Clinton visits AZ for 3rd time

By Alicia A. Caldwell
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 1, 1996

Chris Richards
Arizona Daily Wildcat

President Clinton

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TEMPE - With the election only five days away, President Clinton's "Bridge to the 21st Century" campaign revisited Arizona with a stop at Arizona State University yesterday.

Clinton reiterated his campaign proclamation of building the "bridge" by increasing the strength of the family. Clinton outlined his plan and his past actions to bring about change and take the country into the 21st century.

Arriving to thousands of onlookers chanting, "Four more years," Clinton asked the crowd whether the state could be won by the Democrats Nov. 5. The answer from the audience was a resounding "yes."

"On Tuesday, you will be voting for the last president of the 20th century and the first president of the 21st century," Clinton proclaimed.

Clinton also discussed the importance of the young voters that had turned out for the event. The audience ranged from elementary school students to ASU students and interested community members.

The president then gave an overview of the accomplishments of his administration over the last four years. He mentioned education, the economy and the increase in minimum wage.

The first topic began with Clinton's prospects for revisions in the educational system and his previous alterations.

"I want to make the American dream a reality for all Americans. I want everybody to be able to live up to their God-given potential," Clinton said.

Clinton discussed giving every family a $10,000 tax credit for every college student in a family, regardless of age or level of college. He also talked about a plan to make the first two years of community college as available to students as public high s chool. Clinton said he would make that possible through a dollar-for-dollar tax deduction for those people attending community college. His educational discussion also included the topic of children and primary schools.

"I would like to see that every child can read a book on their own by age eight, and that every school library is connected to the World Wide Web," Clinton said.

The speech then moved to the topic of the economy and the national debt.

"The American economy is the best that it has been in nearly 30 years, and people today are better off now than they were four years ago," Clinton said.

He then spoke of the increase in minimum wage, which, according to him, has helped the economy and made the American family stronger by doing so. He also made reference to the fact that the government is smaller than it has been in more than 30 years.

"Our administration has lowered the size of the federal government by nearly 250,000," Clinton said. "It is now as small as it was when John Kennedy was in office. We have eliminated more government regulation, more government programs. We have privatized more government operations in 3 1/2 years than my Republican predecessors did in 12 years," Clinton claimed.

Clinton also mentioned the medical insurance reforms that have taken place under his administration, including the Family and Leave Act.

"People will no longer lose their medical insurance if they switch jobs under the new insurance laws," Clinton said. "12 million families have benefited from the Family and Medical Leave Act and now I would like to see it expanded so that every parent wou ld be able to see their child's teacher twice a year."

Notably in attendance at today's Democratic rally were Regent Art Chapa, director of Clinton's Arizona campaign, former Governor Rose Mofford, Regent Eddie Basha, and Terry Goddard, former mayor of Phoenix.

"I strongly support President Clinton," Mofford said. "He was very helpful to me when I was governor of Arizona and secretary of state of Arizona."

Basha said, "It is an honor to have the president of the United States come to our state and, if nothing else, it is a matter of respect for us to come out and see him. I think that it is an honor to be here."

Not everyone at the rally was supporting Clinton, however. Behind the gathering of Clinton supporters there was a small crowd of Dole supporters and Clinton protesters.

The protesters, including some ASU College Republicans, dawned signs proclaiming Clinton as a liar and untrustworthy with the power of our country.

"We're here to let Clinton know that ASU is Dole county. Clinton may win the election, but he will never win the state of Arizona," one protester claimed.


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