The Week

The smart money says that in 1992 the Democrats will nominate Senator George Mitchell of Maine-for a second term as U.S. President.

Resentful voters booted out Governors Martinez (Fla.), Hayden (Kan.), and Orr (Neb.), and a number of Massachusetts and Maryland lawmakers, in large part because they raised taxes. On the federal level, two incumbents who voted for the tax-hiking budget package and then defended it in their campaigns —Minnesota Senator Rudy Boschwitz and Vermont Representaive Peter Smith—got the heave-ho. Also, tax-and bond-raising initiatives suffered setbacks in seven states, including a transportation pledge bond in Virginia, a call for business and cigarette taxes in Montana, and California’s “nickel a drink” and “safe street” tax proposals. But tax revolters had little luck advancing their agenda. Massachusetts voters defeated a $2-billion tax rollback, and an attempt to eliminate Utah’s sale tax was shot down, as were Colorado and Nebraska tax-reform proposals. The climate of economic nervousness has frightened voters away from going for lower taxes. But they sure as hell don’t want higher taxes.

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The smart money says that in 1992 the Democrats will nominate Senator George Mitchell of Maine-for a second term as U.S. President.

Resentful voters booted out Governors Martinez (Fla.), Hayden (Kan.), and Orr (Neb.), and a number of Massachusetts and Maryland lawmakers, in large part because they raised taxes. On the federal level, two incumbents who voted for the tax-hiking budget package and then defended it in their campaigns —Minnesota Senator Rudy Boschwitz and Vermont Representaive Peter Smith—got the heave-ho. Also, tax-and bond-raising initiatives suffered setbacks in seven states, including a transportation pledge bond in Virginia, a call for business and cigarette taxes in Montana, and California’s “nickel a drink” and “safe street” tax proposals. But tax revolters had little luck advancing their agenda. Massachusetts voters defeated a $2-billion tax rollback, and an attempt to eliminate Utah’s sale tax was shot down, as were Colorado and Nebraska tax-reform proposals. The climate of economic nervousness has frightened voters away from going for lower taxes. But they sure as hell don’t want higher taxes.