FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

October 20, 2004
js-2044

The Honorable John W. Snow Prepared Remarks: Wharton High School Tampa, FL October 20, 2004
**Updated Version **

Good morning! It's great to be here at Wharton High School. I'm excited to learn more about your "Pro Start" program and to enjoy the fruits of your labors at lunchtime.
 
Take it from someone who is more than a little bit older than you… many things will change in this world as the years go by, and you'll see many changes in this great, flexible, resilient economy of ours. But one thing that doesn't change is this: preparing for your career through lots of good education and training is a recipe for a lifetime of employment opportunity.
 
It's also true that training for jobs that don't exist isn't terribly helpful. Training for jobs that are available in your community is the smart approach, and I understand that's what "Pro Start" is all about.
 
And the restaurant industry is a terrific place not only to work, but to build a base for careers ranging from public relations to business ownership. It's an industry that employs about 12 million people, which makes it the nation's largest private-sector employer. According to the National Restaurant Association, more than 4 out of 10 adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some time during their lives, and the number of foodservice managers is projected to increase by 15 percent over the next ten years.
 
I recently met with a restaurant industry leader named Skip Sack, who got his start in the world of work as a dishwasher at Howard Johnson's. He worked hard, served in the military, and later went back to Howard Johnson's to work in their advertising department. His career in the industry has been extremely impressive, from restaurant ownership to management to serving on boards of national chains. Today Skip is, among other things, the Chairman of the Board of the National Restaurant Association – which is the sponsor of "Pro Start."
 
Skip proved that hard work and perseverance can bring you to the highest levels of professional achievement. And I know he agrees that having a good education and relevant job training makes you very desirable as a prospective employee; it makes you more likely to get any given job than the other folks who are applying for it. If you have knowledge and skills on your side, you can compete with anyone, anywhere – whether the other job-seekers are here in Tampa, or anywhere in the world.
 
Living in a place where the economy is growing also helps, of course. That's why stimulating and growing the United States' economy has been a priority for my boss, President Bush.
 
We have work to do, and critical economic goals to reach. That said, our economy has come a long way. When he took office, President Bush inherited an economy in steep decline. The stock market bubble had been pierced. We were then shocked by terrorist attacks and wounded by reprehensible behavior by corporate CEOs that hurt employees, investors and shook investor confidence.
 
We are fortunate that our economy is the most open, flexible, adaptive and resilient in the world. Our powerful core elements – small-business owners and entrepreneurs, an outstanding workforce, and the simple fact that we operate as a free market – have enabled us to recover from those very difficult economic times.
 
Sound monetary policy from the Federal Reserve Board helped our recovery as well. Lower interest rates encouraged investment, which is critical for economic recovery and growth.
 
Finally, President Bush's tax cuts gave our economy the oxygen it needed to right itself, and continue on a path of growth and job creation.
 
Here in Florida, the President's tax cuts allowed small-business owners to keep more of their business income, and encouraged them to invest in the growth of their companies. For example, nearly 1.4 million business taxpayers here in Florida will save money on their 2004 taxes.
 
Similarly, the tax cuts have allowed individuals to keep more of their income. More than 6.1 million Florida taxpayers will have lower income tax bills in 2004 thanks to the tax relief.  
 
Letting people keep more of their own money, and spend it how they see fit, has helped put our nation on the right track. Nationwide, according to the BLS's establishment survey, over 1.9 million jobs have been created since last August – 13 straight months of job growth. More people than ever before own their own homes, and new homes are being purchased every day at near record rates. People are finding new, good jobs or getting a raise at work. They have more money in their pockets and can better afford things from cars to appliances to shoes for their children. National income and national wealth have never been higher and according to the BLS survey of jobs, the broadest survey of the workplace, we have more people working today than at any other time in our history, and 3.2 million jobs have been created since December 2001, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics Household Survey.
 
Here in Florida, I believe you economic recovery and growth means that you will be more likely to find a good job after you graduate. The state has generated 99,200 jobs so far this year, 16,600 of those in August alone. This is good news for those of you getting ready to enter the job market.
 
That said, we know we can do even better. There are also Americans who have lost their jobs and have struggled to find new ones, and new jobs cannot come soon enough for those folks. The question is: where will those jobs come from?
 
An important, ongoing truth of the American economy is this: the government won't and shouldn't choose what jobs are created; entrepreneurs and innovators will. Government's responsibility is to make sure they have the freedom to do so. And right at the center of job creation lie entrepreneurship and small businesses.  They create two out of three new jobs in the U.S. and it is because of them that jobs are growing at such a good rate across the country. 
 
That's why entrepreneurs and small-business owners are at the heart of President George W. Bush's economic policies. The President understands that creating an environment in which they can flourish is the essential ingredient in any recipe for economic growth. Often it is best if government simply gets out the way.
 
The "Pro Start" program here at Wharton is entrepreneurial in nature. It's that entrepreneurial spirit that works so well here in America. You're taking a different approach to preparing for life after high school, and it's working. I commend the staff, sponsors and students for making this such a great success.
 
Thank you again for having me here today; I look forward to learning more about all of you, and about "Pro Start," and wish you all the best in pursuing a lifetime of learning and successful careers.
 

-30-