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NEWS CONFERENCE
MIAMI, FLORIDA
MAY 3, 196R
Q. Governor Bryant, whom are yOu supporting in Tuesday's Democratic
Primary for Governor: Governor Bryant, in your opinion, can the man
who succeeds you as Governor run the state for the next two years
withOut new taxes?
Well, I would say that those are two pretty interesting questions
and are some of the questions that will he asked tonight or our
distinguished guest, the Honorable Farris Bryant, Governor of the Great
State of Florida, as we roll Miami Press Conference on this Sunday
evening and discuss the subject or Florida, what's ahead, how are we
headed on Miami Press Conference.
We are back with our distinguished guest this evening, the
Governor of Florida, Farris Bryant, to make his appearance on Miami
Press Conference and tell us about Florida where we are headed, how
it looks and now that we are on the last half year or so or the Bryant
Administration perhaps some of the things that may be ahead. The
questions fer Governor Bryant come from Jack Kassewitz of the Miami
News and John McDermott or the Hiami Herald. Gentlemen, we will start
off with a question from you Jack.
Q. Governor, who are you supporting in Tuesday's election?
GOVERNOR: Well, I have spent this entire campaign not supporting any-
one and I am not going to change at this late date.
Q. Well, do yOu think it is about time for South Florida to elect 8
Governor?
GOVERNOR: I think it is time to pick the best man for all Florida
wherever he may come from.
Q. we11, then would you say that all six or any one of the six are
well qualified or is any one better qualified than the others?
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on 75 go on down to Tampa and into St. Petersburg. And this is 27 ~-
to help you get from Tallahassee on down heading toward the southern
end of the state. We are only able to carry it this far during this
administration, but this is all four-laning. This is continuous and
you can travel in that fashion all over Florida on Pour-laned roads
that have been completed during this administration. Now here we
are adding :0 it the Interstate system that we have under construction
or will be under construction before this administration is over.
you can
notice here/(pointing at map) came in at JaSper, Florida, in Hamilton
NOW,
County at 75, and before this administration is over -- in the next
eight months - it will be completed all the way into St. Petersburg
It will
and Tampa. tie on at this point to 303 so that if you are
going from Tampa to Jacksonville you can go in that way. If you are
going from the north into Tampa and St. Petersburg, you can go this
way. Now here, 14 -- if you come in from the north and want to go to
Jacksonville you can take l-H across into Jacksonville. Here is the
1-95 from Daytona north to Jacksonville - that will be all under
construction and here is a Special section in the Canaveral area that
will be about 50 miles long that we are building particularly for tnem.
Then of course, here and here we are adding sections to the Interstate
system that have already been begun.
Now let's show one mOre overlay here -- this is the Turnpike.
With the use of this Turnpike if you are down in Miami and want to go
to Orlando or north to 75 or if you want to go here and go across to
Tampa this is the way you will be able to go, all this way on the
Turnpike to this point and then you can go north if you like or if you
want to 30 west you can go in this fashion. At the present time, of
course, if you want to go to Jacksonville that way, you can get on 1-4
and join here at I95 and go north to Jacksonville.
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Q. Governor, excuse me for interrupting you right here. If we
need all of these roads so badly as obviouely we do or we wouldn't
be building them, why then should we come along and build a multi-
million road down here to Islendia?
GOVERNOR: A multi~mil10n dollar road to lslandia?
Q. Yes -~ down through the Keys, down on to -
GOVERNOR: Why should we?
Q. Yes. when we need a priority on all Lhese roads first?
GOVERNOR: Because we are not going to use a penny of state money on
the proposed Islandia road. The building of Islandia road or
causeway will have no effect on the construction of any of the other
roads that we need, except this -- whenever you build a causeway, as
in this situation, and highway with toll money the gasoline that is
used on that toll road is then used to build free roads. For instance,
on this turnpike here already in the seven years that it has been in
existence it has produced ten million seven hundred thousand dollars
in gasoline taxes that has been used to build free roads in the state.
Q. Governor, a point that has been brought Up repreatedly in the
present governor's race is that you have deliberately failed to build
I-95 which would parallel with the turnpike down into south Florida
because you didn't want it to conflict with the revenue that the state
gets out of the turnpike?
GOVERNOR: Well, there are so many answers to that I am delighted to
have a chance to give a few of them. Piret of all, when this admini-
stration started, the only portion of 1-05 that was under construction
at all was the little piece in Miami and that and part of the
Jacksonville Expressway. Thin whole Federal program is designed to
be completed in 1972, not because we dont want to complete it before
then but because the Federal Government is spreading the money out
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over those years. Now, we are building the Turnpike from the
1-95 from the Georgia line down to Daytona to tie on to 1-. Then
we are building 50 miles in here that has never been scheduled to be
built this soon -- right along paralleling the Turnpike as it were.
We are building a section in here that was not scheduled to be built.
Now you will recall that during the previous administration 1-95 and
the Turnpike for b0 miles were made the same highway. There is
nothing that I can do about that. This had been determined before I
got here and it will be determined long after I am gone. And so there
is no possibility of my building additional highway in that area. But
we are building, I would say, twice as much of 195 during this
administration as was scheduled to be built during these four years
when I became governor.
Let me show you - will you show this last chart here, please.
This is the other four-lane roads. Mind you we are building worlds
of twolane roads but these are the other four-lane roads. And now
you see in this area here how extensiVe -- we have got 167 miles of
four-lane roads in Dade County alone, four or other multi-lane roads.
This is the so-called Alligator lley or Everglades Parkway. It is
the only way that Broward County has to 30 west. Now this is being
done completely by Broward and Collier Counties. This is not a
state project, except that we are letting them use our facilities.
It is their money and their project. When you look at this total
program, you will see that we kind of left North Florida out of it a
bit, but other than that this great state will be covered with four-
laned, rapidtravel roads.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, later this year Governor Bryant has
kindly consented to come back and give Channel 10 a good, long wind-
up report about the Bryant Administration. I am sure that each and
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GOVERNOR: Well, of course, each one of us I, as you - have an
opinion, but I don't think the GOVEFUO? of Florida ought to use his
. position to influence the decision of the people. I have complete
confidence that they will pick a good man, and I will be cOntented
with what they do.
Q. Well, then, one more on that line: Do you think, then, it is
necessary for a candidate for Governor to spend cowards of a million
dollars to obtain thin office?
GOVERNOR: I think it depends upon the particular campaign, and the
people will decide themselves whether they think it wise and proper.
Q. Governor, 18 yOUr decision to stay out of this completely based at
all upon the fact that your predecesor, )overnor Collins, injected
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Limeelf into your race in the latter stages of the campaign in 1960?
GOVERNOR: In all honetty i must confess that probably has a lot to
. do with my Opinion. 1 ielt very Strongly then that he Should not have
tried to intercede and 1 made my mind up a: the time that I was not
going to do so. I wan grateful that the people permitted me to serve
these four years. I have enjoyed it, and I certainly don't want to
interfere with their right to select a"ain.
a, Governor, you said that yen have enJchd these four years. What
do you have 1m mind when you leave? There was a tip-off item in the
Miami Herald today to the effect that you were thinking of or
considering perhaps opening a law office in Daytono Beach when your
ndminiotration is 00mplet0n. what would you comment on that?
GOVERNOR: My plane are to go back to 00313 to gractice law. How,
these are not firm plane in that they could not be changed, but
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currently that is what I plan to do.
. La. Would you have intere:t in elective office at a future date?
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GOVERNOR: That will depend upon what it is, who are the candidates,
and what are the issues?
Q. Governor, we were Just watching Brailey Odham here a minute ago.
Would you like to sit in the United States Senate?
GOVERNOR: Under the right circumstances -- I think any man would
enjoy that. However, 1 could have run this time, of course, but I
chose not to do so. I could have run for either at this time.
Q. Why did you not offer again for governor, Governor?
GOVERNOR: Well, I have served Four years and while the law and the
Constitutional Amendment adapted by the peOple does permit me to run
again, I don't think that was the intent of those who framed that
provision. 1 don't think that is what the peOple had in mind, and I
thought it would be sort of a clever and s not good faith thing to do.
Q. Governor, isn't it a debatable point among lawyers as to whether
you would have had that right to run or not?
GOVERNOR: What point is not debatable among lawyers? (laughter)
Q. I think that is the quote of the week.
Q. Governor, one of the hot issues in the present campaign has been
over the possible reduction of the increase in automobile tags.
Number one, do you think it wll be feasible to reduce this tag cost?
And number two, how than would you replace the revenue if this was
reduced by the next Legislature?
GOVERNOR: Whether or not it is feasible, of course, depends upon the
appropriation made by the next Legislature. Whatever is appropriated
must be financed or else we have to approach insolvency. The Governor,
of course, does have some influence on what those apprOpriations are.
I would point this out to you, though: In the last Legislature taxes
were increased in the amount of $164 million into the General Revenue
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Fund of the state, but educational expenditures -~ direct educational
expenditures were increased $lu5 million. For all practical purposes
all or the tax increase, except that $16 million -~ say 90 per cent
of the tax increase -- went for education. I came to the conclusion
late in 1961 that we were in the midst of a knowledge revolution that
was going to have greater impact upon Florida and America than anything
that ever happened, or at least in my lifetime, and we had to get
ready for it. I think the peeple when they voted on the bond issue
in November of last year said "yes, we believe that, too." And the
only way to get prepared for it was to provide the teachers' salaries,
the college buildings, the salaries For professcrs, the various facilities
reQuired, and that is what we have done. Now in order to go back, in
order to do away with any of those taxes that were put on or reduce
taxes, some expenditures must be out. You could cut welfare, you could
cut roads, you could out anything that you wanted to theoretically, but
this is a growing state and practically the possibilities of cutting
are very, very limited.
Q. Governor, in your opinion will it be possible for the next governor
to exist or to direct the state affairs for two years without new taxes?
GOVERNOR:
I think it may be possible. Now here again this depends
upon what the next Legislature does. But let me show you -- when I
became Governor in 1961 the state had a carry-over of unmet needs
which have now been met. We had buildings appropriated -- for instance,
we Just put under contract recently a building that was first appropriated
for at the University in 1957. We have built them at Florida A and M
University, we have built prison buildings that have been appropriated
for for years but never built because funds ran out, appropriations were
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larger than revenue. That hasn't been true during this Administration.
we have had, as we have today, a balanced budget. We have built all
the prison buildings that we require at this time. We used to have
16 prisoners in a cell for 4 or 6 men. We have the right number in
there now. Our Sunland Training Center program has been expanded --
a new one at Marianna, a new one here in Miami. In Mental Health
a new ROG-bed hospital in Broward County, a new facility in Chattahooche.
We replaced those old civil war relics that were there and that you
fellows that hung around the Legislature heard about so long. You will
find that the capital needs of this state have been met. All of the
peeple that we had on 60 and 80 hours a week - they are now on MO hours
a week. He had people in the prison system and the mental health system
that were working 60 and 80 hours a week. That is not true any more.
In addition to this, during this last year, we have received and have
now an excess of some $17 million mOre than was anticipated. we have
accomplished great savings in this Adminstration, so when this administratio
is over we will have built up all of the leftover things from prior
administrations and we will be on a balanced budget with a surplus in
the bank. Now the next Legislature if it wants to follow a conservative
policy and not expand the programs further may be able to do so without
additional taxes.
Q. Governor, you are leaving the state in good shape in one respect
in this $50 million bond issue that was voted last fall for higher
education for capital outlay. Now where is the money going to come
from to equip these buildings and staff these buildings and everything
else that goes into a building besides the bare four walls? Aren't you
making it difficult for the next governor to carry on this program or to
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complete the program that you have started?
In the first place it is going to take
GOVERNOR: On the contrary.
some time these buildings haven't even begun yet. We havent even
sold the bonds yet. They will be sold and the buildings will be
started -- many of them this year sometime and they will be complete
a year or so from now. But Florida grows and its prosperity is such
that it produces more revenue out of existing taxes. I don't say that
T would tell you now that the next session can go without taxes because
I really havent made that study, but 1 would not be surprised if it
could do so under a conservative policy. Remember that in the 1961
session of the Legislature that was the first session since the war
that there had been no major tax increases and that may be possible again.
Q. Wasn't that a mistake, though, because then we had to double up in '63?
GOVERNOR: On the contrary we haven't doubled up in '63. We have met
educational needs as they have been realized in '63.
Q. Governor, we hit the taxpayer pretty hard in '63 any way you look
at it, did we not?
let's see now -- let's think about that. He pays less
GOVERNOR: well ,
for his automobile taxes than any other state in the southeast except
Delaware .
Q. He pays more than he did the previous year, though?
He has no
GOVERNOR: He pays no tax on food, no tax on medicine.
income tax. There is not state tax. I would say that the taxpayer
in Florida, though he pays more than he did in 1959, pays less than
comparable citizens in other states. And certainly for the -- one
thing that people have a hard time realizing about a state like Florida --
if our pOpulation was stable and we apprOpriated money here for facilities
for pOpulation at this level here that would be one thing, but we must
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appropriate here for a state that is up here by the time the
appropriations have been fulfilled and made. Florida can provide
for a stable economy and if we want to quit growing, we have no
more tax problems. But if we are going to grow, then we have a
continuing problem of meeting the needs of the state.
Q. Governor Bryant, what is your comment to the charge that is being
made in the current Governor's race by, I believe, it is Senator
Mathews and maybe others -- that there will be virtually no road
money left for the first six months or the first year of the next
governor's administration because your administration overspent?
GOVERNOR: I am so glad you brought that up. This is the first time
I have heard of it. I didn't know Senator Mathews or anybody else
said it as a matter of fact.
Q. I am not positive that is was Senator Mathews.
GOVERNOR: Well, regardless of personalities it doesn't make any
difference, because it is an issue that ought to be discussed. In
August or 1960, a year before I became governor after I had conferences
with the previous governor, all new contracts were stepped because the
Road Department was out of money and was violating the provision for
twenty per cent cash carry-over. I was unable to begin building roads
until May or begin letting more contracts until May of 1961. We
started off the year with an $8 million cash deficit, owing the
Federal Government in addition $5 million in trust fund. In addition
to that you may recall that the Road Department was under a serious
cloud with the Blatnik Committee and the Bureau of Public Roads. I
have never told this before in Florida, but I spent some grand days
in Washington in those early months trying to re-establish in the
minds of the Bureau of Public Roads confidence in Florida's road
system. But let me tell you what has happened -- today we are solvent.
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We not only are solvent, we have maintained the cash requirements that
the Legislature has established. In addition to that, we have re-
organized the right-ofway department in cooperation with the Bureau
of Public Roads. We have established what is called concurrent billing -
you may have seen a picture in the paper or a story in the newspaper
some many months ago the Federal Bureau of Public Roads gave us $21
million on money that historically is in a pipeline. Up until this
administration you had to build a Federal road and then after you had
built it you had to send in the reports on it and six months later after
they had checked the road and audited all your accounts -- or a year
later in some instances -- they send you payment for it. That's not true
any more. Today our position is such with the Federal Bureau of Public
Roads that when we build a road and pay the contractor we immediately
send the bill to the Federal Bureau and they immediately repay us -- we
may get payment in three or four days. And in this fashion, all of
the money that we are due is ours, here, now. This is $21 million we
got in one check for this particular program. I don't think there is
any question about it. In fact, I know there is no question about it.
When this administration is over the Road Department, as the other
branches of the government, will be solvent and there will be left for
the next governor the exercise of discretion to the degree that he ought
to have it.
Q. Governor Bryant, I would like to ask you about three road projects
everyone would be interested in down here. What is the success story
on the Turnpike from Wildwood going on now, what are the chances? Is
the Lauderdale~Everglades-Naples road a good idea? And what is the
story about Islandia and the causeway down to Islandia?
GOVERNOR:
Well,
first of all, let me talk a little bit about the
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Turnpike. The Turnpike last month produced 83 per cent more revenue
than it did a year. It is fiscally sound. Within by July first it
will be tied into 1-75 and you will be able to get on the Turnpike
in Miami and end up, if you like to, at macon, Georgia. And Georgia
is carrying it on further and it won't be -- well they are twenty
miles beyond Macon now -- pretty soon you will be into Atlanta and on
to the north. That is the story on the Turnpike. It is a tremendous
success in all respects. It is saving lives, it's going to bring people,
particularly here to South Florida, in such quantities that we have
never dreamed of.
I want to show you something that we have been doing about the
road program or Florida. I brought these charts along. I thought they
would be helpful to you. This is what I call the "off-the-top" program
that we have established in the State of Florida. When we began this
administration we said we ought to build four-lane roads that serve the
entire state without regard for what districts they are, what counties
they are, or what the politics of it is. We determined that U. S. 1
would be completed. Well, every inch of U. S. 1 has been completed
or is now under construction. We had to build sections in seven counties,
but now you are going to be able to travel within Just a couple or months
from one end of Florida to the Other on U. S.
1. We are building State
Road 60 across from Tampa -- I will show you in a moment how that is
going to tie in with the Turnpike, but the peOple that want to go between
Tampa and the lower East Coast have always had a difficult time. State
Road 60 is being four-laned across here -- it can be four-laned across
to the Turnpike and then on down into the lower East Coast area or
across any part of it.
This is 301, this is to help us get across
from Jacksonville to tie into 75 and as you will see in Just a moment
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