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FOIA Number: 2006-0469-F
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�Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
001. memo
Robert Rubin to the President; RE: State of the Union Address (6
pages)
01/16/1996
P5
002. memo
Al From to the President; RE: State of the Union Themes (5 pages)
12/26/1995
P5
003. memo
Jonathan Sallet, et al. to Laura Tyson, et al.; RE: Pursuing the
President's Educational Tehcnology Initiative in 1996 (8 pages)
01/09/1996
P5
004. memo
Robert Rubin to the President; RE: State of the Union Address (5
pages)
01/15/1996
P5
005. memo
Ronald Brown to the President; RE: 1996 State of the Union Address
(3 pages)
12/26/1995
P5
006. memo
Fredrico Pena to Kitty Higgins, Don Baer; RE: Themes and Messages
fro the State of the Union Address (1 page)
12/21/1995
P5
007. memo
Dan Porterfield to Kitty Higgin, Don Baer; RE: State of the Union
Speech (2 pages)
12/21/1995
P5
008. memo
Roger Johnson to Kitty Higgins, Donald Baer; RE: Call for
Suggestions for State of the Union Address (I page)
12/21/1995
P5
009. paper
RE: State of the Union Address (4 pages)
12/28/1995
P5
010. memo
Chief of Staff to Kitty Higgins, Don Baer; RE: State ofthe Un ion
Themes and Messages (5 pages)
12/21/1995
P5
011. memo
Duplicate of 004 (3 pages)
12/26/1995
P5
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
OA/Box Number: 14457
FOLDER TITLE:
Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State ofthe Union]
2006-0469-F
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C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
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DOCUMENT NO.
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012. memo
Frederico Pena to Kitty Higgins, Don Baer; RE: Themes and
Messages for the State of the Union Address (1 page)
12/21/1995
P5
013. memo
Dan Porterfield to Kitty Higgins, Don Baer; RE: State ofthe Union
speech (2 pages)
12/21/1995
P5
014. memo
Roger Johnson to Kitty Higgins, Donald Baer; RE: Call for
Suggestions for State of the Union Address (1 page)
12/21/1995
P5
015. memo
Todd Stem and Helen Howell to the President; RE: Recent
Information Items (I page)
12/22/1995
P5
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
OA/Box Number:
14457
FOLDER TITLE:
Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State of the Union]
2006-0469-F
db3331
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P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
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P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
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b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute 1(b)(3) of the FOIA)
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b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells 1(b)(9) ofthe FOIA)
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
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PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
2201(3).
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�FOIA Number:
2006-0469-F (2)
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting
Series/Staff Member:
Michael Waldman
Subseries:
14457
OAJID Number:
FolderlD:
Folder Title:
Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State ofthe Union]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
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92
4
4
3
�THE
WHITE
HOUSE
WASHINGTON
January 16, 1996
TO:
Laura Tyson
Don Baer
M i c h a e l Waldman
Bruce Reed
FROM:
Todd S t e r n
For your
information.
�Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
5
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
001. memo
DATE
SUBJECT/TITLE
Robert Rubin to the President; RE: State of the Union Address (6
pages)
01/16/1996
RESTRICTION
P5
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
OA/Box Number:
14457
FOLDER TITLE:
Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State of the Union]
2006-0469-F
db3331
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act -144 U.S.C. 2204(a)|
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)|
Pl National Security Classified Information |(a)(l) ofthe PRA|
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office 1(a)(2) ofthe PRA|
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute 1(a)(3) ofthe PRA)
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
financial information 1(a)(4) ofthe PRA|
PS Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(5) of the PRA|
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(a)(6) ofthe PRA)
b(l) National security classified information 1(b)(1) of the FOIA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
an agency 1(b)(2) ofthe FOIA]
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute 1(b)(3) ofthe FOIA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
information [(b)(4) ofthe FOIA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(b)(6) ofthe FOIA|
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes 1(b)(7) ofthe FOIA)
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
financial institutions |(b)(8) ofthe FOIA)
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells 1(b)(9) of the FOIA|
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
of gift.
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
2201(3).
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
�Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
55
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
002. memo
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
Al From to the President; RE: State ofthe Union Themes (5 pages)
12/26/1995
RESTRICTION
P5
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
OA/Box Number:
14457
FOLDER TITLE:
Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State ofthe Union]
20()6-()469-F
db333I
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)|
Kreedom of Information Act - |5 U.S.C. 5S2(b)|
PI National Security Classified Information 1(a)(1) ofthe PRA|
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office 1(a)(2) of the PRA|
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute 1(a)(3) ofthe PRA)
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
financial information 1(a)(4) ofthe PRA|
P.S Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(S) ofthe PRA|
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(a)(6) ofthe PRA]
b(l) National security classified information 1(b)(1) of the FOIA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
an agency 1(b)(2) ofthe FOIA|
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute 1(b)(3) ofthe FOIA|
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
information 1(b)(4) ofthe FOIA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(b)(6) ofthe FOIA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes 1(b)(7) ofthe FOIA]
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
financial institutions 1(b)(8) ofthe FOIA]
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells 1(b)(9) ofthe FOIA|
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
of gift.
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
2201(3).
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
�December 26, 1995
^
Memorandum to the President
From:
Al From
Subject:
State of the Union Themes
J^~o
e
aoJAJM
^5:33
The State of the Union Address is an opportunity for you to reframe the
political debate for 1996 on your terms. I believe that is critically important both for
your re-election and for the future of progressive (defined as forward looking as
opposed to leftist) politics in Ainerica.
In 1995, through adroit positioning and Republican mistakes, you made a
striking political comeback. But the reality is that for most of the year, the
Republicans set the terms of and dominated the political debate. Had they -- and
Gingrich, in particular - not misplayed an essentially winning hand, your political
fortunes in 1996 would look much less promising than they now do.
So, to me, the first priority for the State of the Union should be to reframe the
debate - to put it on terms that cut for you and not for them.
I believe you should try to achieve two political objectives in the State of the
Union:
1. to appeal to the enormous group of disaffected voters i n the
political center who stand between you and an electoral majority. With no
primary opponent and virtually all of your money in the bank, it's time to begin
pursuing the voters in the political center, who are essentially unhappy with both
political parties. Most public polling shows four out of ten voters consider themselves
independents and six but of ten or more would consider voting for a third party
candidate for President. They are likely to be the margin of difference in 1996.
These voters have voted mostly Republican in Presidential elections over the past
three decades and most of them voted for Republicans for Congress in 1994, but
Republican overreaching in 1995 has opened a new window of opportunity for you and I believe you need to take advantage of it before it closes. .,
2. to lay the groundwork for making the 1996 election a campaign
between our country's future and its past. You're likely to be running against
a visionless septuagenarian whose focus -- indeed, his campaign theme, "Give my
generation one last chance" -- is on the past. It seems to me that your greatest
comparative advantage in that contest is to be the candidate of the future, who has
thp vision to tackle the problems we face as the millennium approaches. To me,
that's reason enough to try to frame the 1996 debate as a contest between our
country's future and its past.
.
. i
iv.;
. . .1.
•. .•: ,
.
.••••'<:
�The key to achieving the first objective is to address the frustrations of the
disaffected voters - whether they be in the angry radical middle to which Ross Perot
appeals or the more sensible center that was looking to Colin Powell. I think there
are three of them:
1 Tfrpv
tho Amprjfifln dream slipping away for themselves and their
families. Despite, an overall good economy, tor too many Americans upward mobility
essentially stopped. In a survey taken just before the 1994 election, the New York
Times found that about a third of all Americans believed that they were not as well
off as they expected to be at their age. As you said in 1992, they're working longer
and harder and earning less. They're rpftcjj afegat i^ and th^y vyant the jjolitical
.system to do something about it.
2. TVioy'ro fynotT-Q^ unfti c. IQ^I- »f mvW in [heir livef; and in their
communities. The old rules simply don't seem to apply any more. Part of it is
economic uncertainty. But it's family breakdown, high divorce rates, illegitimacy,
teenage pregnancy, and, above all cH^p and violpn^ ir> thoir cmnmiifi^jps In that
same 1994 New York Times survey 42 percent of the people said they were afraid to
walk in their own neighborhood at night. Too many Americans find themselves
prisoners in their own home between sundown and sunup - and they don't like it one
bit.
3. They're disgusted that the big systems of govefifljggjfrLthat gffppf thfljr %P
e rmhlin srhools and law enforcement - rinn't. SPPTTI tn work- v^ry well
g
I n a l l too
many places public schools are a disaster. Most Americans don't need the O.J.
Simpson trial to tell them about the inadequacies of law enforcement; the crime rates
are evidence enough. In most places there are no habitable parks or public spaces;
they've been replaced by privately owned, well guarded suburban shopping malls as
"Vf" the places where people'goTor^Tei^inmenFand even exercise. It tells you what
people think of law enforcement when private security guards outnumber police by
three to one.
While it may not touch everyone's life, welfare has become the symbol of failed
governmental systems — a system with misguided incentives that has arguably
contributed to the problem it was intended to solve. And to complete the picture of
political dysfunction, thev see special interest money and influenceflooHinganoliticgl
^yntfP
f
W
tn.nrHinflrv nenrfle seems incanahle nf getting nnvthing rfone - let alone
anything in their interest
,. „...,,
The key to reframing the debate as a contest between our future and its past
is to get beyond the old-political debate and to focus instead on the challenges
America faces as we look ahead to the beginning of the 21st Century. The old
political, debate -- oyer more government versus less governmentis not only one
that wejusually..lose, but is also one that has decreasing relevance to most voters.
�To be sure there are times -- like the current debate over medicare and
medicaid ~ that that debate seems to cut for us, but I'm leery about our ability to
sustain what is essentially a demagogic argument for another year, particularly if you
make a deal (as you should) on the budget that includes health entitlements. There's
often a very thin line between being perceived defender of a popular program and
being seen as the guardian of an unacceptable status quo.
And, there's ample evidence that Democrats who try to be perceived as the
former are all too often perceived as the latter. Voting patterns over the past 30
years indicate that despite what day to day polls say on individual issues, the
Republicans have far and away the more potent side of the old debate. So, I'd urge
you to bank your current political advantage on medicare and make the focus of the
i f i P the Union a discussion of what we need to do to meet the flreat challenp-ps
we face at the dawn of the 21st Century.
S t Q t
f
It seems to me that the way to achieve both political objectives is to offer a
forward looking approach - a third way, if you please - to dealing with the three
main frustrations driving political disaffection in the center. I've been convinced for
a long time that the candidate or party that does that will dominate American politics
for some time to come.
Fortunately, you have a great opportunity to be that person. For no one else
in politics today -- not the old Democrats or the new conservatives, not Ross Perot or
Paul Tsongas' Gang of Three (and dropping) -- is offering anything that will have long
term appeal to those voters.
Time and time again, voters have rendered their verdict on the old Democrats - that the programmatic status quo is unacceptable. But the new conservative
agenda the Republicans offer doesn't fare any better. Not only have the Republicans
"T " overreached and been harsF^d ThT6Teraht in~pushing their contract, but their
" ™"
essentially negative agenda offers little hope of dealing with the frustrations of
disaffected voters over the long haul. Perot appeals to their anger, but his program
of nativism and protectionism with a little intolerance added hardly offers long term
hope.
And Tsongas' elitist mix of a balanced budget, social tolerance,
environmentalism and campaign reform would sweep Marin County and is hardly
objectionable, but it HnoanH HoQi m/ii-h.t-ho ^-nt jgwupg nr npwarH prmhilitv and crime
_
that are d r i v i n g pnlit.irnl rjjscontent. .
,
All that being said, I suggest you build upon your themes in 1995 State of the
Union Address and the successes you've has so far with your triangulation strategy.
I believe the 1996 State of the Union should explain to the American people the new
realities they face and new understandings between themselves and their government
j (the new social compacfc?,if you'may) necessary to tackle the challenges of the dawn
I of the 21st century and to restore upward mobility, order and civility and responsible
\govemment to our society. i,
.:
�//
While you may not want to call it the New Covenant (I would), the themes of
opportunity, responsibility and community are still the most powerful (and politically
successful) themes you've used. They define you as a New Democrat, and that is also
important as we head into 1996.
In the State of the Union, I'd explain the rapid change the country is
undergoing and the new context of the information age. Then I'd lay out the
^principles (values) that will undergird all of your policies and be the foundation of the
View social contract (your New Covenant).
In our DLC-PPI efforts to fill the political vacuum I discussed earlier in this
memorandum, we've come up with three fundamental principles that define our third
way and separate us from both the old liberals and the new conservatives:
1. E q u a l o p p o r t u n i t y f o r a l l ; special p r i v i l e g e f o r none. This defining
Democratic principle is still the strongest foundation for a new social contract. From
it flows an opportunity agenda and efforts to curb the influpp^Q ^ g p ^ ^ l intrgr^fy
whether they be beneficiaries of corporate or of entitlements to preferred social
constituencies. The conservatives are not willing to make the public investments
necessary to create opportunities for all and while they're eager to cut the EITC for
low income people who work, thev don't share that same eagerness for curbing tax
subsidies for their c f t r p
g p ^ H jnforcst friends. Too many liberals are unwilling
to differentiate between equal opportunity and equal outcomes -- and, as a result, in
their quest to achieve equal outcomes for some wind up quashing opportunities for
many others.
f
n r a t f >
—.
2. M u t u a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . Simply stated, government, as society's agent,
has a responsibility to organize public resources to create opportunities for ordinary
citizens, and citizens have responsibilities too -- to themselves and their families to
take advantage of those opportunities and to their community and their country to
"give something back to the commonwealth. Liberals, in your words, too often offered
something for nothing. But conservatives are all to eager to ask for personal
responsibility from citizens and all to eager to abandon public responsibility to create
opportunity. Mutual responsibility is really the cornerstone of a new social compact.
3. E n a b l i n g government
a government that equips neonle to solve their
own problems, not one, as many liberals want, that tries to do every thing for people
nor one, as many conservatives prefer, that abandons public responsibility.
From these principles, ! believe you should lay out some new understandings
that define what citizens and govemment should do to restore upward mobility, civil
q p j f r , anrl-reapnngihlo prnvemmor)f ^ America looks ahead to the millennium. We
are working to define those understandings in the Third Way Manifesto that we hope
to have completed sometime in early January. Bruce Reed has seen a copy of an
�early draft that is now being revised -- and I'd be delighted to share the revised
version with you or him should you desire.
Finally, unlike previous years one of your strengths going into 1996 is foreign
policy - and you need a solid section of your speech on promoting pp-ace apd
furthering demncr^pv and marL-et.^rrynnmjpfi jn thp wnr]H Contrary to popular
opinion, I think you are doing the right thing in Bosnia -- and you ought to have a
section of your speech on why you're pursuing the policy you are. And, contrary to
conventional wisdom, I think Bosnia -- provided you continue to handle it with the
resolve you've shown so far -- will prove a political positive for you, no matter what
happens on the ground. Remember, that what people want from a President is
leadership and strength - even if they don't always agree with his individual policies.
Let me know if I can help you, as I did last year, in preparation of the
speech.
Happy New Year. And, go Northwestern Wildcats in the Rose Bowl. I've
waited 47 years, and I'll be there.
�101/09/96
16:56
© 2 0 2 482 4191
POLICY OFFICE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
OFFICE OF POLICY AND STRATEGIC PLANNING
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 5834
Washington, DC 20230
(202) 482-4127
(202) 482-4191
TO:
FAX:
FO :
RM
l l W i W ft III
DATE:
NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER:
MESSAGE:
3
4^
12001/009
�bl/09/96
16:56
© 2 0 2 482 4191
POLICY OFFICE
MEMORANDUM FOR
Laura Tyson
Don Baer .
Gene Sperling
Bruce Reed
Greg Simon
FROM:
Jonathan Sallet
Paul Dimond
Mike Schmidt
SUBJECT:
Pursuing the President's Educational Technology
Initiative in 1996
DATE:
121002/009
January 9,1996
The first half of 1996 offers an opportunity for the President to present a compelling
vision to the nation of students across America using technology as a tool to expand their
education and their opportunities. That vision can be summed up in the challenge already
announced by the President ~ to ensure that all of K-l 2 students are technologically literate by
the dawn of the 21 si century. The goal of technological literacy means more than simply
teaching children how to operate a computer: it is the capstone ofthe four pillars — computers,
connections, teacher development & educational software -- that the President has announced
and, with those pillars, it serves as the fulcrumfromwhich our children can use the lever of their
new skills to move the world in the next Century.
We suggest that the President and Vice President announce the creation of a Nationa)
Report Card on Education and Technology that would be issued at the end of each -jchool year
for the next five years by stakeholders representing all of tbe involved communities, including
state/local governments, educators, teachers, businesses, students and parents at a national
summit to be convened by the federal govemment. The National Report Card would tell the
nation how well we are advancing on the critical goals outlined by the President:
— The number of modem, multimedia computers available to each student in each
classroom;
— The percentage of classrooms connected to each other and the outside world;
— The percentage of teachers who are ready to use technology in their teaching; and
— The extent to which educational software and similar materials are available to students
for use in their classrooms.
�61/09/96
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POLICY OFFICE
121003/009
The meeting at which the Report Card is issued would also provide an opportunity for
stakeholders to announce further actions to achieve each one of these goals.
At the end of January (hopefully in the State of the Union and at the stand-alone event
discussed below), the President would announce that, at the end of this school year, he would
convene the first such conference to issue the first such assessment and forge a consensus on
what must be done. In order to demonstrate the kind of actions that are necessary to ensure that
the national grade keeps going up and up, the President would, at the same time, announce
actions, directed at each of lhe four goals, that can now be taken by the federal government,
businesses and educators. Indeed, at the initial roll-out the President could stand next to a large
blank, or interim, report card in order to help demonstrate what needs to be done.
This memorandum will discuss the background ofthe President's educational technology
initiative and suggest how the National Report Card can be launched.
I. Background
Almost two years ago, the Vice President challenged America's business to connect
every classroom (along with libraries, hospitals and clinics) to the Information Superhighway by
the year 2000. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that our students are not left out of
the Information Society and of guaranteeing that our society is not divided between infonnation
"haves" and information "have nots". A few weeks later, the President repeated this challenge in
his State ofthe Union Address. In thefirstpart of 1995, the Vice President built on tliat vision
when he launched the Department of Education's Technology Learning Challenge Grants.
This fall, the President — in San Francisco and Washington - voiced his desire to ensure
that all American children are technologically literate by the dawn of the 21 st Century. He
pledged that the Administration would soon unveil a national vision detailing how the nation
would fulfill this goal through the accomplishment of four principles:
- making computers available to every K-12 student,
- connecting those computers to each other and the outside world,
- ensuring that teachers are able to develop their technological skills so that they are able
to use technology effectively in the classroom, and
~ stimulating the supply of educational software and associated materials that will form a
critical part of each student's learning experience.
The essence ofthe President's vision is, of course, larger than just these four goals. The
greater purpose is to prepare our children for the revolutionary changes lhat they will face as the
opportunities ofthe Information Age unfold. Equipping our schoolrooms with computers and
�01/09/96
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POLICY OFFICE
121004/009
associated technologies will ensure that children leam more and leam better and that they are
better prepared for a workplace that increasingly demands technological skills as the price of
admission. Use of educational technology also will help parents be better connected to schools
and their children* teachers and will help teachers be better prepared to help students learn..
We will promote people, not just technology. That is why we must energize a national
effon that, through combined private and public actions, will demonstrate concretely to
Americans why their children will be advantaged when the President's vision is realized and will
demonstrate that a critical mass of resources is available to get the job underway. Tliat work
should feature American's biggest coiporate names, teachers, parents and, of course, students
themselves.
The President and the Vice President have already laid the foundation for that effort by
meeting with top CEO's, including Michael Eisner, Gerald Levin and George Lucas, in
September and October. Since then Administration officials have met with parents' groups,
educators and businesses; talked with teachers; and, at the beginning of December, convened
day-long sessions with stakeholders. From this intensive outreach effort, several conclusions
have appeared:
First, leadership by the President and the Vice President is absolutely essential. Unlike
many great national missions ofthe past, the pursuit of the President's vision will not be
run andfinancedby the federal government. Rather, citizens at every level of
government must come to believe that the goal is important and their contributions are
vital. Only the bully pulpit ofthe Presidency can issue a challenge that reaches to every
living room, classroom, school board and teachers' lounge.
Second, a considerable consensus already exists that the President's principles accurately
grasp the essence of the agenda that must be accomplished. Thus, there is less demand
for the creation of the details of policy execution and more demand for the overarching
vision that only the President can provide.
Third, a great deal of effort is underway already « but it tends not to be widely known
and infonnation about current resources can be hard to come by. That means that a good
deal can be accomplished through non-federal efforts that explain the importance of
educational technology to American citizens and that make information, about existing
activities more accessible — if those efforts are connected to the messagefromthe
President and Vice President.
Fourth, considerable enthusiasm exists for further efforts - from businesses, educators
and parents. Many high-technology businesses have included educational technology in
their business plans because they see a growing market for technology hardware and
educational materials. Some of those, and some others, are willing to pledge pmblicservice activities around the nation, such as the NetDay 96 effort (announced by the
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President in September) that will connect 20% of California classrooms by the end of the
school year. Educational associations, local school officials and teachers' groups are also
ready to do more along the lines of what the President already announced -- the creation
ofthe U.S. Technology Corps and the American Technology Honor Society. And, of
course, the federal government's actions will catalyze other efforts. But — and this is an
important point ~ we cannot expect to assemble on a single day in a single place all ofthe
resources necessary to do the whole job. The goal should be to assemble a critical mass
of resources that, with the President's leadership and energy, will, set off a chain reaction
lhat propels the nation forward. And to establish theframeworkin which, as new actions
are announced and implemented, they arc seen as additional steps in implementing the
President's overarching vision.
The opportunity is, therefore,ripefor the President to unveil his national vision as the
launching pad for a national effort that will combine Presidential leadership with implementation
in every community. Where, in the last century, neighbors came together io build a schoolhouse
or raise a bam. Americans now can raise their schools to the technological level demanded by the
next century.
II. Launching the National Report Card
The President's challenge to the nation - that every student be technologically literate by
the dawn ofthe 21 st Century - provides the opportunity for the Administration to launch a
national effort through a new kind of national mission - one that is based on Presidential
leadership and shared resources.
The greatest obstacle to the implementation of the President's four pillars for educational
technology (computers, connections, teacher development and educational content) is neither
technological or pedagogical. It comesfromthe need to answer one question that will be posed
by taxpayers, parents, teachers and students in every community: "Why in a time of limited
resources and numerous demands, should we make the special effort to ensure that our children
can use technology to be better educated and to work and thrive in the 2] st Century??"
Every time we answer this question, we should picture the President sitting at a table in a
local school-board meeting room with a dozen parents, or in a teachers' lounge with
overburdened teachers or in a classroom with students.
The President's answer should be communicated in multiple ways:
- Directly, with the bully pulpit ofthe Presidency,
- By example, through the development of critical pathways that demonstrate to
these parents the concrete benefits that will flow to their children (inclmding
national recognition of educators, teachers and students who are outstanding in
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their effort to bring technology- into their schools, federal programs That fight
against informational apartheid and stimulate new, creative activities in local
communities; and better sharing of infonnation about current efforts.)
Through the marshaling of private actions that will validate the President's
direct message and demonstrate to communities that the President's goals are
achievable.
The National Report Card will demonstrate a shared commitment to progress, as the
grades get higher every year through efforts of all kinds. It will symbolize the neighborly pursuit
of a shared responsibility .
III. Action Items for the Launch ofthe National Report Card
Each of these goals can be realized in January and extended in the coming months.
(Attached is a tentative schedule of possible, major Presidential and Vice-Presidential events
through May. We would anticipate, of course, that additional actions and events would be
available throughout the year in all part ofthe nation).
January 8-15: Videotaping the President aod/or Vice President. The President's
National Infonnation Infrastructure Advisory Council will be releasing a 10-minutc videotape
(jointly produced by AT&T and Disney) explaining the benefits ofthe information highway that
would be distributed nationally. It is possible, for example, that it will be made available to
video stores across the nation forfree"rentals" by the parents and that it be broadcast on cable
television. We have been invited to contribute a 60-90 second statementfromthe President
and/or Vice President that would close the videotape. This is an extremely good opportunity.
January 29-31: National Report Card. The Advisory Council is meeting in
Washington to conclude its operations and issue itsfinalreport (which is generally supportive of
the Administration's initiatives, although in some areas, particularly encryption, will ask the
Administration to change its policies). The Council is likely to take further action, as well, on its
"Kickstart" initiatives, which are designed to boost citizen involvement in educational and other
public-use technologies. The Advisory Council is itself a very distinguished and diverse group
(co-chaired by Ed McCracken of Silicon Graphics and Del Lewis of National Public Radio) with
which the President should meet.
Meeting with the Council also offers the opportunity for the President to create: the
National Report Card, to demonstrate great private-sector support beyond that of the Council for
his national effort, and to issue his national vision (which is now being prepared.). The public
and private initiatives that are being worked on now for possible inclusion support each ofthe
President's four principles:
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Content:
« A Presidential instruction to governmental agencies to provide their electronic
information in a manner that is easily available and easily used by schoolchildren.
jent of educational
— Create a modcLfct^^procureiiientof educatior software through the joint
^
I i
efforts of th^Department-of-Defenseschools andthe Council of Chief State
/-\«:
^
,
Officers,
x
- Introduce a White House educational(ioftware Olympic^ at the end ofthe
summer in which students could competeusing so fivtafesy stems developed over
the summer by high-school students working with university teams,
7
Announce a private-sector initiative to create new inter-active components that
could be used by software developers, teachers and students to create new
curricula, like an intelligent periodic table of elements,
Teacher Development
f j ^ -
A new federaHnatching program would assist school districts to raise the funds
needed to train teachers, as well as to purchasenew. multi-media computers,
- National teacher, school board and parents' associations will create the nation's
first "Teacher Corps", which will recognize and assist those teachers (and perhaps
parents) who have, by developing their own technology skills, become a critical
resource for the 90% of teachers who have not,
- AT&T is working to create a 'Teacher and Technologv^Summit that will bring " ^ r y ^ ^
together major companies that have launched teacher-Training initiatives (such as
Microsoft and U.S. West) with educators to discuss the future of private-public
collaboration (perhaps in collaboration with a national teachers' summit being
planned by the Department of Education),
--(New accreditation and certification standjrdpwjll be established by national
organizations in order to ensure that teachers are technologically prepared,
Connections
- A new private-public effort, led by the Vice President, will connect every K-12
school in every empowerment zone,
— Progress towards the successful implementation of California NetDay and the
call to launch NetDays in other states,
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Computers
- A new federal matching program to support computer purchases by local school
districts (described above)
- The federal govemment will dfinaie* and will encourage private business to
donate, millions of dollars worth of excesiand new computer equipment to
schools. Wherever possible, we must arrange for the upgrading of these
computers to ensure that they have modem, multi-media capabilities. Voluntary
private incentives might be created to encourage similar donations by businesses
or consumers.
Each of these, and others, are in the process of being vened and developed by the interagency working group on education technology.
Finally, the ^ationaUoijJut could serveas the launching for a series of national
communications effoftsTTHitcould include the publication by a number of national leaders of a
"statement of principles" in support of the President's vision and plans for specific materials
including: the AT&T/Disney videotape, a CD-ROM developed to display the President's vision,
new cable programming and an instructional kitfromthe Software Publishers Association.
The purpose is not, of course, to simply announce a lot of activity. Rather, the release of
the President's vision, supported by a statement of principles supporting the President's goals and
concrete actions demonstrating how each of the four principles can be achieved, will demonstrate
to the nation both the power of and the path towards the goal of technological literacy for all
students.
or
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Anachment 1 - Proposed 1996 Schedule
January 23:
State ofthe Union - reiteration of the President's challenge.
January 30(?):
National Report Card with President and Vice President
February 17(?):
Empowerment Zone conference at which the Vice President
announces the voluntary, private effort that will connect every
K-12 school in an empowerment zone, thus demonstrating the
importance of preventing informational apartheid.
March 9:
The President, Vice President and senior Administration officials
work with volunteers in schools in California on "NetDay 96" the fulfillment ofthe President's pledge of September 21,1995, to
connect 20% of California classrooms - and engage in related
activities to demonstrate the full scope ofthe President's vision.
Mid-March:
The President gives the keynote address at the conference of
Nation's Governors organized hyJB^l and announces how the
model of NetDay, along with the other private and public efforts he
has announced, can transform the nation's schools, possible with
the announcement of other state NetDays,
May:
The President and. Vice President appear at the first "National
Report Card" conference at which educators, teachers, parents,
businesses - and students - assess the progress made by the end of
the 1995-96 school year and announce further efforts at meeting
the President's goals in conjunction with a technology fair that
features leading uses of educational technologyfromaround the
nation.
�J&UC*
fate/
6 7
Bruce and Don,
-srss 7
f ^ ^ s
As I mentioned, this is still a draft, but the Secretary wanted you to have it for use in
developing the language for the State of the Union. The final memo will be sent to the
Presidenttomorrowthrough normal channels. We will be sure you get copies of the final
version, as well, particularly if there are significant changes.
Thanks.
Linda McLaughlin
622-1260
ga/ie'd
0081 zzi 202
aDNdnaasoNnnaams
S0:8T 966T-ST-Nbr
�Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
33
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
004. memo
DATE
SUBJECT/TITLE
Robert Rubin to the President; RE: State of the Union Address (5
pages)
01/15/1996
RESTRICTION
P5
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
OA/Box Number:
14457
FOLDER TITLE:
Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State ofthe Union]
2006-0469-F
db3331
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act -144 U.S.C. 2204(a)|
Freedom oflnformation Act - |5 U.S.C. 552(b)|
Pl
P2
P3
P4
b(l) National security classified information 1(b)(1) of the FOIA)
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
an agency 1(b)(2) ofthe FOIA)
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute 1(b)(3) ofthe FOIA)
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
information |(b)(4) ofthe FOIA)
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(b)(6) ofthe FOIA)
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes |(b)(7) ofthe FOIA)
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
financial institutions 1(b)(8) of the FOIA)
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells 1(b)(9) ofthe FOIA]
National Securit} Classified Information 1(a)(1) of the PRA)
Relating to the appointment to Federal office 1(a)(2) ofthe PRA|
Release would violate a Federal statute 1(a)(3) ofthe PRA]
Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
financial information 1(a)(4) ofthe PRA|
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(5) of the PRA|
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(a)(6) ofthe PRA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
of gift.
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
2201(3).
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
�Fourth, we must seize the tremendous opportunities of the new economy so that
every American can make the most of their God-given potential.
We believe that everyone has a responsibility to work, and the people who work hard
should have an opportunity to get ahead. That basic idea built the strongest economy on
earth. Our challenge is to empower every American to make the most of the new century.
These are good times for America. For three straight years, we have had the strongest
growth of any major economy. Businesses have created 8 million American jobs ~ hundreds
of thousands of new construction, auto, manufacturing jobs. Entrepreneurs have started 2
million new small businesses. Car sales have jumped by 2 million, and Detroit is now beating
Japan for the first time since the 1970s. More Americans own homes than ever before, (ck)
From coast to coast, remarkable new industries are emerging that will lead the world
in the 21st century. [Biotechnology offers the prospect of curing [rickets and other deadly
diseases]. Nearly twice as many American families have a computer in their home as they
did four years ago. In one year alone, [x] people joined the internet, [rocket ship sales are
up.]
�The private sector is the engine of economic growth — and now more than ever,
individual Americans are the engine of the private sector. More and more people work in
small businesses or at home. Our success in the global economy depends more and more on
the skills, ingenuity and initiative of our people. More than ever, we need to empower people
to carry with them the skills and security they need to survive and thrive in the new economy.
That means we must make it easier for deserving Americans to go to college. We
have already made it easier for people to pay back their college loans. I have asked asked the
Congress to make $10,000 of college tuition costs tax deductible.
Tonight, I propose two additional steps to open the doors of college for people who
are willing to work hard and excel. First, a $2000 merit scholarship for the top 2% of
graduating students in every secondary school in America. Second, a dramatic expansion of
college work-study, so that 1 million young Americans will be working their way through
college by the Year 2000.
Empowering Americans also means giving people the tools they need to keep on top
of the new economy throughout their career. In the new economy, people should be able to
take their pension, their health care, and their training with them from job to job. That means
Congress should pass my GI Bill for workers, which will give people a training voucher they
can take to a comunity college or their next job.
That means we should enact insurance reforms so that insurance companies cannot
deny you coverage or jack up rates when you are changing jobs, just because you or a
member of your family have a preexisting condition. I proposed this approach last year. And
there is a strong bipartisan bill moving through Congress today. [And I ask Speaker Gingrich
and Majority Leader Dole to work with me to find a bipartisan way to (either) give every
American the opportunity to buy into the low cost, high-quality health care available to
everyone in this room - the federal employees health care plan .... or
ensure that if you
lose your job, you don't lose your health care.]
That means we should cut through red tape to make it easier for small busines to
provide pensions for their employees, so that every American can share the responsibility of
saving for retirement. I propose that every American be allowed to join the federal workers
retirement system. I f it is good enough for federal workers - and for the Members of
Congress — it should be good enough for small business people across the country.
And if we honor work, then work must pay. Last year, I called on Congress to raise
the minimum wage from xx to yy. Since that time, xxx. Americans who work hard should
not have to work for starvation wages.
[corporate responsibility challenge from Sec. "Red Bob" Rubin]
Fifth, to renew the American dream of opportunity for all, I challenge parents,
teachers and students — and business and civic leaders — to join a national crusade to
�save our public schools.
America was the first nation to believe that every child deserves an education. Today
more than ever, education is the key to opportunity. As we approach the 21st Century, the
success of our economy and our society depends upon opening the doors of college and
making our public schools the best in the world.
For two hundred years, the public schools did not just serve the public ~ they helped
create the public. They raised up generation after generation of immigrants, and taught them
what it meant to be an American. They opened the world of math and science and poetry to
the sons of farmers and the daughters of factory workers. It was no mistake that the civil
rights revolution began in our public schools. I f our schools succeed, America will succeed.
Today, our schools are not ready for the new era. Next year there will be more young
people in school than ever before in our history — a tidal wave of teenagers unmatched in our
history. The computer revolution is blowing through the world. Yet our schools have low
standards, dilapidated and crowded classrooms, and chalkboards in the age of the microchip.
If we are to succeed, everyone must do their part. Parents must demand high
standards. Every student, teacher and school must be held accountable. And businesspeople,
civic leaders and taxpayers must recognize that public schools are our most important public
institution.
Parents will not be able to hold public schools accountable unless they have the choice
of which school to put their child in. And public school choice will not work unless parents,
teachers and administrators are freed from red tape to create charter schools that can build
excellence.
Our most pressing need is to modernize the schools so that every school is hooked to
the internet, and every American is technologically literate. The number of people able to use
the internet is expected to more than double every six months. And the world wide web
offers children a world of knowledge in the flicker of an electronic instant. But our schools
today are woefully unprepared for the information age. Fewer than xx have xx.
So tonight I challenge educators, scientists and business leaders to join hands to wire
the schools and prepare our people for the future. Our goal should be this:
�0f/05/96
11:45
H D OFC OF THE SECRETARY * 2024561213
U
NO.146 P001
vit/
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSINCi AND URBAN DEVeiOPMENT
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
W A S H I N G T O N . O.C. 20410-0001
FAX TRANSMISSION
DATE:
January
1996
NUMBER O F PAGES (including cover sheet)
TO:
D
o
n B a e r
FROM:
PHONE #: 202/456-2640
COMMENT LINK:
Henry Cisneros
202 708-0417
The attached excerpt i s taken from Washington -
The Indispensable Man w r i t t e n by James Thomas Flexner.
President Washington was expected
Whfen
to give a d i v i s i v e and down beat
State of the Union, he confounded his c r i t i c s by describing everything
that was good about the country.
H i e phone number o f this fax machine is (202) ' 708-1993
�344
WASHIHGTOX: THEimiSPENSABLE MAN
duced to offering the post to him, Pickering made the President
plead before he condescendingly agreed.
Still accepting the second-rate, Washington bagged three southerners: his fomei aide and drinking companion, lames McHenry,
as Secretaiy of War; Charles Lee, who practiced law near Mount
Vemon, as Attorney General; and Thomas Chaseof Maryland for
the Supreme Court. This achieved, Washington felt he could appoint as Chief Justice a Mas&achusetts Federalist, Oliver
Ellsworth.
'The offices are once more fdled," John Adams noted "but
how differently than when Jefferson, Hamilton, Jay, etc., were
here!"
7
With anticipations often sadistic, poKtically minded Americans
awaited Washington's Severth Annual Address. How would the
President defend himself? How would he defend the Jav Treaty?
Would he attack, the independent mass meetings that had blasted
his policies as he had attacked the centrally organized Democratic
Societies? Would he express personal bitterness as he had in his
second inaugural? There was tenseness ia the Senate chamber
when Washington walked in on December 8, 1895. It soon
changed to amazement.
"Fellow citizens of the Senate aad the House of Representatives," Washingtor. began. "I trust I do not deceive myself wher I
indulge the persuasion that I have never met you at any period
when more than at the present the situation of our public affairs
has afforded just cause for mutual congratulation; and for inviting
, you to join me in profound gratitude to the Author of all good for
the numerous and extraordinary blessings wc enjoy."
Then Washington began enumerating blessings: Wayne's victory plus the entente with England promised peace on the northwest
frontier; an accommodation was being reached with the Barbary
\ pirates who had molested American shipping; Pinckney reported
j progress on a treaty with Spain. Washington then mentioned the
IJ ay Treaty-everyone was agog-but he merely said that applying
"the best judgment I was able to form of the public interest" he
-d followed the advice of the Senate. "The result on the part of
Britannic Majesty is unknown. When received, the subject
v:ll, without delay, be put before Congress." Washington's snm—y was that "prudence and moderation on every side" could
extinguish all causes of discord "which have heretofore
enaced our tranquillity."
Pro-French legislators, who insisted that the Jay Treaty was
k
DownkilU1795-17%)
345
anti-French, could hardly believe their ears as Washington moved
on from foreign affairs without mentioning France. But even in
their incredulity they realized that the President had outflanked
them. The discussion having been of nations that menaced American tranquillity, the omission could be taken as a recognition of
common interest.
Turning to domestic affairs, Washington made nc mendon of
his critics. He contrasted the peaceful and prosperous state of the
United States with the desperation in Europe. 'The molestations
of our trade" were overbalanced by the benefits the nation derived from her neutral position. Population was growing; internal
improvements were rushing forward aocompanied with tax burdens so light as to be scarcely felt, "Is it too much to say that our
country exhibits a spectacle of national happiness never before
surpassed if ever before equaled?" And should not Americans
"unite our efforts to preserve, prolong, and improve our immense
advantages?"
The Republicans were so devoted to controversy that their first
icactior: was that Washington had raised the white flag of surrender. Some, indeed, believed that this was a prelude to his resignation. But it quickly became dear that Washington (with an assist
from Hamilton who had helped him draft the speech) had made a
master stroke. To the simplistic argument that the Jay Treaty was
anti-French, he had opposed an equally simplistic argument,
which was much doser to the experience of every citizen. He had
If
cut as of old through layers of controversy down to lhe basic, unassailable truth. The nation was still free and, despite irritttions on
(he ocean and at the conference tables, more prosperous than it
had ever been. The nation was a growing colossus whose security
rested not on which belligerent won the European victory but on
lhe continuation of conditions that would allow it to achieve unhampered its maturity. If this were the case-and every American
vho looked around him dispassionately saw that it was indeed the
case-why all this howling of faction, aU these accusations that the
govemment was selling out the country? Why all this hysteria
about the details of a treaty that was serving the major end of allowing the nation to grow undisturbed?
The pendulum, which had swung so far against Washington,
was swinging bade. But, as Washington wrote, 'the restless mind
of man cannot be at peace." A grave constitutional crisis loomed.
f
�1
WASHISCTON THE IKDISPEXSABLE MA*
According to the Constitution, only the Senate had to acquiesce
in a treaty. Senators were then elected indirectly, by state legislatures. There was a Federalist majority. The House was elected
directly by the people and was considered tbe "popular," the
democratic branch of the govemment It had a Republican majority which was still infuriated by tbe Jay Treaty, and also resented
the domination which exclusive legislative concern with foreign
affairs gave the Senate. There was the further fact that in his commerctal treaty with Great Britain Jay had regulated trade matters
which had formerly been subject to action by the entire Congress.
This could be interpreted as usurpation by die Senate and the executive of matters that conectly belonged to "the people" gathered in the House.
The House had a weapon which its Republican majority intended to use the instant the Jay Treaty came back, duly signed,
from England. Money bills originated in the House. Various appropriations would be necessary to implement the treaty. The
House intendedtoreopen the whole question of the treaty and refusetovote the money if, as seemed most probable, they did not
approve it
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This issue was hanging over Washington's head when he celebrated his sixty-fifth birthday. The House showed its teeth by voting, fifty to thirty-eight, not to recess for half an hour so that the
members could call on the President. Nonetheless, bells rang, cannon boomed, and the Presidential Mansion was besieged by visitors. Towards nightfall, Washington received the best possible
birthday present: a copy of the treaty Pinckney had negotiated
with Spain.
Having withdrawn from her alliance with England against
Fraace, Spain was afraid that the Jay Treaty would be followed by
an alliance between England and the United States that would
overwhelm her North American possessions. Conciliation seemed
called for. Spain had opened the Mississippi to American shipping
and cleared away in a satisfactory manner all the other controversies that had for so long embroiled the southwest frontier
No one, of course, could object to this treaty ortoanother in
which, by not exorbitant sums, the navyless UnitedStates bought
off the Barbary pirates.
Late in February, a certified copy of the ratified Jay Treaty appeared. The leaders of the House expected Washington to take so
action until they
I i consulted, but on leap-year day, 1796,
Washington declared the treaty the law of the land. The House in-.
�JfllS 11 '96
04:48Pr'1 DOE/OFC OF SECRETARY
STATE OF THE UNION CONFERENCE C
SECRETARY RILEY
T ) Q _ 0
* Improving American education as part of our "national purpose"
economic tiine&/infonnation age
10
"s ^
challen
g
e
I
^
0
m
5
J
•
0
-- success for every child depends on a new American commitmem iu
exceilence and high standards
- high mobility of children and grandchildren
~ good citizenship and the foundation for our democracy
r 6vJ
^
* Urgency to our efforts: On the crest of a tidal wave of teenagers
-
lc.
In 1997 we will have 53 million students in school
more young people in school then any time in our nation's history.
"baby boom echo", surpasses record set in 1971
bulk of students will be teenagers in key states: California, Florida, etc
issues: class size/ access to college/ future wave of violence.
* A Presidential and American Agenda to jump start American education into the
21st century
1. Direct Presidential leadership - less emphasis on programs and
more emphasis on getting the job done (see attached paper, page 2)
2. A commitment to high standards and "accountability^
—emphasis on voluntary national standards to let every parent know
what their children need to leam to get ahead
~ upcoming release of national science standards
- stronger emphasis on 'accountability" of schools and teachers
- there are no "silver bullet" solutions to achieving excellence
3. A first emphasis on reading
- a commitment to helping children who lag behind leam
basic skills by full funding of Title 1 ( House budget cuts by
$1 billion over 7 years)
- double the size of our Summer reading program "Read* Write*
Now" to reach one million young people this coming Summer
~ direct Sec Riley to form a national reading partnership which
has but one goal; to make sure every child in America can read to a
high standard and no child will graduatefromhigh school who
cannot read their own diploma.
-emphasis on role of parents/family involvement
C n J J?
n • ^
�m
II
\U:4'M bdL'OfC OF SECRETARY
P.3/6
2. A commitmeDt to effective innovation: technology and support for charter schools
-technology: 1. by the year 2000 every teacher in America will be computer literate
(2.5 million teachers)
2. wire all schools to Internet
3. one computer for everyfivekids
-charter schools:
1. source of creativity and energy/public school choice
2 20 states now allow 200 charter schools now exist
3. $6 million already committed by Administration
4. new investment of $50 million first year, $100
million over five years (3,000 to 5,000 schools)
3. A commitment to basic American values.
A.- Safety/discipline/ drug use
1. drug use up third year in a row
2. Safe/Drug Free Schools:(rhetorical) would give communities the
opportunity to hire 10,000 school safety officers to help ^,000
school districts train teachers to deal with violence
3. encourage every good idea that has the full support of
par entsfromparent patrols to uniforms (ref Janet. Reno visit
to public school in LA).
B. Citizenship & Religion
1 .schools do more then prepare our children for work
they define the future of our democracy
2. Neil Postman, " public education does not serve the
public. It creates a public."
3. Character education/ community serv ice
4. Religion: public schools should not be hostile to religion,
our children need to appreciate the religious heritage of
country; guidelines released last year are working
:
C. English for New Americans
- millions of new immigrants want to participate in the
American Dream and become good citizens
— all over America these immigrants are standing in line
waiting to get into classes to learn English.
- high impact in California, Florida, Texas
— current efforts (Adult Basic Education Grants) reaches 17 million
immigrant adults but only 19% of target population
— direct Sec Riley to design and support a national effort using churches,
and local voluntary groups to meet this immediate and growing need
- ask all Americans who want to help to join in.
�JHN I I 'bfe 04:4gPM D E ' r OF S C E A Y
O-OC
ERTR
F. 4/1
4. Commitment to provide all deserving students with thefinancialaid they need
to attend a four year public college
FINANCIAL AID OFFER
speak directly to high school freshman:
" if you study hard in the next four years and can make the grade
to go to college my budget will guarantee thefinancialaid you need to
cover the cost of tuition at a four year public college. It is your responsibility
to study hard and make the grade. It is America's responsibility to make sure
that you have thefinancialaid you need -- loans, grants, work-study - to get
a quality education that prepares you for life."
-- Propose a new scholarship offer based on merit for top two per cent
of all graduating classes
- greater emphasis and support for work-study programs
�ii
3D
- j w - ^ i - n D U t / O F C OF SECRETARY
P. 5 - 6
CHOICES IN EDUCATION
"I would like to spend some time outlining critical issues affecting our choices in education,
and some critical steps for moving our schools forward.
"I submit that without strong schools, and strong public schools, this nation cannot be strong
This is becoming increasingly true, both as the jobs of today's economy demand more skills
and higher levels of education, and as other forces tend to fragment and divide our society.
Schools bear the critical responsibility today in preparing our students to meaningful
participate in our democracy and to work in a challenging and internationally competnive
economy.
"I emphasize that public schools do not simply serve the public. They create the pubiic a
strong citizenry that can work together and get along with one another.' It is this kind of
unity, strengthened by diversity, that sets our nadon apart from countries diar have
disintegrated into ethnic conflicts and wars. Improved education is a key to mainuimng a
robust economy, and to preserving and enhancing the values that have long supperted our
country.
"Yer just as we demand more than ever from our schools, schools face new challenges and
opportunities. Guns, violence, and disorder confront many classrooms and schools around
this nation. Students are leaving school to enter workplaces demanding new skills, inciuding
computer literacy. And while schools in every part of this country are successfully meeting
the toughest of these challenges, many schools and school systems are failing.
"We have learned a tremendous amount, over the past two decades, about how children leam
and how schools succeed. There is not a problem that hasn't been solved somewhere in
America; across the country, there are schools that are successfully addressing violence and
discipline problems, helping kids to prepare for the computer age and get along and leam
along side children from all walks of life. But these schools are still far too few.
' Importantly, as a nation, we are beginning to tum the comer. Test scores are up, so too is
college enrollment. But we must do more: demand that our schools, all of them, perform at
world-class standards; develop new education strategies to respond to our changing times,
and tap the talent and entrepreneurial spirit that has led to one innovation after another in the
course of our history.
If the nation wants strong schools, it must:
•
continue its investment in.education, not cur it. Any plan to balance the budget deficit
by increasing the education deficit is not acceptable.
•
Support a deepening involvement of families and community members in ther schools
and in their children's education. We need to promote greater parental involvement
family friendly businesses for learning, and greater help from the religious and civic
community to better connect families with schools and learning.
See recent Neil Postman book, The End of Education.
�j
JHN 11 y b
U4:bUHH UOL.-'^C O SECRET PRY
V
p. 6/6
Continue c set challenging academic standards by which schools can truly be held
o
accountable and set high standards for safety, order, and discipline in our schools.
Promote chaner schools and other approaches to public school choice where existing
schools are not meeting parental expectations. All parents should have the opportumry
to send their child to another public school; and if there is not a sausfactory public
school nearby, parents should be able to send their child to « and even create - an
independent public charter school. Schools should ALOW that if they don't satisfy the
needs of cheii customers, their customers will be free to take their business elsewhere.
9
Ensure that every child attends a school that is safe, orderly and drug-free and has some
safe haven after school, weekends and summers.
•
Prepare our students in the use of computers and technology, by forging public-private
partnerships to effectively use computers in every classroom in the nation by the year
2000, wire all schools to the world wide web, and train all teachers to use computers to
help all students to reach high academic standards.
•
Ensure affordable access to college for all qualified high school graduates, through
grants, our successful new direct loan program, an expanded work study program and
new merit scholarships.
"During the past three years, my administration has provided strong national leadership in ail
of these areas. We have invested more in education. We have begun to deregulate and
move far more decisions down co those closest to children who understand their needs best parents, teachers and other community members. We have supported state and community
efforts to develop and raise standards of achievement, invest in teacher training and suppon.
safer and more disciplined schools. In short, we have concentrated our federal efforts on
areas that really matter.
Now, we must redouble our efforts to provide all children with a high quality education.
We need to turn the great interest Americans have in education and cheir children" s future
into a culture of learning across this great country. We need to "stir up" the American
people -- all Americans - to help our students to work hard and leam to the highest
standards possible.
"As the President, I pledge to use the strength of my office to personally lead our country to
become a nation of learners. I commit my time, the Vice-President's time and the U S
Secretary of Education's time to go to communities and states all across our country to meet
with parents, grandparents, teachers, and community, religious, business and higher
education leaders to help build local and state partnerships for stronger schools and better
'.eaching and learning and to help young people understand the hard work u will take to get
ahead in today's economy.
"If we all do our pan to help our children leam. America will be a strong, vibrant, caring,
and productive nation... a nation of law-abiding citizens able to compete with any nation in
the world.
�THE PRESIDENT H S SEEN
A
THE WHITE H O U S E
W A S H I N GTO N
January 3, 1996
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DON BAER
KITTY HIGGINS
MICHAEL WALDMAN
SUBJECT: Memoranda from t h e Cabinet
A t t a c h e d a r e submissions from Cabinet s e c r e t a r i e s on p o s s i b l e
themes f o r t h e S t a t e o f t h e Union.
�Department o f E d u c a t i o n
Thoughts on 1996
Major
Themes:
responsibility"
December 22, 199 5
S t a t e o f Union Speech
Continue
I n c r e a s e Emphasis on
major
theme
of
"opportunity
and
responsibility
o R e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o o t h e r s , t o s o c i e t y , t o America
o T a k i n g advantage o f o p p o r t u n i t y r e q u i r e s h a r d work
o Use concepts such as performance, a c c o u n t a b i l i t y , s t a n d a r d s ,
respect f o r others, d i s c i p l i n e .
2. We a r e emerging i n t o a new p o s t c o l d - w a r , p o s t balanced-budget
era.
We need t o p o s i t i o n America t o be a s t r o n g democracy and
economy i n a d i v e r s e s o c i e t y w i t h c o n s t r a i n e d spending.
o S m a l l e r , more r e s p o n s i v e and e f f i c i e n t government
o Focus on s e l e c t e d n a t i o n a l purposes -- t o s u p p o r t good
c i t i z e n s h i p and economy. Q u a l i t y s c h o o l s , c l e a n w a t e r and a i r ,
h e a l t h y y o u n g s t e r s , s a f e s t r e e t s and s c h o o l s .
o Performance P a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h s t a t e s based on n a t i o n a l
purposes.
3 . P r o v i d e l e a d e r s h i p t o address fundamental
in society:
o r a c i a l tensions
o income i n e q u a l i t i e s
o r e s p o n s i b l e r o l e f o r y o u t h who
4. I n v e s t i n E d u c a t i o n : New
and h i g h s t a n d a r d s
s t r e s s e s and
strains
are n o t g o i n g on t o c o l l e g e
F e d e r a l K-12
r o l e based on l e a d e r s h i p
o R e a f f i r m n a t i o n a l purpose o f p u b l i c s c h o o l s -- t o promote
c i t i z e n s h i p and c r e a t e t h e p u b l i c as w e l l as serve t h e p u b l i c .
o P e r f o r m a n c e — p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h s t a t e s around h i g h s t a t e
standards,
local
responsibility
and
flexibility
with
accountability.
o N a t i o n a l leadership through v o l u n t a r y n a t i o n a l standards,
s u p p o r t f o r c i t i z e n s h i p and s e r v i c e i n s c h o o l s , p u t t i n g
t e c h n o l o g y t o use, and c h a r t e r s c h o o l s .
5.
I n v e s t i n E d u c a t i o n : I n s u r e access t o a t l e a s t two y e a r s
c o l l e g e f o r a l l prepared h i g h school graduates.
of
o S c h o l a r s h i p s based on m e r i t f o r t o p two p e r c e n t o f a l l
graduating classes.
o S t r o n g d i r e c t l e n d i n g program w i t h income c o n t i n g e n t
repayment a l l o w i n g g r a d u a t e s t o t a k e low p a y i n g , s e r v i c e
�oriented jobs.
o
Increase
responsibility
through g r e a t e r
work-study
opportunities.
o Reduce r e g u l a t i o n s f o r schools w i t h s t r o n g a d m i n i s t r a t i v e
records.
6
Face issue of work f o r non-college going youth. "More r e c e n t l y
he has p r o f f e r e d the wisdom t h a t i n s t e a d of simply y e l l i n g a the
u n s k i l l e d underclass t o get o f f t h e i r d u f f s and go t o w?rk we
iM might spend some thought seeing t o i t t h a t t h e r e i s some en t r y l e v e l work f o r them t o do -- some modern-day e q u i v a l e n t of the
f a c t o r y . " (WM Raspberry paraphrasing Hugh P r i c e . WPost 12/22)
Department of Education
December 22, 1995
�Other Thoughts on 1996
Beginning
S t a t e of Union Speech:
to f l e s h i n g out some of the Themes
Emerging new f e d e r a l r o l e i n p o s t - c o l d war post-balanced budget
era-.
Requires a new v i s i o n -- not a h i g h l y r e g u l a t e d government or
the fragmented, r u d d e r l e s s v i s i o n of the Republicans.
Govemment
w i l l be s m a l l e r , more responsive.
o Need bold f e d e r a l l e a d e r s h i p i n c r i t i c a l a r e a s of n a t i o n a l
purposes and r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s d
c l e a r d i r e c t i o n i n those
domestic and i n t e r n a t i o n a l arenas r e q u i r e d to keep our
democracy and
economy strong
and
to ensure
"domestic
tranquility."
o Performance P a r t n e r s h i p s around n a t i o n a l purposes: S t r u c t u r e
around c l e a r standards of performance r a t h e r than conformity
with p r o c e s s : Get i n c e n t i v e s s t r a i g h t -- support and reward
progress, q u a l i t y , innovation, and hard work; emphasize
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ; e x e r c i s e a c c o u n t a b i l i t y when progress i s not
forthcoming.
o T i g h t budgets w i t h new r e s o u r c e s c r e a t e d by economic growth
t a r g e t e d to n a t i o n a l p r i o r i t i e s and a d i f f e r e n t way of doing
business.
o Key n a t i o n a l p r i o r i t i e s -- a l l where s t a t e and l o c a l
governments are c r i t i c a l -- but where our n a t i o n a l l i v e l i h o o d
i s at s t a k e : To b u i l d a strong n a t i o n we need:
*
Strong schools t h a t prepare a l l of our youth to be
productive and i n v o l v e d c i t i z e n s w i t h good jobs through
s o l i d b a s i c s k i l l s , high academic standards, and c l e a r
r u l e s of conduct with consequences f o r mis-behaving.
*
Clean water, c l e a n a i r ....
*
Healthy youngsters
+
Safe s t r e e t s , communities and s c h o o l s
... B a s i c s a f e t y net.
.. .
�Education: A d i f f e r e n t F e d e r a l Role based on l e a d e r s h i p , v i s i o n ,
i d e n t i f i c a t i o n of n a t i o n a l purposes
o R e a f f i r m fundamental n a t i o n a l purpose of p u b l i c s c h o o l s -p u b l i c schools do not only s e r v e t h e p u b l i c , they c r e a t e the
public.
P u b l i c schools a r e n e c e s s a r y to prepare our students
to l i v e and work i n a c h a l l e n g i n g and i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y
competitive democracy and economy.
1
o To meet t h i s purpose p u b l i c s c h o o l s must prepare students
to meet r i g o r o u s academic and o c c u p a t i o n a l standards and to
p a r t i c i p a t e as Americans i n our d i v e r s e democratic s o c i e t y .
High academic standards a s w e l l a s the b a s i c s , a s a f e and
disciplined
environment,
well
trained teachers,
local
f l e x i b i l i t y and c h a r t e r s c h o o l s , o c c u p a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g f o r
high paying jobs, support f o r a l l prepared students to a t t e n d
college
these a r e the i n g r e d i e n t s of an e f f e c t i v e education
strategy.
C l i n t o n p r i o r i t y programs w i l l h e l p make t h i s
happen.
o A s t r o n g n a t i o n needs a s t r o n g school system
w h i l e we
have a long way to go the n a t i o n i s beginnning t o move i n the
right direction;
achievement i s up i n math, s c i e n c e and
reading, 4 times as many advanced placement courses taken than
i n 196 0, standards are having g r e a t e f f e c t i n Maryland, NYC,
KY and other s t a t e s and communities throughout the n a t i o n .
o The f e d e r a l government i s beginning to move i n the r i g h t
d i r e c t i o n -- put i n t o p l a c e s t r o n g programs i n support o r
s t a t e and l o c a l reforms f o r a l l students, reduced programs by
over 70, reduced r e g u l a t i o n s i n elementary and secondary
education by over 75%, implemented l a r g e s c a l e w a i v e r program
f o r the f i r s t time.
o At Elementary
and Secondary l e v e l continued n a t i o n a l
l e a d e r s h i p i s necessary to make performance count. The need
f o r i n c r e a s e d n a t i o n a l e f f o r t s i s g r e a t e r than ever as the
school population w i l l see a t i d a l wave of new s t u d e n t s (over
2 0% i n c r e a s e ) over the next decade to the h i g h e s t l e v e l s ever.
Support s t a t e and l o c a l reforms f o r c h a l l e n g i n g
standards through Goals 2000 and School to Work.
Strong
P r e s i d e n t i a l and S e c r e t a r i a l
support f o r
v o l u n t a r y n a t i o n a l standards to help guide and c h a l l e n g e
our s c h o o l s . Strengthen N a t i o n a l Assessment of Education
Progress to give us r e g u l a r performance feedback on our
national
and s t a t e
efforts.
Give
public
clear
1
See recent N e i l Postman book The End of Education.
4
�e x p e c c a t i o n s about what i s h i g h q u a l i t y ,
c o m p e t i t i v e work.
internationally
- Promote f l e x i b i l i t y and a c c o u n t a b i l i t y f o r r e s u l t s :
E s t a b l i s h a system o f p e r f o r m a n c e p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h
s t a t e s t o g i v e i n c e n t i v e s t o s t a t e s w i t h improved
achievement -- waive a l l f e d e r a l e d u c a t i o n
laws and
r e g u l a t i o n s except c i v i l r i g h t s laws and IDEA f o r s t a t e s
t h a t have d e o m o n s t r a t e d improved achievement.
In
c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h MD and o t h e r s t a t e s t o implement t h i s
plan.
- P r e s i d e n t i a l and
S e c r e t a r i a l support f o r increased
a t t e n t i o n t o c i t i z e n s h i p i n our s c h o o l s -public
service,
s a l u t i n g the
flag,
clear guidelines
for
religious activities .. .
- Technology -- p u b l i c , p r i v a t e p a r t n e r s h i p t o p u t
computers t o use i n e v e r y c l a s s r o o m i n t h e n a t i o n by t h e
y e a r 2000 -- w i r e a l l s c h o o l s t o t h e w o r l d w i d e web -and t r a i n a l l t e a c h e r s t o use computers t o enhance
s t u d e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o r e a c h h i g h academic s t a n d a r d s .
- P r o v i d e s t r o n g i n c e n t i v e s f o r t h e development
i n i t i a l implementation of c h a r t e r schools throughout
nation.
and
the
o A t Post-Secondary l e v e l : I n s u r e f i n a n c i a l access t o c o l l e g e
for
a l l deserving h i g h school
graduates.
S i m p l i f y and
s t r e n g t h e n o t h e r s t u d e n t a s s i s t a n c e programs. ( Could propose
IRAs f o r c o l l e g e use -- Laura Tyson's p l a n :
T h i s would be
e x p e n s i v e but p o w e r f u l ! ! ) A l t e r n a t i v e l y :
- E s t a b l i s h $1000/year s c h o l a r s h i p based on m e r i t f o r up
t o two y e a r s f o r t h e t o p two p e r c e n t o f a l l g r a d u a t i n g
s t u d e n t s i n e v e r y secondary s c h o o l i n t h e n a t i o n (grade
p o i n t average) f o r use i n t h e c o l l e g e o f t h e i r c h o i c e .
60,000 s t u d e n t s p e r y e a r c o s t up t o $120 m i l l i o n i n t h e
second y e a r (when 120,000 s t u d e n t s w o u l d have r e c e i v e d
awards).
- Increase P e l l g r a n t s , the heart of the f i n a n c i a l
programs, t o $3128 by 2002!!
aid
- Continue t o have a s t r o n g D i r e c t Loan program.
- I n c r e a s e w o r k - s t u d y by 50% p h a s i n g i n o v e r f i v e
years.
- Reward schools w i t h s t r o n g r e c o r d s i n a d m i n i s t e r i n g
student a i d w i t h dramatic r e d u c t i o n i n f e d e r a l r e g u l a t o r y
requirements.
�DRAFT 12/18/95
Connecting Education As A National Concern
to Local Action and Support
1.
Given the long American tradition of local and state control, are education and its
funding a national or federal concern ofthe public? Examples from recent polls show strong
support:
*
81 % oppose decreasing federal education funding to decrease the federal deficit; 19%
would favor (Times Mirror, 1994).
*
75% said federal aid to education should be expanded; 18% said "keep same"- and 4%
said "cut back" (Gallup, 1995).
*
80% of Americans think the federal Department of Education is necessary; 70% say
"very necessary" (NBC/Wall Street Journal, 1995).
*
76% disapprove of reducing federal funding for low-income schools to balance the
federal budget; by comparison, 61% disapprove of cutting the rate of spending growth for
Medicare; and 36% oppose cutting food stamp funding (Times Mirror, 1995).
*
74% of Republicans in New Hampshire (10/25/95), said "no" to cuts in education to
reduce the deficit as compared to 62% "no" to Medicare cuts; 33% "no" to defense cuts;
and 43% "no" to cuts in assistance to the poor.
By almost 2-to-l, young voters (18-34) cite education as a top voting issue over the
budget deficit, crime, and Medicare (NBC, Wall Street Journal, 11/2/95).
However, citizens clearly don't want micromanagement of detailed programs from the federal or
state levels, but they do want accountability and want to reduce waste and red tape. They like
encouragement of community-based solutions and local partnerships. They want all of us to
work together on needed educational changes to reflect the changed realities of American society
and the demands of today's and tomorrow's workplaces.
2.
What is the overall message on education that connects with local citizens?
Celinda Lake has aframeworkthat captures this well. Combining her findings with several
others gives a good general message about needed focus and attention.
t
Quality education is absolutely necessary not only to the future of our children and our
families but to the future of America. A good education is certainly essential to each
citizen for full participation in the changing economy, but a well-educated citizenry is
also essendal to our country's democratic way of life. As a nation, we have a stake in
giving our children a solid foundation to make the most of their lives and to be
productive, responsible adults.
In addition to academics, a quality education is one that stresses discipline, hard work,
respect and responsibility where guns, violence and drugs are not present. We need to set
the highest standards in education and we need to make this a national priority. Parents
should have the choice of public schools or charter schools to escape poorly run or
disorderly schools. Schools should not allow hostility to religion or to good citizenship.
�HeadStart, strong teacher training, extra help in the basics, getting computers in the
classroom, and streamlined college loans are fundamental to helping our children get
started on therightcourse. Along with betterfinancialaid for college, providing
specialized courses for career preparation with work-study expenences is also important.
We should be making, all of these initiatives better, not cutting them back. They are
essential to a strong economic future for our children and our families, and to our ability
to compete in an international economy to bring us together as Americans.
Rgcwring critical issues:
*
safe, disciplined, and drug-free leaming environment,
promoting parent involvement,
rigorously teaching the basics,
getting quality teachers and upgrading teacher skills,
setting high standards of discipline and achievement
getting computer technology into the classroom as soon as possible,
access to student loans and financial aid for college.
teaching and connecting young people to real life skills that prepare them for adulthood,
careers, and college.
3.
What are any opportunities to address these issues locally?
a.
The proposed reconciliation and appropriation bills by the "new" Congress cut the very
education areas people support the most. In fact, the public wants to improve and expand
them. However, most people do not know about the cuts nor what to do about them.
Showing direct impact on local schools, colleges, students, narents and teachers can hiake
this a real and verv imnortant local issue.
•
Citi7*ns like to see local parent-teacher, business-school, and community-school
partnerships that are solving education problems faced bv realftftniliesand students
Many of the changes in new education legislation passed by the last Congress are
beginning to create, and will create, new opportunities for building and expanding local
partnerships and community-based solutions to solve the very education issues of most
concern to the American public: school-law enforcement partnerships through the Safe
and Drug-Free Schools Act; school-community partnerships for educational excellence
through the Goals 2000: Educate America Act; school-employer-communiry college
partnerships through rhe School-to-Work Opportunities Act; school-parent compacts
through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; school-college
parmerships through TRIO; and college student-direct financial aid through Direct
Lending. Hifhli^htinp these partnershivs solving the above critical issues shoMfx
leadership fnr effective change.
b.
�Why Federal Education Funding Is TmnorW
The Federal government plays a critical role in education. The most important contributions are:
1) raising standards of achievement
2) improving basic skills of disadvantaged children
3) ensuring safe and disciplined schools
4) helping families pay for college
5) preparing youth for the world of work.
The public overwhelmingly supports education, including the Federal role:
•
81 % oppose decreasing Federal education funding to decrease the federal deficit; 19 %
would favor (Times Mirror, 1994).
•
75 % say federal aid to education should be expanded; 18 % say "keep same;" and 4 %
say "cut back" (Gallup, 1995).
*
In response to strong public demand and the outcome of the 1995 state election,
Virginia's Governor George Allen this month submitted a new budget which
substantially increases state expenditures for classrooms, technology, and higher
education.
•
74 % of Republicans in New Hampshire say "No" to cuts in education to reduce the
deficit as compared to 62 % "No" to Medicare cuts; 33 % "No" to Defense cuts; and 43
% "No*' to cuts in assistance to the poor (10/25/95).
*
By almost 2 to 1, young voters (18 to 34) cite education as a top voting issue over the
budget deficit, crime, and Medicare (NBC/Wall Street Journal 11/2/95).
•
76 % of Americans disapprove of reducing Federal funding for low-income schools to
balance the Federal budget; by comparison, 61 % disapprove of cutting the rate of
spending growth for Medicare; and 36 % oppose cutting food stamp funding (Times
Mirror 1995).
The Department of Education addresses critical areas of National concern, including :
•
Provides $32 billion in financial aid to help 6.5 million students attend college.
•
Through Title I grants to local school districts, provides $7 billions to more than 6 million
�students each year in the highest poverty schools to improve basic and advanced skills.
•
Provides $3 billion a year to help communities meet the special needs of over 5 million
children with disabilities to prepare them for further education and employment,
*
Helps communities and States raise standards of student achievement, prevent drug abuse
and violence in schools, and build partnerships to get computers and technology in
classrooms.
•
Assists States in helping youth move from school to careers.
Education works:
•
Greater prosperity. In 1992, average annual earnings for those with a bachelor's degree
were 74 % higher than for those with a high school diploma, and 155 % higher than for
those who had not graduatedfromhigh school. Also, a student who graduatesfromhigh
school earns $200,000 more during his lifetime than a student who doesn't. A college
graduate earns SI million more than someone who doesn't.
*
•
Less welfare. Only 5 % of college graduates have ever participated in govemment
assistance programs (AFDC, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, housing
assistance, or Medicaid), and only 10 % of high school graduates have, compared to 24 %
of high school dropouts.
•
Less crime. Although only about 18 % of the population has neverfinishedhigh school,
this group accounts for 41 % of state prison inmates and 47 % of prisoners on death row.
•
More civic participation. Fully 85 % of college graduates and 75 % of high school
graduates, but only 50 % of high school dropouts, are registered to vote.
Education programs work:
•
The Rand Corporation found that the Title I program helped to close the achievement gap
between disadvantaged students and their advantaged peers (from 1970 to the mid ^BO's,
the learning gap in reading, mathematics, and science was cut by over a third—NAEP).
Bipartisan reauthorization in 1994 focused on improving the program to challenge lowincome students to high standards to help continue closing the gap.
•
The dropout rate is declining (from 14 % in 1982 to 11 % in 1993), fewer students are
taking remedial math courses, more students are taking advanced placement courses
(150,000 in 1982, 450,000 in 1992), and the science test scores of both the highest- and
the lowest-performing students are increasing.
�Comprehensive standards-based reforms, such as those supported by Goals 2000, in
leading-edge states are showing impressive gains in student performance, such as in
Kentucky, where 4th, 8th, and 12th graders demonstrated dramatic improvement on
1993-94 assessments over previous years' tests in mathematics, reading, science, and
social studies.
IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner, for example, says that "Goals 2000 is only a small portion
of what we need. But it is a very critical portion because it is thefragilebeginning ofthe
establishment of a culture of measurement standards and accountability in this country.
We must go beyond Goals 2000. But if we lose Goals 2000, it is an incredibly negative
setback for the Nation.
Goals 2000 has received widespread support because of itsflexibilityand its emphasis on
high standards and accountability. The Wall Street Tnnmal has reported that Goals 2000
is viewed "by many political analysts as the mostflexibleeducation plan ever produced
by the Federal govemment." (WSJ 8/30/95)
The New York Times reports that tougher graduation requirements in New York City
public schools are spurring thousands more school students to take and pass college
preparatory mathematics and science courses (5/9/95). Enteringfreshmenat CUNY are
the best academically prepared in two decades (12/10/95).
Increases in special education funding have contributed to major educational gains in
children with disabilities, who now have opportunities that were unavailable before
enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
For 5 years, Maryland has been working systematically to raise academic standards and is
showing significant improvement in achievement as a result.
�Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
S
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
005. memo
DATE
SUBJECT/TITLE
Ronald Brown to the President; RE: 1996 State of the Union Address
(3 pages)
12/26/1995
RESTRICTION
P5
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
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Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State ofthe Union]
2006-0469-F
db3331
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�THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
m
% \ ^ ^ ^ / $
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20590
December 21, 1995
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Kitty Higgins
Don Baer
FROM:
Federico Pena K ^ U ^ ^ * *
RE;
Themes and Messages for the State-of-the-Union Address
You asked for my recommendations concerning potential themes and messages for the
President's upcoming State-of-the-Union address.
The four-prong message the White House has been using (Leadership/Family/Opportunity/
Common Ground) has proven very effective indeed. I believe the element of Family —
particularly the view of broader family or community typified by Americans' support for
victims of Oklahoma City and the many natural disasters that have occurred in recent years ~
should particularly be emphasized.
Within each of these overall themes, however, we believe the State-of-the-Union should
highlight another aspect of Administration policy - "Keeping Promises." At base, voters are
dissatisfied because they see a disconnect between the promises of political candidates and
campaigns and the actual execution of government policy. It is particularly important to
address this concern as we move into this next year. And we have a terrific story to tell promises kept tliat don't receive much attention in the conflict-focused national media. (An
effective variation on this theme is to contrast talk - especially from members of Congress
and the rest of the Washington establishment ~ with real change-oriented action.)
The revitalization of America's economy was the central theme ofthe President's 1992
campaign, and the results are plain. As part of this core message, the President also
emphasized the importance of "Rebuilding America" to compete economically. Here, too, we
have some real achievements worth highlighting. Severalfromthe transportation world are
outlined below, using speech-style rhetoric to illustrate how it might work.
�-2REBUILDING AMERICA
In 1992, I saw the way our Nation's transportation system ~ highways, bridges, railroads and
ports - affect Americans in their everyday lives. Vice President Gore and I traveled much of
the country in buses, talking to all kinds of people - at a truck stop in Carlisle, PA, along
U.S. Highway 51 in Sandoval, IL and in countless towns along the highways. During our
first bus trip, from New York City to St. Louis, Mo, I made a commitment to rebuild
America. I'm proud to say my Administration has done just that. We've invested more in
highway and bridge construction than any comparable period before — more than $40 billion.
This means faster, safer travel for the American people.
But we've also done something more, because we know: it's not how much you spend, but
how you spend the public's money. So we've worked hard to make better, more strategic
investments — to get more bang for the buck - and to get the private sector to invest more,
fr'm proud to say that by cutting red tape and giving state and local government more
flexibility, we've managed to jump start $2 to $3 billion worth of construction projects that
otherwise never would have happened at all — and without using any additional Federal
* funds. We've also built public-private technology partnerships like the one for Interstate 75
where high-tech transponders and micro-chips mean big rigs roll safer and more efficiently
from Florida to Michigan, and cut millions of dollars in delivery costs.
The improvements to our infrastructure help us to move people and goods more quickly, so
Americans can spend more time at home with their families and so we can solidify our
position as the most dynamic economy in the world.
AVIATION
One of the first things I did when I came into office was to appoint a special Commission to
look into the condition of the airline and aerospace industries. These industries, in which
America had always led the world, were on the a tremendous downswing. The industry lost
$10 billion in 1990-92 and suffered as major carriers like Eastern and Pan Am went bankrupt.
Today, the airline industry is in the midst of the transportation turnaround of the decade,
thanks in large part to the work of that commission and this administration's economic
policies. I am proud to tell you that our major earners earned over $2.1 billion this year —
record levels, for many of them - and not a single one is in bankruptcy. In fact, there are
more new companies entering the aviation business than ever before. This means more jobs
— for people who build airplanes and work in airports, for example -- and it means better,
cheaper airline service for all Americans.
Part of this success has been opening up new foreign markets for our airlines. In the past
three years, the Administration has negotiated 28 new bi-lateral aviation agreements, including
10 "open-sides' agreements with European nations, a Canadian accord which has led to a 25
1
�-3percent increase in service, and Asian treaties which will form the critical transportation links
to these key emerging markets for our cargo and passenger carriers,
MARITIME
As a candidate, I visited this country's docks and shipyards and met with many of the tens
of thousands of shipbuilding workers who had lost their jobs. I called attention to this
national tragedy. And in San Diego, CA I pledged to help turn the industry around.
We came through. In 1993, the administration launched a five-part National Shipbuilding
Initiative. Since then, there has been a tremendous industry resurgence. Given the tools and a
level playing field, I knew that the workers in Mobile, Alabama and Newport News, Virginia
could compete globally, and we've helped put them back in business building ships. My
Administration's loan guarantee program has helped these and many other shipyards to
completely modernize so they could compete with the Europeans and the Japanese. In 1995,
the program paved way for construction of 36 commercial vessels and $502 billion worth of
business in American shipyard, creating thousands of new jobs. One of my proudest
moments as President came when one worker from the San Diego shipyard who had come to
Washington to participate in the announcement of our shipbuilding initiative said to me:
"Thank yoti, Mr, President. We're used to politicians forgetting about us after the campaign.
You didn't, and you came through," [Note: this is a paraphrase; exact quote to be checked.]
�SOCIAL SECURITY
Office of the Commissioner
December
20,
1995
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
SHIRLEY S. CHATER
COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY
SUBJECT: STATE-OF-THE-UNION ADDRESS
As requested, I am forwarding my recommendations f o r themes and
messages to p o s s i b l y be included i n your State-of-the-Union
Address i n January. My suggestions a r e as f o l l o w s :
1. The need f o r i n t e r g e n e r a t i o n a l cooperation
A l l too o f t e n , debates on n a t i o n a l i s s u e s d i v i d e g e n e r a t i o n s of
Americans i n s t e a d of bringing them together. I f we, as a n a t i o n ,
are going to develop long-term s o l u t i o n to i s s u e s f a c i n g our
country, a l l of us, young and o l d a l i k e , must be w i l l i n g to work
together f o r a common goal.
S o c i a l S e c u r i t y and Medicare are p e r f e c t examples of i s s u e s that
r e q u i r e i n t e r g e n e r a t i o n a l cooperation. Today's s e n i o r s and
tomorrow's workers must decide the future of these programs
together because a l l Americans, r e g a r d l e s s of t h e i r ages, a r e
impacted by S o c i a l S e c u r i t y and Medicare.
For two of every three s e n i o r c i t i z e n s , S o c i a l S e c u r i t y
r e p r e s e n t s more than 50 percent of annual income. F o r 14 percent
of Americans age 65 and o l d e r , S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s 100 percent of
income.
In a d d i t i o n . S o c i a l S e c u r i t y b e n e f i t s young workers through
s u r v i v o r s and d i s a b i l i t y p r o t e c t i o n . Younger Americans face
roughly a l - i n - 5 chance of dying before reaching age 65. I f the
unthinkable happens. S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s there w i t h average
p r o t e c t i o n e q u i v a l e n t to a $295,000 l i f e i n s u r a n c e p o l i c y .
A 20-year-old worker stands n e a r l y a l - l n - 3 chance of becoming
d i s a b l e d before age 65. Once again. S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s t h e r e i f
the unthinkable o c c u r s — w i t h d i s a b i l i t y p r o t e c t i o n which on the
average i s e q u i v a l e n t to a $203,000 d i s a b i l i t y p o l i c y f o r an
average income earner with a spouse and two c h i l d r e n .
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION BALTIMORE M D 21235-0001
�State-of-the-Union
Page 2
S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s much more than retirement. I t i s a program
that a f f e c t s a l l Americans. As a r e s u l t , we a l l must work
together to preserve and p r o t e c t i t .
2. The need to make "tough d e c i s i o n s " about our c o u n t r y ' s
future
"No pain, no gain" i s a f a m i l i a r phrase and one t h a t a l l
Americans should keep i n mind. As we move forward i n the
r e s o l u t i o n of n a t i o n a l i s s u e s , Americans must be prepared f o r a
s e r i e s of "give and take." I n d i v i d u a l l y , we may not be happy with
the r e s o l u t i o n of each i s s u e , but as a nation we can be s a t i s f i e d
i n the f a c t that we a r e doing what's r i g h t f o r America's f u t u r e .
A s p e c i f i c example of a tough d e c i s i o n i n v o l v e s t h e f u t u r e of
S o c i a l S e c u r i t y . Although S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s s o l v e n t today, a
time w i l l come when S o c i a l S e c u r i t y cannot pay f u l l b e n e f i t s . Two
roups--the Kerry-Danforth Commission and the S o c i a l S e c u r i t y
d v i s o r y Council--examined the i s s u e of solvency e a r l i e r t h i s
ear and could not agree on a s o l u t i o n .
Both groups d i d agree, however, that tough choices must be made
in order to make S o c i a l S e c u r i t y f i n a n c i a l l y sound. At some
point, Americans of a l l ages must decide on the f u t u r e of S o c i a l
S e c u r i t y . The e a r l i e r the tough choices a r e made, t h e l e s s
d r a s t i c they w i l l have to be. U l t i m a t e l y , everyone w i l l have to
s a c r i f i c e a l i t t l e f o r the good of the country's f u t u r e .
I t ' s not that young workers and Baby Boomers don't want a S o c i a l
S e c u r i t y program. I n f a c t , a study commissioned by AARP found
overwhelming support by Americans f o r S o c i a l S e c u r i t y . The
problem i s t h a t many young people don't b e l i e v e S o c i a l S e c u r i t y
w i l l be there f o r them.
Since S o c i a l S e c u r i t y a f f e c t s Americans of a l l g e n e r a t i o n s , i t ' s
important t h a t the voices of s e n i o r c i t i z e n s . Baby Boomers and
Generation X be heard i n the debate. As i n the p a s t , any major
change i n the S o c i a l S e c u r i t y program must i n v o l v e b i p a r t i s a n
cooperation and must be the r e s u l t of an engaged American p u b l i c .
�U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
OFFICE O F T H E S E C R E T A R Y
WASHINGTON, D.C. 33410-0001
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Don Baer
FROM:
RE:
n
Bruce Katz
State of the Union Themes
DATE:
December 21, 1995
Over past few months, the NEC has led an interagency process
to generate ideas on community empowerment ( i n f a c t a p r i n c i p a l s
meeting was held as recently as t h i s past tuesday) . From these and
other meetings, there i s widespread consensus emerging among the
Cabinet and key folks i n the White House and OMB that the e s s e n t i a l
^ ^ l e m e n t s of a community empowerment strategy are as follows:
increasing access to c a p i t a l f o r business development
reclaiming abandoned land i n c e n t r a l c i t i e s
•
transforming public housing — which includes demolishing the
worst of the public housing stock
reinventing the federal government's r e l a t i o n s h i p to local
governments — i . e . decentralize and "put communities f i r s t "
•
linking people to work
What these concrete policy elements have i n common — and what
could be a v i t a l part of a powerful State of the Union message, are
the following community empowerment themes:
putting communities f i r s t
strengthening
our c e n t r a l c i t i e s
getting devolution and decentralization r i g h t
i n s i s t i n g on r e c i p r o c i t y for government benefits
asserting that the government has a v i t a l r o l e to play
Focusing on these themes i s not only the r i g h t substantive
approach to community empowerment, but i t also has strong appeal to
middle-class values — as these themes focus on work, personal
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , private sector leadership and public s e r v i c e .
�Following are suggestions for a r t i c u l a t i n g these themes. Many
of these are elaborated on i n Where We L i v e , a document which
outlines HUD's plans for i t s second stage of reinvention.
You
should have already received t h i s report from the Secretary.
Put communities F i r s t
Generating economic opportunities (good jobs) i s important to
our a b i l i t y to compete and succeed i n the global economy. But many
people w i l l not succeed i n these turbulent times unless t h e i r
community roots — families, neighborhoods, schools, churches —
are strong. To best help f a m i l i e s t h r i v e , we must f i r s t focus on
strengthening our communities for the 21st century.
That means recognizing two r e a l i t i e s : F i r s t , that our national
well-being r e s t s on the health of our communities; and second, i n
an era of budget belt-tightening, we need a l a s e r - l i k e focus of
federal resources on meeting community needs — maximizing those
resources by building partnerships among l o c a l governments,
businesses, non-profits and s t a t e / f e d e r a l governments.
In
particular, i t ' s r i g h t for the President to challenge the private
sector, e s p e c i a l l y the business community, to take an active
partnership r o l e i n f i x i n g our most d i s t r e s s e d communities. Facing
the new century, we must ensure that a l l our actions support the
foundations of economic and c i v i c health, u p l i f t i n g mainstream
values. (Offer a Covenant with America's Communities).
s.£rengfcten Qw Cantral Citieg
Focus on the importance of c e n t r a l c i t i e s — and t h e i r l i n k s
to the larger metropolitan area — as the anchors of America's
economy.
Our national economy i s increasingly a system of
metropolitan regional economies which need economically v i t a l
central c i t i e s to t h r i v e . The d e s t i n i e s of metro areas are t i e d to
the performance of t h e i r c i t i e s ; while some suburban residents may
want to ignore the p l i g h t of c i t i e s — and don't see i t as
connected to t h e i r l i v e s — we can't afford to abandon these
engines of economic growth and must find ways to r e i n v e s t .
Decentralize with a Vengeance
I f we are going to r e a l l y put more power into people's hands
to shape t h e i r d e s t i n i e s , we need to push federal programs to the
front-lines, past s t a t e bureaucracies and into e f f e c t i v e and
f l e x i b l e partnerships with communities. Block granting to states
i s short-sighted and w i l l be i n e f f e c t i v e ; a r e a l community
empowerment strategy would r a d i c a l l y r e s t r u c t u r e federal agencies
to make them focus on building safe, strong and hopeful
communities, not on enlarging Washington bureaucracies.
(That
means any community empowerment strategy we propose should extend
federal reinvention to the federal government's r e l a t i o n s h i p s with
�States and l o c a l communities).
To r e a l l y decentralize, we muat t r u s t and l i s t e n c l o s e l y —
and then help empower — the people i n the trenches —
parents,
teachers, law enforcement, community leaders, s o c i a l workers, shop
owners and church leaders.
As we pursue t h i s kind of dramatic
decentralization — for the f i r s t time i n decades — we must also
find the common sense balance between cutting communities loose
with no federal help and strangling them to death with federal
regulations and red-tape.
I n s i s t on Conditionalitv
Americans, and often many poorer inner c i t y residents,
understand
and
support
the
balancing
of
rights
and
responsibilities.
This acknowledgement of r e c i p r o c i t y i n
acceptance of society's benefits has led to a readiness to accept
s t r i c t e r personal and moral conditions on program benefits.
Our
society — e s p e c i a l l y inner c i t y residents -- i s prepared to go a
good deal further than many might expect i n accepting
the
d i s c i p l i n e of work, service and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . This framework
can, and should, be applied much more broadly than welfare reform.
The r i g h t to a good education means kids must do t h e i r
homework and parents must hold t h e i r c h i l d r e n accountable (and help
out) . Having safe s t r e e t s mean community residents must work
closely with l o c a l police. Program examples: Getting a job and
work s k i l l s i n a HUD lead-paint abatement program means that single
fathers accept r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to attend pre-natal and p e d i a t r i c
appointments, complete a curriculum on fatherhood and p a r t i c i p a t e
in a support group. A public housing addiction recovery program
a s s i s t s single mothers i f they pledge to stay away from drugs, go
without TV, help t h e i r children with homework and keep t h e i r
apartments clean.
"we c^n Po This"
Americans are ready for someone to confront t h e i r pervasive
feeling that nothing works and that none of the e f f o r t s we make at
solving our most i n t r a c t a b l e national problems make a difference.
Many s t i l l believe that government has a v i t a l r o l e to play i n
solving our national problems, but they're not confident of the
federal government's a b i l i t y to make programs work and deliver
r e s u l t s . In addition to substantive reinvention e f f o r t s , the words
"we can do t h i s " are c r i t i c a l to our national sense of optimism and
hope. People know that our major s o c i a l and economic problems —
especially those i n our urban areas — are profoundly complex , but
they also know these problems are not going to go away, and they're
ready for strong leadership to t e l l them that we can overcome our
challenges and show the way towards what's already working.
TOTAL P.04
�UWITED STATES
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON,
D.C. ZO« t a
(IKKIt.-t OK T H t O I K K C T O K
December 21,
1995
MEMORANDUM FOR KITTY HIGGINS
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
AND SECRETARY TO THE CABINET
DON BAER
ASSISTANT TO THE
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM:
JAMES B. KING
DIRECTOR
SUBJECT;
State-of-thd-
DENT AND DIRECTOR OF
Themes/and Messages
I recommend t h e f o l l o w i n g two messages be included
month's State-of-the-Union address:
I.
i n next
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT DROPS BELOW 2 MILLION FOR FIRST TIME
SINCE 19 66 — ELIMINATING AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF GROWTH IN
GOVERNMENT
OPM data shows that, i n October, t h e Clinton-Gore
A d m i n i s t r a t i o n a t t a i n e d a major achievement when the F e d e r a l
government's t o t a l , on-board c i v i l i a n workforce f e l l below two
m i l l i o n f o r t h e f i r s t time s i n c e May, 1966. As t h e a t t a c h e d
c h a r t shows. F e d e r a l employment dropped t o 1,980,170, which
r e f l e c t s a r e d u c t i o n of 204,530 employees s i n c e January, 1993.
T h i s f i g u r e i n c l u d e s part-time and s e a s o n a l workers.
While our f i g u r e i s not the Full-Time E q u i v a l e n t (FTE)
number t h a t i s sometimes used, we b e l i e v e the t o t a l , on-board
workforce f i g u r e b e t t e r r e f l e c t s the a c t u a l s i z e of t h e
government and i s e a s i e r t o conununicate t o the p u b l i c .
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SET TO SPIN-OFF FIRST ESOP — REPLACING
TAXPAYER—FUNDED JOBS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES
OPM i s i n t h e f i n a l stages of n e g o t i a t i o n s t h a t w i l l enable
some 700 s k i l l e d i n v e s t i g a t o r s now on the F e d e r a l p a y r o l l t o
leave government and c r e a t e a p r i v a t e , employee-owned company.
T h i s new p r i v a t e - s e c t o r e n t e r p r i s e w i l l conduct background
i n v e s t i g a t i o n s both f o r the government and f o r the p r i v a t e
sector.
\
�Page 2
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For mors infonnation, piease c a l l Janice Lachance on 606-1S0Q.
Attachments
�i2/i8/os
Trend of Federal Civilian On-Board Employment
for Executive Branch (non-Postal) Agencies
Thesefiguresrepresent total on-board employment - not PTE's
and include all work schedules (full-time, part-time, intermittent),
and tenure groups (permanent and temporary)
J a n u a r y 1993 t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 1995
Month
Total
Change from
Prev. Month
Cumulative Change since
Jan. '93
1993
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2,188,700
2,197,937
2.193,890
2,186,245
2,186,755
2,198.963
2.183,131
2,178,540
2,156,844
2,136,358
2,127,496
2,120,463
9,237
^,047
-7,645
510
12,208
-15,832
-4,591
-21.696
-20,486
-8,862
-7,033
9,237
5,190
-2,455
-1,945
10,263
-5,569
-10,160
-31,856
-52.342
-61.204
-68,237
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2,113,892
2,123,448
2,119,019
2,117,292
2,110,334
2,112,533
2.107,582
2,099,555
2,085,492
2,061,515
2,048,493
2,039,882
-6,771
9,756
-4,429
-1,727
-6,958
2,199
-4.951
-8,027
-14,063
-23,977
-13,022
-8,611
-75.008
-65,252
-69,681
-71,408
-78.366
-76,167
-81,118
-89,145
-103,206
-127,185
-140,207
-148,818
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
2,028,078
2,033,404
2,030,046
2,027,480
2,037,427
2,051,719
2,047,573
2,037,190
2,011,870
1.984.170
-11,804
5,326
-3,358
-2,566
9,947
14.292
-4,146
-10,383
-25,320
-27.700
-160,622
-155,296
-158,654
-161,220
-151,273
-136,981
-141,127
-151,510
-176,830
-204,530
1994
1995
Notes: By Executive Order 12839, on February 10, 1993, the President ordered a
reduction of 100,000 full-time equivalent positions during the FY 1993-1995
period.
In a memorandum to Qepartment/Agency Heads in September 1993,
the President increased this number to 252,000 through FY 1999.
The WorK Force Restructuring Act of March 30, 1994 further increased
this number to 272,900 through FY 1999
SOURCE:
U.S Office of Personnel
Management
Office of Workforce Information
Monthly Report of Federal Civilian Employment
(SF 113-A).
�TREND OF FEDERAL CIVILIAN ON-BOARD EMPLOYMENT
FOR EXECUTIVE BRANCH (NON-POSTAL) AGENCIES
Averase Employment by Calendar Year
EXECUTIVE
BRANCH
CALENDAR
YEAR
1961
4962'^.••'jv
1963
1964 .
1965
1,814,225
:
W>- 5^5.^77,131
1967 _
1968 V " "
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984 '
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
19?S^
..
.
1,895,670
1,877,940
1,891,580
.:
2,035,515
2,206,636
. " 2,220,369
'
2,235,199
2,177,246
2,123,176
2,107,628
2,068,135
2,112,470
2,134,410
2,138,600
2,145,771
2,176,759
2,181,739
2,274,269
2,180,837
2,149,206
2,164,132
" 2,184,927
2,218,346
. 2,197,590
2,222,589
2,222,933
2,237,528
2,344,168
2,228,974
2,231,535
2,171,277
2,094,903
�Si
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
,<
• »v.o<.*'
office of tho s^tary
Washington, D.C. 20201
MEMORANDUM
To:
From:
Subject:
Date:
K i t t y H i g g i n s , Don Baer
Dan P o r t e r f i e l d , DAS f o r P u b l i c A f f a i r s , HHS
S t a t e o f t h e Union speech
12/21/95
S e c r e t a r y S h a l a l a mentioned two themes f o r t h e speech.
F i r s t , and mnst- i m p o r t a n t , she b e l i e v e s t h e speech s h o u l d be b o l d
and v i s i o n a r y . The P r e s i d e n t s h o u l d speak t o t h e American people
as c i t i z e n s , and not s i m p l y as t a x p a y e r s .
The speech s h o u l d be
a hoi it- t h e f u t u r e o f o u r c o u n t r y , a n d a b o u t o u r o b l i g a t i o n as
Americans t o p r o t e c t t h e hard-won l e g a c y o f t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y
w h i l e h a v i n g t h e courage t o address t h e new c h a l l e n g e s o f
tomorrow.
This c e n t u r y we won two w o r l d wars and t h e Cold War.
challenge o f Sputnik.
We met t h e
Wc i n t e g r a t e d o u r s o c i e t y a n d s s h a t t e r e d
glass c e i l i n g s .
We b u i l t a s t r o n g s a f e t y n e t f o r c h i l d r e n and
t r a n s f o r m e d t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f growing o l d .
How d i d t h i s happen? A t o u r b e s t , we committed o u r s e l v e s t o b o l d
and r e l e n t l e s s p r o g r e s s .
We p u t t h e common good and common
ground f i r s t .
And we moved f o r w a r d i n a t r u e s p i r i t o f
p a r t n e r s h i p -- w i t h c i t i z e n s , f a m i l i e s , communities, and s t a t e s
a l l doing t h e i r p a r t , and t h e n a t i o n a l government h e l p i n g and
sometimes l e a d i n y .
Today, t h i s t r a d i t i o n has been p l a c e d under s e i g e . There a r e
some p o l i L i c i a i i a and s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t s who, under t h e m i s l e a d i n g
mantle o f f e d e r a l i s m , a r e r e a l l y t r y i n g t o a b o l i s h t h e
p a r t n e r s h i p between t h e n a t i o n a l government and i t s p e o p l e .
That
uicty be an o p p o r t u n i s t i c campaign theme -- b u t i t ' s be bad f o r t h e
c o u n t r y . We need l i m i t e d government -- n o t absent government.
Because we do have a n a t i o n a l i n t e r e s t i n e n s u r i n g t h a t work pays
i n thie country.
I n g u a r a n t e e i n g a q u a l i t y e d u c a t i o n t o every
child.
I n making sure t h a t s e n i o r s can see a d o c t o r and poor
c h i l d r e n a r e a b l e t o e a t . I n k e e p i n g tobacco o u t o f t h e hands o f
c h i l d r e n and guns o u t o f t h e hands o f c r i m i n a l s .
I n preserving
the freedom o f p a r e n t s t o r a i s e t h e i r c h i l d r e n as t h e y want. I n
openixig new I n t e r n a t i o n a l markets f o r o u r p r o d u c t s and p r e v e n t i n g
i n t e r n a t i o n a l anarchy when we can.
These a-Lts American v a l u e s t h a t d e f i n e us as a n a t i o n -- and
p r e s e r v i n g and a c h i e v i n g them r e q u i r e s f e d e r a l l e a d e r s h i p . We
have shown t h a t l e a d e r s h i p f o r t h r e e y e a r s .
We have achieved
t r u l y i i a L i o n a l g o a l s f o r a l l o u r people
e v e r y t h i n g from
l o w e r i n g t h e homicide r a t e t o l o w e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e r o l l s ;
from
�c o l l e c t i n g r e c o r d l e v e l s of u n p a i d c h i l d s u p p o r t t o h e l p i n g
s t a t e s inoxease t h e number o£ t h e i r c i t i z e n s w i t h h e a l t h
i n s u r a n c e ; and from a c h i e v i n g t h e h i g h e s t i m m u n i z a t i o n r a t e s i n
h i s t o r y t o f u n d i n g b r e a k t h r o u g h d i s c o v e r i e s a g a i n s t b r e a s t cancer
and AIDS. T h i s i s good government, r e s p o n s i b l e govexument,
l i m i t e d government. We ought not g i v e up on i t .
Second, S e c r e t a r y S h a l a l a recommends t h a t Lhe Presidem: d i s c u s s
the importance o f a t r u l y n a t i o n a l p a r t n e r s h i p t o h e l p p a r e n t s i n
the most i m p o r t a n t r o l e any o f us w i l l ever.raising children.
The f a c t i s , m i l l i o n s o f p a r e n t s are w o r r i e d about t h e t h i n g s
t h e i r c h i l d r e n are exposed t o when t h e y are o u t s i d e t h e home:
A l c o h o l . Tobacco. Drugs. Teen pregnancy. AIDS. V i o l e n c e .
As
one p a r e n t s a i d i n The WashinQton Post. " I went f r o m w a n t i n g my
son t o w i n t h e Nobel P r i z e t o w a n t i n g him t o s u r v i v e . "
Even as t h e y w o r r y about t h e i r c h i l d r e n , p a r e n t s are f r u s t r a t e d
t h a t t h e y have l e s s c o n t r o l t h a n t h e y would l i k e .
Many p a r e n t s
are workiny l o n g e r hours w i t h l e s s j o b s e c u r i t y . They have l e s s
t i m e t o spend w i t h t h e i r c h i l d r e n . They're f i n d i n g i t h a r d e r t o
pay today's g r o c e r y b i l l s w h i l e s a v i n g f o r tomorrow's c o l l e g e
bills.
There are more f a m i l i e s i n which b o t h p a r e n t s are w o r k i n g .
There
are more s i n g l e - p a r e n t f a m i l i e s . There a r e fewer f a m i l i e s t h a t
f e e l connected t o s t r o n g , s u p p o r t i v e communities.
And t h e r e i s
more c o m p e t i t i o n f o r t h e i r c h i l d r e n ' s a t t e n t i o n -- t o o o f t e n from
i n f l u e n c e s l i k e tobacco ads o r g l a m o r i z e d images o f d r u g use.
S e c r e t a r y S h a l a l a recommends t h a t the P r e s i d e n t speak d i r e c t l y t o
the hopes, dreams and f e a r s o f these p a r e n t s . As p a r e n t s o f a
teenager, he and Mrs. C l i n t o n d e e p l y u n d e r s t a n d these concerns.
The P r e s i d e n t s h o u l d t e l l America's p a r e n t s t h a t he stands w i t h
them. That's why he has t a k e n on p o w e r f u l i n t e r e s t s -- t h e NRA,
the m e d i a / e n t e r t a i n m e n t i n d u s t r y , and t h e tobacco i n d u s t r y - - t o
put power back i n the hands o f p a r e n t s . That's why he and h i s
Cabinet have sent a c l e a r and c o n s i s t e n t message t h a t i t i s
i l l e g a l , dangerous, and wrong from c h i l d r e n and teenagR-rs t o use
drugs, a l c o h o l , and tobacco.
That's why he has l e d t h e f i g h t f o r
a p r i v a t e s e c t o r campaign t o reduce teen pregnancy and l e n t h i s
v o i c e t o t h e cause o f AIDS p r e v e n t i o n . That's why he has f o u g h t
f o r young people i n t h e budget b a t t l e s
gaining victories to
ensure t h a t summer j o b s , drug f r e e s c h o o l s , and c o l l e g e loans are
always t h e r e t o g i v e young people r e a l opt-inn R tro say "yes" t o .
And t h a t ' s why he has reached out t o young people h i m s e l f w i t h a
message o f o p p o r t u n i t y and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y .
Teenagers a r e n ' t j u s t our n a t i o n a l f u t u r e -- t h e y are o u r
n a t i o n a l p r e s e n t . They deserve s a f e passages, and we a l l must
h e l p them.
Thank you.
�Administrator
General Services Administration
Washington, DC 20405
December 21, 1995
MEMORANDUM FOR
KITTY HIGGINS
Secretaiy, White House Office of I
AHairs
DONALD BAER
Director, "White House
ROGER W. JOHNSON
Administrator, U.S. General semcesvvimmstzaaon
Call for Suggestions fbr State ofthe Union Address
1
FROM:
SUBJECT.
Thank you for the opportunity to share with you my ideas for themes and ideas for inclusion in the
President's 1996 State ofthe Union address.
Domestic PoUcy
The President is perhaps never stronger than when he appeals to the American people's higher self
and better nature. The President canriseabove the nasty noise level of present-day ideologues by
elevating his discussion with the Congress and the American people to a broader theme of what is
needed in our political system to move the country forward and meet the challenges of the next
century.
Much as he did in 1992 and since — although the message has been grossly distorted — the
President can speak to the fact that old ideologies, as well as the newer, harsher mix of populistlibertarianism couched as conservatism, will not provide the solutions to new challenges brought on
by economic and cultural transformations. He can recognize that old so-called liberal solutions
will not meet the challenges, while pointing out the fact that the calls to dismantle the federal
govemment by "devolving" federal programs to the stales without measurements or standards of
accountability is nothing more than an abdication of responsibility. There is a need for a strong
federal government, but one that works in partnership with state and local governments and the
private sector, and one thai is flexible and more responsive to changing needs. Then the President
can easily transition into his accomplishments under the National Performance Review framing
them into language to which working Americans can relate (see attached letter to the Vice
President, Columbus Dispatch article and GSA Message from the Administrator as examples).
Foreign Policv
In explaining why American involvement is needed in Bosnia and other foreign trouble spots, the
President's speech before the British Parliament last month, which called for fighting the "forces of
destruction," was again an appeal to our higher and better nature as Americans (see "Clinton Calls
for a War on 'Forces of Destruction," L.A. Times. November 30, 1995). It was a concise
message that best explained why America cannot retreat from its leadership role in foreign affairs.
In fact, the President should repeat this message constantly until it becomes known as the Clinton
Doctrine.
7
If you would like to discuss these issues in greater detail, please do not hesitate to call.
Fodoral Racycllng Pmgram
Pflniad an flocyclad Paosr
�Administrator
General Services Administration
Washington, DC 20405
December 19, 1995
The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr.
Vice President of the United States
The White House
Dear Mr. Vice President:
It is not The Washington Post. The New York Times, or The Wall Street
Journal (yet) but it sells in Columbus! (see enclosed article) A week earlier we
put out a press release reporting a S600 million savings from the latest FTS2000 negotiations and got no coverage, to speak of - but 3 1/2 cents per minute
gets attention .
I believe we should expand this approach across all of N.P.R. activities
including specific customer service improvements, as well as stating savings and
service improvements in "people understandable units." One easy step would
be to put out a weekly/monthly N.P.R. talking points bulletin focused on unit
bites. Agency and White House speech writers should also receive the bulletin.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. See you soon.
Sincerely,
Enclosure
cc:
Elaine Kamarck
Bob Stone
John Koskinen
Don Baer
Enteral Rocydlna Pregrwn
m
printed oo R»cyctwl Paper
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�ESSAGE FROM T H E
dministrator
This year, GSA continued to make President Clinton's promise to make "government work better
and cost less" a reality. Although the environment in Washington has made this past year difficult and
sometimes uncertain, we have continued to focus on our mission using customer service and common
sense management. While others try to paint federal employees as "faceless," we have never
forgotten that GSA is an agency of people serving people. They are our customers, and we know
that the better we serve them, the better we can all serve taxpayers. It just makes common sense!
Working together, we have been reshaping our agency and rethinking our business for over two
years. And as you can see in the accomplishments outlined below, we are making real, lasting
changes:
Time Out and Review of Public Buildings Yields $1.36 Billion in Savings, Better Construction
Management
Our 'Time Out and Review" of the federal building program cut $1.36 billion from new real estate
projects. An outgrowth of the review is the new Courthouse Management Group to ensure cost-effective
and efficient construction of federal courthouses. Adopting business-like real estate principles into our
program will ensure long-term savings.
Changing Major Computer Purchases Avoids Over $7Billion in Unnecessary Spending
Taxpayers were not getting a good return on their investments in major federal govemment computer
systems, so we imposed a "Time Out" that avoided spending S7.4 billion for computer systems with cost
overruns and other problems. Greater use of interagency teams, independent auditors, performance
measurements, and Chief Information Officers will produce more efficient, less costly systems.
Unrestricted Coast-to-Coast, Round-Trip Airfares for S242
Our unrestricted airfares with major airlbes are on average 50% lower than commercial rates. Where
else can you get a round-trip ticket from Washington to California for $242 on short notice?
Rent a Car for $136 a Month
We lease four-door sedans to other agencies for $136 a month, plus 11 cents a mile for fuel and
maintenance. Consolidating vehicles from other federal agencies into its fleet management program last
year saved taxpayers $7.2 million, and other management improvements have saved an additional $22.8
million.
Long-Distance Service for Just Over 3 Pennies per Minute
Our common sense management of the FTS2000 long-distance network has drastically cut costs. Due to
a recompciition in the contract, federal customers now pay just 3 1/2 pennies per network minute, saving
taxpayers $200 million a year. Overall costs under FTS2000 during the past 7 years have been reduced
by 80%, saving nearly $5 billion compared to the old long-distance program.
(more)
U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
�It Pays to Use the American Express Government Travel Card — Literally!
Our contract with American Express Travel generates affinity refunds every time federal employees use
the card for official travel. These refunds - estimated at $20 million a year - go back to agencies to
offset travel-related expenses.
Government Purchase Card Saves Money and Headaches
With the increased use of the government purchasing card, federal agencies get better, faster service and
will save $475 million by eliminating administrative headaches.
Expansion of Electronic Commerce, 'GSA Advantage!' and Other Initiatives
We are a leader among interagency teams working to eliminate burdensome, costly paper-drivert
'
procurement, while inoreasing accountability in government spending by expanding the use of electronic.
commerce. In-fact, with GSA Advantage!, federal customers can get supplies through the Internet and
have them directly delivered to their desks with a few strokes of a keyboard. And our energy' and
recycling programs arpproving that sound environmental'policies can also save tax dollars:
.'
;
:
Sofer,our customer focus and common sense have netted taxpayers over $12 billion in savings or
cost avoidances. We've done all this with a workforce streamlined by 20% — with no layoffs ~ and
operating costs cut by 17%. Our efforts have been recognized by Vice President Gore and the
National Performance Review. GSA employees have received 17 Hammer Awardsfromthe NPR to
recognize excellence and creativity in public service.
As impressive as these accomplishments are, we must continue to define and shape GSA. And we
are doing that, as we dig deeper into our operations through the FORM analysis to search for ways to
improve our performance and service. In the end, this analysis will set us on a path of continuous
improvement to create a culture of common sense management to build a common sense govemment *
that works better and costs less.
It has been a challenging year, but we have met those challenges and are moving fonvard. I thank
you for all your hard work and perseverance. Let us now take time during this holiday season to
rejuvenate our spirits and to celebrate the season with our families and friends. I wish you and your
loved ones good health and happiness now and for the coming year.
Roger W. Johnson
Administrator
December 21, 1995
�T E P EI E T H S SE
H R SD N A E N
THE WHITE H O U S E
WASHINGTON
January 5, 199696
5 p5 . 53
HE PRESIDENT
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRES
FROM:
DONALD BAER
MICHAEL WALDMAN
SUBJECT:
Foreign p o l i c y memoranda
Attached a r e f i v e a d d i t i o n a l memoranda s o l i c i t e d by Tony Lake on
State of the Union themes.
�"Hodding j+arter
A
TELEVISION
Dec.
FROM:
PffOPUCTlON
19,
COMPANY
1995
HODDING CARTER
Fax:
202-293-3187
SUBJECT:
F o r e i g n p o l i c y appttoh i d e a s ,
assuming a c o l l e g e Audience
'
1) The I n t e r n e t and the Worlft Wide Web as r e a l i t t i e s
and p h r a s e s a r e a handy llkuttOning pad f o r a; d i s c u s s i o n w i t h t h i s age groupV^iwnd by extension^, the n a t i o n .
I n t e r and net, worId-tfidBYand web, t h e s e a r e the phrases
of g l o b a l community, a cotitomnity growing by^j the hour, d
community from which the^e w i l l be no t u r n i n g back, b a r r i n g
some s p e c t a c u l a r technol6$fl<>A l c o l l a p s e or v i r u s .
But
t h e s e are a l s o c a l l e d "vjLKtJuai r e a l i t y " f o r good reason.
:
There a r e a l s o f l e s h and blood r e a l i t i e s out t h e r e from
which t h e r e i s no turning. iJaaok, e x c e p t to i n t e r n a t i o n a l
anarchy.
Among them a r e jj^Mrtrlcan t r o o p s in' B o s n i a ,
f r e e e l e c t i o n s and the pftljdreful t r a n s f e r of',; power i n
H a i t i and the r a c e betwedtti ^in^iwdented peacfe and a l l
too f a m i l i a r t e r r o r i s m ih-'Uhe Middle E a s t .
3) i t i s not t h a t we a r e or< glumlLd be the w o r l d ' s policeman.
WS have a c t e d i n c o n c e r t -ifrlLtsh f r i e n d s and a l l i e s i n al.^
t h e s e m a t t e r s , and many mjOZTQ. But we have been provifltfi&hafc
t h e r e i s a f l i p s i d e to fctiOll: i * i s e admonitioh by the lAtie
Sen. W i l l i a m J . Fulbright:; ia9a|Lnst the "arrogance of power."
That was the promisououB Atauaft of might s i m p l y because lilt waa r;
t h e r e to be use*. But thSiifa' -i'tf another kind' of arrogance. I t
a r i s e s when a n a t i o n i s iiir(i$ualy a b l e to guj^de o t h e r s <» peaa^,or prevent s t i l l o t h e r s f^Dm Waging aggres3ij.ve war
ana turasij:
away. I^f i s the eguivalatiib Q£ the neighborywho draws tbhe b l l n a E
and c o v e r s h i s e a r s rathi;^: ibhan respond to t h e c r i e s f d r help
from the person next doorvitfho i s being a s s a t x l t e d .
'
!
:
4) Most of us l i v e our liveiriflLft C l o s e communitilLes seemingly
untouched by t h e depredatiSjdha of war c r i m i n a l s i n disfca'nt
l a n d s or economic t u r m o i l iiti l e s s developed;; n a t i o n s . The
acronyms of Washington' s d'kily c o n v e r s a t i o n i r — N A F T and OATT,
APEC and OSCE
o f t e n co!^' ^aposa as so much L a t i n . But i n
our h e a r t s and d a i l y l i v a ^ * we know b e t t e r . i Those acronyms
can mean the d i f f e r e n c e bfeifcMttan p r o f i t and l o s s f o r doWhtown
merchants; between h i g h e r 'litid lower p r i c e s Cor consumer^. I n
918 Sixteenth Sheet. MW. • Vta*ttrttttOrtD.C 20006 • 2Q2/a22-<jp36
�Hodding C a r t e r
page 2 of 2
"
•
my home s t a t e , the c o t t o n Anti r i c e and soybean farmers
depend on them. So do mothefs and f a t h e r s and wives and
husbands whose loved ones a r e i n the armed f o r c e s . A l l
those acropyms r e p r e s e n t poritiojiB of the d a i l y web t h a t .'
makes economic p r o g r e s s and p e a c e f u l c o e x i s t e n c e p o s s i b l e .
!i)A few y e a r s ago, A f g h a n i s t a n was j u s t another Word tap
irrelevant.
Kuwait was soniaWhere out t h e r e w i t h sun and
sand and camels. Computers were f o r n e r d s . do much for
what once seemed so c l e a r .
6)But some of what became c l e a r over 50 y e a r s 4go remains
c r y s t a l c l e a r today- There i a no p o s s i b i l i t y of g l o b a l
peace and s t a b i l i t y without; tihe a c t i v e p a r t i o i p a t i o n of
America. What i s no l e s s c l e a r i s t h a t we have met each
new c h a l l e n g e over those yea^A i n ways t h a t fyave b u t t r e s s e d
national security
the gtiv«£n»ent*o f i r s t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
w h i l e advancing democracy Araupd the g l o b e . ( C i t e f i g u r e s . )
)ThUs i s a r e c o r d i n Which t o take p r i d e , r a t h e r than a
source of c o m p l a i n t . But y a a t e r d a y ' s accomplishments
must not be invoked as r e f u g e firom today's demands and
tomorrow's hopes. Ours i q the n a t i o n which made r e a l
the o l d dream of c o l l e c t i v e i e o u r i t y . We a r e the people
whose s c i e n t i f i c g e n i u s at^d tiadhnological i n n p v a t i o n are
f a s t c r e a t i n g a new kirid d f oontmunity, one s a f e both for
i n d i v i d u a l endeavor and c o l l e o f c i v e engagement;- Ours
must be a n a t i o n which c o h t i h u e s to measure up to i t s
r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s and o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n t h a t v a s t web of
n a t i o n s t a t e s whose f u t u r e — ^ l i k e our own
depends on
our a c t i v e p a r t i c i p a t i o n . •
i s as i n e v i t a b l e as i t i a u n d e r s t a n d a b l e t h a t we might
long f o r fewer c h a l l e n g e s , l e a s c o m p l e x i t y . I t i s only
human to wish t h a t the w o r l d Were l e s s w i t h ue
p a r t i o t i l A r l y f.
s i n c e the problems t h a t baBBt ua a t home seem, and are,
r "{worthy or more a t t e n t i o n t h a n ACane seem w i l l i n g to give them.
But i t i s p o s s i b l e to do both* t o walk down A t a i r s and <Jhew
gum a t the same time. What ta^ not p b s s i b l e i s f o r the tfii'ijtAd
S t a t e s to withdraw i n t o some l A l a n d f o r t r e s s , s e p a r a t a Srom •
;
the t r o u b l e s of o t h e r s .
I n Cat l e s s intercoxinected titneBt
that i l l u s i o n led to d i s a A t e r .
Aak the Europe and A s i a *>£ th^;
1930s and e a r l y 1940s. Ae W* approach the millennium/ Only J"'
the most f e c k l e s s or delib(anafcely b l i n d c a n iignore the meaning
and n e c e s s i t y of a l l t h o s e n e t ? " " ' — e l e c t r o n i c , ; p o l i t i c a l and
economic
t h a t bind the p e o p l e s and n a t i o n s o f e a r t h i n a v e r
c l o s e r embrace.
;
9)what I am s a y i n g here has bean a a i d by e v e r y p r e s i d e n t from
F r a n k l i n R o o s e v e l t to Georgifc BtiAh. They were stewards of our
n a t i o n a l duty, and h i s t o r y proved thera e q u a l tb the t a s k . H i s t o r y \
asks no l e s s of us.
J u s t asj BipR put i t some si(x decadea ago, t h i a
g e n e r a t i o n has a rendezvous <with d e s t i n y .
We must i\ptb we s h a i l
not , f a i l to keep i t .
'
/
�Les Gelb
Dec.
28, 1995
i t ' s a p r e t t y good idea to as* people f o r t h e i r
foreign p o l i c y ideas, because nobody has what they a l l say you
don't have, namely, a policy. I don't have one of those things
e i t h e r because I'm now mainly a leader and a f u n d r a i s e r . who
does that remind you of, a leader and a f u n d r a i s e r without
ideas? Give me a few more years to think about U.S. foreign
p o l i c y . Meantime, I o f f e r you some i d l e thoughts t h a t might be
u s e f u l i n constructing a P r e s i d e n t i a l statement on t h a t
subject a t t h i s time.
What kind of statement do we ( I mean the people, not
excluding the a t t e n t i v e public) need now? Not one t h a t has a
f i n i s h e d p o l i c y and a l l the answers. Such a speech would be
transparently too pat, and yet, f u l l of holes. The speech,
rather, should provide a sense of d i r e c t i o n . Nor do we need
another statement of goals. Everyone i s more or l e s s content
with democracy and f r e e r markets, whatever they mean by those
words. Nor do we need a p r e s i d e n t i a l a n a l y s i s . Those who can,
do; those who can't, analyze.
What we the people what to know, need to know, i s
where the President i s t r y i n g to take us. We don't expect him
^whe
to have a l l the answers to a new world we s t i l l barely
understand. But p r e c i s e l y because the r u l e s and rhythms of
t h i s new world remain so cloudy, we need t o know how the
President proposes to deal with the s i t u a t i o n .
We Americans want to be i n command of our own destiny.
And to a large extent, we can be i n command of our own destiny
even i n foreiqn a f f a i r s . Even where our resources now are so
c l e a r l y l i m i t e d , our resources exceed a l l others. Even where
power i s so dispersed and where our leadership i s r e s i s t e d , we
can e x e r c i s e leadership. Even where nations tug i n a l l
d i f f e r e n t d i r e c t i o n s , we can set the i n t e r n a t i o n a l agenda.
Even when we so badly want to focus on our own i n t e r n a l
problems, Americans i n s t i n c t i v e l y understand the need for
American leadership and s a c r i f i c e — i f the President explains
c l e a r l y why leadership and s a c r i f i c e are important. Given the
know-nothing and s e l f i s h mood that often seems to p r e v a i l i n
Americai these days, i t i s nothing short of amazing t h a t we
sent troops to Somalia, H a i t i and now Bosnia, t h a t we continue
to sppnd $260 b i l l i o n on defense, that we s t i l l s t a t i o n tens
of thousands of troops abroad.
The President should p r a i s e the p u b l i c ' s w i l l i n g n e s s
to bear these burdens a f t e r 50 years of heavy burden bearing
during the cold war. The continued c a r r y i n g of t h i s load bears
testimony to the i n s t i n c t i v e understanding of Americans that
t h o i r future continues to be bound, intimately, to the world.
Never have Americans been so involved i n the world
from jobs to environment to s e c u r i t y . And Americans know t h i s .
They w i l l never return to i s o l a t i o n i s m . But Americans w i l l
also k i c k and scream and r e s i s t i n t e r n a t i o n a l action unless
the President t e l l s them why i t ' s important and where i t ' s a l l
laading to.
�Les
Gelb
page 2 of 2
7^
r
President Truman's message to Congress on aid to
Greece and Turkey i s a model or a leadership document. In i t s
essentials, i t t e l l s Americans what's important, what
threatens them and what the President intends to do about
those threats and problems.
The Soviet threat was the problem then. Today, there
are dozens of problems, each too small to center a policy on;
a l l so numerous and overwhelming, people hardly know where to
begin. The President has to help sort out the bigger ones from
the smaller ones.
N
security, physical and economic, i s the heart of the
matter. The stakes are that large. On the spread of weapons of
mass destruction and means of delivery, the cancer of
terroism, the growth and openness of markets, does our
security s t i l hinge. As these matters go, so we w i l l surivive
L-and thrive, or notThe world also threatens who we are. Thus, Haiti,
Somalia and Bosnia. A world where people are slaughtered and
nothing done about i t , threatens America. I f our leaders f a i l
to give the victims a chance to save themselves, Americans
w i l l get the message: nothing matters. Such cynicism would
destroy American democracy.
^
What can the United States do about a l l these threats
and problems? How can we command our own destiny in such a
world? There are two ways. F i r s t , we can and must lead where
only we can lead. Lead means lead, not act alone, except in
the rarest of circumstances. Second, we can and must build
international and regional organizations, responsible and
capable, to tackle othe problems and threats. I f we f a i l to
develop such organization, we w i l l be condemned to l i v e in a
world where everyone's problem i s our problem.
_
The President has to provide t h i s overall sense of
"direction and leadership. In that context, he should also
| challenge Amerity?'? fn-r^-irm nr^jcv thinkers and leaders'\o
ilfflOrlrm anet^T-g
particular problems fi.e. NATO expansion,
"global warming, etc.), solutions compatible with limited
American resources. Pundits and experts should be reminded of
the p i t f a l l s of easy answers, for one day, they might be
called upon to lead themselves. They also need to be reminded
that no foreign policy can be sustainable i f borne on the
backs of needy Americans, ^"^"minnfnl ii i1* should be
e
q
\\|ultimate connection between rights and their rights.
Proponents of missile defense can be challenged to square
their demands for hundreds of b i l l i o n s with other security
demands.
Well, t h i s missive probably f a l l s very short of what
you wanted. But i t ' s a l l that's in me. May President Clinton's
speech far exceed my own offerings. Allbest.
�Penn Kemble
Friday, December 24,
1995
Today a t l a s t I got to think two grand thoughts for you on foreign
a f f a i r s for 1996.
( I a l s o got to type them up myself.)
i - The world — and, especialy, the United S t a t e s — i s i n a
period of impressive economic expansion sustained by the
r e a l i z a t i o n that today there i s no major t h r e a t to world
peace. (Michael Steinhardt, a supporter of the President's,
had a good "Outlook" piece on t h i s in The Post a month or so
back.)
I t i s not j u s t that the Cold War has ended — i t could, a f t e r
a l l , have given way to other forms of c o n f l i c t . Nor should we
think that the great surges i n technology, investment and
world trade j u s t happened, a l l by themselves. These are a l l
responses to a widespread perception t h a t f o r the forseeable
future the world can turn i t s attentions to the peaceful
development of economic p o t e n t i a l that u n t i l recently was
e i t h e r closed off or too uncertain a r i s k .
I t i s not u n r e a l i s t i c to think about the prospect of a longterm, global economic boom. Such hopes r e s t , however, on the
a b i l i t y of the world's democratic and s o c i a l market economies
to hold themselves together and to prevent c o n f l i c t and
disorder from threatening the general peace. Given the pace
at which events move today, the p o t e n t i a l of modern weapons,
and the array of malevolent creatures that have crept out from
under the melting i c e cap of the Cold War, t h i s w i l l take no
small e f f o r t . I t w i l l require the steady e x e r t i o n of American
m i l i t a r y , diplomatic and economic leadership. I t w i l l require
us to s u s t a i n the global movement toward democracy and the
open economy that brought the Cold War to such a promising
close.
Some may have expected that a "peace dividend" i n the form of
a huge s h i f t of resources to domestic spending from our
defense and foreign a f f a i r s budgets would come a v a i l a b l e at
the end of the Cold War.
We now can see i t w i l l be both more
wise and more p r o f i t a b l e to secure t h i s dividend not by
cashing out our investment in world leadership, but by
maintaining our leadership at prudent l e v e l s — and reaping
the f a r more s u b s t a n t i a l rewards of a growing U.S. and global
economy.
h I n sum, the growing global economy i s the peace dividend.
We
need to keep the peace to sustain the p r o s p e r i t y .
(We also
�Penn Kemble
page 2 of 2
need to s u s t a i n doaestic p o l i c i e s that spread the benefits of
the global economy beyond the e l i t e s of wealth and knowledge.)
2.
The Administration needs to explain to the public at some
point why i t i s important for the United States sometimes to
act abroad against a s s a u l t s on core moral and p o l i t i c a l
p r i n c i p l e s , even when our p h y s i c a l s e c u r i t y may not yet be
threatened.
Over and over one reads t h a t there i s nothing going on i n
Bosnia that poses any threat to v i t a l U.S. i n t e r e s t s .
This
requires a very constrained d e f i n i t i o n of our national
i n t e r e s t s , r e s t s upon a r c h a i c g e o - p o l i t i c a l (as contrasted to
information age) thinking, and f l i e s i n the face of the great
lessons of Twentieth Century h i s t o r y .
The r e a l i t y — yes, r e a l i t y — i s t h a t b e l i e f s and a t t i t u d e s
that i g n i t e i n one part or the world send up sparks that can
sometimes catch f i r e i n others. The demagogic ethnic hatred
and contempt for the c i v i l i z e d world we have seen i n the
former Yugoslavia may not n e c e s s a r i l y spread next door to
Hungary or Romania. But the example s e t by the thugs and
r a n t e r s of former Yugoslavia could inflame dark minds i n many
other places in the world that we can e a s i l y imagine. Both
Fascism and Communism were contagious ideologies and p o l i t i c a l
movements whose appeal leapt across geographic and even
c u l t u r a l borders.
In a world tangled together through e l e c t r o n i c communications
and the mobility of people, where d e s t r u c t i v e weapons are too
e a s i l y a v a i l a b l e , statesmanship i s more and more a matter of
gauging which challenges to our values and ideas could grow
into threats to our p h y s i c a l s e c u r i t y , and how best we should
respond to those that might, i n Admiral Mahan's time, we were
r i g h t to think hard about defending the sea lanes. Today we
also have to think about the r i s k s t h a t can a r r i v e through
other channels.
I hope you and a l l at the NSC have a very s a t i s f y i n g holiday.
�Central InteUicaoce Afeocy
Michael
O'Neil
21 December 1995
Wajhin«ttn,D.C.3a5QJ
MEMORANDUM FOR:
K i t t y Higgins
Don Baer
Cabinet A f f a i r s O f f i c e
The White House
FROM:
Chief of S t a f f
SUBJECT:
State-of-the-Union Themes and Messages
1. When the President turns to w o r l d a f f a i r s , he w i l l
have another o p p o r t u n i t y t o underline the need f o r US
engagement and leadership i n an i n c r e a s i n g l y complex postCold War world. To meet the challenges of t h a t world, we
w i l l need a l l three legs of n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y working more
e f f e c t i v e l y — a n d more c l o s e l y t o g e t h e r — t h a n ever before.
We w i l l need diplomacy t h a t i s engaged, m i l i t a r y power t h a t
i s strong, and i n t e l l i g e n c e t h a t i s a l e r t . As the President
said during h i s v i s i t t o Langley i n J u l y : "The i n t e l l i g e n c e I
receive informs j u s t about every f o r e i g n p o l i c y decision we
make. I t ' s easy t o take i t f o r granted. But we couldn't do
without i t . " Let me elaborate on how we see i n t e l l i g e n c e
f i t t i n g i n t o the current n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y p i c t u r e .
2. The Old and the New.
I n t a l k i n g about the "post
Cold War world", we assume t h a t t h i s new world can be defined
by the era t h a t preceded i t . I n f a c t t h i s new world i s s t i l l
i n a s t a t e of becoming, not yet of being. I b e l i e v e t h a t
h i s t o r y w i i l record the mid-1990s not as a post-war p e r i o d
but as the mid-point of an era of r e v o l u t i o n a r y upheaval.
Even though the s i n g l e greatest t h r e a t t o world peace i s
gone, the nations of the globe s t i l l look t o us i n b u i l d i n g a
new world. But o p p o r t u n i t y s t i l l co-exists w i t h u n c e r t a i n t y .
Because u n p r e d i c t a b i l i t y and s u r p r i s e are the great dangers
of t h i s new era, the work of diplomats, s o l d i e r s — a n d s p i e s —
has never been harder. A l l of t h i s accentuates the c l a s s i c
mission o f i n t e l l i g e n c e : t o serve as the nation'is f i r s t l i n e
of defense.
3. T r a d i t i o n a l Threats Persigr. Although the Soviet
threat has passed from the g l o b a l stage and i n t o museums,
i n t e l l i g e n c e must s t i l l worry about t r a d i t i o n a l aggression
that can damage US i n t e r e s t s . With rogue states l i k e I r a q
and North Korea c o n t i n u i n g to threaten our f r i e n d s and
a l l i e s . I n t e l l i g e n c e Community t i p - o f f s — s u c h as the warning
wa provided on Saddam's movement South i n 1994—are needed to
help the President head o f f aggression, as he s u c c e s s f u l l y
did on that occasion. With regard to North Korea, the
Page
2
of
4
Pages
�M i c h a e l O'Neil- page 2 o f 3
SUBJECT: State-of-the-Union Themes and Messages
I n t e l l i g e n c e Community's d e t e c t i v e work on P'yongyang's
nuclear ambitions was a p i v o t a l p a r t of our success i n
h a l t i n g a program t h a t would have d e s t a b i l i z e d a region v i t a l
to US i n t e r e s t s . Our i n t e l l i g e n c e o f f i c e r s must also
continue t o provide comprehensive assessments t h a t help
policymakers support p o s i t i v e change i n places l i k e Russia
and throughout the Former Soviet Union and t o encourage peace
i n areas such as the Middle East.
4. Unconventional New Challenges. At the same time, we
are dealing with dangerous new phenomena, that i n many cases
respect no borders and begin to blur the d i s t i n c t i o n s between
protecting our interests abroad and our c i t i z e n s a t home.
• At least twenty countries already have or are
developing weapons of mass destruction—nuclear,
chemical and b i o l o g i c a l — o r missile delivery systems.
Others are s e l l i n g or transferring the technology to
do t h i s . Intelligence has successfully uncovered many
of these programs i n h o s t i l e countries such as Libya,
Iran, and Iraq.
•
T e r r o r i s t groups around the globe, i n c l u d i n g those
attempting to operate w i t h i n the United States, are
showing increasing i n t e r e s t i n these c a p a b i l i t i e s — a
t r e n d t h a t obliges I n t e l l i g e n c e t o t a r g e t a wide range
of c a p a b i l i t i e s — f r o m s a t e l l i t e s t o s p i e s — o n t h i s
most d i f f i c u l t o f t a r g e t s .
•
These problems, meanwhile, are becoming entwined with
the a c t i v i t i e s of international organized crime, whose
annual profits from narcotics and other sources now
dwarf the GNP of a l l but a handful of countries. The
successes intelligence has scored in this a r e n a —
against the C a i i c a r t e l and some very notorious
t e r r o r i s t s — a r e the by product of unprecedented close
cooperation between the intelligence community and law
enforcement authorities.
• Murderous ethnic c o n f l i c t , which has spanned three
continents, and humanitarian emergencies now demand
our urgent attention, with Bosnia being the most
obvious case i n point. From deploying troops into
Bosnia to delivering humanitarian a i d i n such places
as Rwanda, our soldiers and our diplomats must be able
to draw on intelligance support c r i t i c a l to saving
American l i v e s and defending American i n t e r e s t s .
This l i s t obviously could go on, but the basic p o i n t i s t h a t
the challenges to v i t a l US i n t e r e s t s are more complex than
ever. Warning time may be short, and the consequences
severe.
Page
3 of
4
Pages
�SUBJECT: State-of-the-Union Themes and Messages
M i c h a e l O'Neil
5. Looking Bevond tha Imnmd^^w. Intelligence i s not
just about t e l l i n g o f f i c i a l s — f r o m the President i n the Oval
Office to the soldier in the f i e l d — w h a t they can expect the
next day, i t ' s about t e l l i n g them what they can expect over
the next decade. The evolution in the global economy, the
continued transformation in China, the information
revolution, and the demands to tend to our environment a l l
have implications for future generations. Our i n t e l l i g e n c e
o f f i c e r s must ensure that as we tend to the day-to-day
demands to protect our nation and our i n t e r e s t s , we never
lose sight of the opportunities, challenges, and dangers that
await us.
6. A F i n a l Thonght. I t seems t o me t h a t the President,
more than anyone else, has recognized the need t o r e v i t a l i z e
the I n t e l l i g e n c e Community. He has i n s t i t u t e d a f i r s t - e v e r
system t o p r i o r i t i z e i n t e l l i g e n c e requirements f o r the
nation. He has supported strong new leadership. He has
supported the need f o r reform and the actions of I n t e l l i g e n c e
Community leaders determined t o carry i t out. As the
President prepares t o sum up the State of the Union, I
believe he can be confident t h a t the I n t e l l i g e n c e Community
i s on the r i g h t path and t h a t i t w i l l be e f f e c t i v e l y doing
i t s p a r t to guarantee America' s s e c u r i t y .
page 3 o f 3
�William H. Taft
27 December, 1995
I have been considering what points the President might most usefully touch on in
addressing foreign policy issues during the course of the next month. Frankly, my sense is that
recently the Administration's twin themes of leadership and international engagement in support
of peace andfreedomhave been well-founded and are just beginning to pay some dividends; I
would not seek to replace or significantly revise them. Indeed, inasmuch as there remains both at
home and abroad considerable doubt about the Administration's steadiness, even small
adjustments and initiatives should be introduced in relative quiet. The main task is to continue to
strengthen America's capacity to lead. Only consistent policy and rhetoric can do this, whether
we are considering either the domestic or the foreign elements of the problem. The temptation to
revive rhetorical trade wars in an election year must be resisted.
Substantively, NATO is providing excellent material for the leadership theme currently,
and the Administration should take advantage of this. Traditionally the least suspect of our
foreign engagements at home, references to it should run through all our discussions with the
Europeans as well. We should make sure both Brussels and Moscow (and Washington) know
that we will be pursuing our foreign and security policy regarding them always in the context of
the Washington Treaty.
s
^ '
(IS.relations^withtheAsian-Pacific^countries, particularly Japan andjghina, are in very
bad shape and drifting dangerouslyfromone incident to the next. A strongspeech bythe
President soon setting out America's approach and commitment to the region is essential. Nor
should this be dominated by commercial issues. Before the Taiwanese election, the
Administration needs to have settled with Beijing what will happen next. A policy and a major
speech are the way to start.
(
DQ JO HNdaj'cmaj u]dZT:ZT
ss. LZ ma
�W i l l i a m H. T a f t
page 2 of
2
It would be nice to give a stronger boost to development and humanitarian assistance
programs. My guess is, however, that the rhetoric on development, at least, will have to wait for
the most part. The difficulty is the partisan atmosphere this subject creates. Both the
Administration and Senator Helms evidently see more advantage in arguing with each other than
reaching agreement on any policy. Bi-partisanship is absolutely essential if our policies in
Europe, the Middle East and Asia are going to succeed. Unfortunately, it is simply not possible
to maintain a bi-partisan consensus on the key parts bf foreign policy if a partisan battle royal is
running on another aspect. That's the real danger in the inevitably sterile discussion about
development; it will take some important hostages down with it. Humanitarian relief will, sadly,
sound its own cue; the President evidently knows well how to respond to that one and needs no
advicefromme.
xZ/TT"^—
William H. Taft, IV
49377
E'd
DQ JO ^Kioyj'cmyj udii-.zz se. JP ~nn
�THE PRESIDENT H S SEEN
A
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
January 3, 1996
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DON BAER
KITTY HIGGINS
MICHAEL WALDMAN
SUBJECT:
Memoranda from t h e C a b i n e t
A t t a c h e d a r e submissions from C a b i n e t s e c r e t a r i e s on p o s s i b l e
themes f o r t h e S t a t e o f t h e Union.
V,
�Department o f
Education
Deczsmber 22,
1995
Thoughts on 19 96 S t a t e o f Union Speech
Major
Themes:
responsibility"
Continue
1. I n c r e a s e Emphasis on
major
theme
raf
"opportunity
and
responsibility
o Responsibility to others, to society
t o America
o T a k i n g advantage o f o p p o r t u n i t y reg-"-- -es h a r d w o r k
o Use concepts such as p e r f o r m a n c e , a c c ^ u i n t a b i l i t y , s t a n d a r d s ,
respect f o r others, d i s c i p l i n e .
[
2. We a r e emerging i n t o a new p o s t cold-war:
post
balanced-budget
era.
We need t o p o s i t i o n America t o be = s t r o n g democracy and
economy i n a d i v e r s e s o c i e t y w i t h c o n s t r a i r - s s i s p e n d i n g .
o S m a l l e r , more r e s p o n s i v e and e f f i c i e m r government
o Focus on s e l e c t e d n a t i o n a l p u r p o s e —
-- t o s u p p o r t g o o d
c i t i z e n s h i p and economy: Q u a l i t y s c h o o l = , c l e a n w a t e r and a i r ,
h e a l t h y y o u n g s t e r s , s a f e s t r e e t s and s c m o o l s .
o Performance P a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h s t a r t s based on n a t i o n a l
purposes.
3. P r o v i d e l e a d e r s h i p t o address f u n d a m e n t ^ — s t r e s s e s and
in society:
o r a c i a l tensions
o income i n e q u a l i t i e s
o r e s p o n s i b l e r o l e f o r y o u t h who
4. I n v e s t i n E d u c a t i o n : New
and h i g h s t a n d a r d s
are
F e d e r a l K-12
strains
n c = g o i n g on t o c o l l e g e
r c _ . i : based on l e a d e r s h i - o
o R e a f f i r m n a t i o n a l purpose o f p u b l i c = zhools -- t o p r o m o t e
c i t i z e n s h i p and c r e a t e t h e p u b l i c as we__ as s e r v e t h e p u b l i c ,
o P e r f o r m a n c e — p a n m e g r s h i p w i t h s t a t e s around
high srate
standards,
local
responsibility
flexibility
with
accountability.
o N a t i o n a l leadership through voluntar / n a t i o n a l standards,
_n s c h o o l s , p u t t i n g
s u p p o r t f o r c i t i z e n s h i p and s e r v i c e
t e c h n o l o g y t o use, and c h a r t e r s c h o o l s
-
5.
I n v e s t i n E d u c a t i o n : I n s u r e access t o L ~
c o l l e g e f o r a l l prepared h i g h school gradus
least
two
years
of
-
— two p e r c e n t o f a l l
\y o S c h o l a r s h i p s based on m e r i t f o r t c:
g r a d u a t i n g classes.
income c o n t i n g e n t
o S t r o n g d i r e c t l e n d i n g program w i
Low p a y i n g , s e r v i c e
repayment a l l o w i n g g r a d u a t e s t o t a k e
�o r i e n t e d jobs.
o
Increase
responsibility
through
g r e a t e r wcrx-^study
opportunities.
o Reduce r e g u l a t i o n s f o r schools w i t h s t r o n g adminis
rtive
records.
6. Face issue o f work f o r non-college going youth. "More r=c
he has p r o f f e r e d the wisdom t h a t i n s t e a d of s i m p l y yelli_=c- = t h e
_
u n s k i l l e d underclass t o get o f f t h e i r d u f f s and go t o *KZ=X., we
\ might spend some thought seeing t o i t t h a t t h e r e i s some ==3rry1
l e v e l work f o r them t o do -- some modern-day e q u i v a l e n t =± t h e
f a c t o r y . " (WM Raspberry paraphrasing Hugh P r i c e . WPost 1 2 / )
Department o f Education
December 22. 19S5
�Other Thoughts on 1996
Beginning
S t a t e of Union Speech:
to f l e s h i n g out some of the Themes
E m e r g i n g new
federal role
i n p o s t - c o l d war
poat-'hal a-r-.-^srd b u d g e t
era:
Requires a new v i s i o n -- not a h i g h l y r e g u l a t e d gc^^rmment o r
the fragmented, r u d d e r l e s s v i s i o n of the R e p u b l i c a n s .
Government
w i l l be s m a l l e r , more responsive.
o Need b o l d f e d e r a l l e a d e r s h i p i n c r i t i c a l a r e a s
xiational
purposes and r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s d
c l e a r d i r e c t i c c i n those
domestic and
i n t e r n a t i o n a l arenas r e q u i r e d t c iceep our
democracy and
economy strong
and
to
ensure
"domestic
tranquility."
o Performance P a r t n e r s h i p s around n a t i o n a l purposes r S t r u c t u r e
around c l e a r standards of performance r a t h e r than : — m f o r m i t y
with p r o c e s s : Get i n c e n t i v e s s t r a i g h t
support ~—T5 reward
progress, q u a l i t y , innovation, and hard work;
emphasize
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ; e x e r c i s e a c c o u n t a b i l i t y when p r a g ^ = s 5 i s not
forthcoming.
o T i g h t budgets w i t h new r e s o u r c e s c r e a t e d by econcnn=_c growth
t a r g e t e d to n a t i o n a l p r i o r i t i e s and a d i f f e r e n t wsrv- s f doing
business.
o Key n a t i o n a l p r i o r i t i e s -- a l l where s t a t e
=nid l o c a l
governments are c r i t i c a l -- but where our n a t i o n a l L^-^elihood
i s at s t a k e : To b u i l d a strong n a t i o n we need:
*
Strong schools t h a t prepare a l l of our y n , "h to be
p r o d u c t i v e and i n v o l v e d c i t i z e n s w i t h good j c e t s through
s o l i d b a s i c s k i l l s , high academic s t a n d a r d s , ==id c l e a r
r u l e s of conduct with consequences f o r mis-beji-=rving.
*
Clean water, c l e a n a i r ....
*
Healthy youngsters
+
Safe s t r e e t s , communities and s c h o o l s
... B a s i c s a f e t y net.
.. .
�E d u c a t i o n : A d i f f e r e n t F e d e r a l Role based on l e a d e r s h i p , v i s i o n
i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f n a t i o n a l purposes
r
o R e a f f i r m fundamental n a t i o n a l purpose o f p u b l i c s c h o o l s -p u b l i c s c h o o l s do n o t o n l y s e r v e t h e p u b l i c , t h e y c r e a t e t h e
public.
P u b l i c schools are necessary t o prepare b u r s t u d e n t s
to
l i v e and work i n a c h a l l e n g i n g and i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y
c o m p e t i t i v e democracy and economy.
1
o To meet t h i s purpose p u b l i c s c h o o l s must p r e p a r e s t u d e n t s
t o meet r i g o r o u s academic and o c c u p a t i o n a l s t a n d a r d s a n d t o
p a r t i c i p a t e as Americans i n o u r d i v e r s e d e m o c r a t i c s o c i e t y .
H i g h academic s t a n d a r d s as w e l l as t h e b a s i c s , a s a f e a n d
disciplined
environment,
well
trained
teachers,
local
f l e x i b i l i t y and c h a r t e r s c h o o l s , o c c u p a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g f o r
h i g h p a y i n g j o b s , support f o r a l l prepared s t u d e n t s t o a t t e n d
c o l l e g e -- these a r e t h e i n g r e d i e n t s o f an e f f e c t i v e e d u c a t i o n
strategy.
C l i n t o n p r i o r i t y programs w i l l h e l p make t h i s
happen.
o A s t r o n g n a t i o n needs a s t r o n g s c h o o l system
w h i l e we
have a l o n g way t o go t h e n a t i o n i s b e g i n n n i n g t o move i n t h e
right direction;
achievement i s up i n math, s c i e n c e ajid
r e a d i n g , 4 t i m e s as many advanced placement c o u r s e s t a k e n t h a n
i n 198 0, s t a n d a r d s a r e h a v i n g g r e a t e f f e c t i n M a r y l a n d , NYC,
KY and o t h e r s t a t e s and communities t h r o u g h o u t t h e n a t i o n .
o The f e d e r a l government i s b e g i n n i n g t o move i n t h e r i g h t
d i r e c t i o n -- p u t i n t o p l a c e s t r o n g programs i n s u p p o r t o r
s t a t e and l o c a l r e f o r m s f o r a l l s t u d e n t s , reduced programs b y
o v e r 70, reduced r e g u l a t i o n s i n e l e m e n t a r y and s e c o n d a r y
e d u c a t i o n by over 75%, implemented l a r g e s c a l e w a i v e r p r o g r a m
for t h e f i r s t time.
o A t Elementary
and Secondary l e v e l c o n t i n u e d n a t i o n a l
l e a d e r s h i p i s necessary t o make performance c o u n t . The need
f o r i n c r e a s e d n a t i o n a l e f f o r t s i s g r e a t e r t h a n e v e r as t h e
s c h o o l p o p u l a t i o n w i l l see a t i d a l wave o f new s t u d e n t s ( o v e r
2 0% i n c r e a s e ) over t h e n e x t decade t o t h e h i g h e s t l e v e l s e v e r .
Support s t a t e and l o c a l r e f o r m s f o r c h a l l e n g i n g
s t a n d a r d s t h r o u g h Goals 2000 and School t o Work.
S t r o n g P r e s i d e n t i a l and S e c r e t a r i a l
support f o r
v o l u n t a r y n a t i o n a l s t a n d a r d s t o h e l p g u i d e and c h a l l e n g e
our s c h o o l s . S t r e n g t h e n N a t i o n a l Assessment o f E d u c a t i o n
Progress t o g i v e us r e g u l a r performance feedback on o u r
national
and s t a t e
efforts.
Give
public
clear
1
See r e c e n t N e i l Postman book The End o f E d u c a t i o n .
4
�e x p e c c a t i o n s about what i s h i g h q u a l i t y ,
c o m p e t i t i v e work.
internationally
- Promote f l e x i b i l i t y and a c c o u n t a b i l i t y f o r r e s u l t s :
E s t a b l i s h a system o f performance p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h
s t a t e s t o g i v e i n c e n t i v e s t o s t a t e s w i t h improved
achievement -- waive a l l f e d e r a l e d u c a t i o n
laws and
r e g u l a t i o n s except c i v i l r i g h t s laws and IDEA f o r s t a t e s
t h a t have deomonstrated improved a c h i e v e m e n t .
In
c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h MD and o t h e r s t a t e s t o implement t h i s
plan.
- P r e s i d e n t i a l and S e c r e t a r i a l s u p p o r t f o r i n c r e a s e d
a t t e n t i o n t o c i t i z e n s h i p i n our s c h o o l s
public
service,
s a l u t i n g the
flag,
clear
guidelines
for
r e l i g i o u s a c t i v i t i e s ...
- Technology -- p u b l i c , p r i v a t e p a r t n e r s h i p t o p u t
computers t o use i n e v e r y c l a s s r o o m i n t h e n a t i o n by t h e
y e a r 2000 -- w i r e a l l s c h o o l s t o t h e w o r l d w i d e web -and t r a i n a l l t e a c h e r s t o use computers t o enhance
s t u d e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o r e a c h h i g h academic s t a n d a r d s .
- P r o v i d e s t r o n g i n c e n t i v e s f o r t h e development
i n i t i a l implementation of c h a r t e r schools throughout
nation.
and
the
o A t Post-Secondary l e v e l : I n s u r e f i n a n c i a l access t o c o l l e g e
for
a l l deserving
h i g h school graduates.
S i m p l i f y and
s t r e n g t h e n o t h e r s t u d e n t a s s i s t a n c e programs. ( C o u l d propose
IRAs f o r c o l l e g e use -- Laura Tyson's p l a n :
T h i s w o u l d be
expensive but powerful!! ) A l t e r n a t i v e l y :
- E s t a b l i s h $1000/year s c h o l a r s h i p based on m e r i t f o r up
t o two y e a r s f o r the t o p two p e r c e n t o f a l l g r a d u a t i n g
s t u d e n t s i n e v e r y secondary s c h o o l i n t h e n a t i o n (grade
p o i n t average) f o r use i n t h e c o l l e g e o f t h e i r c h o i c e .
SO,000 s t u d e n t s p e r y e a r c o s t up t o $120 m i l l i o n i n t h e
second y e a r (when 120,000 s t u d e n t s w o u l d have r e c e i v e d
awards).
- Increase P e l l g r a n t s , the heart
programs, t o $3128 by 2002!!
of the
financial
aid
- Continue t o have a s t r o n g D i r e c t Loan program.
- I n c r e a s e w o r k - s t u d y by 50% p h a s i n g i n o v e r f i v e
years.
- Reward s c h o o l s w i t h s t r o n g r e c o r d s i n a d m i n i s t e r i n g
student a i d w i t h dramatic r e d u c t i o n i n f e d e r a l r e g u l a t o r y
requirements.
�Connecting Education As A National Concern
to Local Action and Support
1.
Given the long American tradition of local and state control, are education and its
funding a national or federal concern ofthe public? Examples from recent polls show strong
support:
*
81 % oppose decreasing federal education funding to decrease the federal deficit; 19%
would favor (Times Mirror, 1994).
*
75% said federal aid to education should be expanded; 18% said "keep same"- and 4%
said "cut back" (Gallup, 1995).
*
80% of Americans think the federal Department of Education is necessary; 70% say
"very necessary" (NBC/Wall Street Journal, 1995).
*
76% disapprove of reducing federal funding for low-income schools to balance the
federal budget; by comparison, 61% disapprove of cutting the rate of spending growth for
Medicare; and 36% oppose cutting food stamp funding (Times Mirror, 1995).
*
74% of Republicans in New Hampshire (10/25/95), said "no" to cuts in education to
reduce the deficit as compared to 62% "no" to Medicare cuts; 33% "no" to defense cuts;
and 43% "no" to cuts in assistance to the poor.
«•
By almost 2-to-l, young voters (18-34) cite education as a top voting issue over the
budget deficit, crime, and Medicare (NBC, Wall Street Journal, 11/2/95).
However, citizens clearly don't want micromanagement of detailed programs from the federal or
state levels, but they do want accountability and want to reduce waste and red tape. They like
encouragement of community-based solutions and local partnerships. They want all of us to
work together on needed educational changes to reflect the changed realities of American society
and the demands of today's and tomorrow's workplaces.
2.
What is the overall message on education that connects with local citizens?
Celinda Lake has aframeworkthat captures this well. Combining her findings with several
others gives a good general message about needed focus and attention.
*
Quality education is absolutely necessary not only to the future of our children and our
families but to the future of America. A good education is certainly essential to each
citizen for full participation in the changing economy, but a well-educated citizenry is
also essential to our country's democratic way of life. As a nation, we have a stake in
giving our children a solid foundation to make the most of their lives and to be
productive, responsible adults.
In addition to academics, a quality education is one that stresses discipline, hard work,
respect and responsibility where guns, violence and drugs are not present. We need to set
the highest standards in education and we need to make this a national priority. Parents
should have the choice of public schools or charter schools to escape poorly run or
disorderly schools. Schools should not allow hostility to religion or to good citizenship.
�HeadStart, strong teacher training, extra help in the basics, getling computers in the
classroom, and streamlined college loans are fundamental to helping our children get
started on the right course. Along with bettetfinancialaid for college, providing
specialized courses for career preparation with work-study experiences is also important.
We should be makmg all of these initiatives better, not cutting them back. They are
essential to a strong economic future for our children and our families, and to our ability
to compete in an international economy to bring us together as Americans.
Rgcuninr critical issues-'
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
safe, disciplined, and drug-free learning environment.
promoting parent involvement.
rigorously teaching the basics.
getting quality teachers and upgrading teacher skills.
setting high standards of discipline and achievement
getting computer technology into the classroom as soon as possible.
access to student loans andfinancialaid for college.
teaching and connecting young people to real life skills that prepare them for adulthood,
careers, and college.
3.
What are any opportunities to address these issues locally?
a.
The proposed reconciliation and appropriation bills by the "new" Congress cut the very
education areas people support the most. In fact, the public wants to improve and expand
them. However, most people do not know about the cuts nor what to do about them.
Showine direct impact on local schools, colleges, students, parents and teachers can hiake
thia areala d vgry important local issuen
•
b.
Citizens like to see local Darent-teacher. bus,iness-schooL and community-school
partnerships that are solving education problems faced bv realftftniliesand studftnr<:
Many of the changes in new education legislation passed by the last Congress are
beginning to create, and will create, new opportunities for building and expanding local
partnerships and community-based solutions to solve the very education issues of most
concern to the American public: school-law enforcement partnerships through the Safe
and Drug-Free Schools Act; school-community partnerships for educational excellence
through the Goals 2000: Educate America Act; school-employer-communiry college
partnerships through the School-to-Work Opportunities Act; school-parent compacts
through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; school-college
parmerships through TRIO; and college student-direct financial aid through Direct
Lending. Highlighting these partnerships solving the above critical issues shows
leadership for effective change.
�Whv Federal Education Funditiff
Imnortant
The Federal government plays a critical role in education. The most important contributions are:
1) raising standards of achievement
2) improving basic skills of disadvantaged children
3) ensuring safe and disciplined schools
4) helping families pay for college
5) preparing youth for the world of work.
The public overwhelmingly supports education, including the Federal role:
•
81 % oppose decreasing Federal education funding to decrease the federal deficit; 19 %
would favor (Times Mirror, 1994).
»
•
75 % say federal aid to education should be expanded; 18 % say "keep same;" and 4 %
say "cut back" (Gallup, 1995).
•
In response to strong public demand and the outcome ofthe 1995 state election,
Virginia's Governor George Allen this month submitted a new budger which
substantially increases state expenditures for classrooms, technology, and higher
education.
*
•
74 % of Republicans in New Hampshire say "No" to cuts in education to reduce the
deficit as compared to 62 % "No" to Medicare cuts; 33 % "No" to Defense cuts; and 43
% "No" to cuts in assistance to the poor (10/25/95).
•
By almost 2 to 1, young voters (18 to 34) cite education as a top voting issue over the
budget deficit, crime, and Medicare (NBC/Wall Street Journal 11/2/95).
*
•
76 % of Americans disapprove of reducing Federal funding for low-income schools to
balance the Federal budget; by comparison, 61 % disapprove of cutting the rate of
spending growth for Medicare; and 36 % oppose cutting food stamp funding (Times
Mirror 1995).
The Department of Education addresses critical areas of National concern, including:
Provides $32 billion infinancialaid to help 6.5 million students attend college.
•
Through Title I grants to local school districts, provides $7 billions to more than 6 million
�students each year in the highest poverty schools to improve basic and advanced skills.
•
Provides $3 billion a year to help communities meet the special needs of over 5 million
children with disabilities to prepare them for further education and employment.
*
•
Helps communities and States raise standards of student achievement, prevent drug abuse
and violence in schools, and build partnerships to get computers and technology in
classrooms.
•
Assists States in helping youth movefromschool to careers.
Education works:
»
. Greater prosperity. In 1992, average annual earnings for those with a bachelor's degree
were 74 % higher than for those with a high school diploma, and 155 % higher than for.
those who had not graduatedfromhigh school. Also, a student who graduatesfromhigh
school earns $200,000 more during his lifetime than a student who doesn't. A college
graduate earns SI million more than someone who doesn't.
•
Less welfare. Only 5 % of college graduates have ever participated in govemment
assistance programs (AFDC, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, housing
assistance, or Medicaid), and only 10 % of high school graduates have, compared to 24 %
of high school dropouts.
*
•
Less crime. Although only about 18 % of the population has never finished high school,
this group accounts for 41 % of state prison inmates and 47 % of prisoners on death row.
•
More civic participation. Fully 85 % of college graduates and 75 % of high school
graduates, but only 50 % of high school dropouts, are registered to vote.
Education programs work:
•
The Rand Corporation found that the Title I program helped to close the achievement gap
between disadvantaged students and their advantaged peers (from 1970 to the mid ^SO's,
the learning gap in reading, mathematics, and science was cut by over a third—NAEP).
Bipartisan reauthorization in 1994 focused on improving the program to challenge lowincome students to high standards to help continue closing the gap.
•
The dropout rate is declining (from 14 % in 1982 to 11 % in 1993), fewer students are
taking remedial math courses, more students are taking advanced placement courses
(150,000 in 1982, 450,000 in 1992), and the science test scores of both the highest- and
the lowest-performing students are increasing.
�Comprehensive standards-based reforms, such as those supported by Goals 2000, in
leading-edge states are showing impressive gains in student performance, such as in
Kentucky, where 4th, 8th, and 12th graders demonstrated dramatic improvement on
1993-94 assessments over previous years' tests in mathematics, reading, science, and
social studies.
IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner, for example, says that "Goals 2000 is only a small portion
of what we need. But it is a very critical portion because ii is thefragilebeginning ofthe
establishment of a culture of measurement standards and accountability in this country.
We must go beyond Goals 2000. But if we lose Goals 2000, it is an incredibly negative
seiback for the Nation.
Goals 2000 has received widespread support because of its flexibility and its emphasis on
high standards and accountability. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Goals 2000
is viewed "by many political analysts as the most flexible education plan ever produced
by the Federal govemment." (WSJ 8/30/95)
The New York Times reports that tougher graduation requirements in New York City
public schools are spurring thousands more school students to take and pass college
preparatory mathematics and science courses (5/9/95). Enteringfreshmenat CUNY are
the best academically prepared in two decades (12/10/95).
Increases in special education funding have contributed to major educational gains in
children with disabilities, who now have opportunities that were unavailable before
enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
For 5 years, Maryland has been working systematically to raise academic standards and is
showing significant improvement in achievement as a result.
�THE S E C R E T A R Y OF C O M M E R C E
Washingcon. D.C. 2 0 2 3 0
M E M O R A N D U M FOR
T h e President
FROM:
Ronald H . B r o w n
SUBJECT:
Your 1 9 9 6 State-of-the-Union Address
DATE:
December 26, 1995
Y o u r e l e c t i o n in 1 9 9 2 a n d t h e Republican c o n g r e s s i o n a l v i c t o r y in 1 9 9 4
w e r e b o t h f u e l e d in s i g n i f i c a n t p a r t b y v o t e r d i s c o n t e n t . 1 9 9 6 is t h e y e a r w h e n
American voters will move to the next stage: Choosing b e t w e e n t w o different
v i s i o n s of t h e f u t u r e .
Of c o u r s e , our r e c e n t political s u c c e s s has been a s s i s t e d by R e p u b l i c a n
e x t r e m i s m , a s e l f - d e s t r u c t i v e i m p u l s e t h a t has helped A m e r i c a n s u n d e r s t a n d h o w
glib l a n g u a g e c a n t r a n s l a t e i n t o h a r d - h e a r t e d p o l i c y -- if n o t r e b u f f e d b y s t r o n g
Presidential l e a d e r s h i p . Y o u w i l l c o n t i n u e t o join b a t t l e s w i t h R e p u b l i c a n
e x t r e m i s t s o n t h e i t e m s o f their o w n a g e n d a .
N o n e t h e l e s s , I believe t h a t t h e last S t a t e - o f - t h e - U n i o n A d d r e s s o f y o u r f i r s t
t e r m s h o u l d be a t i m e t o s u m up t h e p a s t and p r e s e n t a c o m p e l l i n g v i s i o n o f w h a t
A m e r i c a c a n b e . W i t h t h e b u d g e t b a t t l e p r e s u m a b l y over ( h o p e f u l l y , a l o n g t h e
lines w e d i s c u s s e d t h e o t h e r n i g h t ) , s u c h a s p e e c h w i l l d e m o n s t r a t e h o w
Presidential leadership w i l l be e x p r e s s e d in an era of smaller g o v e r n m e n t and a
balanced federal budget.
T h e k e y is t o s t a n d on c o m m o n g r o u n d : Neither silly r e g u l a t i o n t h a t
u n n e c e s s a r i l y b u r d e n s b u s i n e s s e s nor d i s a v o w a l o f e f f o r t s t h a t p r o t e c t o u r c h i l d r e n
f r o m u n c l e a n air and w a t e r and o u r w o r k e r s f r o m u n s a f e c o n d i t i o n s ; n e i t h e r
d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e reliance on g o v e r n m e n t as a f o r c e f o r e c o n o m i c g r o w t h , nor b l i n d
refusal t o r e c o g n i z e t h e n e w , i n t e r d e p e n d e n t g l o b a l e n v i r o n m e n t in w h i c h w e m u s t
compete.
Balance c a n be d e m o n s t r a t e d b o t h by y o u r policies a n d by y o u r b a t t l e s . To
b e g i n , I b e l i e v e t h a t y o u m u s t r e m i n d t h e A m e r i c a n people o f t h e o u t s t a n d i n g
p e r f o r m a n c e of t h i s e c o n o m y and t h a t it d i d n ' t h a p p e n by a c c i d e n t . Y o u r 1 9 9 3
budget plan w a s the first great step t o w a r d s a balanced budget. The Republican
n a y s a y e r s of 1 9 9 3 s h o u l d be f o r c e d to c o n f r o n t t h e v e r y s u c c e s s t h a t t h e y t r i e d t o
obstruct.
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�The purpose here is not simply to paint a picture of economic success. It is,
as well, to demonstrate that the path you have followed is the right track. You
demonstrated great courage by fighting for lower budget deficits w i t h o u t any
Republican support in 1 993; fighting for the NAFTA against significant Democratic
opposition; facing down Republican budget threats against our core values in a
time when political pundits proclaimed the d a w n of a new Republican revolution.
Each time, you disdained the easy course and each time, America benefitted.
The path that took courage before is the same balanced course that will
lead to a prosperous future for all Americans.
In this context, I believe that it is important to confront directly the problem
of income stagnation and disparity We spent a lot of time in 1992 rightly
criticizing George Bush for his failure to grasp the impact of the slowing economy
on working Americans. This Republican crowd has the same problem: As the
current budget negotiations show, they're fixated on a return to Reaganomics
while at the same time ripping out the social safety net (something even Reagan
never really attempted).
It is the challenge of growing income disparity that shows just h o w out of
touch the Republicans are (incredibly all of their proposals would make the
disparity worse while ours would help close the gap). Moreover, it is the theme
that ties together all of our constituencies: from traditional Democratic voters to
the political center, which has fueled political revolt precisely because so many of
our people feel that the traditional American dream is ever harder to realize.
Because income disparity is a real, recognizable problem, it also helps us
ground our message on the importance of a growing economy - and h o w to
achieve it. You have clearly stated that economic g r o w t h will come from
education and training, from new technologies, through the success of American
firms in foreign markets. In the context of the budget battle, the emphasis has
been, quite rightly, on values. In its aftermath, I believe that the emphasis should
also include strategies, of the kind implemented in my o w n Department, that touch
the lives of ordinary Americans.
By one calculation, for example, 6 0 % of the jobs created in the year 2 0 0 0
will demand technology skills now held by less than 2 5 % of our workers. But the
year 2 0 0 0 is no longer some distant event; it arrives in less than 1 5 0 0 days.
Finally, I believe that your vision of the future should stress the importance
of reconciliation — the same call to civility that you emphasized earlier this year.
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�Sometimes in popular culture, calls for tolerance are depicted as naive. That
is because some people fail to understand that tolerance and reconciliation are
ingredients of strength, not charity. We welcome diversity of background and a
free expression of views because we know that using each person's talents will
make us all stronger.
Just as the Brooklyn Dodgers were a stronger baseball team after Jackie
Robinson took the field, so, too, we are a stronger nation when we understand
that we are all on the same team -- fighting in a brutal world of international
competition and foreign strife for the simple hope that our work will be rewarded;
that our families will be strong and that our children will live even better lives.
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THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
WASHINGTON, O.C. 20590
December 21, 1995
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Kitty Higgins
Don Baer
FROM:
Federico Pena
RE:
Themes and Messages for the State-of-the-Union Address
^Js^^^
You asked for my recommendations concerning potential themes and messages for the
President's upcoming State-of-the-Union address.
The four-prong message the White House has been using (Leadership/Family/Opportunity/
Common Ground) has proven very effective indeed. I believe the element of Family —
particularly the view of broader family or community typified by Americans' support for
victims of Oklahoma City and the many natural disasters that have occuned in recent years —
should particularly be emphasized.
Within each of these overall themes, however, we believe the State-of-the-Union should
highlight another aspect of Administration policy — "Keeping Promises." At base, voters are
dissatisfied because they see a disconnect between the promises of poUtical candidates and
campaigns and the actual execution of government policy. It is particularly important to
address this concern as we move into this next year. And we have a terrific story to tell ~
promises kept tliat don't receive much attention in the conflict-focused national media. (An
effective variation on this theme is to contrast talk — especially from members of Congress
and the rest of the Washington establishment -- with real change-oriented action.)
The revitalization of America's economy was the central theme of the President's 1992
campaign, and the results are plain. As part of this core message, the President also
emphasized the importance of "Rebuilding America" to compete economically. Here, too, we
have some real achievements worth highlighting. Several from the transportation world are
outlined below, using speech-style rhetoric to illustrate how it might work.
�-2REBUILDING AMERICA
In 1992, I saw the way our Nation's transportation system - highways, bridges, railroads and
ports — affect Americans in their everyday lives. Vice President Gore and I traveled much of
the country in buses, talking to all kinds of people — at a truck stop in Carlisle, PA, along
U.S. Highway 51 in Sandoval, IL and in countless towns along the highways. During our
first bus trip, from New York City to St. Louis, Mo, I made a commitment to rebuild
America. I'm proud to say my Administration has done just that. We've invested more in
highway and bridge construction than any comparable period before — more than $40 billion.
This means faster, safer travel for the American people.
But we've also done something more, because we know: it's not how much you spend, but
how you spend the public's money. So we've worked hard to make better, more strategic
investments — to get more bang for the buck — and to get the private sector to invest more.
A'm proud to say that by cutting red tape and giving state and local government more
flexibility, we've managed to jump start $2 to $3 billion worth of construction projects that
otherwise never would have happened at all — and without using any additional Federal
funds. We've also built public-private technology partnerships like the one for Interstate 75
where high-tech transponders and micro-chips mean big rigs roll safer and more efficiently
from Florida to Michigan, and cut millions of dollars in delivery costs.
The improvements to our infrastructure help tis to move people and goods more quickly, so
Americans can spend more time at home with their families and so we can solidify our
position as the most dynamic economy in the world.
AVIATION
One of the first things I did when I came into office was to appoint a special Commission to
look into the condition of the airline and aerospace industries. These industries, in which
America had always led the world, were on the a tremendous downswing. The industry lost
$10 billion in 1990-92 and suffered as major carriers like Eastern and Pan Am went bankrupt.
Today, the airline industry is in the midst of the transportation turnaround of the decade,
thanks in large part to the work of that commission and this administration's economic
policies. I am proud to tell you that our major carriers earned over $2.1 billion this year ~
record levels, for many of them - and not a single one is in bankruptcy. In fact, there are
more new companies entering the aviation business than ever before. This means more jobs
— for people who build airplanes and work in airports, for example — and it means better,
cheaper airline service for all Americans.
Part of this success has been opening up new foreign markets for our airlines. In the past
three years, the Administration has negotiated 28 new bi-lateral aviation agreements, including
10 "open-skies" agreements with European nations, a Canadian accord which has led to a 25
�-3percent increase in service, and Asian treaties which will form the critical transportation links
to these key emerging markets for our cargo and passenger carriers,
MARITIME
As a candidate, I visited this country's docks and shipyards and met with many of the tens
of thousands of shipbuilding workers who had lost their jobs. I called attention to this
national tragedy. And in San Diego, CA I pledged to help tum the industry around.
We came through. In 1993, the administration launched a five-part National Shipbuilding
Initiative. Since then, there has been a tremendous industry resurgence. Given the tools and a
level playing field, I knew that the workers in Mobile, Alabama and Newport News, Virginia
could compete globally, and we've helped put them back in business building ships. My
Administration's loan guarantee program has helped these and many other shipyards to
completely modernize so they could compete with the Europeans and the Japanese. In 1995,
the program paved way for constmction of 36 commercial vessels and $502 billion worth of
business in American shipyard, creating thousands of new jobs. One of my proudest
moments as President came when one worker from the San Diego shipyard who had come to
Washington to participate in the announcement of our shipbuilding initiative said to me:
"Thank yoti, Mr. President. We're used to politicians forgetting about us after the campaign.
You didn't, and you came through," [Note: this is a paraphrase; exact quote to be checked.]
�U8A
SOCIAL SECURITY
Office of the Commissioner
Decembar 20, 1995
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
SHIRLEY S. CHATER
COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY
SUBJECT: STATE-OF-THE-UNION ADDRESS
As r e q u e s t e d , I am f o r w a r d i n g my recommendations f o r themes and
messages t o p o s s i b l y be i n c l u d e d i n y o u r S t a t e - o f - t h e - U n i o n
Address i n January. My s u g g e s t i o n s a r e as f o l l o w s :
1. The need f o r i n t e r g e n e r a t i o n a l c o o p e r a t i o n
A l l t o o o f t e n , debates on n a t i o n a l i s s u e s d i v i d e g e n e r a t i o n s o f
Americans i n s t e a d o f b r i n g i n g them t o g e t h e r . I f we, as a n a t i o n ,
are g o i n g t o d e v e l o p l o n g - t e r m s o l u t i o n t o i s s u e s f a c i n g o u r
c o u n t r y , a l l o f us, young and o l d a l i k e , must be w i l l i n g t o work
t o g e t h e r f o r a common g o a l .
S o c i a l S e c u r i t y and Medicare a r e p e r f e c t examples o f i s s u e s t h a t
r e q u i r e i n t e r g e n e r a t i o n a l c o o p e r a t i o n . Today's s e n i o r s and
tomorrow's workers must d e c i d e t h e f u t u r e o f these programs
t o g e t h e r because a l l Americans, r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e i r ages, a r e
impacted by S o c i a l S e c u r i t y and M e d i c a r e .
For two o f e v e r y t h r e e s e n i o r c i t i z e n s . S o c i a l S e c u r i t y
r e p r e s e n t s more than 50 p e r c e n t o f annual income. F o r 14 p o r c e n t
of Americans age 65 and o l d e r . S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s 100 p e r c e n t o f
income.
I n a d d i t i o n . S o c i a l S e c u r i t y b e n e f i t s young w o r k e r s t h r o u g h
s u r v i v o r s and d i s a b i l i t y p r o t e c t i o n . Younger Americans f a c e
r o u g h l y a l - i n - 5 chance o f d y i n g b e f o r e r e a c h i n g age 65. I f t h e
u n t h i n k a b l e happens. S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s t h e r e w i t h a v e r a g e
p r o t e c t i o n e q u i v a l e n t t o a $295,000 l i f e i n s u r a n c e p o l i c y .
A 2 0 - y e a r - o l d w o r k e r stands n e a r l y a l - l n - 3 chance o f becoming
d i s a b l e d b e f o r e age 65. Once a g a i n , S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s t h e r e I f
t h e u n t h i n k a b l e o c c u r B - - w i t h d i s a b i l i t y p r o t e c t i o n w h i c h on t h e
average i s e q u i v a l e n t t o a $203,000 d i s a b i l i t y p o l i c y f o r an
average income earner w i t h a spouse and two c h i l d r e n .
SOCIAL SECURmr ADMINISTRATION BALTIMORE M D 21235-0001
�State-of-the-Union
Page 2
S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s much more than r e t i r e m e n t . I t i s a program
t h a t a f f e c t s a l l Americans. As a r e s u l t , we a l l must work
together to preserve and p r o t e c t i t .
2. The need to make "tough d e c i s i o n s " about our c o u n t r y ' s
future
"No pain, no gain" i s a f a m i l i a r phrase and one t h a t a l l
Americans should keep i n mind. As we move forward i n the
r e s o l u t i o n of n a t i o n a l i s s u e s , Americans must be prepared f o r a
s e r i e s of "give and take." I n d i v i d u a l l y , we may not be happy w i t h
the r e s o l u t i o n of each i s s u e , but as a n a t i o n we can be s a t i s f i e d
i n the f a c t that we a r e doing what's r i g h t f o r America's f u t u r e .
A s p e c i f i c example of a tough d e c i s i o n I n v o l v e s t h e f u t u r e of
S o c i a l S e c u r i t y . Although S o c i a l S e c u r i t y i s s o l v e n t today, a
time w i l l come when S o c i a l S e c u r i t y cannot pay f u l l b e n e f i t s . Two
jgroups--the Kerry-Danforth Commission and the S o c i a l S e c u r i t y
Advisory Council--examined the i s s u e of solvency e a r l i e r t h i s
year and could not agree on a s o l u t i o n .
Both groups d i d agree, however, that tough c h o i c e s must be made
in order to make S o c i a l S e c u r i t y f i n a n c i a l l y sound. At some
point, Americans of a l l ages must decide on t h e f u t u r e of S o c i a l
S e c u r i t y . The e a r l i e r the tough choices a r e made, the l e s s
d r a s t i c they w i l l have to be. U l t i m a t e l y , everyone w i l l have to
s a c r i f i c e a l i t t l e f o r the good of the c o u n t r y ' s f u t u r e .
I f s not that young workers and Baby Boomers don't want a S o c i a l
S e c u r i t y program. I n f a c t , a study commissioned by AARP found
overwhelming support by Americans f o r S o c i a l S e c u r i t y . The
problem i s t h a t many young people don't b e l i e v e S o c i a l S e c u r i t y
w i l l be there f o r them.
Since S o c i a l S e c u r i t y a f f e c t s Americans of a l l g e n e r a t i o n s , i t ' s
important t h a t the voices of s e n i o r c i t i z e n s . Baby Boomers and
Generation X be heard i n the debate. As i n the p a s t , any major
change i n the S o c i a l S e c u r i t y program must i n v o l v e b i p a r t i s a n
cooperation and must be the r e s u l t of an engaged American p u b l i c .
�U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
OFFICE O F T H E S E C R E T A R Y
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20410-0001
M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
Don B a e r
FROM:
Bruce Katz
RE:
State of the Union Themes
DATE:
December 21. 1995
Over past few months, the NEC has led an interagency process
to generate ideas on community empowerment ( i n f a c t a p r i n c i p a l s
meeting was held as recently as t h i s past tuesday) . From these and
other meetings, there i s widespread consensus emerging among the
Cabinet and key folks in the White House and OMB that the e s s e n t i a l
ements of a community empowerment strategy are as follows:
increasing access to c a p i t a l for business development
reclaiming abandoned land i n c e n t r a l c i t i e s
transforming public housing — which includes demolishing the
worst of the public housing stock
reinventing the federal government's r e l a t i o n s h i p to local
governments — i . e . decentralize and "put communities f i r s t "
•
linking people to work
What these concrete policy elements have i n common — and what
could be a v i t a l part of a powerful State of the Union message, are
the following community empowerment themes:
putting communities f i r s t
strengthening
our c e n t r a l c i t i e s
getting devolution and d e c e n t r a l i z a t i o n r i g h t
i n s i s t i n g on r e c i p r o c i t y for govemment benefits
asserting that the government has a v i t a l r o l e to play
Focusing on these themes i s not only the r i g h t substantive
approach to community empowerment, but i t also has strong appeal to
middle-class values — as these themes focus on work, personal
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , private sector leadership and public s e r v i c e .
�Following are suggestions for a r t i c u l a t i n g these themes. Many
of these are elaborated on i n Where We L i v e , a document which
outlines HUD's plans for i t s second stage of reinvention.
You
should have already received t h i s report from the Secretary.
Put Communities F i r s t
Generating economic opportunities (good jobs) i s important to
our a b i l i t y to compete and succeed i n the global economy. But many
people w i l l not succeed i n these turbulent times unless t h e i r
community roots — families, neighborhoods, schools, churches —
are strong. To best help families t h r i v e , we must f i r s t focus on
strengthening our communities for the 21st century.
That means recognizing two r e a l i t i e s : F i r s t , that our national
well-being r e s t s on the health of our communities; and second, i n
an era of budget belt-tightening, we need a l a s e r - l i k e focus of
federal resources on meeting community needs ~ maximizing those
resources by building partnerships among l o c a l governments,
businesses, non-profits and s t a t e / f e d e r a l governments.
In
p a r t i c u l a r , i t ' s right for the President to challenge the private
sector, e s p e c i a l l y the business community, to take an a c t i v e
partnership r o l e i n f i x i n g our most d i s t r e s s e d communities. Facing
the new century, we must ensure that a l l our actions support the
foundations of economic and c i v i c health, u p l i f t i n g mainstream
values. (Offer a Covenant with America's Communities).
streagtfasn our central Cities
Focus on the importance of c e n t r a l c i t i e s — and t h e i r l i n k s
to the larger metropolitan area — as the anchors of America's
economy.
Our national economy i s i n c r e a s i n g l y a system of
metropolitan regional economies which need economically v i t a l
central c i t i e s to thrive. The d e s t i n i e s of metro areas are t i e d to
the performance of t h e i r c i t i e s ; while some suburban residents may
want to ignore the p l i g h t of c i t i e s — and don't see i t as
connected to t h e i r l i v e s — we can't afford to abandon these
engines of economic growth and must find ways to r e i n v e s t .
ppcsntrflligg with a Venqgfln??
I f we are going to r e a l l y put more power into people's hands
to shape t h e i r destinies, we need to push f e d e r a l programs to the
front-lines, past state bureaucracies and into e f f e c t i v e and
f l e x i b l e partnerships with communities. Block granting to states
i s short-sighted and w i l l be i n e f f e c t i v e ; a r e a l community
empowerment strategy would r a d i c a l l y r e s t r u c t u r e federal agencies
to make them focus on building safe, strong and
hopeful
communities, not on enlarging Washington bureaucracies.
(That
means any community empowerment strategy we propose should extend
federal reinvention to the federal government's r e l a t i o n s h i p s with
�States and l o c a l communities).
To r e a l l y decentralize, we must t r u s t and l i s t e n c l o s e l y —
and then help empower — the people i n the trenches —
parents,
teachers, law enforcement, community leaders, s o c i a l workers, shop
owners and church leaders.
As we pursue t h i s kind of dramatic
decentralization — for the f i r s t time i n decades — we must also
find the common sense balance between cutting communities loose
with no federal help and strangling them to death with federal
regulations and red-tape.
teist 9n Cgnditipnalitv
Americans, and often many poorer inner c i t y residents,
understand
and
support
the
balancing
of
rights
and
responsibilities.
This acknowledgement of r e c i p r o c i t y i n
acceptance of society's benefits has l e d to a readiness to accept
s t r i c t e r personal and moral conditions on program benefits.
Our
society — e s p e c i a l l y inner c i t y residents — i s prepared to go a
good deal further than many might expect i n accepting
the
d i s c i p l i n e of work, service and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . This framework
can, and should, be applied much more broadly than welfare reform.
The r i g h t to a good education means kids must do t h e i r
homework and parents must hold t h e i r children accountable (and help
out) . Having safe s t r e e t s mean community residents must work
closely with l o c a l police. Program examples: Getting a job and
work s k i l l s i n a HUD lead-paint abatement program means that single
fathers accept r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to attend pre-natal and p e d i a t r i c
appointments, complete a curriculum on fatherhood and p a r t i c i p a t e
in a support group. A public housing addiction recovery program
a s s i s t s s i n g l e mothers i f they pledge to stay away from drugs, go
without TV, help t h e i r children with homework and keep t h e i r
apartments clean.
"we can PQ This"
Americans are ready for someone to confront t h e i r pervasive
feeling that nothing works and that none of the e f f o r t s we make at
solving our most i n t r a c t a b l e national problems make a difference.
Many s t i l l believe that government has a v i t a l r o l e to play i n
solving our national problems, but they're not confident of the
federal government's a b i l i t y to make programs work and d e l i v e r
r e s u l t s . In addition to substantive reinvention e f f o r t s , the words
"we can do t h i s are c r i t i c a l to our national sense of optimism and
hope. People know that our major s o c i a l and economic problems —
especially those i n our urban areas — are profoundly complex , but
they also know these problems are not going to go away, and they're
ready for strong leadership to t e l l them that we can overcome our
challenges and show the way towards what's already working.
,,
TQTOL
P.04
�UWITED STATES
OFFICE OF PERSOWrTEL MANAGEMENT
WAamnGTon. D.C. 2041a
December 21,
199 5
MEMORANDUM FOR KITTY HIGGINS
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
AND SECRETARY TO THE CABINET
DON BAER
ASSISTANT TO THE
COMMUNICATIONS
DENT AND DIRECTOR OF
FROM:
JAMES B. KING
DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
State-of-th^-UniinCThemes/and
Messages
I recommend t h e f o l l o w i n g two messages be i n c l u d e d i n n e x t
month's S t a t e - o f - t h e - U n i o n address:
I.
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT DROPS BELOW 2 MILLION FOR FIRST TIME
SINCE 19 66 — ELIMINATING AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF GROWTH I N
GOVERNMENT
OPM d a t a shows t h a t , i n October, t h e C l i n t o n - G o r e
A d m i n i s t r a t i o n a t t a i n e d a major achievement when t h e F e d e r a l
government's t o t a l , on-board c i v i l i a n w o r k f o r c e f e l l below t w o
m i l l i o n f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e s i n c e May, 1966. As t h e a t t a c h e d
c h a r t shows. F e d e r a l employment dropped t o 1,980,170, w h i c h
r e f l e c t s a r e d u c t i o n o f 204,530 employees s i n c e J a n u a r y , 1993.
T h i s f i g u r e i n c l u d e s p a r t - t i m e and s e a s o n a l w o r k e r s .
W h i l e o u r f i g u r e i s n o t t h e F u l l - T i m e E q u i v a l e n t (FTE)
number t h a t i s sometimes used, we b e l i e v e t h e t o t a l , on-board
workforce f i g u r e b e t t e r r e f l e c t s t h e a c t u a l size o f t h e
government and i s e a s i e r t o conununicate t o t h e p u b l i c .
II.
7
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SET TO SPIN-OFF FIRST ESOP — REPLACING
TAXPAYER—FUNDED JOBS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES
~—
OPM i s i n t h e f i n a l stages o f n e g o t i a t i o n s t h a t w i l l e n a b l e
some 700 s k i l l e d i n v e s t i g a t o r s now on t h e F e d e r a l p a y r o l l t o
leave government and c r e a t e a p r i v a t e , employee-owned company.
T h i s new p r i v a t e - s e c t o r e n t e r p r i s e w i l l conduct background
i n v e s t i g a t i o n s b o t h f o r t h e government and f o r t h e p r i v a t e
sector.
\
�Page 2
p u b l i c p a y r o l l t o the p r i v a t e seStor
era
Pl°Yee
B
from t h e
For more i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e c a l l T^r,-;^^ r L.
, ^xeaae c a i i J a n i c e Lachance on 606-1800.
Attachments
�Trend of Federal Civilian On-Board Employment
for Executive Branch (non-Postal) Agencies
12/18/95
T h e s e figures represent total o n - b a a r d e m p l o y m e n t
- not PTE's
and include all work schedules (full-time, part-time, intermittent),
and tenure groups (permanent and temporary)
J a n u a r y 1993 t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 1995
Month
Change ftom
Total
Prev. M o n t h
Cumulative C h a n g e s i n c e
J a n . '93
1993
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2,188,700
2.197.937
2.193.890
2,186,245
2,188.755
2,198,963
2.183,131
2,178,540
2,156,844
2,138.358
2,127,496
2,120,463
9,237
-4,047
-7.645
510
12,208
-15,832
•4,591
-21.696
-20.486
-8,882
-7,033
9,237
5,190
-2.455
-1,945
10,263
-5,589
-10,160
-31,856
-52,342
-61.204
-68.237
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2,113,892
2,123,448
2.119,019
2.117,292
2.110,334
2,112,533
2.107.582
2,099.555
2,085,492
2,061,515
2,048,493
2,039,882
-6,771
9.756
4,429
-1,727
-6,958
2,199
-4,951
-8,027
-14,063
-23,977
-13,022
-8.611
-75.008
-65,252
-69,681
-71.408
-78.366
-76,167
-81,118
-89.145
-103,208
-127,185
-140,207
-148,818
January
February
March
2,028,078
2.033,404
2,030,048
2,027.480
2,037.427
2,051,719
2,047,573
2,037,190
2,011,870
1.984.170
-11,804
5,326
-3,358
-2,566
9,947
14.292
-4,146
-10.383
-25,320
-27,700
-160,622
-155,296
-158,654
-161,220
-151,273
-138,981
-141,127
-151,510
-178,830
-204,530
1994
1995
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
Notes: By Executive Order 12839. on February 10, 1993, the President ordered a
reduction of 100,000 full-time equivalent positions during the FY 1993-1995
period.
In a memorandum to Department/Agency Heads in September 1993,
the President increased this number to 252,000 through FY 1999.
The Work Force Restructuring Act of March 30, 1994 further increased
this numbar to 272,900 through FY 1999
SOURCE:
U S Office of Personnel
Management
Office of Workforce
Information
Monthly Report of Federal Civilian Employment
(SF 113-A).
�TREND OF FEDERAL CIVILIAN ON-BOARD EMPLOYMENT
FOR EXECUTIVE BRANCH (NON-POSTAL) AGENCIES
Average Employment by Calendar Year
CALENDAR
YEAR
EXECUTIVE
BRANCH
5 ^ : ^ : ^,814,766
1961
1962 •; r
;
1,814,225
c
"'^ • •. ' •'•
'- f r . .
..
:^t,'.•
--^i . a j ? i x i
:•
i
: ^ l
o
/
/
. ^ •
1
-
,
1
1963
l,895,670
1964
1965
.1,877,940
1,891,580
- • ^ ^ t . • •' • 2,035,515
2,206,636
. ,.1966.g:Afe
1967 _
1968 l r 1969
7
"
:
• •
.-
•
.
2,220,369
2,235,199
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
2,177,246
2,123,176
2,107,628
2,068,135
2,112,470
2,134,410
2,138,600
2,145,771
1982
. 2,149,206
1983
1984 '
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
2,176,759
2,181,739
2,274,269
2,180,837
2,164,132
" 2,184,927
2,218,346
: .
2,197,590
2,222,589
2,222,933
2,237,528
2,344,168
2,228,974
2,231,535
2,171,277
2,094,903
�DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
off ica of th«
Washington, D.C. 20201
MEMORANDUM
To:
From-.
Subject:
Date:
K i t t y H i g g i n s , Don Baer
Dan P o r t e r f i e l d , DAS f o r P u b l i c A f f a i r s ,
HHS
S t a t e o f t h e Union speech
12/21/95
S e c r e t a r y S h a l a l a mentioned two themes f o r t h e speech.
F i r s t , and mnRt- i m p o r t a n t , she b e l i a v e e t h e speech a h o u l d be b o l d
and v i s i o n a r y . The P r e s i d e n t s h o u l d speak t o t h e American people
as c i t i z e n s , and n o t s i m p l y as t a x p a y e r s .
The speech s h o u l d be
ahovit t h e f u t u r e o f o u r c o u n t r y /
a n d a b o u t o u r o b l i g a t i o n as
Americans t o p r o t e c t t h e hard-won l e g a c y o f t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y
w h i l e h a v i n g t h e courage t o address t h e new c h a l l e n g e s o f
tomorrow.
T h i s c e n t u r y we won two w o r l d wars and t h e Cold War.
challenge
of Sputnik.
We met t h e
Wc i n t e g r a t e d o u r s o c i e t y a i u l s h a t t e r e d
g l a s s c e i l i n g s . We b u i l t a s t r o n g s a f e t y n e t f o r c h i l d r e n and
transformed t h e experience o f growing o l d .
How d i d t h i s happen? A t o u r b e s t , we committed o u r s e l v e s t o b o l d
and r e l e n t l e s s p r o g r e s s .
We p u t t h e common good and common
ground f i r s t .
Aaid we moved Iui.ward i n a t r u e s p i r i c o f
p a r t n e r s h i p -- w i t h c i t i z e n s , f a m i l i e s , communities, and s t a t e s
a l l d o i n g t h e i r p a r t , and t h e n a t i o n a l government h e l p i n g and
sometimes l e a d i n g .
Today, t h i s t r a d i t i o n has been p l a c e d under s e i g e . There a r e
some p o l i L i c i a n s and s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t s who, under t h e m i s l e a d i n g
mantle o f f e d e r a l i s m , a r e r e a l l y t r y i n g t o a b o l i s h t h e
p a r t n e r s h i p between t h e n a t i o n a l government and i t s p e o p l e .
That
nicty be an o p p o r c u n i s t i c campaign theme -- b u t i t ' s be bad f o r t h e
c o u n t r y . We need l i m i t e d government -- n o t absent government.
Because we do have a n a t i o n a l i n t e r e s t i n e n s u r i n g t h a t work pays
i n t h i s country.
I n guaranteeing a q u a l i t y education t o every
child.
I n making sure t h a t s e n i o r s can see a d o c t o r and poor
c h i l d r e n a r e a b l e no e a t . I n k e e p i n g tobacco o u t o f t h e hands o f
c h i l d r e n and guns o u t o f t h e hands o f c r i m i n a l s .
I n preserving
the freedom o f p a r e n t s t o r a i s e t h e i r c h i l d r e n as t h e y want. I n
openixig new i n t e r n a t i o n a l markets f o r o u r p r o d u c t s and p r e v e n t i n g
i n t e r n a t i o n a l anarchy when we can.
These a^e American v a l u e s t h a t d e f i n e us as a n a t i o n -- and
p r e s e r v i n g and a c h i e v i n g them r e q u i r e s f e d e r a l l e a d e r s h i p . We
have shown t h a t l e a d e r s h i p f o r t h r e e y e a r s .
We have a c h i e v e d
t r u l y n a L i o n a l g o a l s f o r a l i o u r people
e v e r y t h i n g from
l o w e r i n g t h e homicide r a t e t o l o w e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e r o l l s ;
from
�c o l l e c t i n g r e c o r d l e v e l s of unpaid c h i l d support t o h e l p i n g
Btates
increase
the
number o f
their
citizens
with
health
i n s u r a n c e ; and from a c h i e v i n g t h e h i g h e s t i m m u n i z a t i o n r a t e s i n
h i s t o r y t o f u n d i n g b r e a k t h r o u g h d i s c o v e r i e s a g a i n s t b r e a s t cancer
and AIDS. T h i s i e good government, r e s p o n s i b l e govexument,
l i m i t e d government. We ought not g i v e up on i t .
Second, S e c r e t a r y S h a l a l a recommends t h a t t h e Preeidenx: d i s c u s s
the importance o f a t r u l y n a t i o n a l p a r t n e r s h i p t o h e l p p a r e n t s i n
the most i m p o r t a n t r o l e any o f us w i l l ever.raising children.
The f a c t i s , m i l l i o n s o f p a r e n t s are w o r r i e d about t h e t h i n g s
t h e i r c h i l d r e n are exposed t o when t h e y are o u t s i d e t h e home:
A l c o h o l . Tobacco. Drugs. Teen pregnancy. AIDS. v i o l e n c e . As
one p a r e n t s a i d i n The Washincrton Post. " I went f r o m w a n t i n g my
son t o w i n t h e Nobel P r i z e t o w a n t i n g him t o s u r v i v e . "
Even as t h e y w o r r y about t h e i r c h i l d r e n , p a r e n t s a r e f r u s t r a t e d
t h a t t h e y have l e s s c o n t r o l t h a n t h e y would l i k e .
Many p a r e n t s
are wurking l o n g e r hours w i t h l e s s j o b s e c u r i t y . They have l e s s
t i m e t o spend w i t h t h e i r c h i l d r e n . They're f i n d i n g i t h a r d e r t o
pay today's g r o c e r y b i l l s w h i l e s a v i n g f o r tomorrow's c o l l e g e
bills.
There are more f a m i l i e s i n which b o t h p a r e n t s are w o r k i n g .
There
are more s i n g l e - p a r e n t f a m i l i e s . There a r e fewer f a m i l i e s t h a t
f e e l connected t o s t r o n g , s u p p o r t i v e communities.
And t h e r e i s
more c o m p e t i t i o n f o r t h e i r c h i l d r e n ' s a t t e n t i o n -- t o o o f t e n from
i n f l u e n c e s l i k e tobacco ads o r g l a m o r i z e d images o f drug use.
S e c r e t a r y S h a l a l a recommends t h a t t h e P r e s i d e n t speak d i r e c t l y t o
the hopes, dreams and f e a r s o f these p a r e n t s . As p a r e n t s o f a
teenager, he and Mrs. C l i n t o n d e e p l y u n d e r s t a n d t h e s e concerns.
The P r e s i d e n t s h o u l d t e l l America's p a r e n t s t h a t he stands w i t h
them. That's why he has t a k e n on p o w e r f u l i n t e r e s t s -- t h e NRA,
the m e d i a / e n t e r t a i n m e n t i n d u s t r y , and t h e tobacco i n d u s t r y -- t o
put power back i n the hands o f p a r e n t s . That's why he and h i s
Cabinet have s e n t a c l e a r and c o n s i s t e n t message t h a t i t i s
i l l e g a l , dangerous, and wrong from c h i l d r e n and teenage-rs t o itse
drugs, a l c o h o l , and tobacco.
That's why he has l e d t h e f i g h t f o r
a p r i v a t e s e c t o r campaign t o reduce teen pregnancy and l e n t h i s
v o i c e t o t h e cause o f AIDS p r e v e n t i o n . T h a t ' s why he has f o u g h t
f o r young people i n t h e budget b a t t l e s -- g a i n i n g v i c t o r i e s t o
ensure t h a t summer j o b s , drug f r e e s c h o o l s , and c o l l e g e l o a n s are
always t h e r e t o g i v e young people r e a l opt inn.c: r o say "yes" t o .
And t h a t ' s why he has reached out t o young people h i m s e l f w i t h a
message o f o p p o r t u n i t y and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y .
Teenagers a r e n ' t j u s t our n a t i o n a l f u t u r e -- t h e y a r e o u r
n a t i o n a l p r e s e n t . They deserve s a f e passages, and we a l l must
h e l p them.
Thank you.
�Administrator
General Services Administration
Washington, DC 20405
December 21, 1995
MEMORANDUM FOR
FROM:
SUBJECT.
KITTY HIGGINS
Secretary, White House Office of I
Affairs
DONALD BAER
Director, White House'
ROGER W.JOHNSON
Administrator, U.S. General Semcesvvnunistration
Call for Suggestions for State ofthe Union Address
Thank you for the opportunity to share with you my ideas for themes and ideas fbr inclusion in the
President's 1996 State ofthe Union address.
Domestic Policv
The President is perhaps never stronger than when he appeals to the American people's higher self
and better nature. The President can rise above the nasty noise level of present-day ideologues by
elevating his discussion with the Congress and the American people to a broader theme of what is
needed in our political system to move the country forward and meet the challenges ofthe next
century.
Much as he did in 1992 and since — although the message has been grossly distorted — the
President can speak to the fact that old ideologies, as well ;ts the newer, harsher mix of populistlibertarianism couched as conservatism, will not provide the solutions to new challenges brought on
by economic and cultural transformalions. He can recognize that old so-called liberal solutions
will not meet the challenges, while pointing out thefeetthat the calls to dismantle the federal
government by "devolving" federal programs to the states without measurements or standards of
accountability is nothing more than an abdication of responsibility. There is a need for a strong
federal government, but one that works in partnership with state and local governments and the
private sector, and one that is flexible and more responsive to changing needs. Then the President
can easily transition into his accomplishments under the National Performance Review framing
them into language to which working Americans can relate (see attached letter to the Vice
President, Columbus Dispatch article and GSA Message from the Administrator as examples).
Foreign Policv
In explaining why American involvement is needed in Bosnia and other foreign trouble spots, the
President's speech before the British Parliament last month, which called for fighting the "forces of
destruction," was again an appeal to our higher and better nature as Americans (see "Clinton Calls
for a War on 'Forces of Destruction,'" L.A. Times. November 30, 1995). It was a concise
message that best explained why America cannot retreatfromits leadership role in foreign affairs.
In fact, the President should repeat this message constantly until it becomes known as the Clinton
Doctrine.
If you would like to discuss these issues in greater detail, please do not hesitate to call.
rodarel Hocycllng PIDgrwn
P d n l a d on Hocyctod P a u w
�Administrator
General Services Administration
Washington, DC 20405
December 19, 1995
The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr.
Vice President of the United States
The White House
Dear Mr. Vice President:
It is not The Washington Post. The New York Times, or The Wall Street
Journal (yet) but it sells in Columbus! (see enclosed article) A week earlier we
put out a press release reporting a S600 million savings from the latest FTS2000 negotiations and got no coverage, to speak of - but 3 1/2 cents per minute
gets attention.
I believe we should expand this approach across all of N.P.R. activities
including specific customer sen/ice improvements, as well as stating savings and
service improvements in "people understandable units." One easy step would
be to put out a weekly/monthly N.P.R. talking points bulletin focused on unit
bites. Agency and White House speech writers should also receive the bulletin.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. See you soon.
Sincerely,
Enclosure
cc:
Elaine Kamarck
Bob Stone
John Koskinen
Don Baer
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�ESSAGE FROM ' 'HE
dministrator
This year, GSA continued to make President Clinton's promise to make "govemment work better
and cost less" a reality. Although the environment in Washington has made this past year difficult and
sometimes uncertain, we have continued to focus on our mission using customer service and common
sense management. While others try to paint federal employees as "faceless," we have never
forgotten that GSA is an agency of people serving people. They are our customers, and we know
that the better we serve them, the better we can all serve taxpayers. It just makes common sense!
Working together, we have been reshaping our .agency and rethinking our business for over two
years. And as you can see in the accomplishments outlined below, we are making real, lasting
changes:
Time Out and Review of Public Buildings Yields $1.36 Billion in Savings, Better Construction
Management
Our "Time Out and Review" of the federal building program cut $1.36 billion from new real estate
projects. An outgrowth of the review is the new Courthouse Management Group to ensure cost-effective
and efficient construction of federal courthouses. Adopting business-like real estate principles into our
program will ensure long-term savings.
Changing Major Computer Purchases Avoids Over $7Billion in Unnecessary Spending
Taxpayers were not getting a good return on their investments in major federal government computer
systems, so we imposed a "Time Out" that avoided spending $7.4 billion for computer systems with cost
overruns and other problems. Greater use of interagency teams, independent auditors, performance
measurements, and Chief Information Officers will produce more efficient, less costly systems.
Unrestricted Coast-to-Coast, Round-Trip Airfares for $242
Our unrestricted airfares with major airlines are on average 50% lower than commercial rates. Where
else can you get a round-trip ticket from Washington to California for $242 on short notice?
Rent a Car for $136 a Month
We lease four-door sedans to other agencies for $136 a month, plus 11 cents a mile for fuel and
maintenance. Consolidating vehicles from other federal agencies into itsfleetmanagement program last
year saved taxpayers $7.2 million, and other management improvements have saved an additional $22.8
million.
Long-Distance Service for Just Over 3 Pennies per Minute
Our common sense management of the FTS2000 long-distance network has drastically cut costs. Due to
a recompciition in the contract, federal customers now pay just 3 1/2 pennies per network minute, saving
taxpayers $200 million a year. Overall costs under FTS2000 during the past 7 years have been reduced
by 80%, saving nearly $5 billion compared to the old long-distance program.
(more)
U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
�It Pays to Use the American Express Government Travel Card — Literally!
Our contract with American Express Travel generates affinity refunds every time federal employees use
the card for official travel. These refunds - estimated at $20 million a year — go back to agencies to
offset travel-related expenses.
Government Purchase Card Saves Money and Headaches
With the increased use of the government purchasing card, federal agencies get better, faster service and
will save $475 million by eliminating administrative headaches.
Expansion of Electronic Commerce,'GSA Advantage!'and Other Initiatives
Wc are a leader among interagency teams working to eliminate burdensome, costly paper-driven
procurement, while increasing accountability in govemment spending by expanding thie use of electronic.
commerce. In- fact, with GSA Advantage!, federal customers can get supplies through the Tntemet and
have them directly delivered to their desks with a few strokes of a keyboard. And our energy andrecycling programs axpproving that sound environmental'policies can also save tax dollars. ' .
:
So far, our customer focus and common sense have netted taxpayers over $12 billion in savings or
cost avoidances. We've done all this with a workforce streamlined by 20% — with no layoffs — and
operating costs cut by 17%. Our efforts have been recognized by Vice President Gore and the
National Performance Review. GSA employees have received 17 Hammer Awardsfromthe NPR to
recognize excellence and creativity in public service.
As impressive as these accomplishments are, we must continue to define and shape GSA. And we
are doing that, as we dig deeper into our operations through the FORM analysis to search for ways to
improve our performance and service. In the end, this analysis will set us on a path of continuous
improvement to create a culture of common sense management to build a common sense govemment
that works better and costs less.
It has been a challenging year, but we have met those challenges and are moving forward. I thank
you for all your hard work and perseverance. Let us now take time during this holiday season to
rejuvenate our spirits and to celebrate the season with our families and friends. I wish you and your
loved ones good health and happiness now and for the coming year.
Roger W. Johnson
Administrator
December 21, 1995
�Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
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DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
011. memo
DATE
SUBJECT/TITLE
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12/26/1995
RESTRICTION
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COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
OA/Box Number: 14457
FOLDER TITLE:
Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State ofthe Union]
2006-0469-F
db3331
RESTRICTION CODES
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P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(5) ofthe PRA]
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
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information 1(b)(4) ofthe K ) I A |
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(b)(6) ofthe FOIA|
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b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
financial institutions 1(b)(8) ofthe FOIA|
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells 1(b)(9) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
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PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
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RESTRICTION
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COLLECTION:
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Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
OA/Box Number:
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FOLDER TITLE:
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2006-0469-F
db3331
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act -144 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 5S2(b)|
Pl National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA)
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office 1(a)(2) ofthe PRA]
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute 1(a)(3) ofthe PRA|
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
financial information 1(a)(4) of the PRA|
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(5) of the PRA|
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(a)(6) ofthe PRA]
b(l) National security classified information 1(b)(1) ofthe FOIA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
an agency 1(b)(2) ofthe FOIA)
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute 1(b)(3) ofthe FOIA)
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
information 1(b)(4) of the FOIAj
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(b)(6) ofthe FOIA)
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes 1(b)(7) ofthe FOIA]
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
financial institutions 1(b)(8) ofthe FOIA]
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells 1(b)(9) ofthe FOIA)
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
of gift.
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
2201(3).
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
�THE PRESIDENT H S SEEN
A
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
k
- " " M ^
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
W A S H I N G T O N , D.C. 20503
THE DIRECTOR
Dece ber 20, 1995
m
^
^
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRE^UJENT
FROM:
I.
Alice M. Rivlin ^ - " ^
SUBJECT:
Implication for SSI Childhood Disability Benefits of Welfare Reform Conference''
This memorandum responds to your question on the budget implications for certain children with |rt ^ \
disabilities of the welfare reform conference agreement. In my memorandum to you of
'V'^
November 21,1 noted that the agreement's sections on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits ^ w i f /
for childhood disability included provisions that (a) tighten eligibility for new applicants (which we
support) and children currently on the rolls and (b) cut benefit levels by one-fourth for about 65% of
the children coming on the rolls by creating two categories of disability. You asked for a better
understanding of the children affected by the 25% cut in benefits.
The conference bill defines the conditions under which disabled children would be eligible for the
full benefit rate. A child under the age of six would be eligible for the full rate only if, without
personal assistance, the child would require specialized care outside the home. A child age six or
over would be eligible only if the child requires personal care assistance with: (1) at least two
activities of daily living ~ i.e., eating, toileting, dressing, bathing, and mobility; or (2) continual 24hour supervision or monitoring to avoid causing injury or harm to self or others; or (3) the
administration of medical treatment. The need for personal care assistance must be so great that,
without such assistance, the child would require specialized care outside the home.
The conference bill, by focusing on "personal assistance," has identified just one of several costly
needs of children with disabilities. These needs may also include: (1) personal aids to facilitate
living and leaming, such as assistive technology for communication and mobility; (2) heavier use of
everyday goods and services, such as extended child care or electricity for around-the-clock
electrical devices; (3) specialized day care, tutors, and instruction; and (4) home adaptations, such as
additional locks, manageable door knobs, enlarged doorways, and bathroom railings. Attached are
four examples, developed by the Social Security Administration, of children who would qualify for
only 75% of the full benefit rate.
No obvious rule exists for classifying disabilities according to the extra costs they impose on
families. There is little systemic data on the costs that families incur in raising a child with a
disability. Existing classifications of disability by type include children with widely varying
disability-related needs. Moreover, costs to meet the child's needs can vary greatly depending on
the family's circumstances ~ e.g., whether a parent or older sibling is available to provide needed
personal assistance. Creating two categories of disability amongst individuals who are all judged to
be severely disabled makes no sense; the low-income parents of all these children experience special
costs and reduced employment opportunities because of their responsibilities for these children.
Attachment
�EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN
WHO WOULD BE CONSIDERED SEVERELY DISABLED
BUT WOULD QUALIFY FOR ONLY 75 PERCENT OF FULL BENEFIT RATE
•
Example 1
Two- Year-Old Boy with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Infection
This child was diagnosed with the HIV infection shortly after birth. At age 8 months, he suffered
from Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, for which his treating physician has prescribed frequent
dosages of AZT and Bactrim. The medications have caused recurrent rashes, for which topical
medications are prescribed. The child also experiences recurrent thrush (infections causing sores
and inflammation in the mouth and throat), and intermittent diarrhea, requiring occasional
prescription medications to control. Periodic upper respiratory infections require occasional
intravenous antibiotic treatments in a hospital emergency room; he has been treated in the
emergency room six times in the past year.
His medical history shows that he is also showing signs of developmental delays, as evidenced
by his inability to say even simple words-he babbles-and his failure to walk until very recently.
He can feed himself with his hands, but it is very sloppy. He is fatigued, frequently takes two
long naps daily, and is unable to keep up with other children his age.
Conclusion: The child's impairment meets the level of severity in the listings and is disabled.
However, he would not meet the personal services test because, except for the need to take
medications morefrequentlythan other children his age, the care he receives at home is the same
as that required by other 2 year-olds. At this time, he does not require specialized care beyond
the administration of medications. Consequently, he would not be eligible for 100% of the
benefit amount.
�•
Example 2
Four-Year-Old with Mosaic Down Syndrome and Congenital
Heart Defect
Psychological testing revealed that this child has IQ scores in the high 60 range and her
communicative abilities are well below the age-appropriate levels; she speaks in two-word
sentences (e.g., "want Mama;" "give cup"). Her appearance is not as strongly affected by the
disorder as many children who have full Down syndrome, but her tongue protrudes and she
drools, causing some children outside of the family to shy away from her.
She is able to feed herself foods that can be eaten with a spoon, but she needs assistance with
other items, such as meats which must be cut up for her. Her mother and older sister share in
taking care of such needs. She has clothes with Velcro fasteners, and can usually dress herself,
although the clothes will typically be misaligned, and she needs assistance with such things as
winter coats. She is unable to manage buttons, zippers, or shoelaces. She is toilet trained, but
has frequent accidents.
As often happens with children who have Down syndrome, this child has congenital heart
disease - a ventricular septal defect which has not been considered severe enough to require
surgery, but which leads to a somewhat reduced rate of growth and a constant risk of respiratory
infections. It is treated with Digitalis and a restricted-salt diet. The child has been hospitalized
each of the last three winters with pneumonia, which responded to symptomatic treatment
without further complications. The prognosis for the heart defect is uncertain. (In many children
with relatively mild defects, the effects are reduced with time; in other cases, the wear and tear
on the respiratory and circulatory systems lead to reduced growth, chronic infections, and heart
failure.) The child is not being treated by a heart specialist; her mother monitors her appearance
and general health fairly closely, and administers her medical regime.
Conclusion: This child's impairment equals the level of severity in the listing and therefore is
disabled. However, the assistance she needs in dressing, eating, toileting and other such ageappropriate activities, and the monitoring and medication required by the heart condition,
although time-consuming and expensive, are not greatly different than that required for a normal
child of her age. This child would not need "specialized care outside the home;" and would not
therefore be eligible for the 100 percent benefit rate.
�•
Example 3
Twelve-Year-Old Girl with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
This child suffers from pain in her extremities, most notably her ankles and knees. Physical
examination showed swelling, pain on motion, and blood in her urine. She is being treated with
Prednisone and is in partial remission. While the pain is not as severe, she still has it. She is also
weak in her upper extremities. Because of the medication, the child is becoming moon-faced and
hairy on her back and arms, and suffers from severe acne. These side effects of her medication
have caused significant problems in socialization. She is fatigued and depressed. She sleeps a
lot, and has gained a lot of weight. She attends school, but cannot participate in physical
education. The child is susceptible to infections and, because of these infections, required
hospitalization three times in the past year. Each hospital stay lasted 20 days.
Conclusion: This child meets the disability requirement because her impairment meets the level
of severity in the listing. However, she would not meet the personal services test. She does not
require assistance in activities of daily living, does not need to be monitored to avoid causing
injury or harm to self or others, and does not receive any treatment at home other than the routine
administration of medication.
�•
Example 4
Fourteen-Year'-Old Boy with Crohn's Disease (Chronic
Inflammatory Disease of the Bowel)
This child's chronic bowel inflammation began at age 12 and has persisted despite surgery and
ongoing attempts at drug- and diet-based treatment. He has undergone one surgical procedure,
and several subsequent hospitalizations to relieve recurring partial bowel obstruction. His
physicians report that follow-up surgery may be necessary, but has been avoided so far. The
disease results in chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, and a sense of distress in
the lower abdomen. The severity of these symptoms vary from day to day, but are always
present to some degree. He wears adult diapers at all times when in public, because his bouts of
diarrhea are abrupt and uncontrollable, although they do not occur every day. He has no friends
of either sex; he cannot tolerate the idea of getting close to someone and then having them find
out about his problems. (He alternates between denial and recognition of the fact that his
classmates are already aware of it.)
Although his intelligence is normal (full-scale IQ 103), he has fallen well below grade-level in all
academic subjects since onset of Crohn's disease. This is partly due to frequent absences when
he is acutely ill, and partly due to impairment-related distraction and depression; he often feels
"there's just no point."
He is also chronically weak due to his poor ability to extract nutrients from food, and has grown
very little since onset. He is excused from gym and can do no strenuous activities.
In addition to the hospitalizations to relieve bowel obstructions, he has been hospitalized briefly
on two occasions for treatment of perianal fissures that became infected. He is conscientious
about keeping himself clean and dry, so as to reduce the chances of such infections, but the
fissures recurfrequently,and are vulnerable to infection.
Conclusion: This child's impairments meet the listing; therefore, he is considered disabled.
Despite the chronic, debilitating, and depressing nature of this child's disease, and despite the
constant expense of medication, diapers, and a tremendous amount of clothes laundering, this
child does not require an exceptional degree of "personal care assistance." His mother and the
school nurse do assist him to some degree, and his mother keeps after him to eat enough, but he
is largely able to manage himself. He wears and changes his diapers, keeps himself as clean as
possible, takes various medications, and is careful about overexerting himself. He does not and
would not require "specialized care outside the home," and therefore would not qualify for the
100% benefit rate.
�Ellen Goodman
THE PRESIDENT H S SEEN
A
'Personal Responsibility'
BOSTON—This one is for Priscilla Patten, the three million elders in nursing homes may.n
the Derry, N.H., woman who had the temerity have to pay for their parents out of. thejr
to ask Lamar Alexander who would care for the children's education funds and their own retire^.,
elderly if the budget is cut according to the GOP hient savings. Adult children, perhaps elders.,,
pattern.
themselves, may have to choose between nurj- *
The answer from the presidential candidate, ing sick parents at home and emptying the bank:'^
one of the men hawking their wares across New
How neglectful are we, ahyway? Despite the;"
Hampshire, was that "we're going to have to bad PR we are getting, families do not by $tS3r?accept more personal responsibility in our own large look to nursing homes for their parent^:
families for reading to our children and caring until they are overwhelmed. Elders do not, bf-for our parents, and that's going to be inconve- and large, go there until they are too ill to berl
nient and difficult
"
cared for. at home. Only one-fifth of the disabled'!
Happy New Year, Priscilla, and open up your elderly are in nursing homes.
• .. .<.
calendar. Scribble down two rather large words
Daughters and daughters-in-law provide mosfo;
under 1996: Personal Responsibility. They're
going to be the watchwords of the 1996 cam- of the care of elders, and they will shoulder the
increased Personal Responsibility at the cost of
paign.
Personal Responsibility is the catch-all moral their jobs, their pensions, their own old age. The
phrase uttered by politicians in favor of remov- daughter of a disabled 88-year-old may, after all,
ing the guaranteed safety net and parceling out
the money in Incredibly shrinking block grants
to the states. It's the all-purpose ethical disclaimer for those who equate the task of caring
for the elderly sick with "reading to children,"
for those who blithely describe eldercare as
"inconvenient," or "difficult," but characterbuilding.
To know what they have in mind, get past the
PR campaign and go to the fine print of the
OOP's Medicaid Transformation Act of 1995.
.r-'.'J
That's the Orwellian title fpr the bill that would
"transform" Medicaid by eliminating its guaranvd
tee.
be 66 herself. It is their characters that will be ^
From the day Medicaid is block-granted, adult built on deteriorating lives. One politician's children earning more than the national median social issue is another woman's life. '
income—that's $31,000 a year per householdThere is enough guilt in every family to trij£
may be held responsible for the bOl if their the responsibility wire, to push the button thatjV
parents i r i in a nursing home. If they don't pay says families should take care of their own. As V l '
up, these newly defined Deadbeat Kids may find
a lien put on their incomes, their bouses, their political slogan, PR passes what pollster Dani-'
Yankelovich calls the "they have a point" tfest.
savings.
But there is an awful lot of Personal Responsw-S
A secret of the current system is that Medicaid, the health program established for the poor bility going around already. As educational loans
and their children, now pays for 60 percent of are cut we are told to be resporisible for our bwttt'
nursing home pure. That's because nursing care children. As company pensions Sre' fading, we-Ji
eats up the assets of elders at arateof about are told to be responsible for our own retire^i«
ment. At the same time we are to be responsible^
$35,000 a year until they are indigent
^
Not surprisingly, the folks calling for Personal for disabled parents and even grandparents.
Dear Priscilla, when the politicians up there
Responsibility draw on examples of personal
irresponsibility to justify a change that is begin- start talking about Personal Responsibility, thej; f
ning to make middle-class eyes widen. Tliey mean our responsibility, not theirs. Tht GOP''
point to elderly millionaires who deliberately Congress isn't just trying to balance the budget:"
transfer their assets to the kids in order to go On it wants to end the idea of government as an
the dole in nursing homes. They describe dead- agent "f i^iial rf ap"""''"'^ —
beat kids who callously drop their parents at the
This is what you get in return for a safety net:
government door and go off to the Bahamas.
a pair of bootstraps, a middle-class tax cut of
But if and when states begin sending bills to less than a dollar a day and, oh yes, a nursing
the kids, those folks aren't the ones who'll home bill of $35,000 a year.
suffer. Thousands of middle-aged "children" of
CW9«. Tbt Brtoo CM>e Nmppcr Co.
"Families do not by and
large look to nursing
homes for their parents
until they are
overwhelmed."
1
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Michael Waldman
Description
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<p>Michael Waldman was Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting from 1995-1999. His responsibilities were writing and editing nearly 2,000 speeches, which included four State of the Union speeches and two Inaugural Addresses. From 1993 -1995 he served as Special Assistant to the President for Policy Coordination.</p>
<p>The collection generally consists of copies of speeches and speech drafts, talking points, memoranda, background material, correspondence, reports, handwritten notes, articles, clippings, and presidential schedules. A large volume of this collection was for the State of the Union speeches. Many of the speech drafts are heavily annotated with additions or deletions. There are a lot of articles and clippings in this collection.</p>
<p>Due to the size of this collection it has been divided into two segments. Use links below for access to the individual segments:<br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=43&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2006-0469-F+Segment+1">Segment One</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=43&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2006-0469-F+Segment+2">Segment Two</a></p>
Creator
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Michael Waldman
Office of Speechwriting
Date
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1993-1999
Identifier
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2006-0469-F
Extent
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Segment One contains 1071 folders in 72 boxes.
Segment Two contains 868 folders in 66 boxes.
Provenance
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
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paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Cabinet Memos - SOTU [State of the Union]
Creator
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Office of Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
Is Part Of
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Box 35
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36404"> Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7763296">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0469-F Segment 2
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
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Preservation-Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
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6/3/2015
Source
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7763296
42-t-7763296-20060469F-Seg2-035-010-2015