Clements says tax reversal does not show inconsistency By NENE FOXHALL and ANNE MARIE KILDAY Houston Chronicle Y 2426 Former Gov. Bill Clements. who has backed off from his unqualified opposi- tion to a future state tax increase, de- nied he is being inconsistent, while one of his former Republican primary foes praised Clements' courage for chang- ing positions. Clements has pitched his gubernato- rial campaign on an all-out pledge to oppose new taxes if elected Nov. 4. He has refused to qualify that pledge in numerous public speeches and has attacked Democratic Gov. Mark White's request that the Legislature, meeting in special session to deal with the state's fiscal crisis, raise the state sales tax temporarily. But Clements said here Tuesday his no-tax pledge has been made in the context of d $1.3 billion or $2.2 billion deficit. ''and under no circumstances would I agree to any kind of tax in- crease under those parameters." However. Clements refused to state what his position would be during his term if the projected budget deficit reaches $5 billion, as Comptroller Bob Bullock warns it will during the 1988-89 budget period without new revenue. Clements has said he doesn't believe the deficit will be of that magnitude. Legislators, Clements said, need to make budget cuts during the special session. -go home and consider what- ever ,Ae need to do at that time (Janu- ary. when the Legislature convenes in regular session) when we have an abso- lute certification from Mr. Bullock. "We need to very carefully consider where we are and we dern sure do not want to do something in a precipitous, rushed-up special session that we're go- ing to regret later." Clements said he hasn't changed po- sitions, although on June 1, he said, "There are no its. ands or buts. I am not in favor of. and I will veto any increase in taxes or new tax." Clements reiterated his opposition to a tax increase in a speech before sev- eral hundred members of the Natural GIN ot Houston, saying the state has ample revenues" to deal with its budget problems. • "Grass-roots Texans are not saving please raise my taxes," he said. "they ore saying what we want are solutions to these problems." The first indication of Clements' his stance was in a Sunday Morning News story that quoted him as saying it would be "nonsense" to state a position on a tax increase based on projections of budget deficits in the future. • "We have a changing target," he was quoted as saying. "I don't think any- body, including myself, at this point really understands what the problem Is. or the magnitude of the problem. Ito against taxes, totally against taxes, but when you start talking about what I'm going to do four or five or six years from now, that's nonsense." Republican Kent Hance, a former Democratic congressman from !Ab- bot k. said Tuesday that Clements prob- ably would have been better off politi- cally if he had not made that statement. but added. "I thought it took some courage on his part just to say that." Hance said reporters are making "a big to-do really about nothing." "You're being picky on him, when he is saying. 'Well, OK, we might look at it (a tax increaser "Gov. Clements is still against a tax increase and will remain against a tax increase, but with the circumstances BIB Clements ail ilk\ ..doe /le Kent Hance like they are, you never get in the posi- tion of saying 'never.' " House leaders oppose a tax increase during the special session, while Senate leaders, led by Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, advocate an increase. Former Gov. John Connally and business leaders Ben Love and Walter Mischer of Hous- ton praised White's tax plan last week, calling on the Legislature to enact it. But Clements explained Tuesday that in the Dallas Morning News inter- view, "What I said was in answer to a very hypothetical question, which is pure conjecture, entirely hypothetical, 'Well, what if we had a $5 billion short- fall in 1990 or '9I?' Well, I'm just not going to be bound by any kind of a shortfall of that nature. I'm just not. "Those speculative hypothetical questions don't deserve an answer. It's just that simple." When reminded that the speculation has been made by Bullock, who Clem- ents often quotes. Clements said, "I think what he is saying is he has not made a certification of revenues and he won't until next January, and until he really gets on the line and gives us a projection of what his certification is, I think we're talking about a moving tar- get, and I'm just going to refuse to play that game." Clements reiterated that only budget cuts should be made in the special ses- sion. "When we start making decisions about these kinds of issues for the state of Texas, we need to think about that vision of tomorrow," be said. "Where are we headed with all this? And to do this in a slap-happy way down there in a 30-day special session under the polit- ical pressures of a November election is absolutely wrong."
