DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711130022

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Ediorial 

                                            LENGTH:   43 lines

CAMPAIGN POST-MORTEM UNHEEDED WARNING CONSULTANTS SAW CAR TAX COMING, BUT BEYER DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE WAY.

Sometimes Democrats are their own worst enemies.

In hindsight, it's amazing that Democrat Donald S. Beyer Jr. didn't heed a memo written by Paul Goldman, party strategist and former chairman, weeks before his opponent's plan to abolish the car tax put Beyer's gubernatorial campaign into a tailspin. The memo noted:

``Gilmore has to have a substantive campaign theme. He could run on Keep It Going, and basically try and surfboard on the public's positive feelings about the last four years. This approach strikes me as even too conservative for Mr. Gilmore's supposed abundant caution. . . .

``THUS (sic), a slogan-building tax cut (The first one ever in Virginia I believe and the first ever proposed by a gubernatorial candidate) has to be very, very attractive to his high command. A tax cut proposal is the best way to unite his party; remember, the GOP has come undone in this state over social, not fiscal, issues. . . .

``As I understand where the Democrats are on the tax cut issue, the conventional wisdom appears to be that either (1) there is no way for Gilmore to propose a sizable cut without blowing a hole in the budget. . . or (2) he could do it, but the people show little interest in a tax cut and would rather spend the money on schools, roads, and whatever.

``WHAT IF THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS WRONG? Suppose - as I believe we must - that a possible Gilmore tax-cut proposal will be fiscally doable in the eyes of the public? And, furthermore, suppose the people have an open, if not leaning, mind on the ``money in my pocket and not the government's'' line of reasoning?

``I believe we need to assume Gilmore will propose a major tax cut - either phase out personal-property tax or phase out sales tax on food - and develop a strategy that we can start ASAP to take as much steam as possible out of such a proposal.''

Hello. Was anyone in the Beyer camp listening? Apparently, not. Goldman never got a direct response from the candidate to his memo. Jim Gilmore gets a chance to make good on his tax pledge.

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