Remarks on Netday in Concord, California March 9, 1996

458 Mar. 8 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 for America's success, and I am determined this challenge. I am honored to be here with to see that we follow it. you. Thank you, and God bless you all. Today one out of five California schools will be wired to the future. Within 4 years NOTE: The President spoke at 12:28 p.m. on the every school in the State will be wired to factory floor. In his remarks, he referred to Bertha the future. We are putting the future at the Torres, employee, and Sidney Harman, chief ex- fingertips of your children, and we are doing ecutive officer, Harman International Industries. This item was not received in time for publication it together in the best American tradition. in the appropriate issue. We are living through a moment of abso- lutely astonishing transformation; a moment of great possibility. All of you know that the Remarks on NetDay in Concord, information and technology explosion will California offer to you and to the young people of the March 9, 1996 future more opportunities and challenges than any generation of Americans has ever Thank you so very much. I want to say seen. again how much I appreciate the wonderful Our country is changing just as profoundly welcome we have received here today. I as it did when we moved from farm to fac- thank your principal, Sheila Walker; Super- tory, from the country to the cities and towns intendent Allen; your fine Superintendent of 100 years ago. The microchip and the global Public Instruction Delaine Eastin; and Lieu- marketplace are opening up undreamed-of tenant Governor Davis; my good friend Sen- prospects but real challenges. If we want to ator Boxer; and Representative Miller. I want keep the American dream alive for every sin- to say again what a good job I thoughtÐI gle person who is willing to work for it, we want to join the Vice PresidentÐI thought know that more than ever before we have Brian DeGrassi did a good job up here. We to give all Americans the skills, the education didn't even need to speak after he talked. they need to be winners in this time of I want to thank John Gage and Michael change. We must not send our children into Kaufman for originating the idea of NetDay. a 21st century unprepared for the world they The country will long be in their debt. They will inhabit and the jobs they will have to have come up with something truly remark- fill. able. And I want to thank the Merrills and All of us are here today because we know all the wonderful volunteers here. And be- purely and simply, that every single child cause of my own past I don't want to leave must have access to a computer, must under- here without acknowledging your award-win- stand it, must have access to good software ning band and flag team. I thank them for and good teachers and yes, to the Internet, being here as well. Thank you very much. so that every person will have the opportunity And I want to thank Vice President Al to make the most of his or her own life. Gore, who 20 years ago, 20 years ago coined I have spent a great deal of the last 3 years the term information superhighway and is trying to open up educational opportunity now helping every American child to become and help educators and parents raise edu- a part of it. I thank you for that. cational standards in America. There is more The Vice President and I have looked for- that we must do. Of course we need high ward to coming back for this day ever since standards and high expectations. Of course last September when we came to California we should open the doors of college edu- and met with leaders of the communications cation to every single American who needs industry. That day we challenged Califor- to go. nians to connect at least 20 percent of your That's what the new student loan program schools to the information superhighway by is about, which cuts costs and makes repay- the end of this school year. You didn't fret ments easier. That's what the national service about it; you're simply doing it. program is about, promoting this kind of Think about it. On this day, March 9th, community service in return for funds to go 20,000 of your fellow citizens are meeting to college. That's why I believe the most im- VerDate 28-OCT-97 13:40 Jan 08, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P11MR4.011 p11mr4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / Mar. 9 459 portant tax cut we could give in passing a I thank the IBEW and all the labor organiza- balanced budget is to give every American tions that are helping today. family the opportunity to deduct up to There are some truly impressive things $10,000 a year of the costs of college tuition. being done by students today. In San Diego, But whatever else we do, we must bring one class sold cupcakes to pay for the cost the information and technology revolution to of their NetDay kit. All across the State, teen- every, every classroom in America. Every agers today will be able to teach their parents child in America sees a computer at work a thing or two about the Net. In Palo Alto, in a grocery store, in a video arcade, many one school which was wired a short time ago, at home. One of the few rooms that you can't this NetDay is providing the first time many enter in America today and know for sure parents will see their child's classroom. But that you will see a computer and to see com- after the classroom is wired, the parents are puter technology is a classroom. painting the classrooms and repairing a de- We are changing this today in the same cayed building. way our Nation has always changed for the I say that to make this point. One of the better, by working together united as one most probing comments I have seen in read- America. We understand there is no genera- ing the press out here in California in prepar- tion gap between old-fashioned American ing to come is that some have said ``Well values of hard work, teamwork, and optimism should the President and the Vice President, in our forward march into the technological should the State be emphasizing computers in all the classrooms when some of our school world of the 21st century. buildings are falling down, some of our play In a way, NetDay is a modern version of yards in disrepair.'' My answer to you is yes. an old-fashioned barnraising. Government's If everybody has those skills, our school dis- not doing this alone, nor is business, nor can tricts will be wealthier and better. But we schools do it alone. All of us are joining to- do not have to choose; the same volunteers gether, students, scientists, business leaders, that are wiring the schools can also fix them engineers, parents and old-fashioned Amer- up. And I hope people will do it all across ican citizens who have no other interests California. other than a love for their country, a love I also want to thank the teachers that are for their children, and a belief in the future working today. And what I think is a real pic- of America. What you are doing today is ture of what is so special about today, the America at its very best, and it is guarantee- teachers on strike in Oakland are putting ing America's future. their pickets down and participating in Just think about it. Today in California we NetDay. are installing 6 million feet, 6 million feet We are trying to do our part. In the tele- of computer cables and plugs. That's a mes- communications bill I signed a few weeks sage that all America will hear tonight and ago, thanks to the long efforts of the Vice tomorrow and be proud of, and I hope will President and many in the Congress, there emulate. is a guarantee that schools and libraries and I want to say a special word of thanks, as hospitals will all be able to be hooked up the Vice President did, to the business lead- at affordable rates. And last month I an- ers all across the State, from Sun Microsys- nounced a $2 billion technology literacy chal- tems to AT&T, MCI, Netcom, America On- lenge to help communities all across this line, the Scholastic Network, Apple, which country get the right kind of computers in is donating computers, Netscape, and every classroom and every library by the end Microsoft giving free softwareÐwe're having of the century. trouble with these speakers. Just pretend you But more than anything else, we need vol- hear it even if you don't. [Laughter] I want unteers, trained teachers, good software. to ask every one of you to stop and give a That is what we are celebrating today as well. special applause to every single business in I cannot think of a single endeavor which California that is supporting this endeavor has involved so many different Americans today. This is corporate citizenship at its best. from so many different walks of life to do VerDate 28-OCT-97 13:40 Jan 08, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P11MR4.011 p11mr4 460 Mar.

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