Remarks to the Chamber of Commerce in Portland

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, March 26, 2001

March 23,2001

Man, Governor, you fired them up. [Laughter] I appreciate so very much, Governor, your being here. I know the good people of this State appreciate how you conduct yourself in office. Like your predecessor, my friend Jock McKernan, you brought a lot of class to your statehouse. I love your style, and I really appreciate your focus, because you care about the people of this State. You care deeply about the citizens of Maine, and it's clear the citizens of Maine appreciate your care for them. So thank you so much for being here.

Rick, thanks for inviting me. [Laughter] Where's the wild man? [Laughter] Wild lady. Thank you all for coming today. It's an honor to be here, and it's an honor to be your President.

It's an honor to be traveling with members of the congressional delegation. I bad the privilege of flying from Washington to Portland with your Congressman, Tom Allen. I don't know Congressman Allen well. I know he's a smart man--maybe a little smarter if he comes around my way more often. [Laughter] But I respect Tom's intellect, and I respect his service to the people of Maine. Thank you very much, Congressman, for being here.

And you've got two fantastic United States Senators. Olympia and Susan are smart, capable women who aren't afraid to speak their mind, even to the President of the United States. [Laughter] As a matter of fact, I'm beginning to believe they're not afraid to speak their mind especially to the President of the United States. [Laughter] But they care about their State; they care about their country. I view them as strong allies and good friends. Thank you very much, both, for being here.

And then of course, there's your mayor. Madame Mayor, I don't know why it is every time I see you, I feel like smiling. But I appreciate your friendship. Thanks so much for being here.

Most of the time when I come to this beautiful State, you don't have to cross-country ski to get into the auditorium. [Laughter] But I've got, obviously, fond memories of this beautiful State. I'm hoping my mother invites me back this summer. I'd better make sure I behave. [Laughter]

I'm reminded of the time when I first became the Governor of Texas. I went to a dedication for those who served in the Pacific theater in World War II. It was in central Texas, a little town called Fredericksburg. My mom and dad were there, and Laura, the great First Lady of the United States, was there.

And I was really looking forward to welcoming all the World War II vets. It was a chance to say thanks on behalf of the sons and daughters of the great generation. And I said, "Mr. President,"--that was for my dad, who was the head of the parade--I said, "welcome." And everybody cheered. And I said, "Mother." Before I could get out another word, the place went wild. And I said, "Well, Mother, it's clear the people of Texas love you, and so do I, but you are still telling me what to do after 50 years." And a guy in a big cowboy hat moved out in the middle of Main Street, Fredericksburg, and cupped his hands and screamed at the top of his lungs in front of 30,000 constituents, "You better listen to her too, boy." [Laughter] I can assure you that the President of the United States is listening to his mother. Remember that. [Laughter]

The reason I thought of Mother is, I thought of the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital here at the Maine Medical Center. It is a proud moment in her life that the good folks at the Maine Medical Center dedicated the hospital for her. I can't think of a better--[applause]--it is a privilege--it is a privilege for her to have her name on an institution based on love and healing and care. It also reminds me of how deep our ties are to the State of Maine.

My folks love coming to Maine, and they love it a lot. And they can't wait for the snow to melt--[laughter]--so they can get back up here. But anyway, thanks for your hospitality.

I want to talk a little bit about budgeting and the importance of good, sound, commonsense budgeting in Washington, DC. I found it's more effective for me to kind of get out of the Nation's Capital and explain my budget face to face with folks, than to rely upon the filter to do so. Sometimes the facts get kind of distorted. Sometimes it's hard to get reality to fight through the folks.

So let me explain my budget, if you don't mind, and what we intend to do with money if we're able to bring fiscal sanity to the Nation's Capital. Step one on a commonsense budget is to set priorities. It's really important for the Governor or the President to use the executive branch to set priorities so that those who spend money stay focused. Without priorities, the tendency is to try to be all things to all people.

So the priorities in the budget I submitted are these. One, educating our children is a priority. The biggest increase of any Department in my budget goes to the Department of Education. I want you to also understand, though, I remember where I came from. I came from a State--I was a Governor--I firmly trust local folks to run the schools. The people who care most about the children in the State of Maine are the citizens of Maine, and the Federal Government, while it increases spending, must trust the Governors and local authorities. One size does not fit all when it comes to educating children. So we increased spending. But I look forward to working with the Senators and the Congressmen of the--pass power out of Washington, to provide a maximum flexibility so that the Governors and school board folks can take money and meet and match them to the needs that exist. So step one is an accountability--step one of a education reform program is local control of schools. It is a redline for me when it comes to Fede ral legislation.