Radio Address to the
Nation on Administration Accomplishments
My
fellow Americans:
Nancy
and I sincerely hope that you and your family have been enjoying this holiday
season. Christmas and Hanukkah provide all of us with special moments to
cherish and remember. The new year, which will be with
us in just a few days, offers us a chance to reflect on the year we've been
through and to set our sights for the year ahead.
Having
been blessed with a long life, my perspective on 1986 is different than that of
many of the commentators. I believe this year, 1986, will be remembered by you
for some important and long-lasting events that the political pundits don't
remember or may not have noticed. 1986, for example, may have been the year
when you, someone in your family, or someone you know started a small business.
It's estimated that over 600,000 new businesses were incorporated this year,
most of them small operations headed by men and women with a dream. With our
recovery in its fourth year, economists may well point to 1986 as a year of
steady growth and low inflation. To you, perhaps, that meant your take-home pay
was going further, or it might have meant that in 1986 someone in your family
found a job. So far this year more than 2 million jobs have been created. In
1986 a higher percentage of our population has been employed than ever before.
Looking
ahead, the forecasters are projecting that next year we will enjoy even
stronger economic growth. They suggest that the gross national product will
rise by a healthy 3.2 percent, which should translate into lower unemployment,
more jobs, and higher take-home pay. Some other positive economic news portends
good things ahead. We're turning the corner on the trade deficit problem. This
is also the year Congress, with a little prodding from the rest of us, finally
got its act together and reformed the tax system and lowered the rates. It was
widely reported that tax reform was an impossible dream. Working together we
showed the cynics our system still works.
And
also this year we've made some tangible progress on some other things I know
you're personally concerned about. Our battle against the evil of drug and
alcohol abuse, for example, has scored some impressive victories. Record
amounts of illegal drugs have been intercepted before reaching the street; local,
State, and Federal agencies are cooperating as never before. And beyond
enforcement, people from every walk of life are joining our crusade to help
others achieve a drug-free life. You could well remember 1986 as the year when
a friend or loved one, with all of us doing what we could to help, straightened
up his or her life and got off illegal drugs or alcohol. One thing history will
certainly record is that this was the year that Americans brought some of the
top leaders of organized crime to justice. We began our offensive against the
mob early in the administration; and it's taken time,
patience, and hard work. But this year, after long arduous preparation, we
moved against the kingpins of racketeering. Last month, after a dramatic
10-week trial, 8 crime leaders -- heads of what's called the commission -- were
convicted. We can all be proud of those law enforcement professionals
responsible for this major defeat of the underworld.
A
fine writer and social commentator from the American Enterprise Institute named
Ben Wattenberg has written a book entitled ``The Good News Is the Bad News Is
Wrong.'' Well, in it he pointed out that while daily news reports in recent
years have focused on negative events and predictions of gloom and doom, our
country and our people actually have been moving forward, problems solved,
opportunity opening. Living in a time of great change as we do, it's easy to be
apprehensive, especially about events on the international scene. The
This
year relations between the
Until
next week, thanks for listening, and God bless you.
Note:
The President's address was recorded earlier for broadcast at