Perot Attacks Clinton Budget in USC Speech : Rally: Former presidential candidate says President’s plan will boost U.S. debt by $1 trillion. He encourages students to join his organization.

Continuing his sweep across California, Texas businessman Ross Perot told a packed USC auditorium Saturday that President Clinton’s budget proposal will send the country further into debt.

Drawing gasps from an audience of about 2,400 students and supporters, the 1992 independent presidential candidate reiterated his charges that the plan will put the country another $1 trillion in debt during Clinton’s first term instead of reducing the nation’s $3-trillion deficit.

“We are going to go deeper into debt under this plan,” he said, adding that he believes the numbers the President used to figure the fiscal plan are incorrect. “It really doesn’t do what we thought it would do.”

But he told the crowd, almost all of whom were students: “We have to make it work. . . . We can be a beacon to the world. But not the way we are now.

“With $3 trillion in debt, we should have utopia,” he said, drawing applause. “We should be a perfect country. Well, I don’t have to tell you that we don’t have a perfect country.”

Since Friday, Perot has been meeting with groups in California encouraging them to join his organization, United We Stand, America, which grew out of his presidential campaign, and to promote his first nationally televised electronic town meeting March 21. The half-hour telecast on NBC will focus on government reform.

Perot is scheduled to meet with supporters in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area today.

In addition to focusing on the debt, Perot also lashed out at Congress, saying politicians have been dipping into the pocketbooks of the taxpayers to finance their lavish perks.

“We have almost made them kings and princes,” he said. “You have to drive yourself to work. Our (public) servants take limousines. . . . We accept things in Washington that would be unacceptable on a local level.”

Supporters began lining up outside USC’s Bovard Auditorium at 7 a.m. Saturday for Perot’s appearance. The event started at 2 p.m., half an hour late because college band leaders were searching for the music to “Crazy,” Perot’s campaign theme song, officials said.

Several students said it was worth the wait.

“I think it is very possible that he will be a future President,” said Darren Anderson, 22, an accounting major. “This might be one chance in my lifetime to see him.”

“He said some scary things,” said Valarie Kraly, 21, a broadcasting major. “But it’s good to know that someone like him is trying to fix it.”

Sean Flynn, 19, an economics major, said: “Ross is at least talking some sense. I had to hear him.”