Archive for October, 2010
Kerr attacks on pension issue; Blevins calls ad a ‘fraud’
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears – vhoneycutt@herald-leader.com
State Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, the Republican incumbent in Fayette County’s 12th District, escalated her criticism of Democratic challenger Don Blevins on Sunday, alleging in a full-page newspaper ad that he is collecting three taxpayer-funded pensions in addition to seeking a state lawmaker’s salary.
Blevins, in an interview, called the ad in Sunday’s Herald-Leader “a fraud.” He said he receives one pension, as retired Fayette County clerk, an office he held for 27 years.
Throughout the campaign Kerr has said Blevins wants to go to the state Senate to be “a double-dipper” — a phrase used to describe those who return to government work while already drawing a government pension. The ad intensified the pension issue, accusing him of “triple dippin’.”
Jack Barger, a spokesman for Kerr’s campaign, alleged in an e-mail Sunday that Blevins is drawing a pension from the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, the County Employees Retirement System and Social Security.
Blevins said that is inaccurate. He said in 1959 and 1960 he worked for less than a year for the state Revenue Cabinet. Blevins said that wasn’t long enough to draw a separate pension from the Kentucky Employees Retirement System. He said he draws a pension only from the County Employees Retirement System, which factored in his time with the Revenue Cabinet.
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Voters’ Guide: Where candidates stand on the issues
Election Day is Tuesday. It’s time to pay attention and pick a candidate.
To help, we’ve quizzed the candidates on the most important issues of the day. You’ll find their answers of 45 words or less by clicking on the links below.
On Tuesday, polls are open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Anyone in line by 6 p.m. may vote.
To find out whether you are registered to vote, where you vote and which races you may vote in, visit the Voter Information Center at the State Board of Elections’ Web site, Elect.ky.gov.
The link below also contains a listing of candidates for every state office on the ballot in Kentucky. And if you live in Fayette, Bourbon, Clark, Madison, Jessamine, Woodford, Scott or Franklin County, you’ll find a complete listing of candidates seeking local offices.
On the ballot: a listing of candidates in state, federal and local races
Outside groups pour more than $8.5 million into Kentucky Senate race
By Halimah Abdullah and Greg Gordon – habdullah@mcclatchydc.com
WASHINGTON — Millions of dollars in donations from wealthy, conservative and, in some cases, anonymous out-of-state donors have financed some of the most blistering campaign ads this season against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and state Attorney General Jack Conway.
In all, outside groups have spent more than $4 million attacking Conway — nearly as much as the candidate has spent on his own race, according to federal campaign finance records.
Outside groups have spent more than $2 million against Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul. However, the Bowling Green ophthalmologist has been able to hold his own by spending roughly $6 million on his campaign.
In all, outside groups have spent a total of more than $8.5 million in the Kentucky Senate race, with the remaining $2.5 million being spent on advertising in support of either candidate (the balance of that in favor of Paul), according to the non-profit Sunlight Foundation.
“It’s absolutely a money arms race,” said Tara Malloy, associate counsel with the non-profit Campaign Legal Center, which tracks campaign financing. The 2010 election, she said, “is not unique; it’s just that different weapons are being deployed.”
Rand Paul on the cover of TIME
Kentucky Republican U.S. Senate nominee Rand Paul is on the cover of this week’s TIME magazine, along with three other prominent GOP candidates up for election on Tuesday.
Over the photo is the headline “Party Crashers” and a sub-headline that says “How a new bread of Republicans tapped into voter rage and upset the establishment — but can they govern?”
The accompanying article has this to say about Paul:
If Dr. Paul goes to Washington, he will find the purity of his ideas severely tested by the popularity of the government programs he opposes. Voters may like the sound of his small-government speechifying, but they also like their Social Security and Medicare and Pell Grants and nearby jobs generators like Fort Campbell and Fort Knox. For every dollar the state sends to Washington in taxes, its delegation brings home at least $1.50. How will voters feel about a Senator who wants to turn off the money tap?
- John Stamper
Campaign Watchdog: Claim that Paul would eliminate a litany of laws ‘false’
By Bill Estep – bestep@herald-leader.com
The statement: “(Rand) Paul would eliminate laws that provide: mine safety, environmental protections, a minimum wage, food safety, toy safety and child labor protections.”
— The Kentucky Democratic Party, in a mailing against Paul, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee
The ruling: False
The facts: Paul has said many times that his general philosophy is that federal power should be rolled back in a wide range of areas, and he does favor eliminating some federal agencies. He has called for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, for instance, which sends more than $400 million annually to Kentucky.
He has questioned the proper role of the federal government in regulating environmental protection, coal-mine safety and other issues. On mining, he said safety oversight would be better if regulations were written and enforced at the local and state levels — something several local officials said was unrealistic.
However, Paul has not called for an end to federal oversight of mine safety or environmental protection. Asked specifically in a May interview on ABC’s Good Morning America if he favored repealing the minimum wage, he said no.
Kerr’s voting record an issue in Lexington’s state Senate race
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears – vhoneycutt@herald-leader.com
Republican incumbent Alice Forgy Kerr’s voting record has become a key point of controversy in the waning days of the 12th District state Senate race in Lexington.
A television ad in support of Democratic challenger Don Blevins features an empty chair and contends that Kerr has missed “175 votes on some of the most important issues of the day.”
The ad, paid for by the Kentucky Democratic Party, points to a web site created by the Blevins campaign called alicesmissedvotes.com, which lists each missed vote.
But Kerr, who was elected to the state Senate in 1999, said in an e-mail that the ad misrepresents her voting record.
She said that KentuckyVotes.org, the source of the information in the ad, is not accurate because it does not reflect the paperwork she filed to record her votes at a later date.
Rogers poised to take control of House Appropriations Committee
By Bill Estep – bestep@herald-leader.com
The senior member of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation stands a good chance of gaining even more clout.
Republican U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers said Friday that he has a majority of votes on a key panel to become the next chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee if the GOP wins enough seats on Tuesday to take control of the chamber.
Analysts predict the GOP will do just that.
The Appropriations Committee has purview over hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending.
In his 30 years representing the 5th District, Rogers has been adept at getting federal money for a range of programs and projects, including economic development, infrastructure, tourism and anti-drug efforts.
Heading the budget committee would give him more power, said Joe Gershtenson, director of the Institute of Public Governance and Civic Engagement at Eastern Kentucky University.
Paul and Conway will crisscross state this weekend looking for votes
By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com
MAYSVILLE — Democrat Jack Conway and Republican Rand Paul will crisscross the state in the final days of their closely-watched race for the U.S. Senate in search of votes for Tuesday’s election.
The candidates’ schedules for their campaigns’ finale indicate areas of the state where they want to make sure voter turnout is heavy.
Conway, who claimed in Maysville Friday that the race is “very, very close” despite polls that show Paul with a growing advantage, has scheduled a full day of campaigning Saturday in Western Kentucky, a Democratic stronghold but conservative in its voting patterns.
Conway is to start the day at a restaurant in Bowling Green, Paul’s hometown, and finish at a McCracken County truck stop after appearances in Daviess County, Henderson, Union County and Webster County.
Paul is scheduled to meet supporters Saturday in London, Lexington, Louisville and Bowling Green.
Campaign Watchdog: Gray’s claim about water rate increase ‘mostly false’
By Andy Mead – amead@herald-leader.com
The claim: “Newberry … supported building the water plant that’s making you pay 60 percent more for your water bill. ”
— Lexington Vice Mayor Jim Gray in a radio ad about Mayor Jim Newberry
The ruling: Mostly false
The facts: Kentucky American Water’s new treatment plant is not responsible for a 60 percent increase in water rates.
When the company was granted an 18 percent rate increase last year, only about a fourth of that amount — 87 cents of the $3.90 average monthly increase for residential customers — went to pay for its new treatment plant, according to testimony filed with the Public Service Commission.
The water company also implemented a 37 percent rate increase late last month. About 90 percent of that amount would go toward the plant, the company says. The Public Service Commission is expected to rule soon that the company’s rate is too high and that it must give part of that money back.
As we’ve previously stated, it’s true that Newberry supported Kentucky American Water’s plan to build a new water treatment plant, which was completed last month. Gray wanted to hire a consultant to study a competing proposal from the Louisville Water Co.
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- Lexington council passes resolution of concern
- Sponsors split abortion measures in hopes of passage
- State appeals ruling that requires release of more child abuse details
- Lawsuit challenges Kentucky's redistricting plan
- Home health agencies say Medicaid payments are three months overdue
- 'Caylee's' bill proposed for Kentucky
