 President, on behalf of all of us at the Chrysler Corporation, especially our people here in St. Louis, I want to welcome you today. By now I think you can see why we consider this plant a symbol of the new Chrysler Corporation. It's clean, it's efficient, it's modern and I'd stack it up against any assembly plant anywhere in the world. I wish you people were more enthused this morning. But even better than that, our workers here have the kind of pride in their work that once made our country's economy the envy of the world. They put out the best quality cars in the whole Chrysler system and that's a distinction that doesn't come easily because every one of our plants has made a tremendous commitment to quality. As you already know we're adding two new car lines here this year, our new turbocharged sports cars, the Dodge Daytona and the Chrysler Laser and then we're adding the luxury Chrysler New Yorker. That represents an investment by Chrysler of about 150 million bucks and it'll boost our capacity here in St. Louis by another 225,000 cars a year and it will mean more than 3,000 new jobs with an annual payroll of about 90 million dollars. But as interest rates have come down we've seen some new life in this economy. For example in the first 20 days of this year I see that trend continue. We're also optimistic because we've seen a growing spirit of cooperation between government and business and ladies who have worked so hard to bring these new jobs to Missouri. By the way with us today also our congressman Bill Emerson, Jean Taylor, Tom Coleman and Bob Young. I'm also talking about the spirit shown by the members of the UAW in St. Louis. These men and women are helping to make this plant a model of how American industry ought to operate. And of course I'm talking about the kind of dedicated men. Will you please join me in welcoming the president of the United States. Thank you very much. Governor Bond, Senator Danforth, the members of the Congress representing you in Washington. This is a friend here who has been driving us around this plant. I've been having a little nostalgia here because I used to do some plant tours when I was doing a show called the General Electric Theater. I used to stand before groups of the employees going through some of the 139 plants and for one or something better to do I tell them to ask questions. And one of the questions I used to get the most was how does it feel to see yourself on the late late movie? And I said it's like looking at a sun you never knew you had but I can't tell you how good it is to see an assembly line producing American cars and especially Chrysler's. It's the last time I was in a plant it was the Chrysler plant in Detroit and it was during the campaign. I know the Chrysler employees here in Fenton have had a rough time the last few years but I want you to know that and I really mean it America is on the mend and both the economy and Chrysler are on the comeback trail. Thank heaven I can say those words that auto workers love to hear which is auto sales are up. And that's having its effect. Now Lee has told me that 1,700 of your fellow auto workers are being called back to their jobs when the second shift begins in July. 1,500 more will be coming back when plant two resumes operation in the summer. And all in all as he told you Chrysler is investing $150 million to get these two facilities working again. The other auto companies are beginning to feel the recovery as well. You won't mind my mentioning them. Ford Hazelwood plant is bringing on another shift and so is that other little company general motors and they're calling back some employees. An economic recovery something like a seedling for a while it grows underground and you don't see it above ground and then it shoots up and seems sprouting all over the place and that's what we're starting to see around the nation right now. The shoots of an economic recovery are beginning to push up through the recession with its attending unemployment. It's no accident that the leading economic indicators are up for eight of the last nine months. What we've been trying to do hasn't been too well understood by some or maybe there's others that didn't want to admit it. But we want to lay a solid foundation for long term growth. We want an economic base so that you won't have to go through the pain again that you've experienced. And I believe that we've laid that kind of a foundation. Remember what an enemy inflation used to be? It was murderous. Well inflation has been brought down from 12.4 percent two years ago to 3.9 percent. And we've taken the lead in reducing the interest rates which have been poisoned as far as car sales are concerned. The prime rate was 21 and a half. It's now down to 11 but that's not low enough. We're going to keep on pushing on that inflation until they're both down some more. I know the auto companies and the UAW are doing everything they can to get things turned around as well. I wanted to stop by here today and say that the American people know that the United States are the U.S. auto workers are still the greatest auto workers in the world. Bar none. I know too that you've had here in what's going on the cooperation Governor Bonn and the state government of Missouri. And that's the way it should be. Also that government shouldn't be a heavy hand in your pocket and holding you down. It should be cooperating and helping to let private enterprise do the job that it can do in keeping people at work with your help and Chrysler's help and the help of so many other hardworking people and companies. We're going to get this economy humming like one of those Chrysler engines. I saw you just stuffing in the body back there. I know there's been a lot of misunderstanding and I know that many of you have been told a lot of things about what we're supposed to be doing or not doing. Very simply my idea of what the federal government should be doing is reducing the cost of government to the lowest practical point at which you can leave the most of your earnings in your pocket that is possible and still do and fill the responsibilities of government. And with that to stop this inflation binge which has been the longest continued worldwide inflation the world has ever known. And that has been the cause of the high interest rates. Bring them down reduce the regulations and the restrictions that have been hampering business and adding to the cost of the product make us once again competitive in the world market. Now if you can find a better program than that you buy it. I just wanted you to know I'm not above stealing a good line when I know here why. But it's been a great pleasure to be here. I know we're do it some other stops now and have to get going but thank you all and God bless you. We have published all is tied to the strength of the dynamic small and the strength of America firsthand. He saw it in the streets of the small town and great privilege of presenting the president of the United States Ronald Reagan. I would have enjoyed fewer than a hundred employees. If we're to remain true to America we must preserve it. Just one week ago I addressed the comments. I told them this. Sometimes statistics seem whiny and personal. Well today I saw a different kind of people who were saying this has got to stop. There seems to be a little confusion about this. It is easy and it is a good way of even greater help. There will no longer be any mistake. That's much worse. So again we in government must take the lead with a genuine recovery but in a starvation diet and we finally were just getting their pay scale up somewhat commensurate with what our men and women I'd like to get a pay raise. Then he said if the commander in chief says that that's necessary to make our country better on the so-called entitlements and the bill is the cost in place. On our budget we propose a basic structural reforms in those programs. We will assist unfairness and those in genuine need will be protected. But if we receive bipartisan support what used to be out of control will be finally brought under control. Third we're adjusting our program to restore America's defenses by proposing 55 million dollars in defense savings over the next five years. I share the details. Mr. President we welcome you to the time of our four, I wish you'd make us four of the federal government. What kind of help do you have if any of you own a small business branch? The Desmond's Association and I think I come from the single most depressed area of small business in the United States of America. The question we have for you is three parts basically. One is there anything that you can do to help the small businessmen recover on a short-term basis from the double whammy of both the flood and the docks and the contamination situation in the times of each area? Two would you be willing to allow a delegation from Times Beach to speak with you on the long-term solution to the terrible problem we have in Times Beach? And three would you be willing to appoint a citizen from Times Beach to your special task force that did to deal with the times of each situation? To the third one yes. To the second one I think that I've been kept pretty well aware and abreast of the problem that I know is there. Let me others have either returned to their homes or are living with friends or relatives. We're doing everything we can and the community cooperative project that has been... Would you be willing to accept that now? I guarantee it's not docks and contaminated. I'd be very delighted to it. You can just bring it down handed to somebody down here on this side of the of the rope. Mr. President to your right sir. Perseverance in bringing to final passage that the unborn child is not a living human being then we have to opt in favor that it is alive and it is killing to do what is being done today and that we only condone in self defense. There's first few words there about what happened here with the increasing sales and all and seeing all of you. I'm going back to Washington convinced more than ever that there isn't anything the people of this country can't do when the people get together and decide it needs to be done. Thank you again.