Hart Cites Taxes He Would Seek in His Budget

Gary Hart’s first budget, if he is elected President, would include an oil import fee, taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and luxury items, and taxes on 85% of Social Security benefits for people with higher incomes.

Hart released his budget proposal Saturday night in his birthplace, Ottawa, Kan., before flying to southwest Georgia on Sunday to begin his first Southern swing since he re-entered the Democratic presidential race a month ago.

‘Hold Onto Your Wallet’

Hart, in a speech to a Chamber of Commerce dinner in Ottawa, promised not to raise income taxes on lower- and middle-income people but said that any candidate who says he can reduce the federal deficit without raising some taxes is not being truthful and that “you had better hold onto your wallet.”

He also detailed how he would spend money on such things as education, research and health care and challenged other candidates to do so.

The Hart document is only the second detailed budget proposal to be released in the presidential race, which has 13 major candidates in both parties.

Babbitt Released Proposal

Former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, released an extensive budget proposal some months ago and has accused the other candidates of avoiding such painful topics as tax increases.

Some elements of Hart’s proposal are similar to ideas discussed by several of the other Democratic candidates.

He would attempt to provide universal access to preschool education, a Babbitt idea. Hart would transform welfare into a kind of work-fare system, which is something Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis talks a lot about, and Hart would institute farm production controls, an idea that Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt often touts.