Lyndon Johnson

This is a problem that must be met not only by the Federal Government, but by every government, State and local, and by all the people of America.

That is why I have enjoyed my afternoon with the Governor of your State, with the mayors of your cities, with your county leaders, with your civic leaders without regard to race or religion or population, or even the name of your town.

So, Lake Erie just must be saved.

The Great Lakes constitute the largest body of fresh water on the surface of the earth.

Someone asked me one time what my political philosophy was. And I said, 'Well, I am a free man first, an American second, a public servant third, and a Democrat fourth--in that order.'

We must open new opportunities to all of our people, so that everyone and not just a fortunate few will have access to decent homes and decent schools and good parks and good jobs.

It is a monument to all the goals that men can attain when they work together for the common good.

I came here today to pledge to you that the Federal Government, as long as I have anything to do with it, is going to meet its responsibilities.

For 3 years my administration has been concerned with the question: What do we want our cities to finally become?

We will be looking, we will be listening, and I suspect we will be talking some of the time.

Seven million deprived children have been given intense courses in reading and writing.

Last year your Congressmen and the Johnson administration declared that the time for Medicare is now.

I always enjoy coming to Buffalo and this great area of the State of New York.

After more than 30 years of national debate in the United States, 19 million older Americans have now crossed the line from the shadows of uncertainty to the land of security.

And I believe that we are doing that.

Let me be perfectly candid with you: This job cannot be done just in Washington alone.

It is the people who live in our cities and the quality of the lives they lead that should concern every public servant today.

We are looking for economic progress so people can afford automobiles, and for modern highways so they can travel without endless traffic jams.

We know that Hill-Burton has added more than 8,000 facilities to serve 4,000 communities.

The Psalms say, 'Cast me not off in the time of old age.'

I do not know how long it is going to take to rebuild our cities.

And unless you become indignant, unless you people are concerned with the treatment of the poor in your town, unless you can get a boiling point, unless you can go out and look after your neighbors, unless you can make justice for others a…

But I do know this: it must not--and will not--take us forever.

Let us take all necessary steps to provide the handicapped with a wide range of meaningful opportunities and a life of dignity.

We know that the freshest ideas often come from the freshest minds on the job.