THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for
having me. (Laughter.) It's an honor to be here. I -- it's kind of
nice to be introduced by your brother. (Laughter.) I'm real proud of
Jeb. I asked Jeb to take on an important assignment, and that is to
travel to the countries that had been hit by the tsunami. He went with
Colin Powell. I couldn't think of two better representatives of the
United States of America to -- (applause) -- to show the compassion and
heart of the people of the United States of America.
For those of you who have given your hard-earned dollars to help
the victims, I want to thank you for that. I also want to remind you,
there's a lot of other work to be done at home and around the world.
Please don't let your gift to help the tsunami victims short-change
other vital programs to help feed the hungry and to provide comfort for
those who have been -- those who need help. (Applause.)
And so Jeb, thanks for doing a good -- looking forward to seeing
you in Washington here pretty soon. They'll turn down the bed for
you. (Laughter.)
I -- Steve, thanks for having me. I'm really looking forward to
talking about the importance of the community college system in the
United States and in Florida to help make sure that we train people for
jobs. That's what we're here to talk about, how to help people improve
their lives. And the community college system is a vital part of a
hopeful America. So thanks for having me.
I want to thank all the folks who teach here. I want to thank the
folks who put up with my entourage. (Laughter.) It's quite large
these days. (Laughter.) I'm proud to be traveling in the limo today
with Mel Martinez, the new United States Senator. (Applause.) I flew
down today with Ander Crenshaw, the fine United States Congressman.
(Applause.) And also, the Mayor came out to say hello. And I
appreciate the Mayor -- Mayor Peyton, thanks for joining us. I
appreciate you coming. (Applause.)
So there I was, with the Senator, the Congressman, the Mayor, and
the Governor, and guess what we talked about? (Laughter.) We talked
about the importance of Jacksonville, Florida to the security of the
United States of America. (Applause.) And I appreciate so very much
the very strong presentation these leaders made about the importance of
Mayport. I listened very carefully. I know full-well that
Jacksonville is the home port that most in the United States Navy want
to be based at. I fully understand the importance of Mayport and the
Navy to the economy of Jacksonville, Florida.
I want to thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your willingness to take time
out of your schedule to brief me on the realities of the situation
here. And I'll take your message back to Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
I want to thank John Winn, the Commissioner of Education from this
great state of Florida. Just do what the Governor tells you to do. I
want to thank -- (laughter.) Isn't that what you told me to say, Jeb?
(Laughter.) I want to thank David Armstrong, who's the Chancellor of
the Community Colleges and of Workforce Education. I want to thank
all the state and local officials who are here. I want to thank our
panelists. I think you're going to find some interesting stories
here. I'm going to try to tell you something about education. They
can -- they can tell you firsthand what is -- some of them can tell you
firsthand what it's like to go to school at the community college. I
think you're going to find it fascinating. I certainly did, during our
discussion.
I met a fellow named Steve Miller who mentors low-income high
school students and helps them prepare for college. Where are you,
Steve? There he is, right there. Thanks for coming out. Listen, he
is a volunteer, and one of the things -- (applause) -- one of the
important -- one of the strengths -- the strength of America is the
heart and soul of our citizens. We like to talk about our military
representing the strength of America, and it does to a certain extent.
And the size of our wallets representing the strength of America. But
the true strength of the United States of America lies in the hearts
and souls of our citizens. And I want to thank Steve for taking time
out of his life to mentor a child. It's a fantastic gift, and I
appreciate the example you have set. (Applause.) And if you want to
serve our country, love your neighbor just like you'd like to be loved
yourself.
I -- we've got a lot on the agenda. Obviously, winning the war on
terror is still on my mind. And I want to appreciate those of you who
wear our nation's uniform for your sacrifice and for joining our great
country's cause of freedom. (Applause.)
We will stay on the hunt to bring killers to justice before they
hurt us. In the long run, we will defeat the enemy by spreading
freedom. And it's been a remarkable three months for freedom around
the world. People in Afghanistan voted for a President; people in the
Palestinian Territory voted for a new leader; and on January the 30th,
amazingly enough, the people of Iraq will be going to the polls to
elect leadership that will guide this country forward. (Applause.)
And I'm so optimistic about the future, because I believe deep in
everybody's soul is the desire to live in a free world. I know that
mothers of all religions want to raise their child in a peaceful
society. And I firmly believe that the more freedom -- the more
freedom spreads, the more peace will spread. And so I want to thank
those in the military for helping us to achieve a grand mission during
historic times.
At home -- at home, we've got to keep this economy growing, and
that's why we're going to keep the taxes low. (Applause.) I'm looking
forward to Congress to -- passing a smart budget, one that recognizes
we got to be wise about how we spend your money and deal with our
deficit. I'm looking forward to Congress to make sure that -- working
with Congress to make sure America is the best place for the small
business to grow and flourish. That means we need legal reform, we
need class-action reform, asbestos reform, and medical liability
reform. (Applause.)
We've got a lot to do. I noticed we've got some young -- younger
folks here today. There you -- yes. I can't help but look at you and
realize we have a responsibility to do something about Social
Security. If you're retired, you don't have anything to worry about
Social Security, because you're going to get your check. You can
forget about the old days of saying, well, if they talk about Social
Security, I'm not going to get my check. The Social Security trust has
got plenty of money in it to take care of those who have retired or
near retirement.
But if you're a youngster in America, you better understand that by
the time -- if you're in the 20s and by the time you retire, if nothing
is done about Social Security, the system will be bust. In other
words, there won't be anything available for you.
And so I'm going to work with Congress to take on this big
problem. We have a problem, and now is the time to fix it. The longer
we wait, the harder it is to fix it. And we have a duty to the
youngsters of America -- (applause) -- to make sure the retirement
system is available for them.
And we have a duty to continue to make sure every child is educated
in this country. There are some I've heard that say, well, maybe we
ought to change the No Child Left Behind Act. Forget it. The No Child
Left Behind Act is working. We've set high standards. We believe
every child can learn and we're going to measure to make sure that
every child is learning. And when they're not, we'll correct problems
early, before it's too late.
And here in Florida, I just -- I can't tell you how proud I am of
Jeb and his education initiatives because they're so hopeful. He, like
others, just refuses to shuffle kids through the system without making
sure there's excellence available for every child.
And so I look forward to continuing the education reform, the
spirit of high standards to the high school systems in America. I want
to work with Congress to get some positive initiatives passed, because
we have a duty in the country to make sure that the next generation not
only has a retirement system, but is educated and literate.
Now, to make sure America is the most competitive place in the
world, the best place to do business, a place where people can work,
we've got to make sure education systems actually educate willing
workers for the jobs which exist. And that's why I'm here at the
community college system today. The community college system is
flexible. It is available. It's got the ability to change a
curriculum to meet the needs. It's the demand-driven education system,
which works. I believe government ought to fund that which works and
de-fund that which does not work.
And the community college system is viable. (Applause.) And
that's why I worked with Congress to get $250 million passed last
time. It's still in the budget for this time. I'm looking forward to
working with Mel and Ander to make sure the community college programs
-- the job training programs is really what they are -- remains
viable.
You see, it used to be that they'd say to a state, just go educate
people. And so all that mattered was the number of people educated.
Now, we're saying, educate people for jobs which exist so that you're
actually helping people, not conforming to an empty bureaucratic
standard.
And that's why, since the community colleges are able to do that,
I'm confident -- and encouraging our Secretary of Labor to continue
moving forward with high-growth job training initiative grants. I know
you've received some from the federal government, I think about $4
million worth. It's money well-spent. I can confidently tell the
taxpayers that the money spent here is making a difference. Somebody
else is going to tell you who has got more authority on the subject
than I do -- that's the person who runs the school.
I want to talk about an interesting program that I'm going to
submit to Congress, here real quickly, and that is how to make sure the
Pell Grants work better. Pell Grants are really important. Pell
Grants make it possible for people to go to school who otherwise won't
go to school. I'm about to talk to some Pell Grant recipients here.
We've added about a million students in the last four years to the Pell
Grant program. I think that is money really well-spent.
I'm going to reform the student loan program to make it more -- or
ask Congress to reform it -- to make it more effective and efficient,
and thereby saving money. We've got a unique way of saving money, and
that saved money from the administration of the student loan program
will be plowed into the Pell Grant program. There's a $4.3-billion
shortfall in the Pell Grant program. We intend to use the savings from
changing how student loans are granted and administrated --
administered to closing that deficit.
We want to increase the Pell Grants by $100 a year over -- $100 per
year over the next five years. We want to continue to say to students
who take rigorous course loads throughout Florida and the country that
when you do so and you qualify for a Pell Grant, you'll get an extra
$1,000 on your Pell Grant. In other words, we want to raise the
standards and provide incentives for people to aim high in life. And
that's what the Pell Grants can be used for. And so I'm looking for
Congress to get this new program and initiative in place. (Applause.)
And finally, I know -- I know many of you here involved with the
Workforce Investment Act. It needs to be reformed. It needs to be
changed so more people are trained. Right now, the Workforce
Investment Act is -- trains about 200,000 people. I think with some
reasonable reforms, some flexibility in the program, less proscription
by the United States Congress on how the program is administered, we
can double the number of people trained under the Workforce Investment
Act for the same amount of money. And that's what we intend to work
with Congress on doing. (Applause.)
So that's what I'm here to talk about, what Congress can -- how we
can work together to make sure this community college system is viable
and vibrant, but really to make sure people can find work. That's what
it is. To make sure the education system focuses on the needs of the
students. Government can help, the federal government can help. But
it's going to require a collaborative between the federal government,
the state government, and the local government.
And that's why I'm so proud that Susan Pareigis is with us today.
What do you do?
MS. PAREIGIS: I work for your brother. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: That's a heavy lift. (Laughter.) Fine lad, but
it's a heavy lift. (Laughter.)
MS. PAREIGIS: I'm the Director for the Agency for Workforce
Innovation, and we are really trying here at the local level and at the
state level to make sure that we marry the jobs, as you describe, in
the marketplace, that we have the students coming out of the education
system with the skills and the training that they need at the job
site.
THE PRESIDENT: All right. And so give us some idea of what you
and brother are doing to make sure the community college -- how do you
help the community college system?
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, see, this is a really important point.
Government tends to change incrementally, and as it does, there's
another set of rules and another set of regulations. And then, sure
enough, after a while, you wake up and the money has got a lot of
strings to it, which makes it hard for governors and Susan to do their
job. And so, one of the things this administration will do throughout
our budget, in particular -- today we're talking about the Workforce
Investment Act -- is to provide as much flexibility as possible. That
way, we can say with certainty to the taxpayer, we're results-oriented
people. As opposed to focusing on the process, we think government
ought to focus on the results, and give flexibility to those who are
charged with making sure we achieve results. And so I want to
appreciate you bringing up the flexibility issue.
I look forward to working with the Congress to provide as much
flexibility as possible. It's very important for those who write the
law to understand you've got to make sure you align authority and
responsibility. And a good way to do so at the federal level is to
pass the power back to those who we're holding responsible for spending
the money. Thank you for bringing it up.
MS. PAREIGIS: Thank you very much.
THE PRESIDENT: You got anything else? I notice you're on the
President's National Hire Veterans Committee. Thanks for joining.
MS. PAREIGIS: Thank you for letting me serve. I would tell you
that we work with our veterans on a daily basis within the state of
Florida. We think they're very strong candidates for the job community
and we're glad to have them.
THE PRESIDENT: You've got a lot of great veterans here in the
Jacksonville area, I know that. (Applause.)
Okay, speaking about aligning authority and responsibility --
Mr. President. (Laughter.)
MR. WALLACE: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Steve Wallace. How long have you been here?
MR. WALLACE: Seven-and-a-half years, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Let her rip. Here's your chance to tell us.
(Laughter.)
MR. WALLACE: Well, first of all, Mr. President, on behalf of the
60,000 students and 4,000 employees of Florida Community College, we
welcome you here. We are thrilled --
THE PRESIDENT: Thousand?
MR. WALLACE: Yes, sir. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: That's good. That's a lot.
MR. WALLACE: I also want to thank you for your extraordinary
support of America's community colleges.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thanks for saying that. I appreciate that.
I'm proud to do so. You know why? Because they work.
MR. WALLACE: And we're getting better all the time.
THE PRESIDENT: That's good. So give us a sense for -- what has
changed? What do you see in your future? Why are 60,000 people coming
here? I mean, it's a pretty good sign when that many people have made
a conscious decision to come to your school. Something must be going
right.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: It's pretty interesting, isn't it, when you think
about it. So you get -- a group of employers come to the community
college and say, here's what we're looking for; and the community
college is able to adjust its curriculum, which is sometimes hard to do
in educational -- in the educational world, adjust its curriculum to
meet the needs. That's what you're saying, I think.
MR. WALLACE: Absolutely.
THE PRESIDENT: Whew. Got it right. (Laughter.) You got anything
else you want to tell me while you got me? Never mind. (Laughter.)
Should we go to Eric? You ready?
MR. MITCHELL: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Eric, where do you go to school?
MR. MITCHELL: I currently attend Florida Community College in
Jacksonville.
THE PRESIDENT: Fabulous. Tell us a little bit -- I'm not going to
ask you how old you are. (Laughter.)
MR. MITCHELL: Currently, I'm an engineer here with the
Jacksonville Fire Department.
THE PRESIDENT: Fantastic.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: And so, first you had to make up your mind,
obviously. I guess the easier path would have said, well, I'm doing
okay, I think I'll just do what I'm doing. Somehow, something clicked
and said, I think I'm going to go back to school, right?
MR. MITCHELL: Right.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, see, government can't make you do that.
(Laughter.) It's called personal ambition. That comes from your
soul. (Applause.) Anyway, so you decide. So what happens?
MR. MITCHELL: So I decided to go back to school, and an
opportunity arose within the department to obtain my paramedic
license. And so that's what I'm doing currently right now. And the
way that I'm funding that is actually through financial aid, student
loans and the Pell Grant, as well as, this semester, a scholarship.
THE PRESIDENT: Fantastic. So, in other words, there's help. If
somebody's out there listening, you're looking -- kind of an older guy
here, graduated in '95. Not really old. (Laughter.) Compared to me
and the old President there. (Laughter.) But a little older. And
you're probably wondering whether or not it makes sense to go back to
school. And you're saying, well, gosh, I can't afford it. There's
plenty of help. You received it.
MR. MITCHELL: Yes, I did.
THE PRESIDENT: And that's helpful. I mean, he's got a son to
raise. He's probably wondering how to make sure that he can do -- be
the dad, provide, and at the same time, go back to school. There's
help. You've got to know that. The Pell Grant program, the loan
program. And now, as I understand it, this is kind of an upgrade. In
other words, you're able to say if you get this degree, it enables you
to maybe make a little more money?
MR. MITCHELL: Correct, correct. It opens doors for advancement,
as far as promotional. And with 85 to 90 percent of our call volume
being EMS-related, it actually makes me better at my job.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, see, this is important for people to
understand, and that is that there's a lot of talk about productivity
in our society. Productivity translates to higher wages over time.
And one way to become more productive is to get an additional
education. And that's what Eric has done. And so he's taking time,
he's getting loans. But he's going to make a lot more money that he's
making today. I'm not going to tell you how much more, because he's
afraid the IRS man is watching. (Laughter.) I won't tell him.
But I appreciate you coming back to school. I think it means a lot
to hear a story about somebody who has been out of school for a while,
working in the fire department, sees an opportunity, comes to the
community college. It says a lot about you and it says a lot about the
community college. There is a program tailored to meet this man's
needs, which I appreciate. (Applause.)
All right, here we go. Kim wasn't so sure, when I came barging in
the room, that this was such a cool idea after all. (Laughter.)
Right? Name, please. (Laughter.) This is Kim Wilkerson, a student at
the Florida Community College. Right?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes. Hello. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Let her go. Went to high school?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes, sir. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: She said she likes short answers. (Laughter.) How
many children do you have? One. (Laughter.) This is a great story,
by the way. We're about to get to it. I'm not telling -- I mean, it
is -- (laughter.) Went to high school and was working for quite a
while and decided to go back to school.
MS. WILKERSON: I decided to go back in 1999 after I had my
daughter. And I worked dead-end jobs and I realized that a college
education was the best way to go to provide for her and myself.
THE PRESIDENT: Just stop right there. It's kind of like what we
call personal responsibility, where -- (applause.) So what -- how did
you know what to do? I mean, so it's time to go back to college.
There's two issues: One, what do you major in and how is it paid for.
That's what people are going to be asking. They say, well, I've heard
Kim, she said she had to go back to college. Were you able to get
financing?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes, sir, I've got Pell Grants and loans.
THE PRESIDENT: Good, so that's made it a little easier to go
back?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes, sir. Without that, it would have been
impossible to go.
THE PRESIDENT: That's why Pell Grants are important. That's why
we want to expand them. That's why we want to make sure they're
available, so that people feel comfortable going back. Then how did
you know what to do? I mean, how did you know what to major in, what
subject to take? Was there help here at the community college, for
example, a kind of career counseling?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes. My first choice was addictions counseling.
And I realized I didn't really want to go into that. And I went to the
Advanced Technology Center and talked with Mr. Lance Wallace, and he
gave me a tour.
THE PRESIDENT: Is Wallace here? He should be. He's about to get
national publicity and he didn't show up. (Laughter.)
Anyway, so there's a place where you could go get counseling. The
reason we're going through this is that if somebody is listening,
there's help. So you go get counseling.
MS. WILKERSON: Yes, sir. I go talk with Lance, and he explains
the program that I went into, which is computer engineering
technology.
THE PRESIDENT: That sounds pretty sophisticated, computer
engineering technology. Was it intimidating when you first heard
that?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And you've mastered it.
MS. WILKERSON: Yes. Well, I'm on my way to mastering it.
(Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Good. That's good. That's what --
MS. WILKERSON: And I will have it mastered, so --
THE PRESIDENT: There you go. That's the right attitude.
(Applause.) And so the person said, these are the kind of jobs which
exist, I presume -- Wallace.
MS. WILKERSON: Yes. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: So, like, if you get the degree, you're liable to
find a job in this field, and it interests you.
MS. WILKERSON: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: And you said, let's get after it.
MS. WILKERSON: Oh, yes.
THE PRESIDENT: And what's really interesting is that you were
being paid maybe $16,000 a year, kind of, in the jobs that you had
previously? Is that what you had mentioned to me?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: And when you get your degree, you'll be eligible
for jobs which start at $61,000 a year? Is that right?
MS. WILKERSON: Yes, sir. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: No doubt in my mind you're going to succeed.
Probably be number one in your class, when it's all said and done.
MS. WILKERSON: I am definitely trying.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, even if you're not, there's others of us
weren't number one, either. (Laughter.) If you know what I mean. How
about the story, though, seriously? (Applause.) Somebody who has
worked a series of jobs, has a responsibility as a mom, hears about the
availability of the program. She gets help -- I presume the school
helps people with the loans and Pell Grants and say, this is what you
quality for. You've got a whole office for that.
MR. WALLACE: We have a whole network of offices.
THE PRESIDENT: And she gets a little -- takes some time to -- it
must have been a little frightening, I would suspect. Or not. I mean,
I don't want to put words in your mouth. (Laughter.) So were you
confident coming in? I mean, seriously.
MS. WILKERSON: I was very afraid at first.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, see, I was right.
MS. WILKERSON: But with great family support, I made it.
THE PRESIDENT: Now, you're doing great. This is a fantastic --
this is an important story. It's an important story for a lot of
reasons. It's an important story because it shows how effective the
community college can be. It's an important story for those of us at
the federal level who are deciding Pell Grants, because a Pell Grant
has -- it sounds like -- but it's -- there's a human dimension to it
when you start hearing how they're applied, Pell Grants are applied.
And it's an important story because if you so desire, there's a pathway
for a better tomorrow. And I really want to thank you for sharing it
with us. It's great.
MS. WILKERSON: You're welcome, thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Really good job.
MS. WILKERSON: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Finally, we've got Jim McCullom with us. Jim works
for --
MR. McCULLOM: Bell South.
THE PRESIDENT: That's good. And I believe there is a
responsibility in corporate America to work with the community college
system and other agencies to help people help themselves. And explain
what you do, Jim. I think people find this to be very interesting.
MR. McCULLOM: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Make it a little easier to pay the phone bills.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: It's a competitive world. Telecommunications is
competitive, and these companies are constantly having to update your
skill level. In other words, it used to be if you could handle a
shovel, you're in pretty good shape when it came to employment. I'm
talking about way back. (Laughter.) Now, all of the sudden, the skill
set is completely different and it's changing. And one of the things
that Jim said I think is interesting is that we're constantly trying to
work with our employees to help them become more productive. In other
words, it's ongoing education. Education is not just a moment that you
quit. There's a constant process, and the community college system
fits in nicely with that. I presume you're pretty well linked up with
the president there.
MR. McCOLLUM: Well, I also -- I do know Dr. Wallace. I also have
the opportunity to be -- to serve on the board for his Advanced
Technology Center, and if I could explain that --
THE PRESIDENT: I wish you would. Helps you.
MR. McCOLLUM: Rather than just opening another division of the
college to meet the needs of future work skills, we collaborated the
local, political, and private, and public, and educations sectors, and
with Susan and Governor Bush in Tallahassee, and said, let's look at
the type of jobs and type of companies that we want to bring to
northeast Florida. And we did that, and we said, okay, here's the type
of companies, and we did studies. And then we said, okay, what are
those specific skill sets?
We went to Dr. Wallace, met with them, and they said, well, why
don't we just develop the technology center, which we did. And it
addresses those very specific companies that we want to bring in here
so that when we do, they will be graduating employees that will come
out and go to work.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, that's really smart. Nice going, Mayor.
(Applause.) This is -- this is a smart chamber of commerce, people who
are responsible for attracting capital and jobs to a community is one
which effectively utilizes the community college system. If people --
if people -- a company knows that they're going to find a skilled work
force, they're coming.
And I appreciate you bringing up that point. It makes sense. So
how many businesses are actively involved with the community college
system, would you say? Are you the right person to ask? Maybe Dr.
Wallace knows that.
MR. McCOLLUM: We've got 4,000 businesses that are members of the
Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, and I don't know the exact
number within --
THE PRESIDENT: A lot?
MR. McCOLLUM: But I would say 75 percent would be a very easy
number.
THE PRESIDENT: No wonder this is such a vibrant community. It is
utilizing all its assets to continually to make this -- Jacksonville an
attractive place for a lot of reasons. And got anything else you want
to say?
MR. McCOLLUM: Just thank you for being here and thank you for the
job you're doing.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, thanks. Listen, I -- (applause) -- thanks. I
want to thank -- I want to thank our -- the folks sitting up here,
willing to get in front of all the cameras and talk. (Laughter.) You
can get used to it. (Laughter.)
But I hope you found this interesting. I certainly did. I love to
see success. (Applause.) And I think part of my job is to herald
success, and part of the job of those of us who have been elected is to
focus on success, which means results. And we're getting fantastic
results all around our country from our wonderful community college
system.
Jeb told me that coming to -- when I came to Jacksonville, I'd see
one of the great community college systems in the country. I suspect
he's right, Dr. Wallace. You get a lot of credit for it. And you get
a lot of credit for being able to attract well-motivated, incredibly
smart students.
So I want to thank you all for coming today. May God bless you
all. May God continue to bless our country. (Applause.)