Diary Entry - 05/12/1983
Key Facts
President Reagan meets with the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
President Reagan greets Prime Minister of Belize George Price.
A New Jersey judge clears the way for the trial of companies that produced Agent Orange, a defoliant used during the Vietnam War.
Peter Grace, Chmn. of our private survey team (1500 Vol. Business men & w.) came in with a 1st report. I wish he’d been delivering it to those big spenders on the hill. It shows that if we dont continue reducing spending—the deficits will be $500 bil. a year before 1990. Then met with our citizens commission P.F.I.A.B. which evaluates intelligence. We haven’t one Am. employee in the Soviet Embassy in Wash.—They have 209 in our embassy in Wash [Moscow]. The P.M. of Belize—P.M. Price visited. He’s a very intelligent man—well educated and dedicated to Democracy. We got along fine. Met with Dr. Nitze who leaves Sat. for Geneva to resume the Nuc. Reduction talks we call I.N.F. Like me he believes the Soviets wont move until & unless we display our Intermediate missiles in Europe. A Cabinet meeting to settle a few matters—one whether to rush to complete filling our salt dome storage areas with crude oil or wait for possible lower prices. We’ll talk some more about that. The same with some changing Food stamp regulations. The cheating in that program is a scandal. Finally agreed to urge State Unemp. Ins. boards to permit unemp. funds to be used for training in colleges for the unemployed. Met in Rose Garden with the White House Fellows reunion. Then a reception for supporters of the Repub. House & Senate campaigns—they had either bought a $10,000 table for tonite’s dinner or raised $40,000 or both. The dinner took place at the Cap. Hilton. It was a big success & an enjoyable affair.
