Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / June 9

This is a very urgent problem for our country, Thank you, and God bless you all. and we can only change it in two ways. One is, like Shane said, when people decide they are going to make a difference in their own NOTE: The President spoke at 11:05 a.m. in the lives, and secondly, when adults like you take student union ballroom at the University of Ne- responsibility in every community. We will keep vada at . In his remarks, he referred trying to do our part, but remember, we need to Yvonne Atkinson-Gates, chairwoman, Clark you. And if you liked this today, when you go County Commission; Mayor Jan Laverty Jones of out of here, make sure you’re going to do some- Las Vegas, NV; and Carol Harter, president, Uni- thing to turn this situation around. versity of at Las Vegas.

Remarks to the Community in Las Vegas June 9, 1996

Thank you. Thank you for being outside. All my mother’s favorite place on Earth. I’ve had those people in the heat out there, thank you a wonderful day already. I went out and visited very much. I want to thank the Green Valley one of your juvenile justice programs, where High School band. Thank you for playing; you young people were doing community service and did a great job. I thank those who were here making restitution for mistakes they’ve made. before: Thank you, Mayor Jones; thank you, And I met with some of the young people in County Commission Chair Yvonne Gates; thank the program and some of the adults who were you, Senator Titus; thank you, Representative working with them and some of the parents. Perkins. And most of all, thank you, ladies and And I want to compliment you for that. gentlemen, for being here. I want to thank your And I want to ask everybody in this room fine Senators, Harry Reid and Dick Bryan, for to support people who are out there working representing you, standing up for you, and with these young kids, trying to get them out standing up for America in the United States of trouble, keep them out of trouble, give them Senate. They do a wonderful job. something to do with their lives. We cannot— And I want to thank Governor Bob Miller. we cannot—tolerate the situation which now ex- You know, he has been the best sort of friend ists in the United States where the crime rate to me because he always tells me when he is going down overall but going up among peo- thinks I’m wrong. [Laughter] And he’s been the ple under 18. And it’s because we don’t have best sort of Governor for you because even enough adults that are out there helping these though he’s my friend, he’s first and foremost kids to build good lives for themselves. And somebody who’s always fighting for Nevada’s in- you’ve got some good programs here. I want terests. And every time he hears anything that you to support the people that are out there might be even potentially bad for Nevada, I on the front lines in Las Vegas and Nevada know the first call I’m going to get is from working with those kids. Bob Miller. He’s made a lot of calls in the Four years ago when I came here and asked last 31⁄2 years for you, and I thank him for you to support me, I had an idea about what that. I wanted our country to look like as we move I also met someone earlier today, and I think into this new century—a very different world. he’s in the crowd today—he’s supposed to be The world I grew up in was dominated by heavy up here with us—State Senator Bob Coffin, industry and mass production. The world these who’s running for Congress here. I don’t know children will grow up in will be dominated by if he’s here, but I thought I would—is he back computers, technology, and information. The there? Thank you. world I grew up in had an America that was Ladies and gentlemen, I’m glad to be back totally self-contained. We didn’t sell much over- in Nevada. I like it here. I’m glad to be back seas; we didn’t buy much from overseas. The in Las Vegas, which as all of you know was cold war was the most important thing and the

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fight we were having with the communists. The than half of what it was. When we came into world these kids will grow up in will be domi- office, we had the slowest job growth rate since nated by a global society in which children will the Great Depression. Three and a half years actually get on computers and do research in later, we have 9.7 million new jobs for the libraries in other countries, in which people will American people. We are better off than we be able to move across the world as easily as were 4 years ago. they used to go across town, and in which we We also passed a crime bill to put more police will have to fight those who will seek to take officers on the street, some of them right here advantage of that through drug running, orga- in Las Vegas to prevent crime. We began to nized crime, the proliferation of weapons of work with States to reform welfare and move mass destruction, terrorism, preying on open so- people from welfare to work. Today there are cieties and free people. This is a different world. 1.3 million fewer families on welfare than there And I had three simple objectives. I wanted were the day I became President of the United America in the 21st century more than anything States. We made efforts to help families strug- else still to be a place where every child has gling to make the most of their own lives— the opportunity to make the most of his or the family and medical leave law that says you her own life, no matter what racial or ethnic don’t lose your job if you have to take a little or income background they come from. Sec- time off when there’s a baby born or somebody ondly, I wanted America to be a community in your family who’s sick. of responsible citizens, where we are coming I was just out at UNLV today. We’ve re- together instead of drifting apart. I am tired formed the college loan program so that people of seeing people at election time try to find could borrow their money directly from the ways to get us to look down our noses at one United States Government, get it quicker, less another and be divided. When we are together, hassle, better repayment terms, and that no one when we reach across the lines that divide us, would ever have to not go to college because when we say our diversity is a great and good they couldn’t afford to borrow the money, be- thing that makes us stronger in the global soci- cause now they can pay it back as a percentage ety of the 21st century, that’s when America’s of their income so the loans will never bankrupt strong; when we’re working together, not being anybody. We passed the national service pro- driven apart. And finally, I wanted to make sure gram, AmeriCorps, to give young people a that when I left office, our country would still chance to work in their communities and solve be the world’s strongest force for peace and problems and help people and work their way freedom and prosperity. And I can tell you that through college. That is what we have done. on all three fronts we still have a lot of chal- And then when the Congress changed hands lenges, but this country is in better shape than in the last 2 years and the Republicans said, it was 4 years ago, and we’re moving in the ‘‘We want to balance the budget,’’ I said, ‘‘So right direction. do I. We cut the deficit in half already. We’ve Harry Reid and Dick Bryan will tell you, done half the job, and you wouldn’t help us; when I presented my economic plan to the Con- we’ll help you. We won’t do you the way you gress and I said, ‘‘We’ve got to do something did us; we’ll help you. But I will not balance about this terrible deficit; we’ve got to bring the budget by cutting education, by destroying it down, but we cannot—we cannot—do it in the environment, by undermining our commit- a way that undermines our commitment to edu- ment to Medicare and Medicaid. I won’t do cation or to the environment or protecting the that.’’ Because that gets into that second issue health care of the elderly, the Americans with I was telling you about. We need to come to- disabilities, the poorest children in this country,’’ gether, not come apart. In the world of the there were those on the other side who said, 21st century, education will be the key to oppor- ‘‘If Clinton’s economic plan passes, it will be tunity. You know it as well as I do. We cannot a disaster for America; we’ll be thrown into re- walk away from our commitment to give every cession; it will cripple the economy.’’ Well, American the opportunity to get a good edu- you’ve got 31⁄2 years now to decide. When I cation. took office, the deficit was $290 billion a year, Look at what you’re dealing with here in Ne- projected to go over $300 billion the next year. vada with all your growth. You need water here. It’s now going to be $130 billion this year, less I’m going to do everything I can to make sure

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you have it. We can’t walk away from our com- I think we ought to make it an article of national mitment to preserve the environment for all faith that every single American citizen should Americans. We have obligations here. We have have access to at least 2 years of education after to do this together. high school. And we’ll provide it for those fami- And so I say again to you, I want to balance lies. the budget. I will keep working to do that. We So I say to you, my fellow Americans, I’m have to do that. When you bring the deficit glad to be back here. I appreciate what the down, it gets interest rates down; it makes it Governor said about the issues that are specific easier for you to make a home payment, to to Nevada. What I said about the interim stor- borrow money for a car, to borrow money for age was pretty simple: The people that wanted a new business, to create jobs. It is critical. to pass the interim bill wanted to pass it so But we can do it. Don’t let anybody tell you they could make it permanent. And I don’t be- otherwise. We can do it and preserve our envi- lieve that that should be done. I believe some- ronment, invest in education, and protect Medi- body—we’re going to have to put this nuclear care and Medicaid for our seniors. We can do waste somewhere, but I want to know it was that. done based on the best science, not the worst And let me say we still have work to do. politics. That’s all I want. And I don’t know We still have work to do. If you renew the what the answer to that is. contract of Bill Clinton and Al Gore, there are But I want you to think about the future other things that we have to do to make sure that we’ve got here. I want you to think about that all the American people can take advantage what it’s going to take to make sure that all of these new opportunities, because you know these little kids that are in this house today, as well as I do that not everybody in our coun- in this hangar, every one of them, every one try, even everybody with a job, is having the of them—and you look at them. We’ve got kids same chance to get ahead. in this room whose roots come from every con- What do we need to do? Let me just give tinent on this globe. Just look around here. I you three or four things. First of all—if the want to make sure that every one of them has Congress doesn’t pass it now, we’ll do it first a chance to live out their dreams if they’re will- thing next year—we need to change the health ing to be responsible, law-abiding, hard-working insurance laws of this country so you don’t lose American citizens. That’s what I want. And your health insurance when you change jobs or that’s what you want. when somebody in your family has been sick. That’s really what this is all about. You know, Secondly, we need to change the law so that politics is not the most important thing in any- young people starting out, even if they work body’s life. When we all get our lives lived, for small businesses, can begin to save for their we look back and we think about the children retirement, and they don’t lose it if they change we raised, the things we loved and cared about. jobs; they can keep it all through their lives The purpose of politics is to make it possible and they can maintain that. And most impor- for more and more and more people to live tant—most important of all, we ought to give together in peace and harmony and to live out every American a tax deduction for the cost their dreams and to find their personal greatness of college tuition and a tax credit for 2 years and their families’ depth and strength and char- of community college in this country. Every sin- acter. That’s what this is about. And that’s what gle American ought to be able to go, you know this election is about. Don’t you ever forget as well as I do. it. The biggest institution of higher education in And remember this: We’re all here; we’re all Nevada now is the community college here. happy; we’re all feeling good today. It’s 5 Why? Because older people have figured out months between now and the election. That is that if they want to be able to get new jobs a very long time. So I say to you, if you believe and raise their incomes, they have to have more what brought you here today and you under- education. I was born at a time when the vast stand how important this is, then I want to majority of Americans did not have a high school ask you to leave here today with a commitment education, when many places did not even re- every day between now and November to talk quire them to do it. Now we know that in to your friends and your neighbors about what the world we’re living in, you need more. And is genuinely at stake. America is deciding on

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the future of the greatest country in human NOTE: The President spoke at 3:03 p.m. in the history for a new century. You can help make executive terminal at McCarran International Air- the decision the right one. port. In his remarks, he referred to Nevada State Thank you, and God bless you all. Thank you. Senator Dina Titus and Nevada State Representa- tive Richard Perkins.

Remarks at the Presidio in San Francisco, June 9, 1996

Thank you. Thank you very much. Mr. Chan- nomic prosperity through a real commitment of dler, Mr. O’Neill, Mr. Mayor, it’s wonderful to all the American people to defense conversion. be back in San Francisco. Congresswoman Because we cannot, over the long run, sustain Pelosi, Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein, thank an American economy in this new world unless you all for your work on this magnificent we have a theory of sustainable development project. that puts the environment first, not last, and You know, I always love coming here, but recognizes that we can grow the economy and I especially love coming right here because still preserve our natural heritage. And because that’s my jogging route right there. [Laughter] we cannot do a lot of what we need to do Whenever I come to San Francisco I always publicly and still continue to bring the deficit go down there and run to the Golden Gate down unless we have partners: business partners, Bridge and back, so—and I didn’t know exactly citizen partners, like the young people in the where we were going to do this on the Presidio conservation corps, and others who are com- today. I got driven around a little bit, so I got mitted to making the most of our national po- to see some other things that are being done tential. here. When I finally realized that we were going It was a brilliant thing that the late Congress- to do this here, I didn’t know whether I could man Burton did to provide for the fact that actually sit still long enough for the program this would become a national park if ever the to unfold, instead of just racing away down military should leave. But all over California you there—or, as the case may be, kind of stumbling see now what can happen if there’s a real com- away down there—toward the bridge. mitment not to leave the people who fought I want to talk to you today about three little simple ideas that this magnificent place em- the cold war for us behind; in Monterey, where bodies, ideas that are easy to say but have a Fort Ord is now the California State University great deal to do with what kind of country we at Monterey Bay; in Alameda, where machinists are and what kind of country we’re going to who once built Bradley fighting vehicles are now be. When I think of the Presidio, I think of, building electric cars for the 21st century; in first and foremost, preserving our incredible nat- Sacramento, where Packard Bell has now hired ural heritage and our important history. Second, 3,600 people to assemble personal computers I think about the obligation that the rest of in a former Army depot. And now, of course, the country has for defense conversion. And this newest of our national parks is showing thirdly, I think about partnership, the kind of the rest of our national parks the way to the partnership that Jim Harvey’s life embodied and future. that all the things that Mr. Chandler just men- I have to tell you that—the previous speaker tioned represent. sort of alluded to this, and with greater speci- And I want you to think about all that today ficity when Senator Feinstein mentioned the because in my opinion if this country is going California Desert Protection Act and how we to be what we all want it to be as we move got it and then we very nearly lost it last year. into the next century, we have to keep going But all of our national parks are at risk. Too until every place that lost a lot because of the many of them have fallen into disrepair. We’re end of the cold war—which was a happy and working hard to protect them. There were some wonderful event—has been fully restored to eco- people who wanted to sell off a lot of them

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