960 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

since we have an absolute mandate to balance the budget we've got

to balance it. We're going to operate on the premise that we can

balance it.

Q. Are you still ruling out a tax increase at any time?

A. I don't rule out a tax increase at any time. Certainly not. I

think that the way the costs of government are mounting we have

to be ready to discuss the possibility of a tax increase at some time in

the future. I rule it out for the remainder of this year, certainly.

(Conflict of Interest — Valle)

Q. Governor, would you clear up for us your present stand. You've
been under some pressure from Democratic quarters to resign while
you campaign for office. A year ago you demanded the resignation
of Mr. Valle who was on the Workmen's Compensation Commission
and also running for public office.

A. Yes, there's a great deal of difference between an elected official's
seeking public office of a higher nature and an appointee seeking
public office. It's been traditionally so, and not only that but — in
the case of Mr. Valle — he was in a quasi-judicial capacity where dur-
ing his campaign he would have had to make unilateral decisions
that affected directly claimants and insurance companies with regard
to the award of monies. Now I think there's great precedent for a
Governor or a Senator seeking a national office. You only have to
look back as far as Governor Romney's campaign, Governor Rocke-
feller, Senator McCarthy. To go back further you could look at Gov-
ernor Warren of California, who ran for Vice President while he was
still an incumbent; at Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York;
Governor Theodore Roosevelt. All of these people ran for national
office at the same time they kept their State positions that they were
elected to. So I think there's a great amount of precedent in my case
for continuing my responsibilities as Governor. There is no prece-
dent — as a matter of fact, it's considered by most people familiar
with legal matters entirely inappropriate for a person to seek elective
office while he holds a judicial or quasi-judicial capacity. Just let
me add this one thing — I have a telegram here I received from Mr.
Valle while I was in Miami Beach which says: "Congratulations and
best wishes. Putting country and State above party I will gladly offer
to organize Democrats for Nixon and Agnew. "

(Czechoslovakian Crisis)

Q. Governor, on the Today show today, you spoke out about Czech-
oslovakia. Since we all don't have access to the Today show tape, I
wonder if you would give us some of your views on the Czech crisis.