CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS / U.S. SENATE : Boxer, Herschensohn Far Apart in 2nd Debate

Once again showing that they are about as far apart as two candidates can be, Democrat Barbara Boxer and Republican Bruce Herschensohn held the second debate of their U.S. Senate campaign Monday, and disagreed on just about everything.

The two candidates, running for the Senate seat now held by Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston, gave widely different views on taxes, school vouchers, abortion rights, health care programs and other issues.

The joint appearance, which lasted just over an hour and was televised live on C-SPAN from a ballroom at the San Francisco Hilton, was sponsored by Women Vote 1992, a nonpartisan coalition of 15 Bay Area women’s groups. About 900 members of various organizations listened to the two opponents, mirror-image opposites on most issues, battle it out in the second of three debates they have scheduled.

The debate was framed by questions from the sponsors and didn’t involve direct questioning by the candidates of each other, a format that the Herschensohn campaign says should not be described as a debate.

The sharpest exchanges were over Herschensohn’s support for a flat income tax, which would eliminate the current complex tax system and put taxpayers on a single 19% rate, phase out all deductions, and be simple enough to fit on a postcard.

Herschensohn challenged Boxer to back up claims she has been making, stemming from a critical study made by a labor union-backed organization, that the flat tax would hurt middle- and low-income taxpayers and dramatically reduce taxes paid by “millionaires” and other wealthy taxpayers. Herschensohn said Boxer’s programs would lead to huge tax increases.

The Republican said that if her analysis was correct he would change his plan “because I don’t want the middle class to pay more.”

Boxer refused to back down. Holding up a letter from the sponsors of the study, Citizens for Tax Justice, she quoted them as calling it “a boondoggle for the wealthy at the expense of middle- and low-income families.”

After the debate, Herschensohn told reporters that he did not think he would have to amend his plan because he didn’t think it could be shown that it would hurt middle-class taxpayers. He again promised to revise his tax plan “if she’s right, but of course she’s not.”

On the question of school vouchers, which would allow parents to choose the schools for their children, public or private, Boxer said she strongly opposed them. She said it would cripple public schools. Herschensohn said public schools had become “dangerous places.”

“If some schools have to close . . . so be it,” said Herschensohn, 60, a Los Angeles radio and television commentator.

Boxer, 51, a member of Congress from Marin County, said she supports abortion rights, opposes the so-called “gag rule” that prevents health care workers in federally funded agencies from dispensing information on abortion, and is a co-sponsor of federal legislation that would codify the rights outlined in the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973.

Herschensohn took the opposite position on each point--opposing abortion rights, favoring the gag rule, and saying he supported overturning Roe vs. Wade.

The two candidates also took strongly differing views on health care. Boxer said she supports a universal health care plan.

Herschensohn blamed the high cost of health insurance on what he said were costs of more than 1,000 regulations on insurance companies. “I want the federal government to do less so you are charged less,” he said.

Boxer, in turn, said she believes more, not fewer, regulations are needed for the health industry to end what she said are practices that allow insurers to “cherry pick” the potentially healthiest clients.

About 20 people from the Libertarian Party picketed outside the hotel, saying Libertarian Senate candidate June Genis should have been invited to take part in the debate.