V I T A L S T A T S

Harry Browne

AGE ON INAUGURATION DAY 1997: 63
HOMETOWN: Franklin, Tennessee
EDUCATION: No college degree
FAMILY: Married to Pamela Lanier Wolfe; one daughter
CURRENT JOB: Investment Advisor, Author, Public Speaker
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: Libertarian
CAMPAIGN OFFICE: 2600 Virginia Ave., NW Suite 100 Washington, D.C. 20037; Phone: (202) 333-0008 Fax: (202) 333-0072
WORLD-WIDE WEB SITE
E-MAIL ADDRESS: campaign@HarryBrowne96.org

Q U I C K T A K E

Harry Browne is best known as the author of Harry Browne's Special Reports, an investment newsletter published since 1974. He is a longtime Libertarian but has never held public office. If elected, he says, he would eliminate the federal income tax and replace it with, well, nothing. Following through on his broad campaign theme of "Government Doesn't Work," Browne is bent on drastically reducing the federal government. He'd "sell off trillions of dollars in federal assets the government shouldn't own -- and use the proceeds to pay off the entire federal debt," according to his campaign literature. He'd also use that money to pay for "private retirement annuities" for seniors now dependent on Social Security; then he'd end Social Security completely. After slashing federal spending 50 percent, welfare would be ended immediately and the budget balanced. That, Browne says, would leave enough money in Americans' hands to solve their problems by themselves. He acknowledges his chances are slim. But he says in a campaign statement, "It isn't impossible. I wouldn't run if I thought there were no chance of winning." Win or lose, he hopes to help further legitimize the Libertarian Party and make it a viable third party. He also hopes to have some impact on political discourse and, lastly, he hopes to "have a good time."

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