By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 12, 2000; Page A1
One of a series evaluating the accuracy of political ads.
Candidate: Al Gore Markets: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and 12 other states Time: 30 seconds
Audio: The facts on George W. Bush's $1.6 trillion tax cut promise. Almost half goes to the richest 1 percent. What trickles down? An average of 62 cents a day for most taxpayers. Bush gives almost half to the richest 1 percent, leaving 62 cents to trickle down to us. Al Gore builds on a foundation of fiscal discipline. Pay down the nation's debt. Protect Social Security and Medicare. A $10,000 a year tax deduction for college tuition. Because the middle class has earned more than trickle-down.
Analysis: The pejorative phrase "trickle-down," frequently aimed at President Reagan's economic policies, is an attempt to link Bush to the GOP stereotype of favoring the rich. But Gore's numbers are rather suspect. The 62 cents is drawn from research by the liberal Citizens for Tax Justice, and the group's head has said that Gore's claim "might be a stretch." (Gore's "average" figure looks smaller because it's based on the poorest 60 percent of taxpayers, even though the ad says "to us," suggesting that it applies to just about everyone.) The Bush camp, citing a congressional study, contends that only 21 percent of its tax cut – not "almost half" – goes to the wealthiest 1 percent, but that does not include Bush's phasing out of the estate tax. Gore's tuition plan is only a modest improvement on the existing tax break-up to $2,800 per family, compared with the current level of $2,000. Still, the ad explicitly portrays Bush as the champion of the wealthy.
