The Nation : Democrat Urges Tax Rise

In the strongest call for a tax increase made by a prominent Democrat since the 1984 presidential campaign, House Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) told the nation’s governors that President Reagan must alter his frequently stated opposition to increasing taxes if the federal deficit is to be significantly reduced. “The President can have his way on taxes, the President can have his way on deficit reduction,” the congressman told the closing session of the National Governors Assn. winter conference in Washington, “but he cannot have his way on both.” Although many Democrats favor increasing revenue, they have been leery of saying so directly because of potential political repercussions.