Thursday, February 03, 2000
Patton pushing tax plan up steep hill
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FRANKFORT — Gov. Paul Patton didn't have much of a re-election campaign for governor last fall.
But he sure has one tough political race on his hands now as he tries to sell his confusing and expensive tax reform proposal to the Kentucky General Assembly:
• For starters, Mr. Patton sent his tax package to lawmakers in one bill rather than several.
Most lawmakers don't like an “all-or-nothing” approach to voting on bills. Compromise, also known here as wheeling and dealing, is the name of the game in Frankfort when it comes to passing legislation.
• Raising any tax this session is problematic.
Even though Mr. Patton has proposed cutting some taxes, he also wants the legislature to raise others, including the gas tax.
Nearly half of the legislators have signed pledges not to raise any taxes, so that alone could kill Mr. Patton's bill.
• The package is so comprehensive that even the most seasoned Frankfort veterans are having a hard time understanding its many facets.
With that terrain to navigate, Mr. Patton is rolling out his political skills to try to win approval from the legislature.
The day before he announced the tax package last week, he unveiled a plan to spend millions of dollars on new projects in every county in Kentucky. The implicit message Mr. Patton gave to lawmakers was simple: Pass my tax plan or there won't be any money for projects.
Lawmakers heard Mr. Patton loud and clear, but as House Republican Floor Leader Danny Ford of Mount Vernon said, “The overall package is a very uphill battle.”
The Bauer watch
How about Newport's Gary Bauer, the fading GOP presidential hopeful, taking a backward dive off the stage this week as he cooked pancakes during a campaign stop in New Hampshire?
Was that a metaphor for Mr. Bauer's campaign or what? The candidate finished with but 1 percent of the vote in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.
If it weren't for Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, who dropped out of the Republican primary after his 1 percent showing in Iowa two weeks ago, Mr. Bauer would have placed last.
Mr. Bauer headed back to his home base of northern Virginia Wednesday to reassess his campaign. It's probably only a matter of time before he quits the race.
A Charlie Owen sighting
On Wednesday in Frankfort, Louisville businessman Charlie Owen was making the rounds.
Mr. Owen has recently been appointed to the Council on Postsecondary Education. He was looking for legislators to discuss some of the issues important to higher education this session.
Mr. Owen is also the Kentucky chairman of Al Gore's presidential campaign and was spinning the results of the vice president's narrow victory over Bill Bradley in New Hampshire.
“It really wasn't that close at all,” Mr. Owen said. “The independents skewed the results. The hard-core Democrats voted for Mr. Gore 2-to-1.”
But Mr. Owen was also getting some face time with the power crowd because he is more than likely to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2003.
That is going to be one crowded primary.
Along with Mr. Owen — who lost the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in 1998 to Scotty Baesler — House Speaker Jody Richards of Bowling Green, Attorney General Ben Chandler of Versailles and Lt. Gov. Steve Henry of Louisville are also gearing up for the race.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581, or (502) 875-7526 in Frankfort, or by e-mail at crowleys@cinci.infi.net.
