Speech #960227901

I was pleased to hear a national conference will be called in Costa Rica on Thursday of this week to discuss this problem. There appears to be agreement that it should be viewed as an international concern. Questions that are coming from all of our mayors and town and county and State officials as to whether or not they will be reimbursed for the expenses incurred have not yet been answered. as well as the question of political or economic refugees. That entire policy question has not been touched at this point and needs a definitive answer. One question that was brought to my attention by a Florida resident was the situation with the newly taken census. Here south Florida. with what may be millions of new residents. has just completed a census and will have to rely on figures for that census. with no input for a situation like this for the next 10 years. A final commentand I think this was agreed by all who attended the meetingwas that we should condemn Fidel Castro for the inhumane way he has gone about this venture. literally pushing people into boats. forcing people on our society. and setting foreign policy for us. using human beings as pawns. I believe the President agreed. and his administration representatives also. to continue the heavy condemnation of his inhumane practice and that we will try to bring some order to the very disorderly flow of refugees. The President did agree that resettlement should be looked at on an international basis. He did agree. and it appears there is agreement. on the equity question.