Steve Forbes in The Associated Press


On Tax Reform: Top priority: throw out tax code

Forbes called for an overhaul of the tax system. The new year should bring a new brand of politics, and throwing out the tax code is the top priority, he said. “Is there anybody in America today who believes this tax code is working?” he asked. “It’s an atrocity, an abomination. As a free people we should decide what kind of code we have.” Forbes, who supports a 17% flat tax, also criticized a tax cut suggested by the Clinton administration, which would target specific groups.
Source: Associated Press, in The Enterprise (Brockton MA), p. A9 Jan 4, 2000

On Government Reform: Independent outsider is the way to reform campaigns

Forbes said there needed to be fewer restrictions on spending by political campaigns, and that candidates ought to be able to do more with the money they have. But he said such changes won’t come if another Washington insider is elected. “To move forward, it is going to take an independent outsider and individual not beholden to the establishment, special interests, lobbyists,” Forbes said during a campaign appearance. “They have no hooks in me.”
Source: Associated Press Oct 4, 1999

On Health Care: More Rx support, to avoid cross-border drug buying

In a speech in NH, Forbes said Americans shouldn’t have to cross the border to buy prescription drugs. Forbes said he was discouraged to hear that some New Hampshire residents go to Canada to buy prescription drugs at cheaper prices. If elected, he promised a drug support system that would eliminate them to travel to Quebec for medicines.
Source: Associated Press Oct 4, 1999

On Homeland Security: Under-funded military not ready to handle conflicts

In a speech in NH, Forbes promised to modernize the military. He added that people in the service must be paid adequately to support themselves, their families and their country. He said the military, as it now is funded, is not ready to handle conflicts
Source: Associated Press Oct 4, 1999

On Immigration: Toughen rules on illegal immigration

Forbes promises to take a tougher stand than the Clinton administration on illegal immigration.
Source: Scott Lindlaw, Associated Press Sep 21, 1999

On Foreign Policy: Russia: We spent billions to support a corrupt elite

“Our foreign relations with Russia has been an unmitigated disaster,” Forbes said. “We’ve known for years that tens of billions of dollars were being siphoned off by a corrupt elite in the Kremlin, who were no more democratic than their communist predecessors. As a result of our turning a blind eye to massive stealing, massive oppression, the words ‘democracy,’ ‘free enterprise,’ ‘free market’ to the eyes of the average Russian have become ‘oppression.’”
Source: Mike Recht, Associated Press Sep 10, 1999

On Foreign Policy: Russia: No aid to kleptocrats until they pay workers

Forbes stated, “We have allowed, incredibly, in Russia the rise of a new system of serfdom.” He said four out of 10 Russians workers are not being paid. “We at the very least should tell the kleptocrats in the Kremlin we won’t even consider aid unless you become current as a government on paying your workers, and two, you deny export licenses to concerns in Russia who aren’t paying their workers in a timely manner.”
Source: Mike Recht, Associated Press Sep 10, 1999

On Foreign Policy: Do not permit use of force in Taiwan or Tibet

Forbes said it’s critical that US leaders make it clear China will not be permitted to use force to retake Taiwan. “Unfortunately, the Clinton White House is giving off very dangerous ambiguous signals,” he said. “On human rights, which touches on Tibet, we should make it clear we will denounce human rights abuses in China in every international forum possible. If they want to denounce us, fine. But we will win that kind of openness contest.”
Source: Mike Recht, Associated Press Sep 10, 1999

On Civil Rights: Against video gambling - not an economic backbone

“I oppose video gambling and I think that gets to the whole issue of gambling,” Forbes said while campaigning in South Carolina. Residents there will vote this fall on whether they want to keep the video gambling industry in the state. Next year they will decide on a state lottery. “While people think the lottery is much less harmful than video gambling - and they are right on that - the thing to remember about gambling is it does not create a backbone for a powerful economy,” Forbes said.
Source: Bruce Smith, Associated Press Sep 4, 1999

On Social Security: Use surplus to fund personal retirement accounts

Forbes wants changes in Social Security, with any surplus used to start a new system of personal savings accounts, or personal retirement accounts. He wants to take money in the Social Security trust fund “off-budget” so that Congress could not use it for any other purpose. Forbes also advocates greater use of medical savings accounts that would allow people to set money aside for future care.
Source: Associated Press Aug 13, 1999

On Civil Rights: Against casino gambling; against airborne gambling

Forbes, a New Jersey resident, says he voted against introducing casino gambling in Atlantic City in 1977. In a 1996 column panning proposals to allow video gambling on airplanes, the magazine publisher wrote: “We have enough gambling opportunities on the ground. There ought to be a haven in the heavens from these temptations.”
Source: Laurence Arnold, Associated Press Jul 26, 1999

On Government Reform: Eliminate tax code instead of soft money

The Forbes camp rejected eliminating “soft money” in campaigns. “We believe the best reform is to eliminate the tax code,” said Forbes’ campaign manager, who added Forbes also supports increased personal contribution limits, disclosure and term limits.
Source: Matthew Fordahl, Associated Press Jul 7, 1999

On Abortion: Supports litmus test for Supreme Court appointments

On nominating pro-life Supreme Court justices: “I believe you should appoint justices on matter of principle. One of those principles is belief in the sanctity of life.”
Source: Associated Press Jun 14, 1999

On Foreign Policy: Cox Report indicates incompetence, ineptitude, insincerity

[Regarding the Cox Report,] Steve Forbes said the administration had demonstrated “incompetence, ineptitude and insincerity on a scale never before witnessed in the history of U.S. defense,” making a point to target not just Clinton but also Vice President Al Gore.
Source: Associated Press, “Republicans on China”, by K. Srinivasan May 26, 1999

The above quotations are from Columns and news articles distributed by the Associated Press.
Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles distributed by the Associated Press.
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Page last updated: Feb 15, 2019