White House Dinner for State and Local Officials Remarks Following the Dinner

There are a couple of things I've found you can't do very well with a broken collarbone. One is to do a one-step on a slick floor. [Laughter] And the other one is to tie a bow tie. That's been a hard thing for me.

We've been really pleased to have you here tonight. As you probably know, this is a special group for us. You're not only strong and good personal friends and political allies, but you've made a great partnership with us in, I think, reestablishing the system of federalism in our Nation that's so important to the principles that were envisioned when the Constitution was first drafted. I'm particularly grateful that so many people came tonight. You may or may not know there won't be another UDAG application before I go— [laughter] —except perhaps for six States and the District of Columbia. [Laughter] If Maryland and Georgia and a few others have some applications at the last minute, we can probably squeeze them through. [Laughter]

Ours is a great country, and you have proven, I think, in the last 4 years that one of the greatest difficulties that was discerned by you—that is, the deterioration of our senior cities in this country-has been reversed. You've helped me with counsel and advice and support, criticism on occasion. But in my judgment we've formed a good partnership, and I doubt that there's ever been a better relationship between the local officials of our country and the Federal Government than exists now.

And it's because of you and Gene Eidenberg and Jack Watson and others that have helped to form an urban policy that works, a good relationship with the Congress, a good understanding among the American people of the problems that are shared between local officials and the Federal Government itself. In matters concerning education, environmental quality, transportation, health, social services, there is no way to separate the responsibilities of our two levels of government. But with your urging and with your support we have always honored the first responsibilities and the preeminent prerogatives of local officials. We've tried not to encroach on your territory, but we've tried to give you support when you've needed it.

So, we've come a long way; still have a long way to go. We have a good attitude in this country, and our Nation has been blessed, in my judgement, above all others, with natural resources that God's given us, with a human attitude of brotherhood and sisterhood among a widely diverse 225 million people, most of whom, or their ancestors, who've come here looking for a better life and have found it, and who understand because of our diversity that it's better to try to understand one another and get along as best we can in the sometimes trying circumstances, rather than to fight with one another and mutually to suffer because of it.

The strength in our constitutional system, the ideals and principles and commitments, the hopes and dreams of Americans, are very well understood by you, better perhaps, better, I believe, than among any other group of people in our country. Local, county, and city officials, I think, have a better understanding of what people need and want than anyone I know. It makes it very difficult for you, and I have discerned very quickly, because of instruction by Coleman Young and many others here, Kenneth Hahn, that you need some help in Washington, and we've tried to provide it for you.

The distance that we've come together is notable, but we still have a long way to go. And I believe that if you can accurately tap the understanding and support and the commitment that the American people share with you and with me, that that progress that we have achieved and of which we are so proud can be preserved and perhaps even enhanced during the next 4 years. It's not going to be an easy time. I don't want to put an unnecessary burden or blame on the next administration. It would be difficult for me, if I were here, as President, to meet all the demands on the Federal Government and still protect the integrity of our institutions and of our financial structure, to minimize budget deficits, to meet the overwhelming demands of foreign policy and defense, the maintenance of peace, preservation of our way of life. But I think you've been overly, at least adequately, generous with me. You've understood when we couldn't meet all your desires, and I, again, feel that the reason that that occurred is because we have had a partnership.

You've understood the limitations as well as the capabilities and opportunities, and for that I'm deeply grateful. No one that I know has been more highly blessed than I have this last 4 years. It's been an extraordinary opportunity for me to serve and to learn and to have a fruitful and an enjoyable life.

The Strolling Strings, that just came in—we've heard them a lot of times, more than you have, in the last 4 years. I hope that you'll hear them more than I will the next 4 years— [laughter] —and that the Governors and the county officials and the city officials will continue to have a ready access to the heart of the Federal Government, both here in the White House and on Capitol Hill.

So, to close my own remarks, you are special to me, in many different ways, and because of that I particularly wanted to have for you tonight a special treat. We've had a chance to tap the tremendous artistry and talent and commitment and achievement and fame of the performers of our country. That's one of the great assets that a President and his family, Rosalynn and I, can have. And tonight we've asked someone to come here, originally from the Bronx, who knows the special opportunities of America, the achievements that we've realized, the tests that we have withstood successfully, who came to the Metropolitan Opera Company 30 years ago, as a matter of fact. She'd only been there 2 months when one of the leading sopranos could not perform that evening, and she substituted and literally made American and worldwide musical history. She sang one of the leading roles in Don Giovanni, and it electrified the performing world because of her performance.

Since then she has performed as the star in 37 operatic roles. She's made countless hundreds of very highly popular phonograph recordings, tape recordings, and she's had more operatic television performances than any other person who's ever lived. She's still young, and she's still very beautiful. And not long ago she came by here to tell me goodby and to give me a report on her trip that she just took to a new friend of ours, and that is the people in tide People's Republic of China; a quarter of all the people on Earth, about a billion people, were blessed with her performance in that great new friend of ours. And tonight she's here to perform for us. And it's a great pleasure for me to introduce the person that I, as President, chose to be my seating partner tonight, Roberta Peters.

Thank you very much.