U.S. Senate candidate Mert Bernstein supports a limit on campaign contributions, is in favor of universal health care, wants to develop an anti-recession plan to take effect in times of an economic downturn and believes every American capable of going to college should be given an opportunity to do so.

He also opposes a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it is "a gimmick," and believes his professional expertise in Social Security will enable him to be a guardian of the system.

Bernstein, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, is one of 15 Democrats running in the August primary for the right to challenge Republican Sen. Christopher Bond. He recently made a campaign swing through Southeast Missouri.

This is Bernstein's first try for public office, although he is no stranger to Washington, D.C. He served as legal counsel in the 1950s to Sens. John Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey and Wayne Morse; has worked as a labor arbitrator in more than 900 cases; served as principal consultant to the National Commission on Social Security Reform; and served as a consultant to the White House Conference on Aging.

For the last 14 years, in his role at Washington University, he has supervised the school's intern~ship program in Congress.

Bernstein started looking at the Senate race at the end of 1990; at the time, no one else was giving the campaign much consideration.

"I felt like Kit Bond was vulnerable, and I care about issues facing this nation and am knowledgeable about them," said Bernstein. "I like problem solving.

"My ambition is to be useful."

Because there is such a large field of Democratic candidates, Bernstein feels he may be helped by being the first candidate on the ballot. Generally, the bigger the field, the greater the advantage of being first.

"I don't want it to be the key factor, but certainly it will help," said Bernstein.

The thing that will help most, Bernstein stressed, is his background and experience in dealing with difficult issues facing the nation.

Even though he has limited campaign contributions to $100 per person, Bernstein points out that he had raised $106,000 at the last reporting period - more than any other candidate in the Democratic field.

"It has an appeal to people," said Bernstein of the limit. "It is attractive to people who say they don't want you to belong to anyone but the voters. And, if you have $10 to spare, it is 10 percent of Bernstein's maximum contribution; it is just 1 percent of the legal maximum of $1,000.

"I feel so very strongly the problem with politics today is that people see that politicians are being bought by special interest groups," said Bernstein.

If he is successful in his campaign, Bernstein plans to work for legislation limiting contributions. His success will help people take notice that candidates can win with limits.

"It's easy to talk reforms and another thing to live with it," said Bernstein. "I'm living with it in this campaign."

In discussing health care, Bernstein points out that it has become a national crisis that needs immediate attention. "There is not an individual, family, business or state government not concerned with runaway costs of health care," he observed.

Bernstein favors national health insurance where everyone has the same type of coverage. By pooling the money already being used for health insurance into one plan, there would be enough money available to pay for universal health care, he contends.

"When we're all in the same plan, savings are just enormous," he said.

Although it would take a federal law to accomplish his plan, Bernstein said he would prefer to see it privately administered.

"This plan has appeal to people who have some familiarity with what a rat's nest of complexity we have now and how very costly that rat's nest is," said Bernstein.

"There is widespread demand for universal health care. I don't want to lose this opportunity - this is a historical opportunity. I want to turn it into reality."

In dealing with the economy, Bernstein contends too much time is spent debating whether the nation is in a recession and then over what to do about it.

He believes the federal government should set up an anti-recession plan to take effect when a region is in a recession.

A list of needed public works projects would be drawn up and funding would be released for them when the indicators were triggered.

"I want a program in place and ready to go so we can have quick response to a recession," said Bernstein.

Bernstein believes the United States has an obligation "to develop talents of young people to the fullest" whether it is for vocational training or higher education.

He supports a policy that declares to young people: "If you have the capability to go to college, we are going to make sure you have the opportunity to go."

College loans would be provided, however, they would be re-paid as a percentage of income rather than a flat amount.

Bernstein is opposed to a constitutional amendment requiring the federal government to balance its budget.

"It's a gimmick; I don't think it will work," said Bernstein. "It is simply an evasion of tough calls on taxation and of where we spend money and how."

Bernstein said the Congressional Budget Office provides a list of recommended cuts every year that is often ignored. He suggested the budget could be balanced by making cuts - "with a scalpel, not with a meat axe."

While proponents of the amendment point out that 49 states require balanced budgets, Bernstein said their budgets are not really balanced because they use bonds and other borrowing mechanism to fund capital improvement projects.

Bernstein pledged to be a staunch defender of the Social Security system if elected and said he opposed cuts in benefits. "I would be a guardian of Social Security programs. The knowledge I have would help me to do that," said Bernstein.

"It is our most important domestic program and the most effective anti-poverty program that we have."