The Gutsiest Governor In America: LOWELL WEICKER

Q. In 1991, your first year in office, you established Connecticut's first income tax, clashed with legislators by vetoing four attempts to overturn the levy, and in the process discovered that many residents hate you. Any regrets?

A. You have regrets when you have failed policies. My policy when I came in was no income tax, but that fell apart on the rocks of fiscal fact. Obviously I would have liked to have ended up the most popular guy in the state of Connecticut. For fiscal year 1993, I have proposed $1.1 billion in cuts from current services. But I think we took a very large step to becoming the most financially credible state in the union by reversing a decade of spend-it-but- don't-pay-for -it policies as espoused by Presidents of the U.S.

Q. Well, a lot of people were offended by your swift turnaround on the tax issue. You opposed it when you ran for Governor.

A. In the campaign I made one statement over and over: You promise me no new problems, I'll promise you no new taxes. During the campaign the estimates on the deficit ranged between $50 million and $100 million. When we closed our books in June 1991, the state had a $1 billion deficit. I would suggest to you that is a new problem.

Q. Were you surprised by all the anger about the new taxes?

A. No.

Q. But 40,000 people turned out at an antitax rally. When you ventured into the crowd, you were spat on and the state police had to hustle you away.

A. I was surprised only at the fact that given the facts, people just walk away from them. People said, "Well, I don't care what we owe." Some others went way beyond the bounds of polite discourse, but nobody's knuckling under to them.

Q. But both of Connecticut's U.S. Senators said they opposed the tax, even though it was a local issue.

A. They were covering their political buns.

Q. In the end, isn't the electorate responsible for the sorry financial situation on both federal and state levels?

A. Of course they are. But they've been subjected to 12 years of the highest authority in the land saying you can spend it and you don't have to pay for it. We can have wars, and we don't have to tax for it. But now we have to take a look at the domestic devastation in the U.S. We have no financial credibility at all, and we're going around the world begging for other nations to accommodate us. Why should they? This nation has turned its back on children, the disabled, the poor; it's a horrible record out there. I've long said that if you want to cut through all the bullshit of politicians, take a look at a budget. It tells you exactly what your priorities are. We spent a lot on the military. Now it shouldn't come as any mystery as to why we have difficulties given the budgets of the past 12 years.

Q. During the darkest days of the tax battle, did you have the urge to tell the state residents, "Oh, grow up"?

A. Well, I've made a couple of pointed remarks about that. But the facts are bad enough; I don't really need to heap on much rhetoric. But people really ought to start voting in this society and stop grumbling, see the facts as they are.

Q. What should the Federal Government do to help states like yours?