3g THE COURIER-JOURNAL KENTUCKY I fON THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1995 B3 Learning from a man of many talents in mm msm Environmental laws need better enforcing, state legislators told Lexington idea greeted coolly Continued from Page 1 But then the Urban County Council voted to delay the agreement for two weeks to see whether it could be renegotiated. The council must approve the agreement before the, payments can begin. The newest proposal, outlined by Miller and Bill Lear, president of the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, calls for using the money to build a smaller cultural center instead of paying it to the state. That would turn what Lear termed a problem into "an opportunity" for Lexington, instead of just "paying $17 million and at the end of the day ending up with a vacant lot" He and Miller stressed that the arrangement would fulfill the city's original commitment. Jones said he, too, wanted to help Lexington, and added that the proposal should be developed further for consideration by the 1996 legislature.
He pledged his help, though he will be a private citizen then. But Jones also said the city could enhance the success of such a proposal by fulfilling the current agreement. "I would strongly request that XVTwQsUs stead, they try to punish first and ask questions later, some said. Sen. Jeff Green, D-Mayfield, co-chairman of the committee, said he will send a tape of yesterday's comments to the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet and ask for a response.
Cabinet Secretary Phillip Shepherd was out of the state yesterday and could not be reached for comment. In Graves' case, the letter approving closure of the landfill was finished late last week, according to George Gilbert of the state's solid-waste branch. Gilbert said he didn't know Graves was planning to address the committee when the letter was written. He said there have been some legitimate problems with approving closure of the landfill. But "the cabinet does accept some responsibility" for the long delay, he said.
With the July 1 deadline for approving a new generation of landfills approaching, capping old landfills has been a low priority, he said. By FRAN ELLERS Staff Writer FRANKFORT, Ky. Legislators are taking a hard look at the state's approach to enforcing environmental laws, and yesterday they heard from some people who say the system needs improving. Ballard County Judge-Executive Bill Graves, for example, told a legislative committee that he's tried since 1990, without success, to get state approval to close his county's substandard landfill. A top cabinet official reassured him that approval was on the way, but his dealings with lower-ranking regulators were marked by unexplained delays and poor communication, he said.
Members of the interim joint Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee said that experience is not uncommon. They are concerned some regulators don't spend enough time trying to learn about problems and helping to correct them. In STAFF PHOTO BY KEITH WIUJAMS Jazz musician and teacher Jamey Aebersold of New Albany, played the saxophone and a keyboard yesterday as Introduced jazz to New Albany High School students during the Talent Talks program sponsored by the school's library. Economist David Ballard led another session yesterday. On tap for today Is an airplane pilot; tomorrow, a plastic surgeon and a photographer.
Volunteers let Patton hold spending down in gubernatorial race V' 1 1 -mmimr Many reject easy way to register for voting The Frankfort Bureau FRANKFORT, Ky. More than half of the Kentuckians who aren't registered to vote turn down the chance to register at government offices under the new "motor-voter" law. But those who do sign up say they're glad that registration has been made so convenient, and say they will exercise their right to vote. James McBride, 22, said he moved to Frankfort four years ago from Alabama, where he was registered to vote, but hadn't gotten around to registering in Kentucky. He signed up yesterday in Frankfort when he renewed his driver's license.
"I wouldn't have gone out of my way to do it," he said. Christina Newsome, who also renewed her license in Frankfort yesterday, is like most people who are asked if they want to register to vote. She said no. "I've got to look at an apartment. I don't have time," said pact on elections unless those it brings to the voter rolls actually cast ballots.
They won't, predicted Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who led the opposition to the legislation in Congress. "I don't think it's going to have any impact on turnout, which is STAFF PHOTO BY AL CROSS "I wouldn't have gone out of my way to do It (register to vote)," said James McBride. Newsome, an 18-year-old mother and restaurant worker. Told that her registration would have been accomplished automatically, and that all she4 would have had to do was choose a political party, she said: "I don't like it.
I don't know nothing about it." But her husband, Lowell, 20, a greenskeeper, asked a clerk if he could register. She told him he could when he renewed his license, or he could walk to the county clerk's office. He said he would wait, but would register, because "I've just always wanted to vote." why I don't think it was worth doing in the first place," McConnell said. However, some new voters who signed up yesterday at the circuit court clerk's office in Frankfort said they would vote, and Arnett said, "We'll probably have more people going to the polls." From Staff and AP Dispatches FRANKFORT, Ky. When a campaign has agreed to limit spending to a certain amount, and needs to save all the money it can for advertising close to the election, it needs all the free help it can get.
That's a central policy of Lt. Gov. Paul Patton, who does not pay his campaign manager, press secretary or almost any other worker and is spending less per week than any other major candidate for governor. Patton and Secretary of State Bob Babbage both started campaigning for the Democratic nomination in mid-November, but Babbage has reported spending more than twice as much $119,970, compared with Patton's reported $57,645. State Senate President John "Eck" Rose, who entered the race at the end of January, reported spending $48,358 last month almost as much as Patton reported spending in more than 3V2 months.
"I just find it rather strange," Rose said. "It looks like their professional entourage is greater than mine." Nothing strange at all, in light of the 1992 law that gives state subsidies to candidates who promise not to spend more than $1.8 million per election, said Patton campaign manager Andrew "Skipper" Martin. "We understood campaign finance reform early," Martin said. "I watch anxiously the expenditure reports of other campaigns. I think they're wasting money.
I don't think they know how to run a tight and efficient campaign. They're making expenditures on out-of-town experts and campaign staff that are unnecessary." Babbage spokeswoman Dalit To-ledano said the Babbage campaign which has nine people on the payroll or under contract, more than any other would not comment on Patton's practices. However, Ted Jackson, campaign chairman for Republican Larry Forgy, said the state Registry of Election Finance should investigate whether the work of professionals such as the accountant who han you honor your commitment, and then after the commitment has been honored, then let's see if we can't work together to achieve the goals that you've outlined," he said. He said it would do Lexington no good if officials forced the state to declare their debt in default. "That's going to be injurious to the future bond ratings of Lexington.
It's going to be injurious to the elected officials of Lexington when the public thinks they give their word, they sign a contract, and that doesn't mean anything," he said. Lear disputed Jones' contention the contract had already been breached. He noted that local officials had no idea that a recession would make funding the project impossible. As a former Lexington state representative, Lear noted that even the General Assembly had signed off on the cultural center and would probably still support a revised plan if Jones would extend the original agreement. "Let us come up with a plan we can all be proud of," he said.
"You will have the assurance of knowing that you have gotten the (Lexington) government to honor its commitment. We'll have what we thought we were getting when we voted for this project, and Lexington will have a real boost for its future." Dr. Charles Ellinger, one of four urban county councilmen who attended the meeting, also urged Jones to consider the counterproposal. He said it was not an effort to sidestep the city's obligation, but a proposal that would help help Lexington and the state. After yesterday's meeting, Miller said that a less-expensive cultural center has always been an option and that she had previously proposed it to Jones.
"He did not seem interested in that back in December, and I was hoping that maybe; he would be more interested in that now," she said. "But that did not appear to be the case." Miller said she will not know what her next step will be until she discusses yesterday's session with council members. SVfekeA Earn good money with a newspaper carrier route. A cash bond is required If you are interested in knowing what areas are available, call 589-JOBS. a Deliver A 'Motor voters' well divided Continued from Page 1 viduals choose for themselves." Former state Republican Chairman Bob Gable, who's running for governor this year, said he still does not "expect welfare offices in most parts of the state to produce a neutral result," but he was pleased with the registration trends.
"Considering where these registrations are coming from, these figures are extraordinarily amazing," he said. The volume of registrations from Human Resources agencies, now about a third of the total, is expected to decrease soon as the same clients return and are no longer asked if they want to register. At driver-licensing offices, Democrats have a much smaller advantage, and there are fewer independents. Among those people register ing in January, 38 percent signed up as Democrats and 33 percent Republican. Among those who register in the traditional ways, such as going to a county clerk's office, the Democratic advantage all but disappears, and there are even fewer independents.
In this category, the January breakdown was 44 percent Democratic, 40 percent Republican. That continued a close competition between the major parties for new voters, which has slowly eroded Democrats' longstanding advantage in Kentucky. As of Jan. 1, 66 percent of Kentucky voters were Democrats and 30 percent were Republicans, a ratio of 2.2 to I. Eleven years ago, the split was 69 percent to 28 percent, a ratio of 2.5 to 1.
The motor-voter law may slow that trend, but it won't have any im- Man is ordered to jail for biting like his dogs SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) A man whose dogs were put to sleep for biting people will a serve a six-month jail sentence for the same offense. Sanford Gossman was to report to jail yesterday after being convicted last week of biting a security guard's hand. The guard was trying to handcuff Gossman when he refused to leave a New Year's Eve benefit for the Humane Society. Gossman, 51, a computer repairman and paralegal, has been fighting society officials ever since the county had his dogs put to sleep in September.
Gossman denies that his dogs beagle-springer mixes bit any of the people in the four cases alleged by the society. In addition to the jail term, Gossman was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to undergo psychological counseling. Toll collector accused of taking his work home WHEATON, 111. (AP) A toll collector is accused of nickel-and-dim-ing the state out of $22,000. Police said they watched Gary Horan go from toll plaza to toll plaza, picking up change from the ground and shaking coins loose from the neck of each toll booth's vault.
Horan, 28, was carrying a plastic cooler and white canvas bag containing $1,195 in coins when he was arrested Thursday. Investigators say Horan admitted taking $22,000 in tollway change since October. But his attorney said his client "denies all allegations." Horan was charged with felony theft and official misconduct. dles Patton's finance reports should be considered in-kind contributions and thus limited to $500 each. George Russell, the registry's executive director, said the question has been raised and answered to his satisfaction.
If a professional is donating time and expertise to a campaign outside of the time of his ordinary work, it is no different than a sign painter or a secretary volunteering what they do best, he said. Patton accountant George Helton said he volunteered his services because Patton is a friend, and "it's all done at my house in my basem*nt." He said the volunteer work has not detracted from his paid work. "If it did, my partners would fire me," he said. Martin offered a year or more ago to manage the campaign as a volunteer, he and Patton said. "We had been talking from the start that volunteerism would be one of the key elements to making the ($1.8 million) stretch adequately to run a good media campaign," Patton said.
To the questions raised by other candidates, Patton said, "We want to live within the letter and spirit of the law. I still think it's clear that personal labor is certainly not a contribution and is encouraged. That's one of the benefits and objectives of the campaign-finance law, to put people back into it." Patton's press secretary, former television news anchor Melissa For-sythe, said she was not working before joining the campaign and looked forward to the opportunity to participate in the political process after many years of having to keep her opinions to herself. "Am I expecting to get something out of it?" she asked. "No, I am not." Forsythe said the Patton campaign has only two paid staff members its political director and a researcher.
Many others are working full time, including Patton's daughter, sister, son-in-law and cousin, but are not being paid, she said. "governments need to be able to work together." He said he was not faulting the Louisville deal, just saying Lexington should have received similar consideration. Asked a general question about education, Rose said collective bargaining for teachers could cause schools to "shut down for months and months" because of a strike. Babbage called that an outmoded scare tactic. "We're not going to fight the fights of the '50s," he said.
Patton said public employees should have the right to collectively communicate with their employers, but not to strike. On economic development, Rose attacked Patton's recent statement that the state needs to include some low-wage jobs in its recruitment of industry to provide work for the less-qualified. Rose said the state should concentrate on training its workers for better-paying jobs. Patton cited a long list of favorable statistics that he said were the result of policies he wrote as Pike County judge-executive and implemented as Jones' economic-development secretary, but Babbage said "objective reviewers" give the state's job-creation efforts failing or "barely passing" grades. Rose takes solitary stands at Democratic forum REGIOMAL BRIEFS COMPILED FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS DISPATCHES Shirley Chisholm addresses session FORT MITCHELL, Ky.
More than 700 senior citizens turned out for the Tri-State Conference on Aging yesterday to hear former New York U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm urge them to stay involved at the grass-roots level to raise the visibility of senior citizens, because "society still puts seniors on trash heaps." Chisholm, 70, was the first black woman elected to Congress and ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 1972. She retired from the House in 1983 and lives in Florida. The conference is a prelude to the 1995 White House Conference on Aging to be held in May in Washington, where national policy on aging issues will be developed.
Parolee jailed in fatal hit-and-run COVINGTON, Ky. A parolee has been jailed in lieu of $75,000 bond for a hit-and-run accident that killed a woman crossing a street in Covington. Anthony J. Kordenbrock, '40, pleaded innocent Tuesday to manslaughter and drunken-driving in the death of Myrtle Antro-bus, 75. She was killed Monday evening when a van struck her.
Four years ago, Kordenbrock spent three months in a halfway house and received treatment for drug and alcohol abuse as a condition of parole. Less than a year later he was charged with drunken driving in Kenton County. Pupils help build a new world BEAVER DAM, Ky. Students at Beaver Dam Elementary School are joining others in nation helping build a new world with one-inch-square tiles. The tiles will become part of a five-story globe to be displayed in Washington, D.C.
Beaver Dam is one of four Kentucky schools and the only elementary school in the state working on the Building a New World project this year. About 71 Beaver Dam students plan to travel to Washington for the Earth Day festivities April 19-23. While they are there, they will join students from other schools in assembling the huge globe at the Capitol. Teacher Teresa Byers learned of the project in Washington last year. Beaver Dam applied to become one of 120 schools to participate.
By AL CROSS Political Writer LEXINGTON, Ky. Sen. John "Eck" Rose took the offensive Tuesday night at a forum for Democratic candidates for governor. At the event sponsored by Democratic women in Lexington, Rose was the only candidate who said the state should have given Lexington a break on repaying state bonds used to buy a now-vacant lot at the center of downtown. Rose also stressed that he opposes collective bargaining for public employees, which Lt.
Gov. Paul Patton and Secretary of State Bob Babbage support. After other candidates said Lexington should have to repay the entire $16 million cost of borrowing for a now-canceled cultural center, as Gov. Brereton Jones recently said the city must do, Rose said the city had not been treated as fairly as Louisville was in a similar circ*mstance the recent land swap for the University of Louisville football stadium. Rose, the president of the state Senate, said afterward that "I do not have the specifics of what I would do" about the matter, but.
