Alexandra Martin is the Special Projects Director for the Bruin
Democrats.
By Alexandra Martin
Bob Dole has unveiled his economic plan and chosen his running
mate in a desperate attempt to revive his campaign. The centerpiece
of Dole’s economic plan is a proposed 15 percent tax cut with no
real provisions for deficit reduction. The proposal of this tax cut
and the selection of Jack Kemp, the poster child for supply-side
economics as his running mate, mark a sudden embrace of supply-side
economics. This is a policy Dole once said he never believed in and
never understood.
The newly converted supply-sider, however cannot run away from
his 35 year record of raising taxes. In 1982 Dole authored the
largest tax increase in history. Jack Kemp, his own running mate,
once said that "Bob Dole never met a tax he didn’t hike." Dole’s
proposed tax cut threatens student financial aid and the AmeriCorps
national service program. Contrast this with President Clinton’s
economic record of cutting the deficit in half, the creation of 10
million new jobs, and a reduction of $255 billion in federal
spending over five years. The economy has grown by 4.2 percent and
the unemployment rate is the lowest its been in six years.
When you look at Bob Dole’s record it is clear that he is not
just neutral on youth issues but actively anti-youth. This is why
President Clinton maintains a 19 point lead over Bob Dole among 18-
to 34-year-olds. President Clinton is fighting for a secure
economic future for the young people of this nation through a
responsible economic agenda. Now ask yourself, who has the best
economic plan for America and a proven record on which to
stand?