For 12-27-92 
Boycott Baseball? Ok, Fine -- But You Go First 
It Doesn't Seem So Long Ago That Kirby Puckett Created A Fuss By Becoming The 
First Baseball Player To Collect A $3 Million Salary.

What About 
Those Raises?

Monday, December 21, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





thompson column for sunday &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Clinton Conference &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It all comes down to moving the nation upward &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A lot of it sounded like what might be called, for lack of a better word, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "econobabble." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The soon-to-be-president of the United States, Bill Clinton, assembled a
roomful of economists, business tycoons, politicians and assorted deep
thinkers and they all sat around a table, gabbing about economic paradigms,
coherent conversion strategies, precompetitive technologies and advancoed
high-capacity networks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When Clinton opened the meeting to phone calls from a nationwide TV/radio
audience, an unemployed defense worker from California brought everyone back
to Earth: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If you have a job opening, I'm available," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Now that's the kind of economics everyone can understand. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Americans, most of us, anyway, adhere to an extremely elemental philosophy
of economics. It goes like this: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Do I have job? Does the job pay a living wage? If I lose my job, can I get
another one? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It wasn't that Clinton's hand-picked gathering of 300-plus experts didn't
discuss such basic concerns. It's just that they discussed them in SO many
words. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When Anne Markusen of Rutgers University talked about a "coherent
conversion strategy," after all, she was really talking about helping that
California defense worker find a new job. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 More than any other, the word that kept popping up during Clinton's two-day
economic conference in Little Rock was "investment." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The only solution to the productivity problem is investment..." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Investment in the nation's infrastructure has moved to the forefront of
the policy agenda..." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Success depends on relentless investment..." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In his opening statement, Clinton mentioned "investment" five times in one
sentence: "...we must increase investment, both public and private, to create
jobs -- investment in technology, investment in infrastructure, investment in
plant and equipment, investment in research and development." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During the presidential campaign, Clinton often spoke of the need for
investment in the country's future. His opponents charged that "investment"
was just a euphemism for "spending" -- and that all Clinton wanted to do was
get his hands on the taxpayers' money so he could throw it away on wasteful
government spending programs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If that's what he ends up doing, Clinton will surely join Jimmy Carter and
George Bush among the ranks of one-term presidents. But if you listened
carefully during the campaign --and during last week's economic conference --
you might reasonably conclude that it is not Clinton's intention to throw away
our money. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When he talks about "investment," he is indeed talking about spending
money. But the spending he has in mind is spending that will bring the
taxpayers a meaningful return. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Clinton wants to invest in roads and bridges so that America can transport
its products efficiently. He wants to invest in health care for some Americans
to reduce health-care costs for all Americans. He wants to invest in training
and retraining American workers so that they can acquire and retain jobs in
the new industries of our complex and changing world. He wants to invest in
American business so that our country can be productive and competitive in
today's global economy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 These are noble and important goals. To dismiss them as impractical or too
expensive would be to surrender without a fight in the worldwide battle for
economic dominance, a war that in its own way may be as fierce as any war this
country has ever fought. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If a lot of what was said in Little Rock last week sounded like so much
economic double talk, well, that's what happens when you put 300 policy wonks
in a room and tell them to start talking. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But all that talk about "investment" wasn't just econobabble. It was the
reason Clinton held the meeting. It was one of the main reasons he ran for
president -- and one of the main reasons he was elected. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bill Thompson, former associate editor of The Times Leader, is a columnist
for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Thompson Column For Sunday 
The Clinton Conference 
It All Comes Down To Moving The Nation Upward 
A Lot Of It Sounded Like What Might Be Called, For Lack Of A Better Word, 
"econobabble." 
The Soon-to-be-president Of The United States, Bill Clinton, Assembled A 
Roomful Of Economists, Business Tycoons, Politicians And Assorted Deep