Transcript of Remarks by the President at Pancake Breakfast (2/2)

5/4/2004

From: White House Press Office, 202-456-2580

WASHINGTON, May 4 -- The following are remarks by the President at a Pancake Breakfast in Maumee, Ohio (part 2 of 2):

Most small businesses are sub-chapter S corporation or sole proprietorships. That's legal terminology for meaning that small businesses pay tax at the individual income tax rate. So when you hear us talking about cutting all rates, I want you to connect that with small business vitality. If you're a sole proprietorship and a sub-chapter S, and all rates have been cut, it means you got more money as small business owner to expand your business. If 70 percent of new jobs are created by small businesses, it makes eminent sense, it's logical, it is important that the small business sector of America receive benefits from tax relief, which is precisely what we did. (Applause.)

Mike McAlear is with us. He runs a manufacturing commission in Millbury. Where are you, Mike? There you go. He is -- this has been a family business. There's a lot of family businesses. There's a lot of people who started their business in a garage and passed it on from one generation to the next -- another reason we need to get rid of the death tax, by the way, is so he can pass his assets on to whoever he wants to. (Applause.) Mike hired 13 -- last year, he hired 13 workers, because he's optimistic about the future. He's going to -- he's going to invest $200,00 in new equipment. He'll save about $40,000 more because of the tax relief package we passed. In other words, there was an incentive for Mike to make the decision to buy $200,000 worth of equipment. He's going to need workers to run that equipment.

So when you hear that Mike is optimistic enough to hire 13 people, new workers last year and is thinking about hiring workers this year, that's a good sign. It means tax relief is working. It means there's a vitality alive here in the American economy. The best way for people of this part of the world to find a job is to make sure the small business sector, businesses like Mike, are vibrant and strong and able to compete, and willing to hire new workers. And that's precisely what's happening around America. (Applause.)

This campaign is going to be based upon understanding whose money we spend in Washington, D.C., and how to make sure we're fiscally responsible enough in Washington so we don't raise your taxes. See, the economy is beginning to grow. The worst thing to do is to take money out of the people's pockets. The worst thing to do right now is to raise the taxes on the American people. I'm steadfast in my support of letting the people keep more of their own money. I have a question about my opponent's steadfastness. And I'll tell you why. Thus far in the campaign he's proposed over a trillion dollars in new spending.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: That's a lot of promises, and we're just getting started. I mean, we're six months away, there's no telling how much more money he'll be putting out on the table. (Laughter.) And he said he's going to pay for it by taxing the rich. That's an old slogan we've heard before, isn't it? Yes. But guess who the rich is? That's you. Because there's not enough money when it comes to taxing the rich to pay for all these promises. So my --

AUDIENCE: Is he going to tax his wife? (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Behave yourself. (Laughter.)

See, he laid out all these promises, and he said he's going to do it by taxing the rich, but there's a huge funding gap. Either he's going to break his promises on spending, which I doubt, or he's going to raise your taxes, which I believe. And raising your taxes right now would be an economic disaster for America. We're not going to give him a chance to raise your taxes. (Applause.)

The job -- the vision of -- the vision of this campaign is to make sure America is the leader in the world when it comes to the economy. That's the vision. The vision is to make sure we're the best place to do business in the world in order for people to find work. The vision is to put practical, common-sense policies in place to make sure that we're on the leading edge of change. I tell you what's important, is to make sure that we've got good tort reform in America. These frivolous and junk lawsuits make it awfully hard for small businesses -- (applause.) We're for people being able to have their day in court. We fully understand the costs and the effects and how difficult it is for small businesses and others to be able to survive on the onslaught of junk and frivolous lawsuits.

Junk and frivolous lawsuits also affect the cost of health care. When you're a doc and you're afraid you're going to get sued, you practice defensive medicine, which runs up the cost to your health care. And in some places, docs just decide to quit practicing medicine. We need medical liability reform at the federal level. (Applause.)

In order for people to be able to find work, we've got to make sure that we have practical policies to control the cost of health care. If you're a small business owner, you're concerned about making sure your employees have got health care. Association health care plans will enable small businesses to better compete. In other words, what we're saying is small businesses can pool their risk just like big businesses can so they can afford better health care for their employees.

We need health savings accounts so customers are the decision- makers in health care, not the federal government. The big debate in Washington, D.C. is who best to control the health care. We believe consumers and patients and Americans ought to be the decision-makers. Our opponent believes it's the federal government that ought to be making the health care decisions for America. (Applause.)

We've got to make sure we have an energy policy. Listen, if we want to be competitive in the 21st century, if we want our workers to be able to find jobs, we need an energy policy, an energy policy that encourages conservation; an energy policy that encourages alternative sources of energy; an energy policy that promotes clean coal technology; an energy policy that promotes safe nuclear policy; an energy policy that encourages exploration of natural gas in our own hemisphere and our own lands; an energy policy that makes us less dependant on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)

In order to make sure people are able to find work and America is the leading country in the world when it comes to economic growth, we need to promote an innovation society. We need to make sure we're on the leading edge of innovation. I'm a strong supporter in research and development. I believe there ought to be broadband technology in every home by the year 2007. And shortly thereafter, there ought to competing services so you get a better price and better quality. Broadband technology is going to be one of the important parts about changing America and to make sure we're on the leading edge.

But one of the things that's interesting, if you're the most innovative country in the world and one of the real challenges we face, is to make sure people are educated. You see, technology can race through an economy and literally change how we do business and create fantastic opportunities. But if people are not educated, if they don't have the skills to fill the jobs of the 21st century, America will not be the leading nation in the world.

We started by changing the whole way we run our public schools in America. First, we haven't changed the decision-making process. Local control of schools must be an integral part of any government policy when it comes to public education. (Applause.) But for the first time, in return for federal money, mainly aimed at Title I students, the poorer students. We're saying, show us, Ohio, or any other state, whether or not the children can read and write and add and subtract. You see, we believe -- we believe in high expectations. We believe every child can learn, regardless of the color of their skin. We expect every child to learn. We oppose a system which simply shuffles children through. In other words, there are some places where, if your parent doesn't speak English as a first language, the school says, you're too hard to educate, let's move you through. There's some school districts where a roomful of inner-city kids are -- it's too tough to teach you to read, let's just move through. Those days are ended. We're challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. (Applause.)

And if the schools don't perform, the parents ought to have other options. (Applause.) And we're going to get it right early. We're going to get it right early, before it's too late. But the economy changes; there's older workers that need help.

I've got a robust plan to make sure that they get the training they need to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Some manufacturing jobs are going away. They're being replaced by high-tech jobs, or jobs in the health care field. And the challenge to make sure America is competitive is to make sure those workers in the industries that are shrinking have an opportunity to be retrained for the jobs of the 21st century.

It's happening all across America, mainly at community colleges. One of the greatest assets we have in America, and a part of my vision for making sure we provide productivity training -- where we increase the productivity of our workers through training -- is to use the community college system to match employers who are looking for workers with willing workers, so they get the skills they need to become a more productive worker for higher pay and a better standard of living for their families. (Applause.)

This is going to be a debate about the future of the country and the future of our economy. A strong America means that we have a strong economy today and are able to compete tomorrow. That's the whole debate. It's essential that we reject economic isolationism. It's essential we be a confident nation. Listen, most trade policy in the past has been to open up our markets to foreign goods. That's good for consumers. You see, when you've got more products from which to choose, you get better price and better quality. It's a market-oriented approach to goods coming in. The problem is we haven't been opening up markets overseas.

Listen, we're really good at things here in America. We're great at growing things. We're great at manufacturing. We're great at high-tech. Our policy ought not to be to wall ourselves from off -- from the rest of the world. Our policy is to be optimistic and confident, and demand that other countries open up their markets just like we have done for theirs. And we can compete with anybody. (Applause.)

This is the way to make sure that our economy is strong and people can find work. It starts with a philosophy -- the role of government is not to create wealth; the role of government is to create an environment where the entrepreneur -- the entrepreneurial spirit is strong, where small businesses can grow to be big businesses. The role of government is to think out in the future. It is important that we reeelect this administration because we're pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-small business, and pro-worker in America. (Applause.)

Finally, finally, let me talk about a better America. It's important to understand -- I think it's important for a President to understand where the true strength of America lies. If you're the President, you've got to understand the strengths of the country. And the strength of this country is not our military, although I intend to keep it strong. And for those of you who have got a loved one in the military, you tell them the Commander- in-Chief is incredibly proud of their service to our country. (Applause.)

The strength of the country is -- "a" strength of the country, but not "the" strength of the country is the fact that we're a wealthy nation, and that's good. The strength of the country is the hearts and souls of the American people. That's the strength of this country. (Applause.)

It's important to have a President who understands that if we're to have a hopeful future, it's important to understand the strength of America, because the job of the President is to rally that spirit; is to call people to serve their nation by loving their neighbor just like they'd like to be loved themselves.

Government is not a loving organization. Government is -- to me, government is law and justice. Love comes from hearts and souls. Love oftentimes is inspired from above. Love is an essential part of helping solve some of the problems that seem impossible to solve. Amidst our plenty, there's loneliness and hunger, and people lacking shelter. But those problems can be solved by rallying the armies of compassion, by encouraging people to serve their nation by loving their neighbor.

Scott Dietsch is with us today. Where are you, Scott? Scott is a Big Brother in the Toledo area. See, he's taking time out of his life to mentor a child. His little brother, Lance, isn't here. He doesn't know his dad. Lance doesn't know his dad. Lance has got -- now, however, has been surrounded by love because of Scott. Lance has had something happen in his life that's so incredibly positive and hopeful and uplifting because Scott has stepped up and said, I want to be soldier in the army of compassion. Scott is taking time out of his life. Here's what he says: "It helps fulfill me," -- Scott's words -- "It helps fulfill me to know I'm doing something for the better good. If I can change the route of one kid, at least I'll have done something."

That's the spirit of a compassionate, better America. You see, together we change America one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time. That's why I think it's so important for the government to encourage community-based and faith-based programs to flourish, to encourage their creation, to say to the social entrepreneurs of America, we welcome your works of kindness and compassion. We will not discriminate against people of faith. We will stand side-by-side with people of faith as they perform their duty as they see it, to make America a hopeful and compassionate place.

No, one of the key, important parts about this campaign for President is to make sure that we have a better tomorrow -- we not only have a safer America, a stronger America, but a better America, that will enable each of our citizens to realize the God- given talents that they have been given. And it is possible to do so because this -- America's strength, true strength, important strength is in the hearts and souls of our citizens. (Applause.)

On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It was an amazing day for me. I will remember -- I remember clearly a guy in a hard-hat as I was walking through the rubble, he said, "Don't let me down." And then people were shouting, "Whatever it takes." That's what they were shouting. And like we all did that day, I took it personally what happened to America. I have a responsibility that goes on. I will never relent to bringing justice to our enemies. I will defend America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)

I am here to ask for your help because I understand the task ahead for the country. I see clearly where we need to go. We have a war to win, and the world is counting on us to spread freedom and peace. We have a duty to spread opportunity and hope to every part of this country. That is the work that history has set before us. We welcome it, and we know that for our country, the best days lie ahead.

Thank you for coming. May God bless you, and my God bless America. Thank you all. (Applause.)

END 10:25 A.M. EDT