Nashua Telegraph
RAN 2/2
By KEVIN LANDRIGAN 
Telegraph Staff
 NASHUA Gov. Steve Merrill marched into the battle to burst the bubble of
Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes, charging the Forbes flat
tax was "bad news" for the economy and would raise taxes for the middle class. 
 Merrill's 30-second television commercial on behalf of his candidate,
Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, was a signal that it was time in bring in
the heavy artillery against the newcomer Forbes, who emerged in front of
Dole in a Boston Globe-WBZ-TV poll released Thursday. 
 During an interview, Merrill said he agreed to go on the offensive after
Forbes made a promise he can't keep to cut taxes for everyone through a 17
percent income tax. 
 "The Forbes tax plan adds to the property tax burden of middle-class, New
Hampshire taxpayers," Merrill said. 
 "I believe these candidates have a right to run on their own records but
I'm not going to let the Steve Forbes tax plan go out there without a
fight." 
 Earlier at the Tulley Buick car dealership, Dole said that once the
American people have aired their views, he may support a single-rate plan,
but that Forbes alternative failed the credibility test in stripping the
tax code of popular deductions for donations to charity, home mortgages
and property taxes. 
 "It occurs to me there may be some snake oil around here," Dole said of
the Forbes plan. 
 "If you make $400,000 or $500,000, you are going to love the flat tax. If
you make $60,000, then you're going to pay higher taxes." 
 Dole shrugged off the Globe poll, which had Forbes leading Dole, 31
percent to 22 percent with Patrick Buchanan in third place with 11 percent
of the vote. 
 "If I worried about every poll, I'd probably have an Excedrin headache,"
Dole said. 
 In Iowa, former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander said the Forbes plan would
raise middle-class taxes and suggested it would hurt local education
financing because property values would plummet and most school money
comes from property taxes. 
 "It makes about as much sense as something out of the Wizard of Oz," said
Alexander who campaigns today in Manchester. 
 Forbes told reporters in Iowa that all this criticism is sour grapes from
professional politicians "all those who have a vested interest in
perpetuating this monstrous status quo." 
 Dole aides said they weren't panicking and that this latest poll would
energize their troops with 18 days before primary day. 
 Still, former Gov. Hugh Gregg, a Dole supporter, told reporters that
Forbes is a puzzle for any opponent to solve. 
 "He's a new face and he's got a lot of money. That's a very powerful
mix," the elder Gregg said. 
 The Globe-WBZ poll also showed support for the flat tax fell to 37
percent, down from 54 percent three weeks ago and that 58 percent of
people wanted Forbes to release his tax returns. 



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