 Welcome to a great American, our president, Ronald Reagan. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all very much. You know, I was going to say when I got up here that before I begin today, I have a very pleasant announcement to make. But I have been told that you have already heard me make that announcement by remote control, so I won't make you listen to it twice. Maybe I could say just something that might help you sometimes if you're a little confused that 5.3 percent unemployment rate, but then you pick up the paper to read and says 5.4, and maybe you don't understand statisticians. They've got two figures. One of them is if you don't count the military, it's 5.4. But if you count the military as having jobs, it's 5.3. And I happen to think that anybody in uniform is really employed. Well, thank you, Jim, and many thanks to the Macomb County Area Chambers of Commerce. And thanks also to Tony, George, and the Pena family for their hospitality today. But it's always a delight to be back in Michigan. The people, the land, the lakes, and the Reagan-Bush White House, we use a nickname for Michigan. We simply refer to it as God's country. Now please don't tell anyone in the Civil Liberties Union that I said that. Well, here with us today are five of the people who make Washington tolerable and who keep it from inflicting too much harm on Michigan and the rest of the country. Congressman Guy Vanderjack, Bill Broomfield, Carl Purcell, Bill Shutey, and Fred Upton. And let me also mention a few outstanding candidates here with us today. Cal, Al Geyer, and Doug Carl for Congress, and Jim Dunn for Senate. They deserve your support. I better be careful here because I was told that this is a bipartisan gathering. Some of you favor the Wolverines and others favor the Spartans. For me, I'll just ask for mercy and compassion toward the referees. But with this great reception you've given me, it's hard to believe that once upon a time to be a Republican around here felt a little like being Gary Cooper in High Noon outnumbered in a big way. But I remember the story of a fellow who was running for office as a Republican. He was out in rural territory and he stopped by a farm to get in a plug. And when the farmer heard he was a Republican, his jaw dropped and he said, wait, wait right here while I get more. She's never seen a Republican before. And the candidate looked for a podium while he's going to get his wife and from which he can give a Republican speech. And the only thing he could find was a pile of that stuff that Best Truman took 35 years trying to get Harry to call fertilizer. And so when they got back he was up on the mound and from there he gave a little speech. And then the farmer said, that's the first time I ever heard a Republican speech. And the candidate said, that's the first time I've ever given a Republican speech from a Democratic platform. Well all that as they say is history, or should I say ancient history which at my age is a subject I'm regarded as an expert in. You know very briefly I was regarded as an economics expert. Of course that was my college major. But very briefly they labeled our program Egonomics. Then it became clear that the program was working. Funny thing is they don't call it that anymore. But in fact experts agree the United States economy has made history. One year ago our economic recovery became the longest peacetime expansion ever recorded and it hasn't stopped. This month the expansion enters its unprecedented 71st month We've created over 18 million jobs as you were told and bringing employment to an all-time high. And these are good jobs, more than 90% are full-time and of these over 85% of them pay better than $20,000 a year. And so much for that campaign rhetoric on the other side that these are just menial jobs and flipping hamburgers or something. Let's remember how in the 1970s inflation and taxes were suffocating families and working people and small businesses as they tried to make ends meet. I think it's important to note that today when hardworking people like you put in long days to provide for your family to give them a better future the government lets you keep more of what you've earned instead of confiscating it through higher taxes and runaway inflation. Since the recovery began the unemployment rate in Macomb County has fallen by more than half and statewide personal income is up by some 40%. But back in Washington the liberals already are saying that they want to raise taxes and they have all kinds of inflationary spending programs in the works. But I think the people of Macomb County demonstrated in 1984 that you know what to do with the tax and spend crowd. That year in a recall election you walked into the polling booth put your hand on the lever and said, read my lips no new taxes. Well in 1988 you need to do the same. Let the liberals read your lips no new taxes. Since 1981 we've shown that record economic growth more jobs than ever before in a greater decline in the unemployment rate than any other major economy not only can be achieved but that we could do it while also reducing taxes slashing inflation by two thirds and cutting interest rates in half. And there's something else, something you don't often read in the papers. Today more Americans are at work and the highest proportion of our labor force is employed than ever before in the history of this country. And job for job the jobs we've created in our expansion pay better as I told you than the jobs that existed before our expansion began. How did we do it? By getting government out of the way and letting the American people do their thing. You know in my job I visit many schools and factories, farms and communities around our country and I get to see why our nation is so strong. Again and again I find myself remembering what General George C. Marshall said when he was asked why he was so confident that we would win World War II. He said we have a secret weapon the best blankety blank kids in the whole world. Well in our economy we have a secret weapon the best blankety blank men and women in the whole world. And I would add that after over the last two years without much help from Washington's big spending liberals we have also cut the federal budget deficit by more than a third and continued to reduce the trade deficit and we still kept the economic expansion going and we've done it without raising taxes. Incidentally with regard to that federal budget deficit I get very frustrated some of the campaign rhetoric about the President's deficit. The President of the United States can't spend a dime. Only the Congress can spend money. Well our program so far has helped middle income families make their paychecks go further and the drop in interest rates has made home ownership more affordable. The drop in inflation has protected the savings of citizens and helped those who lived on fixed incomes and our tax reductions have guaranteed that a family's purchasing power will not be eroded by bracket creep. Imagine where the American family would be today if the liberals had succeeded in their attempts to block our economic reforms. Of course the liberals still don't understand how we were able to get rid of their economic crisis, their malaise, their inflation, their gas lines and turn this economy around. So in this campaign they're treating the good times as if they're a given, they just happen. Their message is you can take prosperity for granted it's time for a change so take a chance on us. That's what you're saying. That's sort of like someone telling you that you've stored up all the cold beer you could want so now it's time to unplug the refrigerator. But whether it's a well-stocked refrigerator or our pro-growth economic policies you can't unplug what's working and expect things to stay the same. You know one state, a state that happens to be in New England and to make some very tasty clam chowder has followed economic policies the opposite of those that Vice President Bush and I have implemented. While we've cut taxes, reduced regulation and limited the growth in federal spending this particular state government has since 1983 increased spending at double the rate of the federal government's increase and nearly doubled the state debt. They've added on almost 200 million in additional state taxes and fees this year their budget deficit much too large this year is projected to be even larger next year and as for jobs, since 1984 while the number of manufacturing jobs grew nationally, that one state lost more than 95,000 manufacturing jobs that's a decline of 14%. Now this New England state has a very fine baseball team they have a shot at the World Series but come November that state's political leadership is going to get a different message. The message on election day will be Strike 3, you're out. You know speaking of baseball I had a lot of fun last week at the Chicago Cubs game I got to throw a couple of balls and call an inning from the broadcast booth and I have to say the differences between the liberals and Chicago's wriggly field is that the liberals are still in the dark. You see what we've done with the economy is important and we must make sure that it continues but our special strength as a nation as you all know so well is that we can march into the future leading the world into a new age of growth technology and innovation but we can do so without leaving behind the vital moral foundation the basic values of faith and family it makes ours a great nation and on which all that we've accomplished has been built yes the family is the bedrock of our nation but it is but it's also the engine that gives our country life it is the reason that we produce it's for our families that we work in labor so that we can join together around the dinner table bring our children up the right way care for our parents and reach out to those less fortunate it's the power of the family that holds the nation together that gives America her conscience and that serves as the cradle of our country's soul as I've said before there really are only two things the liberals don't understand the things that change and the things that don't the economy the economy technology these things change and under us for the better but America's basic moral no the truth is that on issue after issue the liberals have in the words of G.K. Chesterton submitted to the modern and morbid weakness of always sacrificing the normal to the abnormal they've turned principles at the core of our common culture and common history into partisan issues that hang in the balance as we prepare to elect a new president in congress for example some liberal organizations believe that separation of church and state requires ending the Catholic church's tax exemption or removing the words under God from the Pledge of Allegiance is that what you believe no they favor the right to retail what they call non obscene child pornography and think we should repeal the criminal penalties for selling marijuana is that what you believe they think tuition tax credits for children in parochial schools are unconstitutional but prostitution should be legalized but the children should be denied the right to begin their school day by joining with their classmates in a voluntary prayer and I know what you're going to say is that what you believe no that's not what we or most Americans believe and I think it's time for us to say that America's most basic values are not unconstitutional now I'm not saying that all or even most liberals agree with all of these far out views but these issues and there are other examples raise an important question you recall a few years back political figures had to disassociate themselves with from groups on the right with crackpot far out views well isn't it now time for responsible people to do the same thing with far out groups left let me tell you what's exciting what in fact is the big news of the 1988 campaign that this campaign is developing on the issues and the American people are finding out what I said some time back that the policies of the opposition can be characterized as liberal liberal liberal and now I'm a former Democrat but I think you know what I mean when I raise questions about the distinction between rank and file Democrats and the liberal leadership of that party in Washington the liberals may try to mouth some of our words but when they talk about values and family they mean something very different for example the liberals recently proposed a federal child care assistance program but under their program if you want assistance and wish to leave your child with his or her grandmother that day grandma will have to be licensed by the federal government one of the liberal congressional staff members behind the bill was asked by a reporter if that was true that grandmothers would have to get federal licenses to take care of their own grandchildren and the reply came yes of course it's true after all and here's the quote how else can you design a program that receives federal funds licensing grandmothers can you believe that next thing you know they'll say grilling hamburgers is an environmental hazard now there are other values that we should think about this year change of subject here you know last Friday was the 50th anniversary of the Munich pact the naive act of appeasement that brought us the great nightmare of this century the second world war the vain boast that we'd achieved peace in our time was followed 11 months later by Hitler's invasion of Poland the lesson from Munich is too clear and too important to be forgotten the sad lesson is that to be weak is to invite war and that's why I say to you America must never be weak we must always be strong but even today there are those who have forgotten the ancient principle of peace through strength and their innocence and naivete would put in question all that we've achieved since Vice President Bush and I took office all the progress toward ending the twin evils of totalitarianism and nuclear terror I know that down the road here is an important defense plant that helps to keep America strong when I see our tanks I think of the defense of the free world of course other people now look at our tanks and think of what a Boston newspaper columnist him not me a Pee Wee's armored adventure you see the liberals would break faith with anti-communist freedom fighters they oppose a strategic defense against nuclear missiles they would cancel essential defense systems and receive nothing in return they're against the B-1 bomber and they'd wipe out two carrier battle groups and even when they say they now favor weapons like the new Trident missile and stealth bomber listen closely and you hear them whisper it's just in theory that they favor those systems they're not ready or prepared to deploy them but in a dangerous world weapons that don't exist don't count let's remember the Soviets did business because they saw that we meant business but over the last eight years America's begun a great enterprise of resurrection we have worked to recover the bedrock values that you and most Americans never departed from we've rebuilt our defenses our country is at peace our economy is strong and our future is bright and one thing's even clearer to me after watching the debate wins tonight the Bush quail ticket will continue the policies of peace and prosperity that have as Dan said made this great nation the envy of the world and there's one last issue that's more important even in all the other crucial matters we've already discussed ladies and gentlemen just a few years ago I wonder how many of us could really have believed then that so many of our fondest dreams for America could come true and of those things that have happened how many of us could have imagined eight or even four years ago that one day a President of the United States would have an opportunity to stand as I did a few months ago at a podium at Moscow State University and tell the young people of the Soviet Union about the wonder and glory of human freedom and what a great moment we have before us and oh how future generations will dishonor us if now in a moment of sudden folly we throw it all away so let's go forth then you and I to tell the American people what is really at stake the fate of generations to come a hopeful vision of a world of freedom and a bountiful future of reverence and peace for our children and all the children of the world so yes some say that it's time for a change but ladies and gentlemen let us just remember we are the change we started it eight years ago and we're going to continue it and extend it to Congress if you do the right thing at the polls on November 8 now is a time for action not complacency it's time to keep the progress moving not to sit tight or slip backwards I think George Bush had it right at the convention if you have to change horses in midstream doesn't it make sense to get on one that's going the same direction you are I'm going to annoy some of my people now I can't get over this share a little something with you I have a new hobby I have been collecting jokes that I know are created by the people of the Soviet Union themselves and told among themselves revealing a great sense of humor but also a little cynicism about some things in their system and I've been collecting these stories I even told a couple of them to the general secretary but there are some I wouldn't dare tell you one the most recent was the one that I got there at the summit just as I was coming home they had me and his limousine with general secretary Gorbachev and the head of my secret service unit and his chief security person and we were being we were sightseeing and we pulled up by a waterfall and supposedly we got out of the car to look at the waterfall and Gorbachev said to my secret service man go ahead jump go over the fall and he said I got a wife and three kids so he turned to his own man he said jump go over the waterfall and he did well my man scrambled down the rocks around the waterfall to see if he could be at help down there at the bottom and found the fellow ringing out his clothes and apparently alright and he said well when he told you to jump and go over the falls why did you do that he said I got a wife and three kids thank you all and God bless you for purposes of a presentation we have the chairman of the board of the Warren Sterling centerline chamber of commerce Bill Morale and the president of the Sterling Heights and Utica chamber of commerce Jan Kalm and Mr. President in 1980 when we nominated you the state of Michigan hosted that convention and Elbrooks Patterson and Pete Secchia said it then and we say it again today the performance that history will record of this administration makes us so proud to say thank you very much today and our chamber now wishes to make the presentation Mr. President on behalf of all the McComb County chambers of commerce gathered here and all those members who could not attend today we take great pleasure in presenting you with an expression of our utmost esteem can you lift that for me please this miniature locomotive is an example of the countless products created in McComb County and as inscribed as follows President Reagan the engineer responsible for putting small business back on the track with appreciation the McComb County chambers of commerce October 7th 1988 thank you Mr. President and God bless you I'll bet you didn't know when you gave me this that for about 15 or 20 years after World War II I pledged no more flying and road trains all over the United States and mainly the Santa Fe it was the best way to get out of Los Angeles thank you all very much