Gore Hits Big Easy

Al Gore promoted a $36 billion tax break aimed at easing the bite of college expenses Friday, along with other efforts to bolster worker training.

"We have to have the right set of priorities," Gore said at a New Orleans community college. "We need to invest more in high technology and job training."

He also renewed his criticism of rival George W. Bush on Social Security, arguing that the Republican would drain the system with his partial-privatization plan.

Bush's plan would have ramifications for other programs, such as education, because there would be no money left over, Gore contended.

"I'm proposing that education and job training command a lot more of our attention," he said.

The Democratic presidential nominee opened his New Orleans swing with a noisy, rain-soaked French Quarter rally.

"We need to open the doors of higher education to everybody," he said Thursday night. "The number one priority in this new economy of ours is learning."

Gore was capping a weeklong focus on policy and spending details, saving job training and education for last because he wants it as a top priority.

"Now it's time to turn the page and write a new chapter," said Gore.

A key element of his spending package is an effort to upgrade education and training programs that Gore argues are key to worker survival in an economy increasingly dominated by burgeoning information technology.

Gore has proposed a 10-year, $36 billion package that would make college tuition payments tax deductible, a major element of his education package. The package includes an option to make the tuition expense deduction a tax credit as well, which would ensure that lower income parents and students get the same kind of break as those with higher incomes.

In giving the tax break, Gore seeks to expand the number of youngsters who go to college. He has set as a goal having three-fourths of the nation's high school seniors pursue higher education, and wants half of the college-age population to obtain degrees.

But Gore argues that education and training efforts can't be limited to colleges and he has proposed a long list of efforts to boost job training. They include:

Giving businesses a tax credit of up to $6,000 when they make training programs available to their workers.

Offering financial assistance to displaced workers who are in job training programs to tide them over until they find new employment.

Giving grants to local communities that target aging industries for job retraining programs.

In addition, Gore argues that his plan to pay down the federal debt over the next decade would assure that interest rates remain low and make student loans one of the most popular ways of paying for college more affordable.

During the week, Gore has focused tightly on his message and has sought to draw a sharp distinction between his sending plan and proposals from Bush that he argues are less specific.

"I think that it gives the voters a lot of information on which to make a considered judgment about what we're proposing," Gore said of his budget book. "And I'm optimistic that a lot of people are going to read it. We've had a lot of hits on the Web site. A lot of people are asking for copies of the book."

"You'll see a very clear comparison between the plan that Joe Lieberman and I have put out and the plan as far as we can tell from the few specifics that have been provided on the other side that they have offered," said Gore. "I think you'll see an interesting comparison."

Another key goal of Gore's economic plans calls for creating 10 million, new high-tech jobs.

With unemployment relatively low, the nation's economic policy should be focused on increasing worker skills for such high-paying jobs, Gore argues.