From: mss2@quads.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer)
Subject: Re: Perot very clear on issues
Reply-To: mss2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 06:01:43 GMT

In article <5fTE02jVcdvP00@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> fierro@uts.amdahl.com (Doug Fierro) writes:

>  Well, if you've been paying attention lately, you would have read
>some of Ross's SPECIFIC solutions concerning the deficit:

>    1) do not implode the tax-base of this country; specifically, he
>       he is against the Mexico free trade agreement

Bad idea.  (I think we've done the free trade vs. protectionism thread
enough that I'll ask you to assume I go on to rehash the arguments
in favor of it and you reject them, rather than going on about it
again.)

>    2) means-testing for Social Security and Medicare

Quite a good idea.  $55 billion in Social Security goes to people
earning over $50,000 per year.  In other words, that money comes from
people, _most_ of whom are making under that, and transferred to
people with more money, like Robin Hood gone looney.  I've never
been accused of being in favor of soaking the rich, but I think
that putting them on welfare is going a bit far.  And will someone
tell me why we subsidize the elderly (as a whole, not just the ones
in poverty) when they have the lowest poverty of any age group?

>    3) having a better working relationship between Govt. and business
>       to create more tax payers- hence reduce the deficit.  Specifically,
>       he favors a reduction in the capital gains tax, and 10-year 
>       business/govt. plans to get industries in trouble on their feet.

The capital gains cut is reasonable is reasonable.  What a "better
working relationship" is is unclear.  Why does Perot think that the
government advising businesses would make them run better?  What do
people in government know that the people in the business don't?  If
it just means using tax money to get those businesses on its feet, I'd
appreciate it if the government would keep out.  If a business needs
investment capital it can issue stock or take out a loan or do any of
the other financing methods.  If it wants to spend my money on something,
it can give it back to me so I can go out and increase consumer
spending or something.

>    4) improved software for the IRS- projected revenue gain $100 billion.

A reasonable idea, but I'd have to see pretty convincing evidence
that it would net that much-- unless the IRS is given even more
draconian powers than it already has besides.

>    5) eliminating congressional and executive 'perks'- this includes
>       jet flights to golf games, limos for senators, etc.

Window dressing.  I admit, fiddling while Rome burns is annoying
and I think that Congresscritters who make use of such perks
are being wasteful, but leave it to their opponents to complain about
how they waste taxpayers' dollars and let them make it politically
untenable that way.  Or not; it's not a crucial issue.  I'd be
amazed if that sort of thing amounted to a significant fraction of
the deficit.  If he wants to cut down on waste as a matter of principle
that's fine, but it's not a major factor in deficit reduction.

So far, not an awful package, except for the trade thing and the
government "helping" buisness.  Since I consider trade one of the most
important issues on which to choose a President (it being an area with
significant effects on the economy where he pretty much guides policy
directly) it's unlikely that Perot is going to convince me.  The only
really good idea up there is means testing entitlement programs, which
I already knew was a good idea, and which probably won't be
politically tenable until the GI generation has gone through more
attrition.  Or do you really think that a Congress still skittish from
the recent scandals and upsets is going to alienate one of their most
consistently loyal voter blocs?

Mike
-- 
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS	"Never let your sense of morality prevent
mss2@midway.uchicago.edu	 you from doing what's right!"
mike.schiffer@um.cc.umich.edu	 --Mayor Salvor Hardin of Terminus
mss2@usite-next.uchicago.edu     Isaac Asimov, _Foundation_
Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections