NEWS CONFERENCE 7

10 face very frankly the problems of the government without the total
political look that is customarily given to these programs. But I might
tell you this. I'm not running for reelection as of now; I'm trying to
get programs through.

Q. Governor, the public school teachers' association is threatening
to strike shortly before you take office. Do you have anything in your
plans to counteract this situation?

A. I think the increase in the educational programs will be, probably,
a part of the fiscal committee's report to me because certainly educa-
tion is a very essential ingredient in our modern governmental burden.
So I would think that if they could resist the temptation to take any
strong measures until they have seen what the proposals are, they may
feel better about it.

Q. Mr. Agnew, according to the sports section, you were down in
Miami last weekend. Did you have occasion to talk with Governor
Kirk?

A. The Governor was involved in a much more interesting diversion
than speaking to me. No, I didn't speak to him.

Q. You stressed the importance of public safety in your campaign
and in later interviews. Mr. Kirk has begun work for creating a special
private police force for him. Do you think that you need one of those,
also?

A. No, I have never been worried about that type of personal secu-
rity, and I don't feel any need to do anything to augment the present
security staff that's assigned to the Governor.

Q. Recently the Ku Klux Klan has been back in the news, and
shortly before election the Minutemen were in the news also. Are
you planning any program or any law other than what we already
have to curtail the influence of right wing groups in Maryland?

A. No, I haven't given any particular thought to any legislation in
this area. I think that what's being clone in the way of policing the
out of step measures that have been taken, not necessarily by organiza-
tions that are called right wing organizations but by individuals who
actually step over the bounds of propriety and in some cases step into
criminal areas, is a matter of police execution and not a matter for
legislation. So, I don't anticipate anything will be proposed in that
area by me this year, at least.