Albuquerque, New Mexico Remarks at the National Association of Development Organizations' Dinner.

Jack Watson just came up and gave me some advice about my opening statement. He suggested that I apologize for substituting for him as your speaker this evening. [Laughter] As a matter of fact, if there's one group with whom I feel at home, it would be those of you who've been involved in economic development throughout our country in the last number of years.

One of the first things I did as a young man involved in public service was to organize an eight-county area planning and development commission. I did not have an executive director. I had to act as that myself. [Laughter] My eight counties suffered severely from it until I finally got a professional. But it was a turning point in my life.

We had 30 towns and small villages that I served, and we began to bridge the chasm that existed even in front of the county line, and to let people who were competent and eager and filled with the true spirit of America begin to assess the advantages that God had given them, and to make plans for the future that would give their children arid grandchildren a better life.

I felt that I was a part of the growth of America. And I felt responsible for the retention of its qualities, and I recognized the rapid changes that took place in the lives of the people that I was trying to serve, and I felt responsible for them, and vice versa. And to lead the life which many of you do as professionals in serving others in this way is a characteristic and a commitment which I admire very deeply.

I graduated from the area planning and development commission to the President of the United States. But I haven't forgotten what I've learned, and as Vernon would know Vernon Martin was a good friend of mine, even in those days—as he would know, the responsibilities which fall on the shoulders of a Governor or a President are very similar to the responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of those assembled here in this meeting and those whom you represent throughout the country: how to correlate conflicting interests; how to preserve environmental quality and at the same time take advantages of economic growth; how to make sure that each person, no matter how large or small a status in life is occupied, can feel part of a community and not estranged from it; how government can be made effective; how the delivery of services to a human being in need can be as effective as the original vision was at the inception of a law; how to deal with rapidly changing, sociological interrelationships to let people who are different live in harmony with one another; how to realize limitations on our lives, limitations of energy, limitations of wealth, limitations of health care, limitations of housing, transportation—all those limits that they have—how to either accommodate them and make the best of them if they're inevitable or to eliminate them or minimize them if something can be done about them.

You live truly challenging lives, and as we evolve programs for economic development or local public works for dealing with housing, transportation, education, welfare, health, I need your partnership in making our great country even greater.

I met your newly elected president, President Kuhn, who will take office, I think, in January. He'll have another exciting challenge before him, and I wish him well. And I hope that in the next number of months, as we deal with the problems that confront us all, particularly in evolving an energy policy for our Nation, that we will keep in mind the common goals and the common purposes that bind us together.

I just spent a little more than 2 hours with the Governors of the Western States trying to study the special problems of this beautiful part of the Earth and how many of our energy needs can be met from the oil and natural gas and uranium and coal and solar, opportunities that exist here, and how on a permanent basis we can meet the needs of our country in the future.

Each region is different, each county is different, each tiny part of the Earth is different from the others, and I think you have a special insight into how these tiny portions of America can be combined together to make the greatest nation on Earth even greater in the future.

I'm pleased to be with you and I'm honored. I met Aliceann Fritchler Wholberuck earlier tonight. You have an excellent executive secretary. She's worked, as you know, with the county organizations in the past, and I think that she will be a good one to bridge whatever gap might still remain between those of you who are responsible for development of the finest things of life and those who've been elected to serve at the local level of government, which by far is the most important level.

I hope that you will not ever be timid in letting your views be known to me and to the members of my administration with whom you work, who want to do a good job for you, and I know you want to do a good job for the same nation that I serve.

Thank you for letting me interrupt your meeting. God bless you, everyone.