Portsmouth Herald
RAN 2/4/96, Pg. B1
By Shirley Jacques
Herald Staff
   DURHAM - Four hundred people packed the cafeteria at Oyster River High
School for Steve Forbes' town meeting and peppered him with questions beyond
the flat tax.
   Many said they left with an impression of a warmer and more genuine
candidate than they've seen on television.
   A fairly even mix of young and old, students and retirees, they came from
as far as Tewksbury, Mass., and Manchester to get information about the
candidate who calls the Internal Revenue Service ``the only agency where
you're guilty until proven innocent.''
   Shouts of ``Go, Steve, go'' reverberated as he arrived, running 15 minutes
late, to be introduced by former N.H. Sen. Gordon Humphrey. ``Just two weeks
ago he was called Don Quixote, today he's number 1 in New Hampshire,''
Humphrey said.
   Forbes explained his 17 percent flat tax. ``There are other issues, but
this is the big one,'' he said. ``Virtually all Americans will come out
ahead. All income will be taxed at the source.''
   Before taking questions, he tore into arguments presented against the flat
tax that he says will ``get America moving again'' by letting most families
keep more of what they earn.
   - It will hurt home ownership: No, he claims it will help by lowering the
rate of 
interest, allowing people to keep more of what they earn, and making it
easier to save for a down payment.
   - It would reduce charitable giving: Forbes replied Americans will give
more when they have more to give.
   - It will increase the deficit: Only if you use the numbers of Clinton's
Treasury Department, Forbes responded.  

   Forbes claims the typical family sends eight times the taxes to Washington
today than the typical family sent four decades ago. Loud applause followed
his prediction: ``When I'm president, we'll not only have tax cuts, we will
have genuine cuts in spending.''
   A flurry of hands went up when he asked for questions.
   His views on entitlements such as Social Security? ``We've got to keep our
promises to those in the system, but young people know the system is
hemorrhaging. While we still have time, I would develop a new system for
young people. The payroll tax will go directly to those young people for
their personal savings retirement accounts.''
   On a rising crime rate? He would launch a three-pronged attack with truth
in sentencing to force offenders to serve the full sentence for violent
crimes the first time; build more prisons if necessary; and increase
community policing.
   On education? ``The key to reform is getting back as close to parents as
possible through vouchers, school choice, charter schools. I would bust up
the NEA (National Education Association). Kill the Department of Education.
And scrap Goals 2000,'' Forbes answered to loud applause.
   On abortion? Forbes wants abortion to disappear ``but this is a democracy,
it has to be done step by step,'' he said. He would start by banning
late-term and gender-preference abortions.
   On Bosnia? Forbes opposed sending the military over there. ``I thought
there was a better way, but now they're there, we must support them. To keep
the peace when we leave, the Muslims must be armed to defend themselves. The
Serbs and Croats must understand NATO will use air power again if there is a
build up.''
   On a national sales tax? Forbes predicted no more than 15 or 30 percent
compliance, and said it was a failure in Europe. He also weighed in against a
value added tax as nothing more than another hidden tax.
   Dick and Christine Starke came from New Castle. ``I'm sure Forbes is the
only candidate who can defeat Bill Clinton, and for the health of the United
States, it's critical he be defeated,'' Dick Starke said.
   Chris Starke said she is still undecided and wanted to hear what he has to
say on foreign policy issues. ``I don't vote for somebody on just one
issue.''