Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 8

8A ASHEV1LLE CITIZEN-TIMES WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10, 1993 Cuts The 'real people' size up the president Deficit John King AP POLITICAL WHITER SOUTHFIELD, Mich. When it comes to Bill Clinton, Margot Weeks will admit to being more than a little confused. And she's hardly alone. "I think he's really smart and has good ideas.

But he's on a path to break every promise he's made," is how Weeks began her all-over-the-place assessment of the new president. "It's good to hear him talk about needing to make tough decisions. But I think he'll straddle the bridge because he's a grandstander." She hastens, of course, to add: "But I hope he does well." It's that good will Clinton hopes to tap Wednesday night through the first televised town hall of his presidency, an event designed to generate public support for economic and deficit-reduction plans Clinton will unveil beginning next week. But conversations this week with a diverse group of Americans suggest public opinion remains deeply fragmented when it comes to Clinton, and is perhaps even more split now than at the end of the campaign because of his early focus on divisive social issues like expand- "I'd like to see a 10-point list on how he will create new jobs," Wilkins said. "Is he going to provide jobs?" echoed 19-year-old musician Kristopher Riley, playing guitar for tips on a Spokane sidewalk.

"I can't even find a job." So as much as the town hall is a forum for Clinton to sell his evolving economic plan, it is also a needed opportunity for him to reassure voters that he remembers why they elected him in the first place. "They would like to see this focus on the economy like a laser approach that he talked about," acknowledged Clinton pollster Stanley Greenberg. The voter interviews, as well as public and private polling data, indicate Clinton has made little headway in expanding his political base since winning the election with just 43 percent support. With the next election more than three years away, that might not seem a pressing worry. But Clinton's economic and deficit-reduction plans will include tax increases and other unpopular choices, and he needs strong public support to boost his chances with a Congress wary of risk.

"The way he addressed the issue of gays in the military right out of the that was really stupid. BETTY BROWN, SPOKANE, WASH. ing abortion rights and lifting the military's ban on homosexuals. Ask Betty Brown of Spokane, what Clinton has done wrong so far and she doesn't hesitate. "The way he addressed the issue of gays in the military right out of the barrel," Brown said.

"That was really stupid." Even many voters who support Clinton on these thorny social issues worry he has been sidetracked from the economic promises that anchored his campaign. Count Roslyn Wilkins of Los Angeles in this group. The 39-year-old desktop publisher likes the "new energy and the change from an old style" Clinton brings to the White House, but worries he's lost his focus. Continued from page 1A made no final decision on the ratio. In the face of such daunting figures, the budget office's options show that deficit-reduction pain will have to be borne by more than just the rich.

The report lists other tax options for Clinton, many of which could end up hitting the middle class. Some, including their four-year savings, are: Reduce the current $1 million cap on mortgages on which taxpayers can deduct interest to $300,000: $9 billion. Tax capital gains at death. Currently, no income tax is owned on the increased value of an inherited asset if that appreciation occurred before the previous owner's death: $23.1 billion. To raise the money he needs, Clinton is considering other tax options.

Along with their four-year savings, these include: Higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco products. Doubling the 24-cent-per-pack cigarette tax would raise $14.3 billion. The government could raise $17.9 billion by increasing the tax on a six-pack of beer from 33 cents to 81 cents, the tax on a bottle of wine from 21 cents to 70 cents, and the tax on a bottle of hard liquor from $2.14 to $2.54. Energy taxes. A 5 percent tax on energy would raise $71.4 billion.

Spending-cuts options and their four-year savings include: Reduce from 14 to 10 the number of aircraft carrier battle groups: $8.4 billion. Cancel the space station and superconducting super collider: $9.7 billion. Reduce deficiency payments to farmers: $7.1 billion. Reduce federal interest subsidies for Stafford loans to college students: $7.4 billion. Water Continued from page 1A 800 employees in the budget and trade offices, and by ignoring hundreds of military support personnel detailed to the White House.

Had he included them, he would have had to cut many more people. Clinton also dropped his challenge for Congress to match the 25 percent personnel cutback. "Economic renewal will require tough choices from every American," the president said. "But we have to ask the most of those who got the most and gave the least during the last decade -those at the top of the ladder and those who have the levers of government." Asked if he, personally, was giving up any pay or privileges, Clinton said. "I gave up 860 staff members, which is a remarkable accomplishment" Seventy of the 350 were temporarily detailed to the White House from other agencies.

MeLarty noted Clinton's $200,000 salary was exempt because it was set by statute. MeLarty, though eligible for limousine service, "is not accepting it at this point," Mark Gearan, his deputy, said. "This is not a shell game where we're moving people here and counting people here," MeLarty said, fielding questions from reporters after a brief appearance by Clinton in the White House press room. Clinton's team used a benchmark of 1,394 White House employees as the target for a 25 percent cut. MeLarty said that was the number of workers in the Bush White House minus employees at the budget and trade offices on Election Day.

He said the figure included full- and part-time staff, employees borrowed from other agencies, White House fellows and presidential management interns. The hardest-hit staff will the Office of National Drug Policy. It will be cut from 146 people in the Bush administration to 25 under Clinton. To demonstrate that he is not retreating from the drug war, Clinton said his yet-to-be-named drug czar will have Cabinet rank. The move was hailed by Rep.

Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Narcotics Commit-: tee, as a step that will advance drug-abuse policy "by leaps and bounds a dramatic development." Former Vice President Dan Quayle's Space Council was wrapped into a new office of science, technology and space policy. Charles Worley, who serves on the authority. Bean said the study has its shortcomings. "An organization is made up of people, not little boxes on an organizational chart," he said. "(But) each one of these positions has to be analyzed to see how we can best operate the department at the lowest possible cost." Water Authority Chairman Norma Price criticized the study because it said the department should emphasize getting a computerized mapping system under way and update the system's master plan, but didn't provide for where the people would come from to perform these tasks.

She said some of the recommended staff reductions would probably have to come after those tasks are completed. "They gave us two big assignments and didn't say it would take anybody to do the work," Price said. But authority member Jesse Ledbetter said he doesn't see how the authority could justify its usual 4 percent annual rate increase in light of publicity about the alleged overstaffing. "What happens if our leaks don't get fixed and our mapping doesn't get done?" Price responded. Bean said he agrees that the position of civil engineer and one dispatcher should be eliminated, but said the position of the department's assistant director, filled by Charles Rector, will be retained.

However, Rector's duties will be shifted to oversee the mapping and master plan update effort, he said. "It was my decision that posi- tion would not be eliminated because of the knowledge and skill of the individual and because of all the changes that will be made," Bean said. He said he also decided to shift two leak detection workers into six construction crew employees to leak repair. The study made a total of 42 recommendations after the consultants spent about four months observing the operations of the department's five divisions and conducted interviews with about 40 percent of the employees. Bean said all the recommendations have been or will be addressed.

Responsibility for that has been assigned and schedules have been set, he said. "I think the staff has done a lot already," he said. "I think we're off to a good start." Continued from page 1A (jobs) around, you're clearly not taking care of the problem," said Peterson, who throughout his tenure on the council has pushed to reduce costs by cutting waste. He said the Nielsen-Wurster report clearly shows ways to save money. Peterson heartily agreed with other council members when they decided they want a look at and maybe make suggestions about -the Water Authority's budget as it is being formulated.

The report will prompt the authority to take "a long hard look" at its yearly 4 percent increase in water rates, said Councilman SEE SOMEONE YOU LOVE IN A NEW LIGHT The state got an extension in hopes it would give the Hunt administration time to speak to the tribe's representatives, he said. Optical Steve Harpe Optician 116 North Main Street, Waynesville 452-0239 over a compact to allow electronic video gambling on the reservation. The tribe is seeking the compact to conduct raffles, install video games and have other methods of gambling that may be authorized in the compact. Andrew Vanore, a senior assistant state attorney general, said the deadline to answer the lawsuit was Monday. Gambling Continued from page 1A bling machines.

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