Mike Dukakis for President 1988 Campaign Brochures

‘American know-how in Action, American know-how is back.’

‘Democratic values in action’

 

Mike Dukakis and the Massachusetts Miracle.

Mike Dukakis doesn't just talk about Democratic values. He puts them into action.

Since he's been Governor, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts has gone from more than 11 percent to less than 4 percent.

No wonder it's called the Massachusetts Miracle.

And Mike Dukakis has made sure that the Miracle reaches everyone in every region, from big cities to small rural communities and old mill towns.

Since 1983, Massachusetts has created nearly 350,000 new jobs. Good jobs at good wages. And Mike Dukakis has fought to protect jobs in traditional industries.

Meanwhile, he's balanced budgets, cut taxes, and taken care of the needy.

He's invested in job training. Education. Small business. Health care. And a highly successful jobs program for welfare mothers.

As President, Mike Dukakis is committed to make these ideas and values work for the country. "I believe that every American, regardless of who you are, where you come from or what the color of your skin, should have the opportunity to succeed."

 

Mike Dukakis and a strong American economy.

Mike Dukakis believes Americans, no matter where they live, want the same things for themselves and their families:

Good jobs at good wages, good schools for their children, decent housing, safe and attractive neighborhoods, affordable health care, a clean environment.

Above all, they want a strong and thriving economy.

As President, Mike Dukakis will work to strengthen the economy by reducing the federal budget deficit. By working with Congress to make wise investments and sensible budget cuts.

He'll work for better labor-management relations. With modernized plants and workplaces. Worker training and retraining. And a new commitment to quality and innovation.

He'll press for better schools and jobs, with a future for graduates. A promise from young people to stay in school and off drugs. High standards and strong incentives for teachers. Testing for students. And a commitment to make college affordable for all who qualify.

He'll encourage public investments in highways, bridges, transportation, water and sewer systems. And private investments in modern plants, new technologies and research.

He'll put government back on the side of average people. To put the family farmer ahead of the corporate food producer. And put a halt to Wall Street's merger and acquisition binge.

There's one reason why Mike Dukakis knows he can make government a strong partner in a strong economy:

He's done it before.

 

Cutting the federal deficit.

As Governor, Mike Dukakis has twice eliminated huge deficits, including once when he inherited the worst state deficit in America. All told, he's balanced nine budgets in nine years.

He knows a balanced federal budget requires spending discipline -- especially at the Pentagon -- a strong economy and sufficient revenues.

But he won't go along with new taxes until the federal government goes after the tax cheats who cost us $100 billion last year.

And he'll insist on prompt refunds and better service for the vast majority of us who pay our taxes in full and on time.

A program like that in Massachusetts allowed him to raise revenues and cut taxes at the same time.

 

The bottom line: Good jobs.

To protect American jobs, a President has to get tough with trading partners who engage in unfair trade practices.

But the surest way to restore Americas trade position, Mike Dukakis believes, is to restore America's reputation for quality.

He wants to unleash American know-how with investments in good schools, good teachers, worker training and re-training.

And he'll push for modernized technology and plants, improved transportation, new teamwork between labor and management. And more federal r&d support for non-Pentagon projects.

 

Stop the illegal war in Nicaragua.

Mike Dukakis believes what the Reagan administration has been doing in Nicaragua is illegal.

That's why, as Governor, he said he would not allow his National Guard troops to train in Honduras.

As President, he'll reverse the failed U.S. policy in Nicaragua. Support the Contadora process and the Arias plan. And work with democratic leaders in Central America to attack the underlying problems of poverty, injustice, and exploitation.

Serious arms control and defense.

Mike Dukakis believes that this may be the best opportunity in our lifetimes to achieve genuine arms control and arms reduction.

He supports talks with the Soviets to remove short-range and intermediate missiles from Europe. And he wants to negotiate a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty and reduce the world's nuclear arsenal.

He wants a strong national defense backed by well-trained, well-equipped fighting forces, enhanced conventional capability, and improved readiness.

And tough management at the Pentagon to give America a strong defense that works.

 

A commitment to the elderly.

As Governor, he has built a strong record on home care, housing, nutrition services and fitness for older citizens.

And he's developed a comprehensive health care plan that doesn't rely on tax dollars.

As President, he's pledged to maintain Social Security benefits and eligibility requirements. Expand Medicare coverage. Improve long-term care. And support catastrophic health insurance.

 

Compassionate help for Americans in need.

The Dukakis commitment to the homeless includes more than new shelters. His Housing Partnership has produced decent, affordable housing for thousands of needy families.

His E.T. program has helped more than 30,000 welfare mothers find work, mainly in private industry. And helped families stay together, with pride and independence.

He's put his lifelong commitment to equal rights and pay equity to work in government. Nearly half the states professional managers are women. And women and minorities serve in his cabinet and major positions throughout state government.

He's personally gone into schools to battle alcohol and drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, dropout rates, and illiteracy.

 

Serious action on energy and the environment.

Seabrook nuclear power station in New Hampshire has not opened because Governor Dukakis has refused to submit evacuation plans for Massachusetts towns near the site. He believes public health and safety could not be assured.

He's committed to safe disposal of hazardous, solid, and radioactive wastes ... enforcement of the Clean Water Act...a national attack on acid rain...clean up of waste sites that are destroying drinking water supplies...and development of safe, renewable energy sources.

 

Leadership on education and AIDS.

Mike Dukakis quadrupled scholarship aid in his own state. And increased funds for higher education faster than any industrial state.

He wants well-trained, well-paid teachers. And regular testing of students.

He's committed to making college affordable to all through an opportunity fund that assures that no qualified student is turned away for lack of finances.

He believes the federal government must launch an all-out attack on AIDS to wipe out the most dangerous epidemic of this century.

 

An American Success Story.

Mike Dukakis is a modem leader with a classic American success story.

He's the son of Greek immigrants who came to this country 75 years ago, searching for better lives. His father became a family doctor, his mother a schoolteacher.

Michael Stanley Dukakis was born 53 years ago in Brookline, Massachusetts, birthplace of John F. Kennedy. He is married to the former Katharine Dickson; they have three children, John, Andrea, and Kara.

A product of Brookline public schools, he also played basketball, baseball, tennis, and crosscountry. He ran the Boston marathon in 1951, finishing 57th. Worked construction to help pay for college. Graduated with honors from Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School. Served in Korea in the U.S. Army.

A former state legislator, he's in his third term as Governor of Massachusetts, winning 69 percent of the vote in 1986.

In more than 25 years of public life, his integrity has never been questioned. In a celebrated moment in Massachusetts political history, a corrupt lobbyist told a major investigating commission: "When Dukakis came in, the game was over."

Last year, when Newsweek asked America's governors to name the most effective governor in the country,

they chose Mike Dukakis.

 

Mike Dukakis. A strong Leader for a strong America.

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