CLINTON'S SONG & DANCE NO TAXATION WITH MISREPRESENTATION

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 10, 1993                   TAG: 9303100394
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ROBERT E. WARREN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
CLINTON'S SONG & DANCE NO TAXATION WITH MISREPRESENTATION
PRESIDENT Clinton, you are no George Washington. Washington, so the story goes, could not tell a lie. Bill Clinton finds lying not only remarkably easy, but also a very successful means to accomplish a favorable end - the old "end justifies the means" theory.
Sam Donaldson, on "This Week With David Brinkley," characterized Clinton's campaign promises as shameful lying, as telling the public anything just to win the White House. How can we believe what this man says now about anything?
In my wildest dreams, I never suspected we would have a president so lacking in character and moral fiber. For instance, the original Clinton plan called for $2 in government spending cut for every $1 in new taxes. Then he says, make that a $1-for-$1 ratio. Now, his plan calls for a $1 government-spending reduction for every $2 in new taxes.
He is also talking about a national sales tax a little later on. He not only is not going to cut taxes on the middle class as promised, but he is going to raise taxes on the middle class and everyone else making above $30,00.
He tries to dance his way out of this by saying that the tax rate for 98 percent of the people will not go up. What he fails to mention is that for the rest of us, the allowable deductions will be less and we will be claiming income on things like fair-rent value of our home. Our income taxes are going up no matter what he wants to call it.
George Bush was suckered by Congress into signing a tax bill. In return, Congress promised to cut government spending. President Bush signed the bill; instead of cutting spending, Congress spent $1.50 for every $1 that the tax bill raised.
If we allow all these taxes to go unchallenged, and without first cutting government spending, we deserve what we get.
In the 1980s, the Grace Commission identified more than $900 billion that could be saved by cutting government spending. Why not think about new taxes only after such savings?
Don't forget about the health-care reform package that will be coming out in the next few months. Financing for that will not be coming out of the newly proposed tax increases. It is estimated that it is going to cost another $175 billion in more new taxes. Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bensten was asked about that, and he didn't want to talk about it.
I am willing to pay my fair share to lower the deficit, but I do not want to be misled or lied to in the process.

Robert E. Warren of Honaker recently retired after 31 years in the Air Force.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB