REMARKS
BY
HONORABLE FARRIs BRYANT
DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PLANNING
AT THE
DELAWARE GOVERNORS' CONFERENCE
ON FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS
DOVER, OELAwARE

JANUARY 26, 1967

 

9
2. To ensure coordination in
process and purpose. That means puttin
the Governor in the co-pilot's seat.
While the President and the
Governors are setting our course, the
rest of us can keep the ashtrays clean,

and tigers in our tanks.

 

We have with us today a distinguish
group of Federal officials. They
know their jobs. We hope this meeting,
and the fallout from it, will enable
them to achieve a broader understanding
of state problems than can be secured
from dealing exclusively with their
special areas of concern.

I recognize the competence of

Governor Terry's staff. With such a

10

 
 

leader, it could not be otherwise.
e hope that they will acquire a
etter insight into the underlying
reasons for Federal procedures.

If this chemistry works, we will
develop administrative initiatives
that will make possible the
coordination we all seek.

May I introduce the Federal

Team:

HAROLD SEIDMAN, Assistant Director,
Bureau of the Budget;

DEAN W. COSTON, Deputy Under
Secretary, Department of Health,

Education and Welfare;

 

11 I

DR. BERTRAM BROWN, Deputy

Director, National Institute of Mental

Health;

 

JONATHAN LINDLEY, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Commerce;

HERBERT J. KRAMER, Assistant
Director, Office of Economic
Opportunity;

JAMES E. THORNTON and
BYRON G. ALLEN, Assistants to the
Secretary of Agriculture;

PHILIP E. RYAN, Assistant to the
Director for Intergovernmental
Relations, Department of Housing

and Urban Development;

 

ederal Water Pollution Control

12
JAMES M. QUIGLEY, Commissioner,

dministration.

In addition, ROBERT Y. PHILLIPS,
irector of Emergency Operations for
EP will discuss Disaster Relief;

RAYMOND N. SNEAD, Information
ystems Specialist with the National
esource Evaluation Center will brief
3 on State Data Comparability;

CHARLES E. LATHEY, Special

ssistant to the Director of
elecommunications Management will

iscuss his specialty.

 

13

Also here from my staff
are:

HUGH GALLAGHER, Director of
L i a i 3"? 

WALTER L. MAZAN, Assistant
for Federal-State Relations;

EMMET F. RIORDAN, Director of
Information; and our Assistant Director
of Information, JOHN COLEMAN.

I would end on this note. There
was a time when Americans enjoyed
parallel citizenship under governments
which served different levels of need --
Federal and State. Today we have parall
citizenship under governments serving

in the same areas of need. Federal

grants have risen from $30 million

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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annually in 1920 to nearly $15 billion
today. If we are to use these funds
isely and well, if we are to develop
programs most responsive to the needs
of the people, if we are to keep pace
ith an era of enormous change, we

ust innovate and create the
institutional means to master our

age in freedom. In the final analysis,
success will depend on the States and
the competence shown by them, as it
always has.

We are here today in the first
State of the Nation to begin that

process.

Q1 012' 1L"

i 5&1 @"TWJE?

 

 

 

I'm happy to be here. It is
fitting that we begin this series of
meetings with the leadership of
Delaware. As the first State of the
Union -- your delegate having been
the first to sign the Constitution --
Delaware is the most appropriate
place to begin this effort to make
Federalism creative in this twentieth
century.

It is fitting for another reason.
Governor Terry has been foremost among
the Governors in aiding and using this
Federal Government. He has served on
the Highway Safety Committee and the
National Resources Committee of the
Governors' Conference -- two posts

which gave him deep insight into the

problems of Federalism today. He is a

2
ember of the Constitutional Revisions
nd Governmental Reorganization
ommittee of the same Governors'
onference. He is in the thick of
ationwide efforts to simplify and
treamline our Federal-State
elationships.

The problems themselves are
ramatically demonstrated in the
tatistics of Federal-State relations
oday. At the present time, more
han 400 authorities exist for grant
rograms. At least 160 have been
dded since 1960. More than 1,000
ew Federal development districts,

reas and regions have been funded.

 

3
A survey in a single county showed
that Federal programs were administere
by 125 separate Federal bureaus and
divisions.

Here in Delaware, a relatively
small State, Governor Terry and his
administrative family must live and
work with 65 separate Federal grant
programs providing almost 35 million
dollars, and affecting every city and
county of the State. There are two

separate problems:

One -- the obvious problem -- is
budgetary.

The other -- less obvious, and
more important and difficult -- is the

administrative.

 

4
either of these problems is "political,"
or they are common for Republicans
nd Democrats.

Neither of these problems is
deliberate," for they are the unintended
esult of many separate actions by
he Congress in the pursuit of diverse
ut good goals.

Neither of these problems finds a

atural or obvious solution within

 
 
 
 

the framework of our established
institutions and practices.

One thing is clear! If we are

to find a solution, a methodology

must be formulated to insure the
coordination of diverse claims, programs

and administrations with related

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activities, shared concerns and similar
responsibilities within the State. It
follows "as the night the day" that
this cannot be done except through
the office and person of the Governor.
Essential to their solutions is
adequate "communications." The
President, in addressing the Federal
Department heads on November 11,
1966, and in his State of the Union
message January 10, placed great
emphasis upon that idea. He said in
part:
"The 88th and 89th Congresses
enacted more social and economic
legislation than any two Congresse

in our history. But all of this

 

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legislation will come to nothing
unless it reaches the people.
"Federal energy is essential.
But it is not enough. Only a
total working partnership among
Federal, State and local govern-
ments can succeed. The test of
that partnership will be the
concern of each public organi-
zation, each private institution,
and each responsible citizen...
"We intend to work with the
States and localities to do
exactly that."
And just a few days ago, President
Johnson reaffirmed these sentiments in

his Budget Message to the Congress.

 

He said, in part:

7
"Our agenda must give high priorit

to a stronger and more effective

federal system of government in the

United States. To meet urgent and

growing needs, the Federal Government
is providing a wide range of programs
to assist State and local governments.
Now the chief task is to manage these
programs efficiently at every level
of government to assure the most

effective public services...

"Another aspect of the problem
of intergovernmental cooperation has
been the process of consultation with
elected officials of State and local
governments on matters concerning the

development and administration of

 

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ederal assistance programs.
overnors and local chief executives
re responsible for the management of
heir units of government. The
ederal Government should take all
ractical steps to increase the role
f these executives in the adminis-
ration of federally aided programs..."

We are here today to implement
hose ideas. Our objectives are
imple:

1. To establish adequate

ommunications. We want to be sure

 

that we are all on the same frequency,
that our earphones are plugged in,
nd that everyone who should be

eard has a working microphone.