Thursday, January 13, 2000
Campaign cash's stench
Legislation aimed at donors holding state contracts
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FRANKFORT — David Williams, president of the Republican-controlled Kentucky Senate, has given Democrats the political equivalent of a kick to the stomach with a bill that has the potential of drying up a big source of campaign cash for the Democrats.
Democratic candidates for statewide office or statehouse seats depend on what Mr. Williams calls “the usual suspects” when it comes to raising money. Those donors include road contractors, engineers, architects, developers and owners of office buildings.
The bill would bar contributors to candidates for statewide office from holding state contracts or leases for 18 months after the contribution. The same would apply to donors to political parties.
Funny, Mr. Williams failed to mention that lots of those “usual suspects” also show up at GOP fund-raisers, particularly in Northern Kentucky, where many in the business community give to candidates of both major parties.
The legislation is a direct shot at road contractors, who are famous — or infamous — for doling out the dough to Democrats running for governor or other statewide offices.
A strange correlation?
Mr. Williams has alleged no wrongdoing on the part of Gov. Paul Patton, the Democratic governor just elected to a second term. Road contractors gave thousands to his re-election campaign.
It is certainly true that some of the road contractors who gave money to Mr. Patton, other Democrats and the state Democratic Party did get lucrative contracts to build and repair roads in Kentucky.
“There does seem to be a strange correlation between those people who receive personal-service contracts and leases and their placement in the campaign contribution lists of the Democratic Party in the state of Kentucky,” Mr. Williams said last week.
Look, everybody knows why people give money to politicians. There are two basic reasons.
• One, and the more common reason, is because a contributor believes in what the candidate stands for or promises to accomplish and he or she wants to do more than just vote for the candidate or work in the campaign. Giving money is perfectly legal.
• Then there are those, and we include a lot of business people in this smaller category, who clearly want something from the candidate, be it a direct subsidy for a program, a contract to do business with a government agency or legislation that will financially benefit a donor.
Duh. Like nobody knows or realizes that.
But what's with the Republicans making noise about fund raising? That's like Donald Trump telling other candidates to keep their egos in check. It's not just hypocritical, it's hysterical.
Ever been to a Republican fund-raiser in Northern Kentucky? The only place you'll see more dough is in the kitchen at the Cookie Jar bakery in Newport.
Making the Republican legislation even more laughable is a fund-raiser the party is holding this week in Louisville that lobbyists will be attending.
Those would be some of the same lobbyists who are right now holed up in Frankfort twisting arms and begging lawmakers to pass, defeat or bury legislation or spend money on a particular program or project.
"The smell test'
Shaking down lobbyists for money during a legislative session isn't against the law, but the Legislative Ethics Commission said it's probably not the best idea in the history of government to be hitting people up for campaign contributions when those same people want something in return from lawmakers.
Or as House Speaker Jody Richards, a Bowling Green Democrat, said of the GOP fund-raiser, “it doesn't pass the smell test.”
Nor does passing the hat to road contractors during election years and then rewarding some of those same donors with big road projects.
But hey, this is Frankfort. Anybody who has been around this system and seen all the money in the system knows to hold their nose when the pols start talking about campaign finance reform.
Because chances are nothing truly significant will ever really be done to change the system. This bill won't do it, either.
And that stinks.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581, or (502) 502-875-7526 in Frankfort, or by e-mail at crowleys@cinci.infi.net.
