Senator Richard Lugar answered questions from members of NH-Primary on
September 13, 1995. The 20 questions and their answers are listed
below.
#1
From: RMAPMoore@aol.com
Where does the Senator see the big differences and advantages of the national
sales tax vs. the flat tax proposed by Rep. Armey (TX-Rep)?
Thank you
RMAPMoore@aol.com
------------------------------
Dick Lugar: The basic advantage of the national sales tax is the end of
the Internal Revenue Service as the agent that brings about collection and
compliance. State governments or private concerns that state governments
deputized would collect this tax from a relatively small number of tax
payers, namely retailers, and service providers as opposed to the
volunteer efforts of 250 million americans. Specifically the sales tax is
less complex for individual tax payers, because they would not have to
keep records of income, there would not be audits of those records and
there certainly would not be arguements over exemptions. Congressman
Armey's plan has a minimum of exemptions in his flat tax proposal but
others who are proposing flat taxes exempt an increasing number of items
and the possibilities are that a debate might occur like the one that we
ended up with in the Senate at the end of 1986, in which we started
heading for a single tax rate with a few exemptions and ended up with a
three tax rates and an increased number of exemptions ever since.
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#2 From: AlwysEatin@aol.com
This is refered to the Lugar campaign....How does Lugar plan to reduce the
budget realistically without increasing the amount of poor we have here in
America? The third world of America needs to be improved. I am a
American-born- -white-female-middle American-Cornell-graduate who grew up
in the "third world" (in terms of crime and poverty) of America ( Jersey
City, NJ)... How does Mr. Lugar plan to reduce the budget without
penalizing the the poor of America?
------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
Reduction of the budget to a zero deficit in seven years means changes in
almost all of the appropriated accounts. These pertain to americans of
all income levels, but they also bring about for americans lower interest
rates as the amount of money the federal government takes from the economy
is reduced, is certainly much greater efficiency of government, which will
be a boost to job production and economic growth throughout our country.
The reduction of the number of poor people in the country is highly
correlated with economic growth with new investments and new jobs and new
investments and clearly the possibilities for this saving and investment
are increased by moving towards balanced budgets and also in my judgement,
by ending the income taxes and moving toward a national sales tax.
==========================================================================
#3 From: markb@erim.org
Senator Lugar,
I admit to being of two minds about your candidacy. I like your
foreign policy experience. I like your sales tax proposal. And I like
what I've seen so far of your character.
I am, however, far more liberal than you on social issues, and that
concerns me greatly. While I respect your right to your views, I must
take everything into account when casting my vote.
So my question is, what *actions* would a Lugar administration take as
regards social issues? Would you support and sign a constitutional
amendment banning abortion? Would you return to a policy that hunts down
and expels gays from the military? And would you support a constitutional
amendment banning flag burning?
Thank you,
Mark Bernstein
-----------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
I have supported a constitutional amendment to ban abortion and I would
continue to take that position.
I would not support a policy which hunts down and expels gays from the
military. The new policy adopted by the Defense Department seems to me
a much wiser course.
Thirdly, I have co-sponsored a constitutional amendment banning flag burning.
======================================================================
#4
From: John F. Kelly
Given Senator Lugar's foreign policy expertise, I'd like to have his views on
what American foreign policy ought to be in relation to the following:
1. The Indonesian occupation and genocide against East Timor
2. The Chinese occupation of Tibet
3. British foot-dragging on N. Ireland peace talks.
Thank you.
John Francis Kelly
University College, Cork, Ireland
-------------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
American diplomacy should continue to condemn Indonesia incursions into East
Timor and human rights violations principally by Indonesians in that country.
We ought to continue diplomatically to protest Chinese activities in Tibet.
We have as a nation continued to stimulate talks on Northern Ireland and
currently it would appear to me that those talks have some possibilities of
success. I would not editorialize to who is foot-dragging, it appears to me in
fairness to the administration, they are applying pressure evenly and with some
success.
=========================================================================
#5
From: b_downing@christa.unh.edu
In your campaign literature, you call for a president who is a moral leader.
How does morality figure into the way you will run your campaign? What ethical
guidelines do you follow in making promises, running ads, characterizing the
opponents, etc.?
------------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
I believe that its important both in a campaign as well as in both
public and private life to tell the truth, to say positive things about
other people. Specifically in my campaigns I have indicated that I would
not indulge in negative campaigning. In this presidential campaign I have
condemned the use of so called "wedge issues". Specifically the
affirmative action and the immigration issues in which I believe some
candidates are criticizing ethnic groups or large groups of americans in
an attempt to find scapegoats for large national problems.
I believe that it is very important we follow through on promises made
to indicate clearly the promises and the activity, I have attempted to do
that as a school board member, as Mayor of Indianapolis and as a United
States Senator.
==========================================================================
#6
From: RUDYSCHUE@aol.com
Because our country is heavily in debt, we must borrow money to give away in the
form of foreign aid. What is your position on the Three Billion dollar giveaway
to Israel every year with no strings attached?
Rudy Schunemann
129 Cameron St.
Manchester, NH 03103-6640
---------------------------
Dick Lugar:
I have supported military and economic assistance to Israel, which does
total approximately $3 billion dollars each year. There are many
requirement and they pertain specifically to the ways in which Israel
works with the United States for the security of both our nations. Israel
is an outpost for democracy in the Middle East and the continuation of a
strong military presence there is in the United States security interest.
Israeli leaders have indicated that they understand that the economic
assistance will not continue for a great many more years. They have asked
for continuance until a peace process reaches success, thus invigorating
the entire economic picture of all countries in the middle east and I
support the continuing economic assistance to Israel on that basis.
===========================================================================
#7
From: MelSchue@aol.com
What is your stand on welfare for illegal aliens ? How do you propose
to secure our borders and track those who would come to the US illegally?
What is your stand that surrounds the controversy on making English the
official language of the US?
Thank you for your reply.
Mel Schunemann
129 Cameron Street
Manchester, NH 03103
-----------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
In most instances there should not be welfare payments for illegal aliens,
and I have indicated my stance on that in votes taken during the welfare
reform debate in the Senate this year. There are some instances in which
the children of illegal aliens ought to be afforded educational
opportunity as well as health opportunities both as a humane gesture and
as a practical means of governing our cities.
I would propose to secure our border with a much beefed-up contingent of
immigration service employees, as well as a much more rigorous attempt to
find aliens whose aliens whose visa have expired or whose work permits
have expired. The majority of illegal aliens in the United States are
those who came under legal circumstances and have overstayed the time they
are allotted and our courts and our local officials have been inefficient
in finding them.
My stance with regard to the english language is that it ought to be the
official language of the United States. I would encourage in every way
all who come to our shores to learn the english language as rapidly as
possible and in any event in all official capacities that should be the
exclusive language.
=======================================================================
#8
From: mutha@cris.com
I will not vote for anyone who will not protect women's right to chose an
abortion. Where do you stand on this matter?
Respectfully submitted
Cynthia A Toye
PO Box 1061
No Conway NH 03860-1061
Fax/Modem: 603-356-3811
-------------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
I oppose abortion except to save the life of the mother and in cases of incest
and rape.
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#9
From: KCRLA@aol.com
What is your position regarding enlargement of NATO? As President,
would you press for expansion of the Alliance? If so, would you emphasize
the Visegrad Four, or would you pursue membership for the Baltics as well?
What do you think of the argument that the projection of the Alliance
eastward would antagonize Russia and possibly play into the hands of
nationalistic forces there?
Kellie Reilly
New Orleans, LA
-------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
For the past two years I have given speeches advocating that NATO should
have new members and new missions. Specifically, I have called for the
NATO nations to by consensus provide criteria for new members and to spell
out to new members the cost of that new membership, and the training that
would be required to integrate that forces of new members into forces of
the 16 current forces of NATO.
I have mentioned the Vicegrad Four as potential members with special
emphasis on Poland, Hungry and the Czech Republic, but also the importance
of consideration of the Baltic states and I would leave the membership
selection to a situation to which members would apply for membership on
the basis on full knowledge of the criteria and an acceptance would come
on a certain basis that nations had fulfilled the criteria. The Russian
executive branch and legislative branch have expressed great concern about
the expansion of NATO and will probably continue to express that concern
for the forseeable future. Nevertheless, NATO needs to make decisions on
the basis on the best interests of the NATO members and United States
diplomatic activity ought to be clearly based on the security of Europe
and the security that comes top the United States from having fostered a
stable Europe and peace on the contentient for over 50 years.
==========================================================================
#10
From: MediaGr@aol.com
Dear Senator Lugar:
You are a respected legislator with expertise in foreign affairs, fiscal
policy and other areas of great national importance.
At all the recent pander-fests -- the buy-a-delegate Iowa "Straw Poll",
the Perot convention of No Nothings, the convening of Ralph Reed's cadres
-- thoughtful advocacy and reasoned arguments, such as yours, drew yawns
or worse; and red meat hate-mongering won all the accolades. Every
applause line at all three events was divisive invective hurled at
vulnerable individuals or groups -- - "We're OK, they're the scum, and
we're going to get them !!!"
QUESTIONS: What does this tell us about the ruling forces in the
Republican Party of 1995? Are you proud of this? Are you proud of the
discourtesy and intolerance shown your colleague, Sen. Spector? If not, if
this is not your vision of America values, what will you personally do to
change this?
Yours respectfully,
Harvey F. Bellin
MediaGr@aol.com
----------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
The audiences attending the United We Stand meeting, the Iowa straw vote
and the Christian Coalition are important factors in the Republican party,
but not necessarily representative of those who will vote in the
Republican primaries and caucuses in 1996. As you have noted, I have
pointed out in the Iowa Caucus and at the Christian Coalition that it is
self defeating for us to engage in wedge issues and specifically to use
the affirmative action and immigration issues to condemn ethnic groups,
women or anyone else who might be perceived as a beneficiary of
governmental or voluntary action in our country.
Quite to the contrary we ought to be thinking about how we are going to
build a more inclusive and vigorous party and my candidacy is based upon
reaching out to all americans. In my victories with over two thirds the
vote in Indiana in 1988 and 1994 are indicative that I made an appeal to
almost all Republicans, most Independents and a great many Democrats.
I am not pleased with the reception given to my colleague Senator Spector
in Iowa, although I perceive that it was organized by the followers of
specific candidates who are rivals of Senator Spector. It is not my
vision of America that candidates should be hooted down, quite to the
contrary, I believe the best Republican meetings are ones in which
candidates are applauded and in which all ideas are given a very important
hearing.
============================================================================
#11
From: dhodgkin@abacus.bates.edu
Senator Lugar,
Please respond to two concerns about your tax proposal. I am very
symphathetic to your proposal that we shift the tax structure from one that is
income-based to one that is consumption-based. I understand that your tax
proposal is a national sales tax that would simply add a certain percentage to
the price of a product, similar to those levied by the states.
(1) I have seen criticisms of this idea to the effect that it would
become transformed into a value-added tax (VAT) that
would simply become part of the price of products, hidden from view,
similar to federal and state gas taxes, and therefore much easier to
raise, as we see in Europe. How does one forestall this development?
(2) States have proliferated a multitude of exemptions to their sales taxes.
Which exemptions would you consider justified? How do we prevent such a
proliferation, just as loopholes have complicated the income tax code?
Douglas I. Hodgkin
Lewiston, ME
-----------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
The tax would be visible, a sales tax estimated at 17% would be clearly known to
all Americans and that tax rate would be debated by the Congress each year. The
value added tax does that on taxes at various levels of production in a
manufacturing process. It frequently is hidden and it clearly is not what I
have in mind. Those who insinuate that a very clear national tax with rate well
known has any infinity to a value added tax are simply mistaken.
Loopholes can be prevented with regard to exemptions on a national tax by simply
exempting so many dollars of each individuals purchases from taxation. For
example, a sum of 5 thousand to 6 thousand dollars per person has been
mentioned. The federal government would send a check to tax payers of the tax
that would be collected on the first 5 or 6 thousand dollars of expenditures on
the assumption that each individual spends this amount of money each year for
basic support and that way no record-keeping would be required and each
individual tax payer would have a rebate of some taxes either prior to the tax
year or at some early point so that no loss would be incurred. Another way of
handling the problem is to exempt broad classifications such as food and
medicine, rents, perhaps some low cost clothing. That does become more complex
and would certainly lead to an arguement as to the number of exemptions but
could be adopted as a way of making certain that the sales tax was not any more
regressive than the current income tax that we have and furthermore that a track
record has been established by many states for administration of a sales tax on
this basis.
============================================================================
#12
From: jperkins@kepler.unh.edu
As a co-sponser of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, just whose religious
freedom are you promoting for this country. It seems as long as we believe as
you do, everyone else is misguided and should be coerced into your idea of
religion. What about separation of Church and state , that this country was
founded on.
---------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
The United States was founded by people who had profound religious
convictions. The basic constitutional problem is to make certain that no
citizen is able to impose upon other citizen's religious convictions. The
Religious Freedom Restoration Act which I support would make possible
reasonable religious expression, such as voluntary prayer in the schools
and various other celebrations which are non-cohesive and non-threatening.
I agree completely that no cohesion should be involved, no intimidation
should ever be involved and, , as a matter of fact, we should strive, at
every step along the way, even as we are celebrating religious precepts,
not to foster discomfort for any citizen.
===========================================================================
#13
From: SunnyDeb@aol.com
I have two questions for Senator Lugar:
What is your religious background?
What is your stand on capital punishment?
Thank you.
--------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
I am a member of St. Lukes United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana as
are other member of my family. I have been active in the Methodist Church and
have filled the pulpits of many churches in my state as a lay minister.
I have voted for capital punishment in the United States Senate for specific
heinous crimes. It is a grave step but an important one.
============================================================================
#14
From: Politolog@aol.com
Two Questions for the Senator.
1) You are a supporter of current tax cut legislation along with the
spending cuts in the current Republican plan. You have stated that any tax
cuts should be off-set by spending cuts, but with the current, seemingly
insurmountable national debt, shouldn't we refrain from cutting taxes
until we at least come close to a balanced budget? Otherwise, it would
seem that you fall into the complaint that you are cutting spending, much
of it in the social policy arena, to pay for a tax cut which will mostly
benefit the "haves" and hurt the "have nots."
2) You seem, through your stances, to be courting the Christian Coalition
as much as the next Republican, but aren't you worried that your stances
are threatening to people of other faiths? For example, while my father
was in school, his class recited the Lord's Prayer each day. While he did
not, being jewish, recite it and was not forced to, in the environment of
a classroom of children he became alienated and was often beaten up. While
I understand that voluntary prayer as it is currently conceived attempts
to counteract such possibilities, you need to remember that peer pressure
and the immaturity of children as students can be very harmful in even a
seemingly innocuous situation. Why not allow for the fact that prayer is
already allowed in school?... I had several friends who said a prayer
before the homeroom bell rang, , and they did not seem to feel the need
for extra time in the classroom.
Ian Fried Illinois
----------------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
Yes, we should make certain that we have balanced budget plan in place
that is certified by the Office of Management and Budget as leading to
zero deficits by the end of the 7th year. I have supported such
legislation and will support the appropriation bills and the
reconciliation legislation required to make certain we have a zero deficit
in the fiscal year 2002. It is only with all of those savings in hand
that we should move to consideration of cutting taxes. I believe that
cutting taxes after we have adopted legislation which clearly leads to a
balanced budget will enhance economic growth and that will be helpful in
terms of job creation and will also be helpful in terms of the growth we
need to refurbish the social security trust fund and other important
social funds. I appreciate the fact that voluntary prayer could lead to
severe discomfort for children in a classroom. Nevertheless, I believe
that it is very important that the congress work with the school and
religious authorities on the ways in which voluntary prayer is possible
and non-intimidating. The rigorous separation of church and state which
many have fostered seems to me to lead to a lack of interest in prayer and
sometimes a lack of interest in religious conviction altogether. I
believe that we can move toward voluntary prayer without the excesses and
the hurt which you have described in your question.
=============================================================================
#15
From: MikWeir@aol.com
What does the Senator think about the use of wedge issues in the campaign
to date be it the pro-choice wedge of Arlen Spector (or the pro-life wedge
of Pat Buchanen or Alan Keyes) and the affrimative action wedge of Pete
Wilson.
Does the Senator believe that it is possible to win the nomination
without the use of wedge issues and run on soley a positive message?
Michael Weir
Snellville, GA
------------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
I believe it is possible to win the republication nomination for president
without using wedge issues and by running solely on positive and
constructive themes of action for our country. In fact, I have stated
publicly at meetings of republican candidates precisely the course of
condemning wedge issues as out of place and trying to move our party to
become a much more inclusive and generous group of people as we appeal to
all Americans.
============================================================================
#16
From: Rmbwand87@aol.com
Thanks for provided us the opportunity to engage in such a forum with
Senator Lugar. My question pertains to the problem of stagnant wages.
With corporate profits rising and wage increases remaining under 4
percent, many families have been unable to maintain a previously achieved
standard of living. What must be done to improve the wage gains of the
average worker, including highly skilled, educated employees, who are also
suffering from the same wage declines?
---------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
In fact, real wages for Americans have gone down by 2% between March 1994
and March 1995. Although profits have risen, productivity increases
remain small and so does the amount of savings and investment by the
American people. In order to improve the wage gains of average workers
including the highly skilled we must have a great change in our economic
course of activity. Specifically we must have a plan to lead to zero
deficits in the federal govt. so that we do not use up our savings through
deficit finance on an increasingly alarming basis. Even more importantly,
we must change our method of taxation. I have advocated the end of income
taxes and adoption of a national consumption tax so as to take the
instance of taxation away from savings and investment. I believe that my
ideas will improve very substantially the savings investment in our
country and thus increases in productivity. Wage increases have always
followed productivity increases. For the better of a century, we averaged
5% real increase in productivity a year and similar increases in wages.
That trend stopped in the 1950's -it must be regained in 1997.
==========================================================================
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#17
From: GMKURZON@aol.com
1. Would Senator Lugar be in favor of phasing out all farm subsidies to
tobacco growers?
2. Would Senator Lugar be in favor of making it a Federal Crime for a
former governmental employee to act as a lobbyist for a foreign government
and for members of Congress or Presidential Candidates to accept campaign
contributions from lobbyists representing foreign countries?
3. Is Senator Lugar in favor of eliminating most of the $57 billion that
the United States taxpayers spend each year to support NATO and to use
these funds to lower taxes or to pay down the federal deficit and/or debt?
Is there any good reason now to continue with spending BILLIONS for
defense welfare for European Countries 50 years after the end of WW II ,
especially since we have to borrow money from our children to continue
this insane policy?
George Kurzon
-----------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
Yes, I favor the end of all tobacco subsidies. I believe that there should
be prohibitions against a former government employee lobbying for foreign
governments and for contributions to come from such lobbyists into a
presidential campaign. I believe that the campaign contribution
prohibition should probably be absolutely permanent. With regard to
lobbying, certainly a very considerable time lapse ought to occur between
the time of service to our government and any service to another
government. We should never spend tax dollars for so-called welfare to the
European defense establishment but we should support a sizable military
force in Europe as a part of our leadership of NATO. NATO will continue
to be vital to the United States security because peace and stability in
Europe is vital to our economic and political interests. NATO has kept
the peace for 50 years in Europe. That has made possible extraordinary
economic and political opportunities for the United States of America and
will continue to do so so long as NATO is sound. The budget for this
would be the normal budget for armed services personnel wherever they
were. Their presence in Europe and in forward advanced situation is
advantageous to our security.
============================================================================
#18
From: sdevit@asc.upenn.edu
Senator Lugar:
I admire your sincere interest to encourage Americans to
save, rather than spend, by proposing to eliminate the
federal income tax and implementing a 17% national sales
tax.
However, such a heavy sales tax would undoubtedly harm
middle- and lower-class families who spent a greater
percentage of their income on consumer goods--usually by
necessity--than wealthy Americans. Your proposed tax
credits would hardly seem to off-set the increased costs to
these Americans.
How would your proposal protect lower- and middle-income
Americans?
James Devitt
Philadelphia, PA
-------------------------------------------
Dick Lugar:
My proposal for a national sales tax attempts to protect lower income and
middle income Americans through exemptions of broad classifications of
expenditure or through blanket exemption of so many dollars of purchases
by each American. It is true that some Americans that are middle and
lower income will spend a greater percentage of their income on consumer
goods than wealthy Americans but not necessarily the case. As a matter of
fact, wealthy Americans will pay much more because they do consume more
and some, in fact, consume a great deal, spending family fortunes in the
process of a generation. My basic point in offering the tax plan is to
create economic growth through increasing savings and investment,
increasing higher productivity gains and thus wage gains which have
followed productivity gains historically for decades. The purpose of
the change is not to have a more progressive or regressive tax but to bring
about substantial and dynamic growth for all Americans in which those who are
lower or middle income are more likely to prosper.
=========================================================================
#19
From: WKDR@together.net
The United States appears headed toward active military involvement in
Bosnia, including the possible commitment of forces on the ground.
My question is, do you think the U-S should take a much more aggressive
role in the interest of containing the Serbs and preventing a wider war
that would threaten the NATO alliance. Or should we do what we've been
doing--let the U-N take the lead.
Thanks for making this forum possible.
--Andy Potter
News Director
WKDR-AM (News/Talk)
Burlington, VT
-----------------------------
Dick Lugar:
The United States has taken a much more active role in Bosnia during the
past month. I believe that that role of leadership is appropriate. That
role of leadership should lead to the NATO alliance reasserting itself in
eastern Europe and making certain that all nations know that participation
in the Bosnian conflict is unacceptable and will be repelled by NATO
force. In the meanwhile, utilizing NATO force, we should press, as
Assistant Secretary Dick Holbrook is doing, for a diplomatic solution
which is made possible by a more vigorous NATO military action from the
air and by the change of political and military situation, especially in
the case of Croatia on the ground. We should not become involved in the
use of American troops to sort out the Bosnian-Croatian- Serbian rivalries
but we should indicate NATO will not tolerate a spread of war because that
would clearly undermine the security of Europe and our vital interests.
=============================================================================
#20
From: cjs2@kepler.unh.edu
Senator Lugar:
Many questions you receive pertain to the "issues".
My question is directed to one of the means available
to communicate your message(s) about those issues,
the Internet. My question is:
Do you believe the Internet is an effective
means to communicate to voters during a
presidential campaign, why, and do you
think it will become a main tool for
communication in the future?
U.N.H. student.
-------------------------
Dick Lugar:
I believe that the Internet is becoming a much more effective means to
communicate to voters and my hope is that its' effectiveness will increase
in geometrical proportions during the course of the coming months. Many
who communicate on the Internet are deeply involved in political activity
and many would become much more involved if they were better informed and
had ready responses to questions and issues that arise during the
campaign. I suspect that we are all learning a great deal as we progress
during the presidential campaign with the Internet and are encouraged by
the numbers of additional persons who are entering this electronic
conversation.
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