Town Hall Meeting with Sen. Paul Tsongas on Constituent Concerns in Milton (Massachusetts)

This afternoon we're very privileged to have with us you know the United States Senator Paul Tsongas poll recently conducted a meeting last week where you described the issues of the day stablish shortly after his election in 1978. But recently at such a forum in the city of foresight that he said I was most impressed probably questions from the neighborhood in the city itself that he promised to returning to the area very soon. Fifty me across the co-op. WALLACE a native. Raul. Has an impressive educational value right down the hall I'd.

Like a graduate of Yale Law School. John. It's my privilege. I didn't realize it was my 50th anniversary

gift when I was a congressman. Each of my twenty four communities once a year for almost a hundred. I very much appreciate your coming out during the game. Had the experience of I think I mentioned as a congressman I had one town meeting and two people showed up to tell me and one that was in the wrong room. Once she realized what I was doing she promptly walked out. And the other

one had a Social Security problem with the check being late which we solved. I just got the information on the first five minutes. Not the most productive time in the head so I do appreciate when people call the forum is very simple that no speech to give and will talk about whatever you want to talk about. I have to be in Boston by 3:30 so that is the end of the only constraint on the other side. I apologize to the light. I started out today seem to be late. Every place I go to. Why don't we start with whatever you want to talk about. It's fine with me. Right.

I. Got it. Of the question is how I feel about it. I think the issue is one in which people feel very strongly on both sides. It's not for example how do you feel. Different people with very strong

convictions moral people. I don't think kind of culture hero. Not stick by you that there are any easy answers people goodwill on both sides will never agree and it

just seems to me that really what it comes out of the Supreme Court right to my. Example When you buy a ticket. I've been in discussions for a long time when life began. I don't think most people you know you can go into those arguments forever. The issue of whether rights exist like trying to write what you ultimately have to brace a choice in who is going to

make the decision. This kind of situation is going to be one with consultation with the government. That is the ultimate. I think it's a ploy to get people to lie. I mean the big question. Right.

That's. Right. Yeah. OK.

Well. I assume you're referring to the president as I did this week because. I'm a Democrat so obvious interest in the welfare of much harder. Even though I'm somewhat of a prodigal son Cajun in the pride to get my perspective on what's happening. When President Reagan was doing well politically. We were doing well in the sense that we were thinking that we would begin to think about all the old ideas and begin to think about what it made me sad. And we came up with this clear sounds what the old democratic values were at one point where the basis of the party and realizing the distinction between that and old programs. And there really was a sense that to be competitive politically Democrats have to do a lot of great thank you. So as long as the presidency was on the ascendancy you had a lot of very

sort of ferment within the party. Now the president's kamikaze his way through his second year and the Democrats are falling into the old pattern of believing that anybody can beat us. And therefore you introduce other criteria. And I think that's dangerous because what I see happening is the Democratic Party not being as vigorous in banking as it was a year or two ago. Remember the 1976 primary I was a mojito supporter if you remember that primary season. And what happened during the primary was the chairman of my committee who I love dearly as a person as well as a politician was beaten maybe because he wasn't pure enough. What happened 1976 the Democratic primary was you had the introduction of the purity test who was more pure than whom. Which is wonderful political science is terrible politics. And it's

also not good representative politics and I thought we got away from that that 70 84 was going to be a year in which the Democratic Party would say all right for more important who can govern the White House if you have a mandate. It becomes what was suggested referred to it as elegant mysterious something like. And what I see happening now is that we're getting away from the test of who can really govern this country and get us back on track. And more talking about who is more pure than whom. Very reminiscent of 1976 I think it's dangerous for our party and what people like me are trying to do is to say forget that let's talk about January 20th 1985 if you happen to be in the White House what are you going to do. How do you get this country moving again and actually be the focus rather than to look at various particular interest groups and think What can I say to

maximize my appeal. Each individual education is a good example. It seems to me that the argument for higher education should not be that you get a lot of educators around who who are very active interested if your project because there's no roots to it there are no roads. The idea of a higher education in my mind beyond the philosophical approach is simply how the hell you can be competitive internationally with an educated workforce. I'm going to do a lot of my own personal time you know Japanese the Japanese are going to do to high technology. And if you don't start to get your education act together especially in the sciences to be competitive with Milton through. During my adolescence we used to be

textiles and the city literally sank into a slump. But we have to approach education from the point of doing it because we want to keep teachers happy or educated but because it happens to be a good reason to do it in terms of the position the president's approach is fair. So it's not the work itself. I think that's been there to the extent any society goes back on education it is cutting its own throat. Now if you have a Japan around the word. The industry increasingly dependent and we're not going to have it forever. Let's begin to education and I'm fine. If the bill creates a plot for finding science and

engineering education retraining 50 percent federal 30 percent state 20 percent industry. A fortune to make sure that nothing gets funded it's not worthwhile. It's going to go but the money they don't think it's a work program that's creating the entity without having the government dictating what its ministrations remarkably sensitive story. I want to talk to President Reagan about my concern about the Japanese child. The original idea was to have a meeting with him. I've never been able to get a meeting with him in the Middle East. Anything we've ever tried it never worked out the route to go through an exercise in futility. We had more time on his hands.

So we called up and I've said to the vice president he said fine but call back to what you are talking about which is a fair question. So I want to talk about high technology. OK. Back the next day. What about high technology. I said the Japanese challenge to our technology base in the States she said. Five four months ago. Interest in the issue. Don't worry free enterprises without any kind of manipulation worked itself out. No that's fine if you don't have a chance to compete. So it's my not the Democratic candidate. Well you raise the issue of national prominence a national debate about

my ability to do it with. Let's talk about it and let the process work its way. Ironically when you get among the Republicans Your lot of interest in the Senate. There are a lot of very good Republicans I think that's the. Case when you get people like Howard Baker who are unfortunately more conservative than I but they're very thoughtful people who think in long term possibilities. I would hope that our high technology is building up with Domenici as the other major co-sponsor so we just take the president. Position for a while. It's true.

Live life. For action. You know all of these social cultural futures this issue is likely to actually support. It's basically that's a good question. It is basically administrator and legal as opposed to just keep it just. I don't I have trouble with the

system because I think that's actually the wastepaper basket I think very well. So my basic attitude is action as it has been traditionally viewed I support and would not want to see in terms of secondary school or primary school education going to give you more I have to think back to when I was a very serious mistake. I can understand the frustration you know we don't have we don't have a history. I'm very frustrated by the attitude in the state about government and that's how I see this in a way doesn't get me very many states that I try to talk about Democratic Party that kind of thing where there really

is a premium put on professionalism. You don't meet people in government. They won't be very efficient and it's you know the patronage. I used to be a county commissioner and I ran the Middlesex County Commission. We had a situation like. We had the highway engineering department. They used to like fifty four hundred twenty two exactly where we had responsibility for one. The kind of commissions for every fish patronage jobs.

And that's how we operate in the state. And we ran against a defeat that was a rebellion against. It but felt that all the work we're going to get him for and that's what they're trying to get their attention. But you also make him here right. How do we have in line could have been such a way that you could have sent the message. And the most sophisticated so that yes you could cut the need to really reform the system but don't shoot yourself in the foot the same time the future and the. Human resources because we don't have oil we don't have. Yes you know. We have farmland. There's been a lot of. Give back and to educate the workforce.

And I would have hoped. Then I would have ended two and a half. You have an understanding of the role of education. But. They really went through a very good sense of that that to the extent that we put our money into education Carolina telephone. California you know. We have 13 but there are states around the state away from. That a lot of the Southern states. Why take our text. It is going to be educational to get whatever

reason just for your survival. I think and I came out of it. I would like to get. This thing because. I. Post. That I think to the extent you. You back an education you like the farmer. For the next five. Days. The St.. Trying. Hard. Then how does one get this info. One. Of the last couple. In

Boston they're going to try to translate into a high technology kind of merchandise center so that we literally not only in terms of having the academic and the prime showcase the high technology world located right here in Boston. What happened hampering what can be done in that facility which means there is a possibility that's going to happen here in Dallas. The implications of that are enormous. It's much more complicated than discarded because let's understand that we have to be much more sensitive about the economy about economic development about jobs and the political structure should be pro-business I mean pro-business and giving them anything they want as much as me. But to try to provide a

climate in which people and businesses are comfortable don't have to worry about this kind of legislation because we do it. Take away the issue. I guess I'm paranoid because I grew up I went through years of decline when I graduated from high school. I thought about the one promise I made to myself was never coming back to the city. A lot of my friends and I went back I think with a pretty good job in the city but I would be concerned about people picking up states looking to the states in this not wanting to take away the high tech base. Michigan a lot of

them understanding how nice it is to have it here and people to come back like forever. That really paid any attention to the constraint and started spending less. He said. So I

guess it's ok. The

situation very. Much. Right.

Now. Right. Right.

OK I'll repeat the question. And if you can hear me I've got a call and I don't know whether I should because I hear the question about policy drift. Actually it's a recurring theme for. Example where my thoughts are there. Should. Be an American official who is invited.

Tucker this was Secretary Haig Secretary Weinberger So the idea came back for the first time to take the

great ship of life which direction they're going to point. Out that it's the front line. If you're going back and forth between the prize. Fight.

Not surprisingly good happen to good people. We can be comfortable with the. Sort of occasion. That's what he writes from

America. When we get money right. When you smile. It's all the difference between.

Thank you very much. Torture Chamber politics. Take me home.

And what happened that for the people and the people there. And I think I don't worry about my bank. Yes. Thank.

You. They're projecting. If you take my position that the problem is the demographics are changing. The only solution is a compromise out of the

Democrats talking about taxes Republicans benefits and each position. And I said what I would do. I would put President Reagan in one room lock the door and watch out. But to my utter amazement this seems to be a movement in that direction I have not had a chance to look at it. But if you have a President Reagan in Texas. But frankly I was in the States. Yes.

Thank you. What do you say. Nobody. It's all right to go. But. And the trouble is you don't want to find out. It may not be. If you're right fine if you write about Poland you probably got German banks. Germany to the European

states. The fact that with their problems prices. Or prices and. Their lack of theory it's find out. I

feel. Ill. Let me.

Let me let me. But what I think. Can you see their

economy. The lot of the major problems and the problem is that if you run those kinds of numbers it means the government is in the money market for you know interest interest rates going up the worst deficit in history. President Reagan in 1976 said last year which we thought was now three and a quarter. You ran between I think 29 years right now as you know. We're outside of this. Administration this year right now.

The best thing I've ever seen. It was shot. It might have been right there. You want to go back there because I'm trying to start. The fact is dark when the president told like the president refused to let them fight. They should have a better percentage of Gross National Product percentage of the economy. My guess is that.

Under another president when you live there you know your name right. Right. President

and if you go back and look at what happened. Right. Right. Anybody with any sense. Doing the right thing.

Can. We can. Thank you.

Thank you. For.

That. Thanks for all your other stories. They get upset. OK let's look at the leadership. How big is your major market. I can't see anything. All talk about doing their best friend right. These things are very strong. So when your best friend you

have. There are a lot of hard work on the timing of moderate Republicans in doing this thing. I think about education. Or. Why should. I know what. You're saying. Things are turning the other direction. Just. What. My. Major is this. That's not changing

the question is to help your 1981 defense budget for votes against the president 10 percent which is a race for 2012. If you look at 22 you can say My God only 22. You want to for him before you say OK on the other hand. What system. Just one more. You know I

mean you know it's not like you know increase your friends 4 percent here. And they've been doing that. They never look at the same thing because I find you get nation very proud when we're out here and they're down here and it's probably my pain. We're both in the same light out here. OK.

The five year plan of the five year plan of the five year plan there on this time and no one likes one night you get to deal with. Kerry did in 1979 take us to times any increase in. The Navy term agreement with them. Defense budget with 3 percent larger for the first time. And the idea was happy to have the same right at the end of that with

President Reagan. And if you know any of expenditure. That's right. They take their part and bring it up to temp. In a situation where nobody has benefited except yourselves into. The danger you not only have. The straits without the

thermonuclear implications you destroy your economy. We're doing it for the Russian Japanese. Many Japanese prime minister we had lunch with him he was very proud of the fact that he that they had their defense budget six point three percent that's more than a joke. Well he's right. Six point three percent increase on point. And so they can increase more than we are the next thousand years. And so the Japanese look at this and say Hey go get em tiger. We don't get it. Hey Bill the harder you work you work with the Congress of the future. Right.

As you know I talk about Detroit anymore you talk about that kind of thing we try to get it. Very much an international no isolationist. My wife went to high school in Japan or not and you know I'm not. I would I would try I would no more buy a Japanese car or jump out of. Three story building because the more I've looked at what the Japanese have done in terms of protectionism both real terror and not terror there is more upset I get what you give you an example.