Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr11/wh930513.zip/05-13G.TXT

Internet Message Format | 1993-06-13 | 9KB

From @lex-luthor.ai.mit.edu:[e-mail]  Thu May 13 22:07:07 1993
Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 22:16-0400
From: The White House <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: President's Remarks to Champion Wheelchair Basketball Team



                           THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                               May 13, 1993


                       REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
        WITH THE NATIONAL INTERCOLLEGIATE CHAMPION WHEELCHAIR
            BASKETBALL TEAM, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-ARLINGTON


                      Diplomatic Reception Room

4:42 P.M. EDT


         THE PRESIDENT:  Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be
the first President to welcome the National Intercollegiate
Wheelchair Champions to the White House.  I have to tell you that I
am very impressed by this group of fine young men.  They've done some
amazing things.  For the third year in a row the Moving Mavs from the
University of Texas of Arlington have brought home a national
championship.  I hear that they're the pride of UT-Arlington, that
their home games are drawing record crowds, and that every time
another banner is brought home in Texas Hall the excitement and the
enthusiasm of the fans keeps building.

         I want to recognize a few of the people who've been
instrumental in this team's remarkable success.  The driving force
behind the Moving Mavs, of course, the coach, Jim Hayes; Ryan
Amacher, President of the University of Texas of Arlington and one of
their biggest supporters, my friend, Congressman Martin Frost, who
just coincidentally happens to represent them.  (Laughter.)

         I'm impressed with their winning record and their hard
work and determination.  I understand that this team really reflects
the pioneer spirit of Texas and does not flinch in the face of
obstacles.  All of them are pioneers not only in wheelchair
athletics, but in the ongoing struggle in our nation to obtain equal
opportunities on and off the court for all Americans with
disabilities, not inabilities.

         They display the attributes of strength and
determination.  They've practiced, they've worked hard.  They've
produced a championship team in ways that few people ever know.  I
commend all of you for your unrelenting pursuit of excellence and for
your demonstration about what is true in every sport -- that as an
individual you may star, but as a team you can be champions.

         I believe that when people are empowered and when they
work together, when they're given the opportunity to make something
of themselves by a real community effort, that's when we all achieve
the fullest meaning in our lives.  If we're going to be a strong
America, we're going to have to do more of what you've done with this
team, Coach.

         I'm proud of all of you.  I welcome you to the White
House.  I know the people back home are proud of you, too.  Thank you
very much.  (Applause.)

         MR. AMACHER:   Mr. President, I have two gifts for you.
One is a seal of the University of Texas at Arlington.  And I'd like
to, on behalf of UTA, thank you for inviting us to the White House.
As one of the players said as we were coming up the walk, "Is this
awesome or what!"  (Laughter.)  The last gift I'd like to leave you
with is tickets -- first tickets -- to the Final Four of the
Wheelchair Basketball Championship to be held March 9, on the UTA
campus.  The first tickets are for you and Mrs. Clinton.  We'd be
delighted to have you attend.

         THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

         MR. AMACHER:  And let me turn it over to Coach Hayes,
who has a gift for you.

         COACH HAYES:  Mr. President, we would like to take this
opportunity to make you an honorary member of our team and then we
have a jersey fixed up for you.  And if I may call your attention --
there is some significance to the numbers.  We figure the fourth team
for us and four more years for you seems appropriate.  (Laughter and
applause.)

         THE PRESIDENT:  This is great.

         PLAYER PHUNG TRAN:  Now on behalf of my teammates I'd
like to present you this ball with our signatures on it.  (Applause.)

         THE PRESIDENT:  We've got a basket down the way, we
could probably -- (laughter) -- shooting some hoops instead of being
in here.  Thank you, very much.  Anybody else, Martin, you want to
say anything?

         CONGRESSMAN FROST:  Mr. President, I just want to thank
you for taking time out of your schedule.  I mentioned briefly to the
team how busy you are each day and how it's important it is -- how
significant it is that you would share a few minutes with them.  And
I want to personally thank you for doing that.

         THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you very much, all of
you and good luck to all of you.  You know, things do get busy around
here but if people like you don't come to see us sometimes we forget
why I'm here.  It's easy to get too busy and lose connections with
the people in the country.  You know, tonight all over this country
people will see a picture of you here.  And you have no idea whether
some young person will see your picture here and be inspired and say,
well, I can do more with my life, I can make more of myself, there is
something else I can do.  And I don't think you could possibly
underestimate the impact that your achievement will have on others.
I really want to encourage you.  I also want you to know I don't have
the upper-body strength to play basketball.  (Laughter.)  Now, don't
run off with that.  (Laughter.)

         Q      Mr. President, are you satisfied with the way your
tax bill came out of the House Ways and Means Committee?

         THE PRESIDENT:  I was -- well, I haven't -- Chairman
Rostenkowski called me about an hour or so ago, right after the vote,
and based on what I know, I'm very satisfied.  I'm immensely pleased.
All the basic features of the bill remained intact and many of the
changes that were made I think made it a better bill.  So again I
have not had a chance to study all the things that were done today,
but based on what I know, I believe it is a very good bill indeed.
It still maintains the essential features.  The earned income-tax
credit is there for people making roughly $29,000 a year or less to
basically add fairness to the tax code and relieve them of the impact
of the energy tax.

         The bill is highly progressive, virtually all of the
money raised on people with incomes of over $100,000.  The
immunization program, the family preservation program is intact.  The
empowerment zone program was endorsed by the committee and they added
quite a bit of money to it so we could encourage more cities to get
involved in trying to bring free enterprise into distressed areas.  I
think that is a very impressive thing.

         And I think changing the small business incentive to an
expensing rather than an investment tax credit is basically a net
plus because more small businesses can access it at less hassle.  So
I feel very good about it -- what I know about the bill.  You know,
like I said, I haven't -- but what I know about it is very
encouraging.

         Q      Why shouldn't the American people regard this as a
black letter day with a new tax bill coming their way?

         THE PRESIDENT:  Because all this money is going to go to
reduce the deficit.  Because we've got interest rates at a 20-year
low.  Because most Americans have refinanced a home or a business
loan, they've already saved more money in interest costs than they
will pay in higher taxes.  And because if we don't do something to
cut spending and increase some taxes we're going to bankrupt the
country.

         We tried it the other way for 12 years.  We tried
lowering taxes and increasing spending and we went from a $1 trillion
to a $4 trillion debt.  Didn't work out very well.  And I think the
American people want us finally to step up to the bar and reduce this
national deficit and get it down eventually to zero and get some
economic growth going.

         I also believe until we bring the deficit down we won't
have any money to invest in education and training and new
technologies.  We have to prove to the American people first we've
got the discipline to spend their money properly and to run this
government properly.

         I think it's not a black letter day, it's a red letter
day for America.  We're finally beginning to face our problems in a
mature way.  And I'm encouraged.  And I applaud the House Committee
for what they did today.

         THE PRESS:  Thank you.

                                 END4:52 P.M. EDT