17

NEWS CONFERENCE

January 17, 1967
Opening Statement by the Governor-Elect

I am very pleased today to announce the appointment of Mr.
Charles S. Bresler of Montgomery County to the newly created position
of National Relations Officer on my personal staff, this appointment
to be effective January 25th.

The purpose of this position is to bring about a closer, more effective
coordination between the Governor's office and the Legislature, on the
one hand, and all the State agencies on the other. The office also gives
more effective recognition to State affairs in Montgomery and Prince
George's Counties, which now contain about one-third of our total
State population. Later on we intend to establish an actual physical
office of the Governor somewhere in the metropolitan Washington
area. Mr. Bresler will be based in this area.

Presently there are about 500 federal aid programs including 100
programs in the area of urban development alone. We feel that these
should be more closely supervised and handled. In many cases, the
use of federal funds involves a decision. We don't have sufficient State
monies to take advantage of all these programs and we have to sift
through them and decide which ones are the most advantageous, the
most immediate in our regard.

Mr. Bresler has been a member of the Maryland legislature, a fiscal
watchdog during the past four years. He did not seek reelection. As
most of yon know he ran for the office of Comptroller on my ticket.
He was unsuccessful in that quest, but he is an extremely capable man,
a man who is aggressive and vital and has the ability to cut through
red tape. I believe that he will do an excellent job for the State in
this newly created position.

In addition to that, gentlemen, I would like to call to your attention
that Mr. Tilton Dobbin, President of the Maryland National Bank,
who was one of my primary advisers during the recent campaign and
who at my request had decided to seek the office of the State Treasurer,
has sent me a letter dated January 16, which I would like to read to
you. The letter states that:

As you know I was greatly complimented by your request to
serve your administration in the State of Maryland as Treasurer.