Editing 78-08-A4 (section)

=== Transcript ===
It's impossible anymore to itemize the Federal budget to see how it managed to
grow to its present size but you might be interested in a few scattered bits of
extravagance. For example the cost of running 41 Federal regulatory agencies has gone up 115%
in five years.

I suppose it's foolish to mention anything in less than millions and billions when
you are talking about a half trillion dollar budget. But then maybe that's why the
Secretary of Energy doesn't feel extravagant when he decides to spend $32,000 for private
restrooms in the new departments quarters. The Federal Home Loan Bank tops him by
spending twice that much to tear out its new washrooms and replace them with private rooms and
showers for its executives.

Then over in Congress, the House Administration committee will double that amount,
spending $126,000 for 450 17-inch color tv sets for its members. The committee chairman
says they are doing it to help correct the deficit in our balance of trade with Japan.
They are buying American-made sets.

This one I'm sure will touch your heart. The health planners in Washington are
determined to cut public health care costs by reducing QUOTE - "Unnecessary surgery" -
UNQUOTE -. According to them, that term fits such things as cataract operations and
hysterectomies. However if a man agrees to dress in women's clothes for a year the
Public Health Service says Medicare should pay for his - QUOTE - "gender reassignment
surgery" - UNQUOTE -.

On the subject of health, the House Appropriations committee has discovered that
Labor department employees in the Office of Worker Compensation, filed 10 times as many
injury claims for themselves as did employees in other government offices. Maybe it's
all in knowing how. Anyway, their take came to half a million dollars tax free.

Some time ago on one of these broadcasts I mentioned some of the short comings of
the C.E.T.A. program. Those initials stand for Comprehensive Employment and Training
Act. It has $11 billion to spend and where the money is that big, a little scandal is
not an unusual thing.

In Dade County, Florida, a grand jury has found waste, false record keeping and
criminal violations in the federally-funded programs. One C.E.T.A. employer turned out
to be a pool hall operator who hired his nephew with the federal money.

In another Florida county I don't know whether it's dishonest or not but the Federal
money will be used to pay $2.65 an hour (the minimum wage) to illiterate students for
going to school.

Is it any wonder that Senator Jesse Helms suggested that the Senate recess for one
minute on May 6th in honor of the taxpayers. May 6th was the day the average worker
started working for himself. From January 1 until that date he's been working to pay his
share of the cost of government. 

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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