Thursday, February 17, 2000
Some pols dismiss what's best for area
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FRANKFORT — Here we go again. Northern Kentucky's state lawmakers are again divided over legislation designed to help the region.
In past legislative sessions, the fights have been over building the convention center in Covington, the juvenile jail in Newport and the science building at NKU.
It is true that most area lawmakers eventually got behind the projects. But some, particularly a few Republicans, kicked and screamed all the way.
Lawmakers did ask some legitimate questions about the projects, but their due diligence quickly morphed into politics. These were Republicans trying to mess with money being sent home by a couple of Democratic governors — Brereton Jones and Paul Patton — and a legislature controlled by Democrats.
The damage was done in that Northern Kentucky now has a reputation in Frankfort as an area that can't get along, that squabbles along party lines, that doesn't just look a gift horse in the mouth but crawls down its throat.
More than one downstate lawmaker has questioned why bother voting to spend money in Northern Kentucky when the area's own elected representatives and senators can't get on board when millions are being handed to the region.
Especially when considering that if the money weren't spent in Northern Kentucky it would be spent elsewhere. Don't think that's true? The Murray State Racers are playing in an arena originally planned for NKU. But when some of our lawmakers wouldn't support the spending, the money went to western Kentucky.
The battle now is over a bill that would allow fiscal courts in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties raise the Northern Kentucky hotel tax of 4 percent up to 5 percent. That would be an increase of one penny on a dollar.
The money raised by the increase — an estimated $10 million over 10 years — would be used to help pay for and then promote an expansion of Cincinnati's convention center.
Again, there are some legitimate questions being asked about the legality and constitutionality of raising a tax in Kentucky to be spent in another state.
But those questions will ultimately be answered. That's not what this debate is really about.
Some lawmakers are resisting supporting the effort not because it's bad policy, but rather, in their view, its bad politics. They don't want to be assailed for raising taxes in the next election, even though the pending legislation would not raise taxes. It would give the fiscal courts the authority to do so.
Never mind that the business community, the hotel industry and other area leaders are lobbying for the increase under the argument that more convention business in Cincinnati would bring more business to Northern Kentucky hotels, restaurants, bars and stores.
The increase wouldn't even be paid by constituents, but by out-of-towners.
Many pols say they can't support the plan because they signed a no-new-taxes pledge.
How smart was that? Holding office is about making tough decisions, not unilaterally taking issues off the table.
Two lawmakers are already on board with the plan, House Majority Leader Jim Callahan, a Wilder Democrat, and Republican Rep. Jon Draud of Crestview Hills.
If more lawmakers from Northern Kentucky don't step up, the hotel tax bill is probably in deep trouble.
But it won't be the first time Northern Kentucky lawmakers let politics stand in the way of progress.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581 or by email at crowleys@cinci.infi.net
