tl19891109-000 "Vol. 84 No. 10 ""Required Reading"" November 9, 1989 MD 21204 Published weekly by the students of Towson State University, Towson The Reagan Years by Sean Brohawn Editor-in-Chief Former Attorney General Edwin Meese III reviewed the Reagan Presidency and cited major upcoming challenges for the Bush Administration, all in a brief speech to the largest Student Govern-ment Association Speaker Series crowd yet this semester. Last Sunday's speech ""The Reagan Years,"" preceded an extensive question and answer period that was eventually cut short by SGA vice-president Kieffer Rittenhouse, but nevertheless spilled over into the reception that followed the talk. For his appearance, Meese was � paid $15,000 by the SGA. SPEECH Meese addressed the major accomplish-ments, some setbacks, and some ""unfin-ished business"" of the past ten years, to support his feeling that ""over this decade we really have had amazing changes both within and without (the U.S.)."" He said, ""We had a fairly chaotic economic situation,"" at the beginning of the 'Reagan years,' and a need to modify our weaponry and improve morale in the armed forces. The responses to these two main problems, he added, emerged as the main goals of the Reagan Adminis-tration. Specifically, Meese based the need for economic revitalization on four problems: a large tax burden, a need to restructure the tax system, a previous acceleration of federal spending, and a need for regulatory reform. During the Reagan presidency, Meese claimed that over 20 million jobs were created, the standard of living went up, unemployment went down, and a certain degree of economic stability was established. To answer the need for a stronger military, Meese said the U.S. nuclear and conventional arsenal was improved, added emphasis was put on quality personnel procurement, and certain ""diplomatic initiatives"" were taken that caused an arms reduction. ""In many areas the challenges that face President Bush today ... are more complex,"" Meese said, moving on to the present, ""The shades of grey are more abundant."" He identified four major chal-lenges that face us today, ""the deficit, drugs, defense, and diplomacy."" First Meese conceded that the deficit is growing despite past economic revitali-zation efforts. But the best way to reduce the deficit, he said, is not by raising taxes but by seeking internal cuts, under Gramm-Rudman. Secondly, ""There is no simple solution to (the drug problem),"" Meese said, Former Attorney General Edwin Meese III drew the SGA Speaker Series crowd this semester. claiming that we have one third less people using drugs now than in 1985. ""There has been a real change in atti-tude,"" he added, saying specifically that students are now more aware of the danger surrounding drugs. ""The strategy that Bill Bennet pre-sented ... is a good strategy,"" Meese said largest photo courtesy of University Relations. of the Bush anti-drug program, ""but it does necessitate a sustained effort."" The ""effort"" he suggested was in both strong law enforcement, and continued preven-tion, education, and treatment. On the defense issue, Meese advised a continuance of the Reagan Administra-tion's posture, and denounced the ""roller AKAN. INSIDE Free anonymous AIDS testing. Rat drinking extended to midnight on Mondays. Page 2 Football loses 19-6 at home. Men's soccer team advances to finals. Volleyball wins Navy tournament. Page 6 Driving Miss Daisy at the Mechanic. Running Gag. Page 14 The THEORY of evolution. Much ado about condoms. Page 21 coaster"" defense budgets of the 1970's. He said the Strategic Defense Initiative plan ""is the first and best moral answer to the doctrine of mutually assured destruction."" On the fourth ""major chal-lenge"" that faces us today, di-plomacy, Meese spoke mainly about the U.S. response to Soviet ""openness."" He said, ""We should approach this warily . . . with prudence as Bush has done,"" adding, ""We can't just act on great leaps of faith and hope. We have to recognize that the Soviets . have continued their nuclear buildup,"" he said. see MEESE, page 5 "