August 11, 1982 - Beirut And Taxes ("Don't Call It Increase - Call It Reform")
News of the day for August 11, 1982 - Fighting in Beirut continues between Israel and the PLO. Convicted killer Frank Coppola executed making 5th person executed in U.S. since 1976. Reagan selling his $99 Billion Dollar Tax bill, calling it "reform" and not an "increase". The American Bar Association debating a reform of the Ethics Code.
August 11, 1982. And another day of turmoil, this time in Lebanon, as Israeli jets continue attacking PLO positions in Beirut, turning the once beautiful city into a smoldering heap of debris. Diplomatic overtures are flooding the besieged region, and the fighting galloped on.
Meanwhile, President Reagan was stumping the hinterlands for support of his $99 Billion Tax Bill, which even Republicans blanched at, seeing a huge jump in Taxes. The Reagan White House, in a barrage of Public Relations, were quick to chide the GOP brethren by saying it was "Tax Reform" not "Tax Increase" and critics were dismissed as being misguided, leading many to suspect The White House was doing its level best to convert No into meaning Yes. Jabberwocky On The Potomac continued.
The U.S. saw it's fifth execution since 1976 on this day with convicted killer Frank Coppola paying a visit to "Ol' Sparky" in Virginia. And the American Bar Association were twisting themselves in knots over proposed Ethics Code revisions. After much debate they decided to shelve the plan until September.
Probably something most people would have wanted to do about that August 11th anyway, as presented by the CBS World News Roundup, The Osgood File and the 9:00 am Network news.