THE WEEK

”Pore George! He cain’t hep it! He was barn with a sivver fut in his math!” Har har har! Har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har!!!

Just to correct the record on a few things… Mr. Bush was taken to task by a wire service for “fibbing” that the Dukakis Administration has raised taxes five times. According to a more reliable source, the actual number of Dukakis tax increases was eight, with another now pending; and Massachusetts did not return to taxpayers the windfall after federal tax reform as other states did. Mr. Dukakis attempted four other tax increases that did not pass…. As for the Dukakis claim that he has cut taxes five times, all five were at the initiative of citizens or the legislature, and one was achieved by a signature drive over the governor’s threatened veto…. And as for the Dukakis claim that he has balanced the state budget ten straight times: this year’s budget is in the red, and budgets in recent years have been “balanced” only by stripping capital accounts to pay for current expenses…. Finally, in the debate, “… I didn’t raid the pension fund of Massachusetts. You’re dead wrong, George. We didn’t do that.” Oh yes they did, for $625 million, covered only by short-term state paper.

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Presidential Election

William F. Buckley Jr.

”Pore George! He cain’t hep it! He was barn with a sivver fut in his math!” Har har har! Har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har har!!!

Just to correct the record on a few things… Mr. Bush was taken to task by a wire service for “fibbing” that the Dukakis Administration has raised taxes five times. According to a more reliable source, the actual number of Dukakis tax increases was eight, with another now pending; and Massachusetts did not return to taxpayers the windfall after federal tax reform as other states did. Mr. Dukakis attempted four other tax increases that did not pass…. As for the Dukakis claim that he has cut taxes five times, all five were at the initiative of citizens or the legislature, and one was achieved by a signature drive over the governor’s threatened veto…. And as for the Dukakis claim that he has balanced the state budget ten straight times: this year’s budget is in the red, and budgets in recent years have been “balanced” only by stripping capital accounts to pay for current expenses…. Finally, in the debate, “… I didn’t raid the pension fund of Massachusetts. You’re dead wrong, George. We didn’t do that.” Oh yes they did, for $625 million, covered only by short-term state paper.