Jimmy Carter in As Good As Its People
On Health Care:
Supports national health insurance
Let me outline for you some of the goals of the next administration in the area of health [insurance]:- We must have a comprehensive program of national health insurance.
- We must have government reorganization that will end the bureaucratic
fragmentation that now frustrates any hope for a rational and effective national health care policy.
- We must encourage alternative delivery systems such as HMOs and rural group practices.
- We must clean up the disgraceful Medicaid scandals.
Source: Public Health speech, in “Good As Its People,” p. 231-33
Oct 19, 1976
On Health Care:
Supports more funding for education & research
Let me outline for you some of the goals of the next administration in the area of health [education and research]:- We must stress health and nutrition education. Our public schools could do more to teach our young people the dangers of drinking,
smoking, using drugs, overeating, and eating the wrong kinds of food.
- We must mount a renewed attack on cancer and other diseases caused by toxic chemicals in the environment.
- We must continue and expand biomedical research and be sure that it
serves the health needs of all our people.
- We must encourage nursing home standards of safety, sanitation, and care, and we must encourage programs that will serve elderly people in their own homes whenever possible.
- Finally, we must, by
scholarships, by loans, and by other means, provide medical education to more students, for minority and low-income families and also to more women, and we must encourage young health professionals to train and practice in rural and inner city areas.
Source: Public Health speech, in “Good As Its People,” p. 231-33
Oct 19, 1976
On Principles & Values:
A Government As Good As Its People
The problem [in our society] isn’t just economic, it’s a matter of the spirit. We as a nation have been disillusioned, we’ve suffered too much, and I n too short a time. The assassination of great political leaders,
a tragic war, a national scandal - all of these things and others made millions of American people lose faith and trust in our government. To all of these people I say every day, many times, please, don’t give up. Don’t be apathetic.
Give our system another chance. To those who are disgusted or filled with apathy I say our government can work, and it will work, if we can only have leaders once again who have wisdom, and who are as good in office as the people
who put them in office. That’s what this campaign is all about. We must have a government that listens to our people and understands our people and respects our people and reflects the greatness of our people.
Source: Democratic Party speech, in “Good As Its People,” p.236
Oct 19, 1976
On Crime:
Jails are filled with poor; focus on white-collar crime
I visited Georgia’s prisons many times, and almost all the inmates I met there were poor. Poor people aren’t the only ones to commit crimes, but they seem to be the only ones who go to prison. The corporate criminal, the white-collar criminal, too
often get off with a slap on the wrist. This only causes contempt for the whole concept of equal justice. White-collar crime costs this country at least $40 billion a year. Yet there hasn’t been a single felony indictment for price-fixing under Mr. Ford.
Source: Campaign Speech in Detroit, in “Good As Its People,” p. 220
Oct 15, 1976
On Crime:
Crime reflects a sickness in society
Every time a person goes back to prison as a repeat offender, it is a sign that our prisons have failed. I believe we can reduce the percentage of failures and at the same time reduce the amount of crime.
Presidential leadership can make a difference. We can make our existing crime-fighting programs more efficient and effective. We can have a stronger economy, and more jobs for our people, and that will lessen crime.
I think our country’s leaders, beginning with the President, can set an example and set a tone that will increase respect for the law and increase the sense of national unity, and that can lessen crime in America.
Crime reflects sickness in a society.
Working together, we can make ours a more healthy society, one in which we need not live our lives in fear. I intend, as President, to provide the leadership that will turn the tide against the scourge of crime.
Source: Campaign Speech, Detroit, in “Good As Its People,” p. 220-1
Oct 15, 1976
On Drugs:
We stopped treating alcoholism as a crime; that helped
The Drug Enforcement Agency, created in 1973, has already been tainted by scandals that forced its director to resign. Our overcrowded court system is now a major cause of crime.
We should encourage local police to give priority to violent crimes-
assault, robbery, rape, muggings, murders. When I was Governor of Georgia, we stopped treating alcoholism as a crime to provide increased medical help to alcoholics and to free our police and courts to concentrate on violent crimes.
Source: Campaign Speech in Detroit, in “Good As Its People,” p. 220
Oct 15, 1976
On Homeland Security:
Eliminate all nuclear weapons from this earth
We are a strong nation and we will maintain strength so sufficient that it need not be proven in combat--a quiet strength based not merely on the size of an arsenal not on the nobility of ideas.
The world is still engaged in a massive armaments race designed to insure continuing equivalent strength among potential adversaries.
We pledge perseverance and wisdom in our efforts to limit the world’s armaments to those necessary for each nation’s domestic safety.
We will move this year a step toward our ultimate goal--the elimination of all nuclear weapons from this earth.
We urge all other people to join us, for success can mean life instead of death.
Source: A Government As Good As Its People, by Jimmy Carter, p.261-2
Oct 1, 1976
On Tax Reform:
Reform tax structure without tax increases
Our tax structure is a disgrace and needs to be reformed. As Governor of Georgia for four years, we never increased sales taxes or income taxes or property tax.
As a matter of fact, the year before I went out of office we gave a $50 million refund for the property taxpayers of Georgia.
Source: A Government As Good As Its People, by Jimmy Carter, p.240
Oct 1, 1976
Page last updated: Feb 06, 2014