787–5

Conversation No. 787-5

Date: September 26, 1972
Time: 10:11 am - 10:53 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and Stephen B Bull.

The President's forthcoming meeting with Robert E. Merriam
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Tax credits to elderly

Bull left at unknown time before 10:15 am.

-Report
-Timing
-Property taxes
-Relationship between Federal, state, local taxation
-Realignment
-Timing
-1972 election
-Property taxes
-Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations [ACIR]
-1972 election

Defense cuts
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-George P. Shultz
-Public relations
-Weinberger
-Melvin R. Laird
-George S. McGovern
-Shultz’s appearance before the House of Representatives Ways and Means
Committee
-Weinberger’s subsequent appearance

Merriam and Lewis A. Engman entered at 10:15 am; the White House photographer was present
at the beginning of the meeting.

Greetings

ACIR Study
-School financing
-Property tax
-Staff numbers
- ACIR
-Financing
-Congressional appropriations
-States
-Staff
-Role
-Communications
-Financing
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Domestic Council
-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Department of Transportation special studies
-Cities
-Foundations
-Organization
-Three phases
-School financing
-Court decisions
-Property taxes
-Value added tax [VAT]
-Discussion
-Timing
-December 1972
-National fiscal policy
-Federal taxes
-Chart
-State and local taxes
-Impact
-1972 tax burden on family of four
-Compared to 1953 tax burden
-Chart
-Taxes
-As percentage of income
-Federal tax
-Social Security
-Property taxes
-State and local tax
-Income tax reform
-Need for balance
-Congressional focus
-Implementation
-Commission responsibility
-Quantity of work
-Election period activities of members
-Richard B. Ogilvie
-Specific areas
-School financing
-Courts
-State responsibility
-Property taxes
-Recommendations
 9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Modest federal aid
-Neil H. McElroy Commission
-Self destruct mechanism
-Revenue sharing
-Welfare
-Welfare
-Federal funding
-ACIR perspective
-Staff
-Governors, mayors
-Benefit payments
-Property taxes
-Preliminary study
-Popularity
-Public opinion poll
-Gerald R. Ford
-John J. Rhodes Platform Committee
-Canvas of selected Republicans
-Roger Freeman’s view
-Milton Friedman’s view
-Fairness
-Visibility
-Number that pay
-Two installments
-Compared to mortgage payments
-Sales tax
-Compared to income tax
-Reform
-Variation of use
-Chart
-Northeast, Midwest, West
-South, Southwest
-State constitutions
-Classification of property
-Residential exemption
-Constitutional Amendment
-16 to 24 states
-Rate requirements
-Local governments
-Congressional workload
-Deductions
-Tax payment
-Loophole
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-[George S. McGovern]
-Itemization
-Use by upper income people
-Compared to lower and middle income people
-Standard deduction
-Tax credits
-Private schools
-Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-Arthur S. Fleming
-Treasury department concern
-State and local taxes
-Cost in federal money
-Elderly
-Chart
-Numbers of home owners with low income
-Payments
-As percentage of income
-Welfare
-McGovern’s plan
-Income tax
-Northeast
-Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts
-Social Security
-Number
-Compared to Florida and California
-Recommendations
-Chart
-Circuit breaker legislation
-Minnesota, Illinois
-State payments
-Minnesota example
-Rate of payment
-Federal circuit breaker legislation
-State payments
-Federal matching fund
-Proportion
-Cost
-Tax credits
-Individual payment
-Affidavit filing
-Welfare
-Receipt
-Options
 11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Welfare
-Tax credits
-Income taxes
-Standard decuctions
-Cash rebates
-Short form
-Withholding refund
-Social Security receipts
-Tax credits
-Compared to circuit breaker plan
-Circuit breaker plan
-Checks to individual from states
-Compared to tax credits
-Merriam’s view
-Adoption by states
-ACIR view
-Bills in Congress
-Paul Findley
-Direct federal payment to individuals
-Joint federal and state participation
-ACIR support
-National scandal
-Medicare
-South
-Northeast
-Vermont, Maine
-Welfare
-Food stamps
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon’s involvement
-Effect of program
-Charity
-\"Project fund\"
-VAT
-Speculation
-Administration strategy
-ACIR recommendations
-Post-1972 election
-Sales tax
-Options kept for use
-Regressivity
-Administration
-Form
-Brown [First name unknown] of New Jersey
 12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Special interests
-Railroads
-Banks
-Utilities
-Small farmers
-Rates
-Europeans
-Diversity
-Recommendations
-Tone
-Political issue
-Budget
-ACIR staff poll
-Treasury Department
-Parallel study
-Response
-Elderly
-Circuit breaker legislation
-Confidentiality of study
-ACIR schedule
-December 1972
-Study
-Shultz
-Cooperation
-Engman

Presentation of Presidential gifts
-Cuff links
-Pin

Ehrlichman, Merriam and Engman left at 10:53 am.