REBUTTAL - Barkley
Dean M Barkley (barkley@Free-Net.Mpls-StPaul.MN.US)
Mon, 31 Oct 1994 17:29:41 -0600 (CST)
First, with respects to Marea Himelgrin, of the Socialist Workers Party, I
am a small business owner and unapologetic capitalist. I believe good
business is good for our nation and profitable business is better. While
her macroeconomic and global political assessments miss the mark, she
raises timely topics regarding the centralization of state power and status
of labor in a changing world.
Ms. Himelgrin thereby enriches this debate and illustrates the importance
of including all candidates in Minnesota's political discussions (forgive
me, but it really steams me that Mr. Grams and Ms. Wynia engineered my
exclusion from the major media debates when I am arguably the one
candidate in this race who best represents the majority of Minnesota
voters).
Regarding Mr. Grams' and Ms. Wynia's response to question #1, their
answers echo the superficial, make-the-other-look-worse-than-you behavior
exhibited by these two in their TV debates. I was hoping this E-DEBATE
format would help us all get more substantive answers and accountability
from the major party candidates. I would love detailed, factual
information from them stating what is right about their views instead
of what is wrong about the other. I guess it falls to me to show them
how.
Rod Grams and Ann Wynia, pay attention. Below, I am going to lay out
one of my public policy positions in detail, and in writing no less!
You ought to try it yourselves. It works. Believe me, the people
really do want to know and they are not as dumb as your TV ads indicate
you believe them to be.
In her response, Ms. Wynia referenced the Concord Coalition analysis to
illustrate the financial shortcomings of Rod Grams' Republican
"Contract With America." She is right to do so. I agree with Ms.
Wynia's criticism of the Grams budget plan.
I am also delighted to see Ms. Wynia cite the Concord Coalition as
reputable people devoted to ending federal deficits. I announced early
in my campaign that my plan for balancing the federal deficit is the
Concord Coalition Zero Deficit 2000 plan. I adopted this plan precisely
because it is reputable and developed by bipartisan and independent
Americans who have carefully examined the hard choices and cuts that
must be made to balance our budget by the year 2000.
Anyone wanting to know how my budget plan would affect him or her need
only obtain a readily available copy of the Concord Coalition booklet
and look it up. No lies, no vague promises, no rhetoric. It's all in
the book for all to see. It would be nice if Ms. Wynia were as detailed
about her budget plan as she was in her criticism of Mr. Grams' plan.
She has yet to convince me she has one.
The only other response I have to Rod Grams's answer is to point out
the logical inconsistency of arguing for a less intrusive government
while promoting a right wing moral agenda that would use government power
to regulate the most personal decisions Americans can make.
-Dean Barkley