Each State, county, and city needs to examine its capacity for government in today’s world, as we are examining ours in the executive department, and as I see you are examining yours.  Some will need to reorganize and reshape their methods of administration—­as we are doing.  Others will need to revise their constitutions and their laws to bring them up to date—­as we are doing.  Above all, I think we must work together and find ways in which the multitudes of small jurisdictions can be brought together more efficiently.

During the past 3 years we have returned to State and local governments about $40 billion in grants-in-aid.  This year alone, 70 percent of our Federal expenditures for domestic programs will be distributed through the State and local governments.  With Federal assistance, State and local governments by 1970 will be spending close to $110 billion annually.  These enormous sums must be used wisely, honestly, and effectively.  We intend to work closely with the States and the localities to do exactly that.

Our third objective is priorities, to move ahead on the priorities that we have established within the resources that are available.

I wish, of course, that we could do all that should be done—­and that we could do it now.  But the Nation has many commitments and responsibilities which make heavy demands upon our total resources.  No administration would more eagerly utilize for these programs all the resources they require than the administration that started them.

So let us resolve, now, to do all that we can, with what we have—­knowing that it is far, far more than we have ever done before, and far, far less than our problems will ultimately require.

Let us create new opportunities for our children and our young Americans who need special help.

We should strengthen the Head Start program, begin it for children 3 years old, and maintain its educational momentum by following through in the early years.

We should try new methods of child development and care from the earliest years, before it is too late to correct.

And I will propose these measures to the 90th Congress.

Let us insure that older Americans, and neglected Americans, share in their
Nation’s progress.

We should raise social security payments by an overall average of 20 percent.  That will add $4 billion 100 million to social security payments in the first year.  I will recommend that each of the 23 million Americans now receiving payments get an increase of at least 15 percent.

I will ask that you raise the minimum payments by 59 percent—­from $44 to $70 a month, and to guarantee a minimum benefit of $100 a month for those with a total of 25 years of coverage.  We must raise the limits that retired workers can earn without losing social security income.

We must eliminate by law unjust discrimination in employment because of age.