European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes monday August 4,1986 columns Andrew j. Glass overhaul Means better tax Deal for americans a far ranging overhaul of the lax Laws. Soon to be enacted by Congress and signed into Law by president Reagan was conceived one warm Spring night Over two pitchers of cod Beer and a Reticle in Washington pub railed the Irish times. That evening. Sen. Robert Packwood r-qrc., chair Man or the Senate finance committee sat Down on a wooden Bench with a trusted aide. Bill Diefenderfer to me if they could Salvage the tax Bill then widely believed to be going nowhere. We kind of worked backward Packwood recalled the other Day. We first decided where we wanted to wind up and then we reasoned How we might gel there. Thai s not the Way most people operate. It is the Preva Lent Way of thinking in the Orient Packwood says he and Diefenderfer trained their Oriental sights on tour Basic goals a everyone who is Rich must pay taxes now. B profitable corporations must pay taxes. C rates should be set As Low As possible. D the fax code must be both fair and simple. Finally the thinkers thought whenever any of these goals came into conflict a and b should prevail Overfi and to Kwh also i Temner a in jew Al and his Euvett Floc puff in Tref War 0? this 6 Jim Fain 88 presidential race opening tuesday sort of Michigan republicans cast votes tuesday in a Rube Goldberg Nightmare that is connected sort of with pulleys baling wire chewing gum and hyper Bole to the 198 8 presidential election. This new curtain Raiser in our political Cater of the absurd is a three stooges farce featuring vice presi Dent George Bush televangelist Pat Robertson and rep. Jack Kemp. Kemp Anco Bush have been canvass ing the stale since the Spring of 1985. The Trio has spent Over $1 million. Bush is throwing in another j 750.000 the others lesser amounts. As Many As 15,000 precinct delegates will be chosen none will be legally bound to a candidate. In mid Jan uary of 1988, these delegates will choose county or District delegates who in february will attend a state convention and name the 77 Michigan delegates for the Republican nominating convention that summer. The dog Days of August used to bring such harmless visitors As Flyg saucers and carnival Pitchman. Why do we now inflict presidential politics on a bored Citi Aenry already plagued with gnats and heal rash a Detroit to station poll found that 95.5 percent of the Likely voices had not inc foggiest As to whether the candidates in their precincts were associated with one of the Pri Sidi Nival candidates. Maybe it s the Economy. Since All the manufacturing moved to Japan Germany and Korea politics an meetings have become our Only growth industries. Without Wall to Wall campaigning the Gross National product would shrink. For whatever reason presidential campaigns now Are continuous. The next one begins before the Las one ends. Pundits Start speculating about 1992 and 96. They be pretty Well exhausted 88. It s possible that none of the candidates who have been lavishing their charms on the potential 15.000michigan precinct delegates will be in the mining by the time the state delegation is chosen. Politics 11 a whimsical cruel business. Bush has shown an impressive Talent for self destruction. Kemp charges off in All directions and gels nowhere. Robertson talks in unknown tongues exciting holy rollers and turning of those whose religious passion i less susceptible. Still except in football season presidential politics is our most dependable conversational topic running Well ahead of weather and Princess i. That s mainly because to nightly beams a 120-second focus on the presidency creating the illusion that no Sparrow can fall without White House prompting. Actually the country pretty much runs itself which Given the White House Knack for making sows ears out of silk purses is a Blessing. It would be interesting to try a few months without a president and see if anyone noticed. Those breathless folks with the Micro phones on be while House Lawn could interview each other. Michigan s gop brass is dead set on its to. Mint of glory however stealing a March on Iowa new Hampshire and the South s super primary. As a result acres of newsprint will be expended examining the Newt entrails of this non event. A waste of time Money and Energy to be sure but not particularly harmful except to the lip movers who Lake it seriously. Fortunately most people Don t. They May begin to notice the presidential Campaign some time after labor Day 1983, assuming the political Jun Kies Haven t All of d on trivial pursuits by then. The opinion expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and ire in no Way to be considered a representing the views of the stars and Stripe or the United slates government
