Diary Entry - 01/10/1983
Key Facts
President Reagan meets with Gov. Kean of NJ to discuss the creation of a New Jersey Infrastructure Bank.
President Reagan meets with Special Envoy to the Middle East Phil Habib to discuss Israel.
President Reagan holds budget meetings; discusses a proposed $11.3 billion defense expenditure cut.
Wet weather & a typical Mon. in every other way—a jam packed schedule with no time to catch up on memos etc. Main part of day spent on budget. We’re close to agreement on a lean budget including $11.3 bil. in defense cuts. Cap isn’t happy but says he can do it without wiping out new weapons systems. Part of it will be—no pay increase for 1984. But then we’re asking for that across the board for everyone. Met with Phil Habib—he’s on his way back to Lebanon. The msg. for P.M. Begin is that I want action. Another meeting was with N.S.C. planning group re our strategy with the Soviet U. Geo. S. thinks our re-direction since we’ve been here is a success. Gov. Kean of N.J. came by—he took my suggestion about citizen task forces & says it’s working like a charm. Has a plan which needs Cong. act to allow him to use giant funds in a revolving loan fund for local projects such as water works, sewers, roads etc. It sounds good & would vastly multiply what they could do. He claims it would put 50,000 people to work.
