European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Rage >0 columns the stars and stripes tuesday october 30,1990william f. Buckley  the Rich is not fair nor the answer Well the tax package has been passed and one Hopes that congressmen Panetta Foley Gephardt and Rostenkowski will line up with Sens. Kennedy and Mitchell to accept life peerages in the fairness House of lords. Fairness is Here defined As attempting to sink the National deficit by handing the Bill to a the  Congress has managed to 1 raise tax rates on taxable income above $80,000 per year from 28 percent to 31 percent 2 phase out personal exemptions for individuals with taxable income Between $100,000 and $200,000 3 maintain capital gains at the 28 percent rate 4 raise medicare payments for everyone earning More than $51,300 5 reduce itemized deductions for everyone earning a Gross income Over $100,000 and 6 impose a surtax on a a luxury items from jewelry to air plane travel and Telephone service. All of this now defines the democrats fairness doctrine. Projected income from these measures combined with contemplated savings of $40 billion in year no. 1 and $140 billion Over the next four years is summed up As a $490 billion net March toward budget solvency. To be sure projections of this nature can to be satisfactorily documented because they Are based on what the economists Call a Static  that is to say they presuppose that the targeted taxpayers will continue to expose their income to the tax collector without complaint. No projection of revenues has Ever been accurate in a society in which people Are free to rearrange their economic lifestyles which Means everything from using less gasoline to buying smaller and More efficient cars allocating More income to tax exempt investments reducing tax deductible expenditures retiring earlier perhaps to take courses in fairness and retiring to monasteries to search out that illumination that governs our governors. Moreover the projections assume an annual increase in the Gross National Revenue of 3.9 percent it is running now at about 1 percent and the Price of Oil descending to $24, which would be very Nice but is hardly predictable. The 1986 tax Law which is now publicly branded As the height of american unfairness got affirmative votes from Sens. Kennedy and Mitchell As also from congressmen Panetta Gephardt Foley and Rostenkowski. It was a Bill that Rostenkowski fought for vigorously. Why because As he then put it it was  what we need said Rostenkowski in May 1985, is a fair treatment for  in 1986, he fought for the Bill in the House predicting the key vote would carry by �?o30, 40 or 50  it carried by 108 votes. In february of this year Rosten Kowski said about the 1986 Law a i married the tax Reform act in 1986. Tinkering with the tax code is the worst thing we can do a but now he is gloating Over his infidelities. Eight months after re lighting his troth to the 1986 code he was suddenly saying quite unpleasant Tom Wicker that not Mali. # 3,253,280, p7# Moke w i have things about his Bride. He wanted to a restore fairness to our tax system a raising of course the question Why he had in the first place fought so lustily for his Bride swearing to be True to her forever. In the course of attempting to dam the torrent of demagogy on the question of fairness some republicans raised utilitarian arguments. We heard speeches about the dampening effects on investment and risk by americans who were overtaxed. These arguments Are soundly based on past experience probably the Best example of which is the qui Tupling of revenues from capital gains within a couple of years after Rostenkowski yes the same Lover in 1978 led the fight to reduce capital gains. At the utilitarian level the republicans failed to dramatize the very limited reserves of americans who make More than $200,000 per year. As previously noted double the tax on the affluent Gentry and Money is raised to pay for government for 13 Days per year. That leaves 48 weeks of deficits that have to be paid by the Middle class because that a where the bulk of the Money is. It can to be paid by the lower class because there is no Money there. A the tax on capital gains directly affects investment decisions the mobility and flow of risk capital from Static to More dynamic situations the ease or difficulty experienced by new ventures in obtaining capital and thereby the strength and potential for growth of the  who said that Newt Gingrich no John Kennedy. What was the capital gains tax when he said it 25 percent. What did he wish to reduce it to 19.5 percent. If Juk had lived head be a Boll Weevil. Universal press Syndicate voters should vote not try to limit terms Kansas City voters appear to be supporting strongly a local version of a National trend toward getting rid of unpopular legislators by limiting the number of terms they can serve. Two thirds of respondents to a poll taken by the Kansas City Star and Kmic to say they will vote on nov. 6 for a proposed two term limit on members of the City Council. As recently As the summer of 1989, Kansas City Defeated a three term limit on City Council terms though that plan would have increased the mayors Powers. Obviously sentiment has changed significantly. In neighbouring Oklahoma voters already have limited state legislators terms. Colorado May do so in november. Most significantly California a often a Trendsetter a is expected to approve two initiatives that would limit the terms of state legislators and officials one More severely than the other. Voter impatience with and loss of Confidence in elected officials takes other forms too. In Missouri the state supreme court has just invalidated a ballot Issue that would have Cut the number of state legislators from 160 to 103, Short ened legislative sessions inhibited pay raises for members and established a restrictive state ethics commission. Widely popular As an a anti incumbency measure it was ruled out on grounds that it unconstitutionally posed too Many different questions for a single yes or no vote. Nationally a total of 68 propositions Are on state ballots to be decided by voters at Large on nov. 6. Six Are referendums on issues previously decided by state legislators but referred by petition drives for Public approval. California alone has 28 state questions on the ballot. This reflects a rising National trend according to John p. Keast of the free Congress foundation and Patrick Mcguigan chief editorial writer for the daily oklahoman in Oklahoma City. Writing in the oklahoman they favor the trend As a sign of voter determination a to change the Way government operates a presumably for the better. But term limitation and dependence on ballot propositions Are dubious remedies for political problems that in Many cases Are More perceived than real. Both responses do suggest loss of Confidence in elected officials. Both also ignore certain embarrassing questions who put those officials in office who is most feared by politicians when they Duck Tough questions or vote the most popular line whose Lack of interest knowledge and participation permits a special interests so often to prevail the answer in every Case is a the voters a we the people Only about half of whom if that bother to vote. We not creatures from Mars elected what so Many americans now refer to habitually As a those  we could if we. Would vote them out especially if they really Are clowns or Crooks or both. Its True that Many incumbents do All they can to insure their re election and to make it difficult for others to Challenge them. But no one forces the Public to return clowns and Crooks to office. Special interests also Prosper not just because of politicians greed but because the apathy and credulity of Ordinary citizens permit it. In Kansas City 47 percent of poll respondents called term limitation Nec Essary to a get rid of the current City  this suggests an unspoken elitism i would vote right but other voters would not. It also invites pointed questions a what guarantees that a new Council would be better than the old since the same voters would have elected both a what gives a majority of Kansas City voters or those in any constituency the right to say that others a including citizens of the future a a May not vote for whomever they wish the arbitrary and indiscriminate limitation of terms would prevent some americans from seeking offices that other americans Are free to pursue. How can that be justified in a democracy whether for president governor legislator or Council member and if the Clear trend toward term limitation and ballot propositions really signals an end to voter apathy and a new interest in fair and effective government Why do we need to limit terms and take on ourselves the usual responsibilities of elected government new York times