00:00:37.240 - 00:01:17.760

mhm. Okay. Mhm. Okay. Uh huh. Mhm You? Yeah. Hi, I'm Senator Lawton Charles, and I'd like to welcome you to the Lord Charles update. Today we're going to look at our country's defense posture and we'll visit Key West Naval Air Station, home of Top Gun School on the East Coast.

00:01:18.240 - 00:01:36.050

Later in our show, we look at high school dropout prevention programs in Jacksonville. But first, let's talk about a very exclusive and costly retirement program. The one offered only two former presidents. Everyone knows the president has a tough job. Responsibilities are enormous, and the decisions are never easy.

00:01:36.540 - 00:02:03.660

But once the president leaves office, the responsibilities and decision making are left behind. Americans won't former presidents to have a dignified retirement. We don't want them to be financially hard pressed in the way Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Ulysses Grant were. Former presidents have a unique perspective and an invaluable experience, but that's no reason for taxpayers to provide them with the lifestyle so privileged and comfortable that they live better than the incumbent.

00:02:04.240 - 00:02:23.050

Yet over the years, that's exactly what's happened. We've seen a phenomenon developed that I call the era of the imperial former president. When George Washington was elected in 17 88 he was the first and only president in a world dominated by royalty, kings and queens who were born to their imperial throne.

00:02:24.010 - 00:02:44.450

In fact, when Washington took office, some of his supporters wanted to crown him king. He wouldn't allow it. Others wanted to call him his most gracious highness, president of the United States and protector of their liberties. But Washington said that Mr President would be just fine if you have any regard for me, he said, banished such thoughts forever.

00:02:45.340 - 00:03:09.360

Next January, the 20th will be inaugurating our 41st president and at the same time returning the current president of private life. For many years, our former presidents didn't receive benefits from the government. After leaving the White House 1953 Harry Truman received no pension, no Secret Service protection, answered male with his own pen and paid for the stamps out of his pocket.

00:03:09.940 - 00:03:35.360

But how? That's changed. In 1958 Congress passed the former president's act to provide a pension and a variety of other benefits. Today, a former president receives a pension of more than $99,000 a year. That's what a Cabinet circuit Terry currently earns a salary. They also receive an annual office and a staff allowance of about $300,000 lifetime around the clock.

00:03:35.360 - 00:03:59.250

Secret Service protection alone can cost as much as $7 million per president per year. The cost of these benefits have continued to rise drastically over the years. In 1960 the tab picked up by taxpayers for former presidents total a little over $380,000. Today, the same services cost the federal government $26 million each year.

00:03:59.940 - 00:04:19.180

Since 1982. It's cost more for our former presidents than it does to run the White House. And there's also the Presidential Library Act. The idea originally where that friends and supporters would raise funds to construct a library and turn it over to the government, which would take care of its annual up key.

00:04:19.940 - 00:04:41.460

It was estimated at the time that the libraries would cost around $100,000 a year. Today we have seven presidential libraries, one for Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford and the recently opened Carter Library. And of course, there are longstanding library proposals for both Nixon and Reagan.

00:04:42.140 - 00:05:00.260

On the average, these libraries cost more than $1.5 million a year to operate, more than 15 times the original estimate. That's why Congress has approved my presidential libraries law. The new law requires an endowment of 20% of the buildings cost to help take care of the upkeep.

00:05:00.840 - 00:05:23.250

It also limits the libraries to 70,000 square feet. I think that's reasonable, especially when you consider a football field takes up. Only 48,000 square feet. Another law are proposed would limit Secret Service protection. Former presidents and widows of former presidents now receive automatic round the clock protection, regardless of whether a threat exists.

00:05:23.710 - 00:05:47.960

My proposal, however, calls for protection and other services to be reduced over a period of time. Five years after the president leaves office, Secret Service protection would end unless there's a proven need established after 10 years, the staff allowance would drop to a minimum. Tax supported staff would also be prohibited from working on partisan political activities or from things like writing memoirs.

00:05:48.640 - 00:06:06.040

At a recent hearing on the bill, I looked into the need for lifetime Secret Service protection, Mike Endicott was head of the Secret Service detail, which guarded Richard Nixon until the former president gave up that protection in 1985. Mike resigned from the Secret Service at that time.

00:06:06.050 - 00:06:32.400

While he still protects Nixon, his services are now paid for by the former president, not the taxpayers. For the last 2.5 years, I have traveled to cities around the world, including numerous USA cities with former President Nixon. We have been to the Meadowlands for New York Giants football games to Shea and Yankee Stadium for met in Yankee Games, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, the circus and many other public events.

00:06:32.840 - 00:06:55.660

At most of these events, we usually sit in the general public seats, even though VIP boxes are usually available. We have walked the streets of New York from the East Side to Midtown to the Wall Street area, with also walked the streets of Washington, D, C, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris, London, Istanbul, Moscow and Beijing, just to name a few.

00:06:56.040 - 00:07:12.850

On most of the of those occasions I have been alone with the former president. I must say that never and I repeat, never have I felt that the safety of the former president was threatened. Mike concludes that when the president leaves office, the threat level decreases over time.

00:07:13.240 - 00:07:36.560

Let me suggest that above all you must look at the threat level. That's the actual threats by individual or individuals who are capable of carrying out a threat and also at the interest level. This would be people who have come to the attention of the Secret Service because they have shown an unusual interest in the former president, but not, but have not made a direct threat.

00:07:38.040 - 00:07:58.370

My experiences of the last 22 years lead me to conclude that when the president leaves office, the threat level diminishes much more rapidly than the interest level. The more controversial the individual, the higher the interest level, but not necessarily the threat level threats against government officials.

00:07:58.370 - 00:08:15.860

Why in office are generally directed at the office and not at the individual? The threats usually do not follow the official out of office. The level and intensity of threats generally diminished the longer the official is out of office until the threats are more theoretical than realistic.

00:08:16.340 - 00:08:37.120

Nevertheless, one must always be prepared. You must understand that domestic and world events and media exposure often heightened anxiety and people who have emotional problems. This can result in an increase in both the threat and interest levels. Intelligence is the key factor in developing the level of security for any individual.

00:08:37.640 - 00:09:08.260

It plays an especially important role with the former presidents. By intelligence, I mean the ability to take information otherwise gathered by the Secret Service from appropriate sources and have it flow to the person responsible for the protection of an individual. Any bill that would relieve the secret service of the responsibility of protecting the former presidents must consider the need for coordination between the Secret Service and the security staff of the former president on all intelligent matters.

00:09:08.740 - 00:09:37.350

Adequate arrangements must be made to handle the flow of both routine and classified information. Informal arrangements are not the answer. Mike made some recommendations concerning the protection and former presidents. He believes the border review should be established to determine whether security is necessary. I recommend that aboard a review board be established to include professional career law enforcement people, congressional representatives and treasury representatives.

00:09:37.740 - 00:10:00.950

This committee would meet after the former president was out of office five years. It would then review the threat level, interest level and other intelligence information available. It would also review the travel activities of the former president and make a determination if the Secret Service protection should be terminated at the sixth anniversary.

00:10:01.340 - 00:10:20.940

If the board agrees that the Secret Service protection should not be dropped, the situation would be reviewed every six months. When it is determined that the Secret Service is no longer needed, the staff of the former president should be increased by up to six positions. Full funding would include travel expenses.

00:10:21.210 - 00:10:49.900

These positions would need to be empowered with full law enforcement powers to include the making of arrests and carrying of weapons. These people then could assume completely the operations and logistic rolls ordinarily provided by the Secret Service. In addition, in addition to coordinating the travel schedule and security arrangements that could travel with the former president, most of our former presidents write books, make television appearances and give speeches for additional income.

00:10:49.990 - 00:11:07.260

It seems to me that taxpayers money should not be used to pay the staff that does the research for these income generating projects. None of these measures is intended to penalise ex presidents. The whole idea is that over time the need for protection and other services declines.

00:11:07.740 - 00:11:35.960

It just makes sense that the longer person is a former president, the smaller the need for big offices, large staffs, guards and taxpayer support. Harry Truman was once asked if he missed all the pomp of Washington. The former president responded by quoting Benjamin Franklin, who said, In free governments, the rulers of the servants and the people, their superiors for the former, therefore to return Among the latter is not to downgrade them but to promote them.

00:11:36.740 - 00:12:02.720

Think about that. A promotion to the office of Citizen Truman said he thought a lot about that after his own promotion. We owe our former presidents all the respect to the office they once held, and I believe they've earned their retirement pay. But once they've been promoted back into private life, a dignified not a royal retirement is the highest honor we can give when we return.

00:12:02.720 - 00:12:39.870

We look at the role of Florida plays in our nation's defense. Mhm. Mm. Okay. Mhm. Wake up, wake. Listen to what you have to say. The power of teaching well I don't know the power to wake up young minds. The power to wake up the world.

00:12:39.880 - 00:13:04.560

Teachers have that power reach for the power teach. We're recruiting young teachers. Call 1 845 teach. Welcome back. Florida plays a key role in our nation's defense. We've trained men and women for services and all of our armed forces. Much of the high tech equipment now used by our modern military was developed by private industries in Florida.

00:13:05.340 - 00:13:27.450

Equally important to our state has been the economic impact the military has on many of our communities. Statewide, the Department of Defense employs more than 170,000 personnel at 30 different facilities. This accounts for a payroll of more than $2 billion a year, an amount that places Florida fourth among the states and military pay.

00:13:28.140 - 00:13:53.460

Military retirees living in Florida received almost $1.8 billion last year, the third largest total of any other state. Pensacola Naval Air Station is in northwest Florida. The base spreads out over 16,500 acres and includes the Technical Training Center at Corey Station and the Education and Training Program Development Center at Soft Rayfield.

00:13:54.140 - 00:14:17.260

It's here at Pensacola that young naval aviators receive their gold wings in 1940 for during the height of World War two, more than 12,000 young pilots were trained here. Since then, the base has become the training command headquarters for the Navy. The USS Lexington, the Navy's only full time training aircraft carrier, is also stationed in Pensacola.

00:14:18.000 - 00:14:41.760

The Lexington is smaller than the nation's new super carriers, but she's still longer than three football fields. Naval Air Station, Pensacola employs more than 9000 civilians and another 12,000 military personnel. Excellent and Tyndall Air Force bases are also located in North Florida. These installations play a major role in protecting our nation's airspace.

00:14:42.440 - 00:15:04.530

Pilots from around the country come here to train at Tyndall, Pilots began their training in the T 33 shooting star and soon graduate to the top of the line. The F 15 eagle, one of the world's most respected fighter planes. The complicated F 15 jet can fly more than 2.5 times the speed of sound every two years.

00:15:04.530 - 00:15:26.160

The best fighter pilots in the business participate in a three week competition in North Florida called William tell it simulates wartime air to air combat to sharpen fighting skill. Another training program is called Copper Flag. It's held three times a year, and trains are personnel in the best ways to protect against airborne threats.

00:15:26.840 - 00:15:49.590

Tyndall is also headquarters for C Rock, the Southeast Region Operation Control Center. The center functions under the supervision of the 23rd North American Aerospace Command. It oversees the region from Maryland to the Florida Keys to Laredo, Texas, taking in more than 3000 miles of shoreline, 19 states and the District of Columbia.

00:15:50.030 - 00:16:12.260

See Rocks Mission is surveillance and keeps an eye on all incoming air traffic, including drug smugglers. Tindolini Glynn employed more than 23,000 military and civilian personnel for the South. In Orlando Blue Jackets Navy recruits can be seen on parade. Each year, thousands of men and women receive their basic naval training in Orlando.

00:16:13.140 - 00:16:35.690

Since its commission in 1968 the Naval Training Center has graduated an average of 600 recruits a week. Women began arriving in Orlando for recruit training in 1972 and two years later, the training command for men and women were consolidated. The basic military training for all female recruits joining the Navy is conducting in Orlando.

00:16:36.420 - 00:16:59.860

In addition to training recruits, the center also maintains the service School command, the Nuclear Power School and the Navy recruiting orientation unit. The Naval Training Center employs more than 17,500 military and civilian personnel. For the South is Key West Naval Air Station. It's our country's southernmost naval base.

00:17:01.040 - 00:17:28.170

It plays a major role in protecting our coastline from German subs. During both world wars in 1962 the Cuban missile crisis put the base on a constant ready. Alert, reconnaissance and operational frights and support of the Cuban blockade took off from the air station. The same commitment can be seen today, and many of the ongoing missions at Key West, the Navy's only patrol hydrofoil missile ship squadron, is based here.

00:17:28.910 - 00:17:55.460

The peacetime mission of the squadron is to conduct surveillance, screening and special operations in time of war. The ships would operate offensively against major surface vessels, using its surface to surface harpoon missiles. The USS Gemini is one of six hydrofoil ships based here. This 140 ft long ship can travel at speeds in excess of 40 knots of 46 MPH.

00:17:56.540 - 00:18:17.560

Lieutenant Commander Bernard McCullum is the Gemini skipper. He outlined her mission. Its purpose as design was participating. Anti surface warfare and what that essentially means is in the time of the war, the ship would hide in a narrow strait or passage and attack a passing enemy surface craft.

00:18:18.240 - 00:18:38.710

The Gemini is powered by jet engines. Commander McCullum explained how the craft works. Ship buys it sits. Holborn draws approximately 8 ft of water. The hydrofoils, located on the fourth and after end of the ship, extend on hydraulic rams. And when the hydrofoils are extended, the ship draws approximately 24 ft of water ships propelled by an L.

00:18:38.710 - 00:18:56.120

M 2500 gas turbine engine, which is a Marron ized version of a DC 10 aircraft engine. It's propelled by a two stage water jet. Propulsion, and the force developed by the propulsive causes the shift to lift out of the water on the hydrofoils. So the whole portion of the ship is actually clear.

00:18:56.120 - 00:19:15.320

The water when the ship is foil born. The Geminis, fitted with some of the most sophisticated electronics in the Navy. Onboard computers guide the harpoon missiles to their targets more than 70 miles away. The computer has the ability to distinguish between friendly and enemy craft in the area.

00:19:16.140 - 00:19:33.850

After the coordinates are logged in, the missiles are activated and ready for launch. It's a major advancement in the field of modern weaponry. There's just one of the many missions taking place at Key West. At Boca Chica Field, members of the Fighter Squadron 45 are finishing their flight briefings.

00:19:34.700 - 00:19:58.560

The squadron of 20 officers and 150 enlisted personnel plays a major role in training our fleet aviators, Lieutenant Scott Osborn explained the mission, a VF 45. Basically, our mission down here in Key West is we teach the strike fighter wing type of pilots come down here, and we beef up their skills and dog fighting.

00:19:58.570 - 00:20:33.410

So our mission pretty much is ACM, which is air combat maneuvering. Well, we're pretty much the enemy. As you can tell by the Russians. Red Star and the Russian type of numbers on the front of the aircraft we try to make a little more realistic are on top of our squad, and we have two red stars and basically It's a little bit for effect to try showing those pilots when they come down from either Oshie on A or Cecil in Florida that hey, you're now in the bad boys country and it's not a not a game.

00:20:33.410 - 00:20:52.630

Now it's all a simulation. The F 16 has a camera in its, uh, gun pot. So what we can do is actually come back after debriefing a mission weekend. The camera inside the news of the aircraft can see exactly what the pilots seeing so we can simulate.

00:20:52.640 - 00:21:14.160

Um, you know, it's all voice. Basically, we'll be calling like guns or, you know, missile simulated missile shot. And we can watch it from there and pretty much you can tell with whether you're in parameters of the missile or the guns. If you're too far out or whatever, Lieutenant Osborn said, the squadron functions like a top gun school for the East Coast of the country.

00:21:14.640 - 00:21:33.550

We handle pretty much the, uh, the Atlantic Side. VF 1 26 handles the is the Adversary Squadron for the Pacific Coast and the Top Gun Squadron. Basically, we're almost like a mini top gun here, so we handle the the East Coast and VF 1 26 handles the West Coast and then top guns.

00:21:33.550 - 00:21:55.000

The long school were Our class normally lasts about two weeks. As the top gun class, you're out there for five and six weeks. Tactical electronic warfare. Squadron 33 is also located at Boca Chica. 21 aircraft attached to the squadron and known as fibers. They trained pilots and electronic warfare tactics.

00:21:55.260 - 00:22:13.420

Lieutenant Aryan Kozak is one of the squadron pilots. She explained what an average day is life. Well, we usually brief a couple hours before we get ready to take off. We brief altogether. Everybody was going to be in the flight. We talk about how we're gonna do the take off what we're gonna do when we get out there.

00:22:13.420 - 00:22:26.560

How to take care of the mission. And then, finally, how we're gonna come back and land? Uh, we briefed for different things. Uh, including the weather changes. Or if something should happen to the runway where we might have to go to a different airfield, a lot of different things.

00:22:26.940 - 00:22:45.800

Uh, then about 45 minutes before we are planned takeoff time, we walked down. We read our discrepancy book find out what anything that might be wrong with the plane, get our flight gear on and come out here and do a pre flight. And we happened. Everybody takes off pretty much at the same time we join together and go out there.

00:22:45.960 - 00:23:05.160

As soon as we locate the ship, we come inbound to it. And we usually have planned raids that we follow something that is, I believe, originally was taken from what they've seen the Soviets do in the past. And, uh so we run in with, usually get our jammers started.

00:23:05.490 - 00:23:28.230

They started jamming the radar, and then we have us come in as missile simulators. After that, the squadron tries to fool a ship's radar system by using special electronic jamming equipment. Hopefully, well, the ship. If they do see a seasons as an inbound missile, we have a simulator pod that emits electronic signals that lets them think that we are a missile.

00:23:28.490 - 00:23:45.960

Hopefully we're trying to accomplish is that we're going to jam the radar scopes as a Soviet plane or another, uh, force might do to us. To where? That you wouldn't see a missile coming inbound. And so if they see us they want. If they don't see us, we want.

00:23:46.810 - 00:24:05.670

Since its commissioning in 1917, the Key West Naval Air Station has continued to play a vital role in our nation's defense. The economic impact of the base on Monroe County economy is tremendous. Almost 4000 men and women are employed at Key West, with a payroll of more than $63 million.

00:24:06.240 - 00:24:27.690

So you see, throughout Florida, the military not only serves as a peacekeeper, but as a major investment in our communities. When we return, we look at the high school dropout program in Duval County. Be seated. The enemy has penetrated our lines. Last week, these soldiers were on their civilian jobs.

00:24:27.960 - 00:24:47.180

Now they're working to protect our country. They're members of the National Guard and Reserve, and they make up a full third of our nation's defense. But they need time to train. If you're an employer, give them that time. This was an exercise to help keep our forces trained and ready to support The National Guard and Reserve.

00:24:47.320 - 00:25:10.560

Protect their future while they protect yours. Welcome back. Florida has a dismal high school dropout record. That's why several months ago I started a campaign to create greater public awareness about the problems of high school dropouts. Since school ended last summer, I've been meeting with students, teachers and school administrators about the problem.

00:25:11.040 - 00:25:31.680

I've learned a lot from those meetings, and we've been able to isolate some of the symptoms of dropouts. Last year, Congress passed a bill I introduced Call the School Dropout Retention and Recovery Act. This legislation provides $50 million over a three year period to state and local governments for grants to come up with new ways to combat the dropout problem.

00:25:32.300 - 00:25:53.060

Duval County has been working hard to counter the dropout problem students between the ages of 16 and 19, and those who have been identified as at Risk are eligible for the county's full time vocational training program. The aim is to enable dropouts to return to school for a full day vocational programs.

00:25:53.810 - 00:26:15.590

At the Westside Skill Center, students are given instruction in 40 different vocational areas. The facility opened in 1979 and has done tremendous work. David Rigsby has been involved in the project from the beginning. He retired earlier this year after 18 years with the school system. Mr Rigsby said.

00:26:15.590 - 00:26:38.060

The Duval program was the first of its kind in the state, and we were first. We started out, but by bumming $20,000 from a state director about 12 years ago, to try it on a trial basis in our deal was that we would try to handle 75 students and that it gradually built up in war.

00:26:38.640 - 00:27:02.300

George was a drop out until he was notified by the county about the skill center, he said. The program gives students a second chance, gives you opportunity a second chance. You know, if if I hadn't if I had dropped out of school, you know, be hard to get a job making $5 an hour and more, you know, and I know I'll be able to go anywhere and be able to do a job.

00:27:02.310 - 00:27:33.070

Gary Martin is an instructor at the center. He works hard to prepare his students so they'll know what to expect on the job. I try to be more oriented towards working in the shop with them. I keep them in the shop as much as possible after I give him a basic safety, and that gives them a taste and once they find out they can do something and succeeded something, then I can slip them into the classroom, and, uh, they're more apt to do the paperwork that's necessary after they feel some accomplishment.

00:27:33.080 - 00:27:54.770

But the accomplishment, I think is, is what's most important the feeling that, hey, I can succeed, too. That's what's very, very important to these young people. In, In addition to vocational skills, the students take courses in math reading in computers. The West Side Skill Center is a good example of what can be done when a school system decides to make dropout prevention and priority.

00:27:55.940 - 00:28:17.460

School officials in Duval County not only identify at risk students, but they also follow up on those who have left the classroom. In addition to providing the students with necessary skills to compete in the job market, the school also helps them in job placement. Successful programs like the one in Duval County can serve as models to the rest of the state.

00:28:17.940 - 00:28:34.660

It's gonna take a lot of work to pass the test, reducing the drop out rate, but that's a battle we can't afford to lose. Our nation's future depends on it. Well, that's all we have time for today. I hope you'll join me again next time for another edition of the Lawton Child's update.

00:28:35.040 - 00:30:00.990

Oh, mhm. And okay. Mhm. Okay. Mhm. Uh huh. Uh huh. Mhm. Mhm. Okay. Yeah. Downtown. Mm. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. The Lawton Child's update looks at a very exclusive and very costly retirement program, one reserved for former presidents. I'm Senator Lawton Child's. I'll hope you'll join us.

00:30:01.440 - 00:30:01.760

Yeah.