CLINTON WILL TAKE PLAN ON THE AIR

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

DATE: MONDAY, February 15, 1993                   TAG: 9302150053
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium
CLINTON WILL TAKE PLAN ON THE AIR
Intensifying an extraordinary campaign to sell his economic plan to the nation, the White House said Sunday that President Clinton will make a prime-time television speech tonight to explain the program he will unveil Wednesday.
Thus, Clinton will appear on the airwaves twice this week to talk about the same subject - the need for all Americans to sacrifice and bear some of the costs of deficit reduction and new investments in his domestic agenda. Details of the long-awaited economic plan will be spelled out in his address to Congress on Wednesday.
The president's decision to speak at 9 p.m. today about the thinking that went into his plan suggests just how sensitive the White House has become over public reaction to the higher taxes and spending cuts that will be proposed. The administration seems especially concerned because Clinton is certain to break a key campaign promise - not to raise taxes on the middle class to finance his programs.
He will propose hitting the middle class with a 5 percent consumption tax on most major forms of energy usage. Moreover, he will seek to impose taxes on 85 percent of Social Security income - up from the current 50 percent - for retired couples earning more than $32,000 a year and for individuals earning more than $25,000 a year.
Overall, Clinton's massive economic package seems likely to include some of the largest tax increases ever sought by a president. Its tax increases and spending cuts will total as much as $500 billion over five years.
To stay one step ahead of an expected barrage of criticism of his proposals, the president sent out many of his key advisers over the weekend to prepare the nation for his agenda. Appearing on various television interview programs were Vice President Al Gore, Office of Management and Budget Director Leon Panetta, Council of Economic Advisers Chairwoman Laura D'Andrea Tyson and White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos.
Stephanopoulos even suggested on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the president may appear before members of Congress Thursday to take questions, just as Britain's prime minister goes regularly before the House of Commons.
The public relations effort is designed to persuade Americans that the wealthy and the corporate community will bear the heaviest burden in financing Clinton's plan, even though the president now has decided to hit the middle class as well.
Panetta said Sunday that the Clinton plan will come close - but still may fall short - of meeting Clinton's promise of reducing the federal deficit by $145 billion a year by the end of his four-year term.
Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," Panetta acknowledged that the administration will be unable to live up to its goal of cutting $2 worth of government spending for every $1 in tax increases that it proposes.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB