By Mark R. Chellgren
The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Gov. Paul Patton made an open invitation Thursday to critics of how he has handled the state's budget problems: If anyone else has a better idea, he'll listen.

"You can demagogue this issue in a million different ways," Mr. Patton said.

He said he would give a copy of the budget to any interested legislator or citizen who thinks they have better ideas about how to cope with what is expected to be a $500 million deficit in the remaining 6‡ months of this fiscal year and all of next year.

"I'm not dealing with a million here and a million there," Mr. Patton said.

He has spent much of the last two weeks emphasizing what will happen to state services unless more money is found. He has said the only two realistic options are to cut services or raise taxes.

"At this point in time, we think the people of Kentucky have to debate the options," Mr. Patton said.

While he will eventually make recommendations, on cuts or tax increases, Mr. Patton said he first wants to engage the General Assembly in the debate when it convenes in January.

In a letter to gubernatorial candidates last week, though, Mr. Patton took responsibility for the state's budget problems and said he would propose changes to the tax code "to better meet our needs."

Mr. Patton has called news conferences to dramatize what it could mean if state agencies had to cut 2.6 percent from their budgets this year and 5.2 percent next year, to get spending in line with revenues.

Thursday, it was public safety. Cuts would mean closing a state prison and eliminating a contract for a private prison and releasing even more inmates. Fewer Kentucky State Police troopers would be on the road. Fewer public defenders would mean some innocent people would be convicted. A medical examiner's office in western Kentucky would close.

Mr. Patton said he has chosen not to take some sensational act to dramatize the budget problems, such as closing state parks or rest areas. Instead, he said, he wants to show taxpayers what across-the-board cuts would mean in education, human services, public safety and other areas.