Show Economic issues upstage environmental energy by Helene C Manber Vernal Washington Correspondent Washington During her first tour of duty at the White House Mrs Elizabeth Dole found American consumers were hung up on environmental and energy issues from 73 1969 When she was at the Federal Trade Commission from 1973 until 1980 Mrs Dole got a lot of complaints on energy Issues particularly on fuel overcharges But now nosy j just st back from a speaking trip in 21 states and Congressional Districts Mrs Dole now Assistant to the President for Public finds the 1982 campaign is almost exclusively on economic issues We know that the pro pro- problems are the economic concerns of peo- peo pie Mrs Dole told our press briefing group here on Oct 28 Such concerns manifest themselves in inmany Inmany many ways on the campaign trail she said They Include unemployment inflation Inflation tion high interest rates federal spen- spen ding spending pay equity for women workers their many aspects pensions housing loans cutbacks in social programs There Is a lot of misinformation about the accomplishments of the Reagan Ad- Ad Administration Administration ministration said Mrs Dole a loyal Reagan Heagan backer an attorney and a woman of high accomplishment in her own right She is the wife of Sen Robert Dole R-Kan R who is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee To halve the rate of inflation a ag we have In the past year Is massive ac- ac accomplishment accomplishment Mrs Dole told the press We cant can't close our eyes to that It has come down from percent to 48 per per- percent percent cent Interest rates are coming down We have slowed the growth in federal spen- spen spending spending ding by two thirds We have done date this even though we have not made ma major lor cuts In our s social Cial pro pro- programs programs grams as alleged by the Democrats Mrs Dole continued The social services budget is Increasing increasing ing The budget for the Department of Health and Human Services is 50 billion higher than the defense budget for 1983 fiscal year In 1983 some 95 million school lunches will be e served that's one out of seven meals during the year There are 18 million on food stamps 10 million receive housing sub sub- subsidies subsidies Now 28 percent of the federal budget goes to senior citizens and 99 per per- percent percent cent of the medical payments Somehow people dont don't hear that but they are basic statistics Today the woman with a median Income of has more income because of the decline in inflation Mrs Dole stated Mrs Dole said the Reagan program looked so good to a self help HIspanic group in Dallas that it had recently pass pass- passed passed ed a resolution backing the Reagan economic program She said there are more Cubans In Dade County registered Republican than Democratic Just back from a tour In Texas she insisted that many Hispanics particularly in the Southwest would be backing Republican candidates in record numbers notably in the Texas and California guber- guber gubernatorial gubernatorial races We are Interested In bringing down inflation but not by a band aid ap- ap approach approach which will have no lasting effect but by a term long approach that will cure the disease Its It's a hackneyed phrase now but we do plan to stay the course said Mrs Dole a North Carolinian by birth birds a Kansan by adoption with college degrees from Duke University and liar liar- Harvard yard vard Law School We are coming out of the recession Inflation and interest rates are down Historically unemployment is the last of the economic Indicators to res- res respond respond pond she maintained Mrs Dole said as have many Republicans who watch Mr Reagan work as President that he likes the job own My My own view is that the will run again that he enjoys the work and he has laid down a clear path for this country that will turn the nation away from the policies of the past She said she would serve wherever the President wants me to serve but she is not buck buck- bucking bucking ing for the job as Secretary of Education now that Dr Terrel Bell is planning to leave that job after the election Nor is she unhappy in her current job as often rumored Mrs Dole emphasized She said she liked her job as Public Liaison officer for the President and was enjoy enjoy- ing enjoying her second tour of duty at House She works with small business women ethic groups Asked about the gender gap which has shown up in the polls in recent years Mrs it had initially occurred in the late that it had little if nothing to do with the President and that it ap- ap appeared appeared to be due to the fact that more women are pessimistic about the future or our country than men are Many women who are heads of household have alot a lot of financial pro pro- problems and this seems to be the reason for the gender gap according to Mrs Dole She denied that she ran into it on the campaign trail even the polls show that women as well as most ethic and racial groups are less enthusiastic about Mr Reagan than white men are Where there are problems Mrs Dole insisted that her office was addressing them A recent problem that the Ad- Ad Administration Administration ministration has solved for example she said Is getting a deduction for child chUd care careon careon on the short form for 1984 for the federal income tax She said the export trading program and the job training program both new legislation recently signed in- in into into to law by the President would help everyone They will create in sum new jobs she said a meaningful accomplishment she underscored particularly in a year when unemployment Is uppermost in the minds of many voters of all backgrounds cJ n y r I L r T u S I 1 1 j s 1 y Jh L ti- ti MERLE of the American Cancer Society left presents a Christmas card painting done by Valoy Eaton to his parents Mr and Mrs Armon Eaton The cancer society starts Christmas card sales this month The formerly lived in Vernal Son Valoy has become a widely recognized western landscape artist He lives in Midway |