith will
participate. The question of the outcome of the race is who best can
describe as clearly as possible a positive and hopeful and optimistic
future for every single citizen of this country regardless of their
political party, regardless of their background, regardless of their
economic status. That's what I think will determine the outcome of this
election.
Yes, little guy way up there. My favorite dog is Barney. [Laughter]
That wasn't your question, okay. I think this is going to have to be the
last question. I know, I'm sorry. Come on down the road to Lebanon.
[Laughter]
The Presidency
Q. Mr. President, do you like your job? And is it difficult at
times?
The President. Yes. I love my job, and that's why I want to do it
for 4 more years. I believe that--a lot of jobs are tough, but that's
what makes them worthwhile. My job is the kind of job that you better
know who you are and where you're going in order to do it the right way.
You can't kind of fumble around with your value system on the people's
time. You've got to be rock solid in what you believe.
I tease and say I'm listening to my mother,
as the President. Well, that's part of what it means to be rock solid in
your values. You get raised a certain way, and that's just the way you
are. And you show up, and you do your job. You tell people what you
think, make the best decisions you can possibly make. You just can't
worry about politics. I'm worried--I am in the political arena. I'm
obviously anxious about this election; otherwise, I wouldn't be here
asking for the vote. I'm anxious for it to get started. I like to
campaign. I like to be with people. But I'm not going to change. I'm not
going to change my principles. I'm not going to change my value system
in order to win the vote.
I want to thank you all for coming. May God bless. Thank you all.
Thanks for being here. Yes. Thanks, everybody. Glad you're here.
Note: The President spoke at 12:32 p.m. at the Hara Complex. In his
remarks, he referred to Lt. Gov. Jennette Bradley and State Treasurer
Joseph T. Deters of Ohio; State Senator Jeff Jacobson and State
Representative Jon Husted of Ohio; Robert T. Bennett, chairman, Ohio
Republican Party; Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan; and
Chairman Kim Chong-il of North Korea.