Editor's Column TABLE OF CONTENTS he budget deficit seems 10 beone of th ose i ssues for which no one EDITOR'S COLUMN . ..... .. .. .. .... ..............2 T has answers. But the truth is a multitude of solutions exist. The real PROFILES AND PERSPECTIVES: question is whether Ameri ca's citizens A Conversation with Linda DiVali •• ••• • ••• •• • ••••• •• • • ••••• 3 and political leaders have the will to pursue measures which would restore TESTING THE SOCIAL CONTRACT our economic vitality. Anhur George _ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••7 That unknown is the $Ubl eX I underly­ ing the budget s ummit now be ing EDITORIALS: engaged in between leaders from How to Get Out of the Budget Morass •••••••••••••••• • . ••••••• 8 Capitol Hill and the While House. Four of the key principals in the debale, POLAND ASSESSED: Beyond Ihe Iron Curtain which has an indefinite life, are featured Padraic Sweeney ••••.• • •••••• •••• •• •• ••• •••• •• ••••••• •• 10 on our cover: President Bush, Speaker of the House Thomas Foley. House BOBBIE KlLBERG: Making the White House Work Ways and Means CommiUee Chaimlan Williatll P. McKenzie ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • IS Dan ROSlcnkowski and Budgel Director Richard Darman. Their leadership will A REPUBLICAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES? be essential in putting America's economic position in forward drive. MAYBE. The Forum offer some specific ideas David A. Fuscus ••••••••• , ••• ••••••••••••• •• ••••••••••• 16 on how to do just thaI. This momh's editori al provides four points on how to DRUGS ' R US get out of the budget morass. So, too, Mariann Kurtz ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • •••••••• 18 Congressman Bill Clinger presents ideas on how the budget process can be THE RIPON AGENDA refonned. Donald T. Bliss, Jr. ••••••••••••••• .• •••••••• • •••••••••••• 19 Leading pollster Linda DiVali, whose cl ients include a number of top guber­ REVIEWS: natorial, senatorial and congressional Means and Ends: Robert A. Caro: candidates, discusses means by which Alfred W. Tate ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••20 American citizens wish to reduce the deficit. In her Forum interview, DiVali THE CHAIRMAN'S CORNER: also talks about the impact such issues Tbe Budget Summit and Why We Shouldn't Have 10 Have II: as the environment. education and abor­ Williatll Clinger •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••22 tion will have on Campaign '90. Forum editorial board member David 6 LIBRARY COURT ................................23 Fuscus also analyzes the general elec­ tion. And book review editor Bill Tate's WASHINGTON NOTES AND QUOTES .............•. 24 comments on Robert Caro's recent book on Lyndon Johnson, "The Means of Ascent." should have pan icular ap­ pli catio n for budget summileers. Johnson's li fe. Tale reminds us, had much to do about ends and means. RIPON/orum "4itil' '' William P. Mc K... ~ The Forum is panicularl y pleased to ProdM~fio~ Oi"cwr: B~ ley E. Kendall present Pat Sweeney's reponing piece "4itorUJI BlNlrd: Party. Manuscripls and phoIoJnplls .... """,ired. b.n on Po land's economi c reforms. D3vid A. F\l SCII~ do nor ... ~nr !he: VIC ...... of !he Soc;'ry unto-51 50 Slared. Srephen A. Mes<inger Mariann Kunz Sccondcl... poirl&e and fees paid Ir W ..lting ron . D.C. Sweeney, who previously li ved in Alfred w. Tare Sl~vtn B. Klinsky and addirional mailin& ofT~C$. Posrma~ter. Send address Austria for three years, went on assign­ Gail Slocum Te=nce M. O'Sullivan chn&es 10 Ripon Forurn. 6 Lib"uy Court. S. E. • ihsil" Co •••,''',,, '" RJ . M ..$I.lII Washingron. D.C. 2000J. men! to Warsaw as a Mark O. Hatfield PltOlOfNJpIIU: Bradley E. Kendall Subocriplion noreo : Sll pcr )·eu.SI1.Xl for srlKknu. Scholar in January 1990. His analysis Co""PltOfO: Lau ra Pauason / Roll C.ll M'gazino: lot1\'~emtll. I'a« Corps. ViS!. and other volum..en. describes Poland's economic condi­ Ovnseu. plus<: add $(i. Plus<: allow five .... ~ks for ad­ THE RII'ON fORUM (ISN 0035-5526) i~ pIIbli.hcd d~~ 1 change. tions and outlines the status of current bi_monrhly in 1990 by The: Ripon Sociery. Comem. The: Ripon Sociery Inc .• Donald T. Olios. Jr .• prcsidem. U.S. aid . Theconclusion is that America are ropyri&hrcd 1990 b)' ,he Ripon Socitty, Inc .• 6 0, a RCl"'biican resean:h and policy orlaniurion .... hose­ Libmy Coon. S.E.• Wasl\U.glDn. D.C. 20(0). _milt" ~ bu' o ~ acadc:m~. and pror(SSional ...... is not the only nation with economic In !he pllblic:arion the Society hopei 10 proo.·ide I forum ond .... omen. II ,I headqu.nered in Washin"Dn. D.C .• problems. for f,""" ide ... ...· . 11 raean:t.cd prop!>AII. and I I",nr ... nh NarioNl AstOCOIrc mcmben rhfOllpo..r rhe Unired ofere.r;ve cnlic:,srn and innovation in ,he R CpllbI~.n Srlr... R, pon i. Sllpponed by chaprC'l d ..... individual conrriburion •. and ... vat .... from ,10 pIIblkaloDns. _. Bill McKenzie 2 Ripoll Foruln , JI/lle 1990 PROFILES AND PERSPECTIVES A Conversation with Linda DiValI Li nda DiVali Ripo n Forum : T he No ve mber dent Bush is saying about l<lxeS, We general elections are now j ust five should hold a lid on federal taxes while As fOllnder of the pollillg group. months away, What public problems lelling local communities fi rst decide American Viewpoint. Linda DiVali has most concem the electorate? what to do about taxes and local needs. been recognized by Campaigns And Di Vali : The problems th<lt have been If the money is mi sed lind spent at the Elecliotl s Magazine as olle of lite o n the fo refront s ince the 1988 elections nat ionlll leve l. people rcmllin skepticlli IIarioll'S s ix rising SIal'S in Ihe are drug abuse and the budget deficit. abo ut the way moncy is spent and Repuhlicall Pa rty. Th e reasons are /1Of T wo o the r iss ues com ing 10 the bel ieve that a great deal of it is being iI/valid. Prior to starting American forefront in many states, whi ch could be wasted. Viewpoint ill 1985. Ihe Illinois flO/iI'e a result of the type of president George sen'l'd six years willi file Natiol/ol Bush is, are education and the env iron­ Republican Congressional COmmilll'l'. ment. These ha ve been traditionall y Two issues coming to the ourill8 [hal srilll. she originated rhe "secondary iss ues:' But now in NRCC S I1(1(io/lal 5111"1'('), rt'search statcwide polls, education and the en· front. which could be a program. vironment arc moving up. resllit of the type of Now (I S presiflellf of American View­ The result is not all thllt unusual si nce point. DiVali lias pili logether 1/1/ jll/­ peo pl e don't pe rceivc wc have president George Blish is, pressil'c lis/ of SIIITe), research eliems: economic problcms and wc are at peacc. are education and the CBS News, GI'orge Blish/or Presidelll But in the Nonheast and Midwest. the enVironment, (1988) and 'he Na/iollol Wome,,'s cnvironmcnT has becn a prelly strong Political Cauclls. 01/10118 others. Ner ex· issuc fo r all vOlers. perlise ill assessing rOler's likely Ri pon For um: I find it intcresting thai Ripo n For um: So you find a strong decision·making lillie is eSIJecially II/m· you c iTe the budget deficit as a public response in your polling data about in8 her il1lo olle of rhe nalion's mosl concern . Many anic les refer to the fact people preferring to pay into, say, the sought·after poll.wers. that people don·t respond to the deficit Alexandria, Virgi niagovemmellt rather Polling, of course. is essential to in the abstract. but only in ternlS of Ihan the federal governme nt? modem polifical campaiglls, antI ill this whether they would pay higher Taxes for DiVali: We haven't asked it tha t illTl'rview wirll Ripon Forum editor Bill specific spending programs. Do you precisely, But every time you attach McKen::ie, DiI'a/f discus.fes Ihe role of find Ih is 10 be the case? q uestions about a speci fi c program, the her profession, the e/e("forate·s illter· DiV:1JJ : That 's correct. People know more local in orientation the program. ests, Campaign' 90 antI such ("olllrOI'{'r­ the defici t is a problem. but Th ey can 't thc more people buy off on it. That is sial iss/les as abortiOll. Her rhesis is that detemline how they personally can fix why you continue to see people saying. to(Jay's voters , while panicipating ill the problem. If they can pay $100 more "Yes, I' ll tolerate an increasc in my disturbillgly low lIumbers , are ll.l.IJ..I:.h. in taxes for thei r local educational sys­ taxes to improve the qualit y of educa­ beller illformed thall whell \Valter Lip· tem. or a homeless shelter, then, yes, ti on hcre in Mississippi or 11 linois: ' pmanll wrote " PulJ/ic Opillion ,. over six they see a relationship between thei r When it gets 10 a broader level, people decades ago. Also she says tlim Georgi' money and government services. still think too much money is bei ng Bush's presidellcy is pUlling the GOP The defici\ was a significant challenge wasted. on more competitive footillg witll with Walter Mondale's 1984 campaign. Ripon For um : Do Republicans differ regard to issues {ike NII/catioll and the His people were trying to call allention in thei r concems? el/I'i/'onmellf. Says DiVaf/: '·Since to The deficit. but no onc could sec how DiValI: What·s of intcrest is that President Blish has gil'en fhe elll'iron· it impacts them. They kn ow it's bad: Republicans and Democrats are begin­ ment /IIu cll more alll'lllioll.