For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
August 10, 2004
Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush on the economy in Wisconsin
Seek, Inc.
Grafton, Wisconsin
10:21 A.M. EDT
MRS. BUSH: Thank you all very much. Thanks so much. I feel like
Carol, it's really great to be among friends. Thank you very, very
much.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Four more years! (Applause.)
MRS. BUSH: Thank you. Thanks everybody for your very warm welcome
to Wisconsin. I'm so glad to be here with Carol to talk about what
she's done here at SEEK and how she's built her company, and also to
talk to all of you about my husband and the great work that he has
done. (Applause.)
I'll be on the campaign trail for the next three months talking
about the President's accomplishments and his vision to move America
forward. And the best part for me is to meet remarkable people from
all across our country just like today, when I have the chance to meet
Carol Schneider. (Applause.)
Over 30 years ago, Carol started a business with $500. She started
it in her neighbor's bedroom, complete with a barking dog. (Laughter.)
Today, she manages 100 employees in 14 offices and leads a company
worth $36 million. (Applause.) Her rise to the top hasn't been easy
-- especially not when she was going to community college during the
day, working full time at night and raising three young boys.
And then there were the years she couldn't get a sizeable loan from
the bank, or when she had to take the minutes at the Rotary club,
rather than participate, because her male counterparts balked at her
membership.
But Carol refused to give up. She funded her business herself,
she seized opportunities to expand, and she even started her own
organization of women executives. And in the next year, she plans to
open four more offices outside of Wisconsin now. Congratulations,
Carol. (Applause.)
She is a role model to every one of us, because at age 68, she
continues to work 70 hours a week, she's encouraged other women to
start their own businesses, and she's been an inspiration for her own
three children who each own their own businesses. Carol Ann,
congratulations on your success, and thank you for being a role model
for us all. (Applause.)
Women entrepreneurs and small business owners are some of the
hardest working people in America. Carol has taught her children the
values of hard work, integrity and independence. And this is what
America's business owners teach all of us -- especially women
entrepreneurs.
When it comes to entrepreneurship and job creation, this is
increasingly a woman's world. Ten million women own their own business
in America -- and this sisterhood just keeps on growing.
Women are opening businesses at twice the rate of men, and
women-owned businesses and equally owned firms employ more than 18
million Americans. They also generate more than $3 trillion in sales.
This demonstrates the increasing economic impact of women-owned firms.
Women are working hard to strengthen their communities and their
country -- and President Bush is working hard for women. My husband
believes that we should all have an equal opportunity to achieve our
dreams, and he has three strong women at home who won't let him forget
it. (Applause.)
I'm proud that in my husband's administration, there are more women
in senior positions than in any other presidential administration in
history. (Applause.) Dr. Condoleezza Rice advises the President on
foreign policy -- (applause) -- and Margaret Spellings is in charge of
domestic issues. This means that in the White House, women are in
charge of everything abroad and everything at home -- which sounds just
about right to me. (Applause.)
President Bush knows that empowered women are vital to our
democracy -? and essential to our economic security. The President has
worked closely with a coalition of 25 women's business organizations to
ensure that women's voices are heard. His administration has hosted
entrepreneurship summits across the country and established a website
called women-21.gov to provide easy access to business resources.
In the last four years, President Bush has created an economic
environment where women entrepreneurs can succeed and small businesses
can flourish and grow. And it hasn't been easy. We've been through a
lot ?- from recession to terror attacks to corporate scandals. But our
economy remains the strongest in the world, thanks to America's small
businesses and the President's commitment to tax relief. (Applause.)
Because of tax cuts, 25 million small business owners have each
saved an average of $3,000 a year alone. Cuts in the capital gains tax
and the taxation of dividends are spurring investments and making it
easier for small businesses to raise capital.
The tax relief plan also created new incentives by quadrupling the
annual expense deduction for equipment, up to $100,000. Carol has been
able to invest half a million dollars in computer upgrades for her
office. She said, "The economy is doing great and it's because
President Bush has implemented policies that allow people to keep their
own money and spend it how they choose." (Applause.)
Since 2001, real after-tax incomes have increased by 11 percent.
That means people have more money in their pockets -- and more
opportunities to decide how to spend it. Families are saving more
because the President doubled the child credit, he reduced the marriage
penalty, and he put the death tax on the road to extinction.
In some families, tax relief means more money to pay the monthly
bills. In other families, it means money to start a college fund for
their children or a retirement fund for themselves. These millions of
individual decisions are lifting our economy and improving the lives of
people around the country.
More Americans than ever before are realizing the dream of home
ownership. Minority home ownership is particularly strong. We set a
new record this year. Now, more than half of all minority families own
their own homes. (Applause.)
Consumer confidence is at its highest level in two years, and 1.5
million jobs have been created in the last 11 months.
The record is clear: because of the President's sound economic
policies, and because of the hard work of America's small businesses,
the economy is strong and getting stronger.
And President Bush has the right plan to make sure the economy
continues to grow and to move America forward. The President will not
be satisfied until every person that wants a job can find one, and
until regulations on businesses are fair and reasonable. The President
will not be satisfied until more Americans have affordable health care
-- until every child learns to read -- and until all workers have the
opportunity to compete and succeed in the workforce of tomorrow.
President Bush is moving America forward with an economic agenda
that meets the needs of Americans. And that starts with making tax
relief permanent. He knows that raising taxes now would put the brakes
on our growing economy, and he'll urge Congress -- (applause) -- and
he'll urge Congress to keep taxes low.
The President will also ensure that Federal regulations do not
handicap America's entrepreneurs by streamlining regulations and
reducing paperwork. And he'll foster more job opportunities by
expanding markets for America's products around the world.
President Bush knows that reliable health care is absolutely vital
to our economic security, and to your bottom line. Uninsured Americans
are overwhelmingly concentrated in smaller companies.
You want to take care of your employees and make sure that their
families receive the best medical care. And yet the costs of health
care continues to rise. That's why the President is taking action to
make health care more affordable and more accessible to millions of
Americans.
He's urging Congress to approve association health plans, so that
small businesses can pool to buy insurance coverage for their workers.
These plans give small businesses the same kind of purchasing power and
coverage options of large firms. (Applause.)
And because frivolous lawsuits raise the cost of health care and
drive good doctors out of practice, the President will reform the
medical liability system and reduce junk lawsuits. (Applause.) His
plan will ensure that patients and doctors are always in charge of
medical decisions, not bureaucrats in Washington or trial lawyers in
courtrooms. (Applause.)
President Bush also knows -- and all of us know this -- that an
educated work force is vital to our economic security today and well
into the future. The No Child Left Behind Act is bringing more money,
higher standards, and stronger accountability to schools throughout
America. (Applause.) Now we have clear goals for education.
Every child should learn to read by the third grade, because
reading is the foundation for all other learning. (Applause.) We're
assessing students' progress every year in elementary school to make
sure that children don't fall behind. And with a new emphasis on high
standards and accountability, every student will graduate high school
well-prepared for college or the workforce.
The President has the right plan to ensure that new graduates and
experienced workers have the skills to succeed in the jobs of the 21st
century. He wants to expand math and science education in high
schools, and broaden Internet training so that America's workers can
compete in a technology-driven world. He's providing more resources to
help workers get high-tech training at local community colleges.
And President Bush wants America's families keep more of something
they never have enough of, and that's time -- time to play with their
kids, time to take care of their parents, or to volunteer in their
communities. President Bush will work with Congress to make flex time
and comp time more available for Americans, so they can better manage
the demands of family and work. (Applause.)
I have a feeling that the employees of SEEK might spend that extra
time making a difference in their communities. Because for you,
volunteer service is more than an ideal, it's part of the job.
President Bush and I appreciate your great work that you're doing to
help your neighbors. And, Carol, I appreciate that you've made it part
of the job. Thank you for that. (Applause.)
As I travel around the country, what I see in every single
community is that compassion and ingenuity are being put to work to
lift up lives from the mentoring of children of prisoners to the
bringing of meals and friendly conversation to elderly neighbors.
And some volunteers, like nine-year-old Emma Sadler, teach others
the joy of reading and books. I'm so happy that Emma and her mom,
Denise, are here today. Emma, do you want to stand up so everybody can
see you? (Applause.)
Some of you may recognize Emma because, as she proudly wrote me in
a letter earlier this year, she was the 2003 Miss Wisconsin Junior
Pre-Teen and the 2002 Miss Wisconsin National Pre-Teen Petite. She may
be petite, but she sets an incredible example. (Applause.)
Shortly after she won her first title, Emma's mom encouraged her to
help others. And Emma was unsure at first, telling her mother, "Mom,
I'm only seven." (Laughter.) But her mom told her that no matter how
old you are, you can help other people. So Emma started a reading
program named after her favorite book called I'll Read To You If You'll
Read to Me. She visits kindergarten classrooms and reads to children.
She brings one book to read and another book for the child to read with
her. In the last two years, she's read to more than 300 students.
Emma said, "I want them to see that I love reading and I'm a kid, too.
My hope is that I can help at least one child read a little better."
And, Emma, I bet you've helped a lot more than one child.
(Applause.)
But Emma is not just teaching children to love reading, she's also
teaching them the importance of helping other people. And this is one
of the most valuable lessons you can share.
President Bush and I both thank you for being such a great role
model. (Applause.)
These are hopeful times in our nation. We're moving forward with
great confidence in our ability to overcome challenges. We've faced a
lot of challenges, and we're working through them. And these are times
that require particularly strong and determined leaders, and I'm proud
that my husband is that kind of leader. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you, Carol, for being a leader and a role model
for all of us. And thanks to every one of you for the work that you do
here in Wisconsin, the work that you do helping people and helping our
economy. Thank you all very much. I really am so glad to be here.
Thanks a lot. (Applause.)
10:40 A.M. CDT
END
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