Background

Education

Clark: “The Department Of Education Is Another Expensive Intrusion Into Our Freedom To Choose, And I Would Abolish It.” In his book, “A New Beginning,” Clark wrote: “But I think the Department of Education is a big mistake. As the New York Times editorialized, ‘The supporters of a separate department speak vaguely of the need for a Federal policy on education. We believe that they misunderstand the nature of American education, which is characterized by diversity.’ The Department of Education is another expensive intrusion into our freedom to choose, and I would abolish it.” [A New Beginning, p. 71, August 1980]

Environment

Clark-Koch Campaign: “Strict Respect For Individual And Property Rights Will Safeguard The Environment Without Restricting Legitimate Energy Production Efforts.”According to a League Of Women Voters Of Illinois Questionnaire For Presidential Candidates, “Government boondoggles like synthetic fuels run roughshod over environmental concerns. Strict respect for individual and property rights will safeguard the environment without restricting legitimate energy production efforts. There’s no conflict between energy and the environment in a free market.” [League Of Women Voters Of Illinois Questionnaire For Presidential Candidates, 8/22/80]

Medicare

Campaign White Paper: “We Propose A 50 Percent Reduction In Payments To [Medicare] Contractors For Processing Claims Payments.” In a white paper, the Clark-Koch campaign wrote, “Medicare Contractors – cut We propose a 50 percent reduction in payments to contractors for processing claims payments. We are confident that administrative overhead can easily be cut by that much.” [Clark For President White Paper On Taxing And Spending Reduction, 1980]

Minimum Wage

Clark: “We Should Abolish The Minimum Wage Laws.” In his book, “A New Beginning,” Clark wrote: “We should abolish the minimum wage laws and licensing laws so that people can once again be free to compete and to work, so that no bureaucrat or politician backed by special interested can ever again stand between a human being and a chance to work for a living, bringing with it the dignity of self-reliance, not the dehumanizing dependency of helpless poverty and unemployment.” [A New Beginning, p. 97, August 1980]

Clark: “The Federal Minimum Wage Law Has Destroyed Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs For Teenagers And Minorities.” In his book, “A New Beginning,” Clark wrote: “The federal minimum wage law has destroyed hundreds of thousands of jobs for teenagers and minorities.” [A New Beginning, p. 92, August 1980]

Clark: “There Will Be Unskilled Adult Workers Who Are Not Worth The Minimum Wage.” In his book, “A New Beginning,” Clark wrote: “But the minimum wage law doesn’t only hurt teenagers. The teenager who can’t get that first job soon becomes the young man or woman with no work experience, unable to get any job. And there will be unskilled adult workers who are not worth the minimum wage. So the potential employer decides to automate, or to hire one skilled worker instead of two or three unskilled workers, or to let his customers wait on themselves. Hundreds of thousands of jobs for the poor have been destroyed by this one piece of legislation – legislation framed by politicians who seem to think it’s better to be on welfare than to hold down a low-paying job.” [A New Beginning, August 1980]

Social Security

Clark Called Social Security “The Most Serious Threat To The Future Stability Of Our Society Next To The Threat Of Nuclear War.” According to a press release from the Clark for President Committee, “Clark said Social Security ‘the most serious threat to the future stability of our society next to the threat of nuclear war.’” [Clark for President Committee, 9/24/80]

Clark: “The First Major Reform To Be Effected Is The Elimination Of The Payroll Tax.” In his book, “A New Beginning,” Clark wrote: “The first major reform to be effected is the elimination of the payroll tax (the Social Security tax). The payroll tax is regressive, falling most heavily on lower-income workers. And as we have seen, it has devastating consequences for our economy, withdrawing billions of dollars from productive investment.” [A New Beginning, p. 81, August 1980]

Clark Said “For Those Individuals Who Neglected To Provide For Their Own Retirement […] Voluntary Charitable Organizations Could Provide Assistance.” In his book, “A New Beginning,” Clark wrote: “For those individuals who neglected to provide for their own retirement, normal welfare programs – and increasingly, under a revitalized economy, voluntary charitable organizations – could provide assistance.” [A New Beginning, p. 82, August 1980]

Clark-Koch Campaign Wanted To Abolish The 13.3% Social Security Payroll Tax. According to a press release from the Clark for President Committee, “In his White Paper Clark proposed abolishing within three years the 13.3% Social Security payroll tax (the half of the tax paid by the employer is simply an added labor cost, said Clark, which is ultimately borne by the employee in the form of lower wages) and funding future payments out of general revenues.” [Clark for President Committee, 9/24/80]

Clark-Koch Campaign Wanted To Remove Those Under 40-Years Of Age From The Social Security System. According to a press release from the Clark for President Committee, “A key element in the proposal would be the removal of all Americans under 40 from the system. Individuals over 40 would be guaranteed benefits now due them.” [Clark for President Committee, 9/24/80]

Clark-Koch Campaign Wanted To Create Tax-Free IRA-Type Accounts That Would Give Individuals More Retirement Income Than Social Security. According to a press release from the Clark for President Committee, “Tax-free IRA-type accounts would be established under the plan, which Clark said would allow most workers to ‘end up with significantly more retirement income than Social Security would provide.’” [Clark for President Committee, 9/24/80]