By Patrick Crowley
Enquirer staff writer

Gov. Ernie Fletcher does not expect lawmakers to reach an agreement on the budget but he is also pledging not to shut down state government.

In a direct plea, Fletcher issued an open letter to Kentucky residents Friday indicating his plans to continue government spending and laying the blame squarely on House Democratic leaders for the budget impasse.

"I believe ... that you are entitled to continue receiving the necessary services of this government on which we all rely for our safety and quality of our daily lives," Fletcher said in a draft of the letter.

"I do not believe that the best interests of people of Kentucky would be advanced by a shutdown of this government," Fletcher said.

Fletcher will reveal his spending plan Monday morning. He said the absence of a budget creates "a genuine sense of emergency."

"I have had no choice ...but to be prepared for the possibility that the House and Senate will not reach any such (budget) agreement," he said.

Lawmakers left Frankfort in mid-April without passing a two-year state budget. The state's fiscal year ends July 1. Lawmakers, particularly House Democrats and Senate Republicans, could not agree on Fletcher's complex tax-modernization plan.

House Democrats unveiled a budget earlier this week, but it elicited little response from Fletcher or Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville.

Fort Mitchell Democrat Kathy Groob, a state senate candidate, said Fletcher and the Republicans needed to act on the latest version of the Democrats' budget.

"It was a compromise and a great effort to get a budget passed, and I'm very disappointed to see the senate just sit on that and not try and work together," Groob said.

Sen. Jack Westwood, R-Edgewood, who is challenged in the November election by Groob, said he hopes the Republicans do forge a compromise on the budget.

"It's not a good situation to not have a budget," Westwood said. "But I'm not happy with what the Democratic leadership came up with. They certainly weren't happy with what we came up with on our side."

Westwood said he believes Fletcher is "right on track" with his letter to the people.

"The governor is showing tremendous leadership," Westwood said.

Fletcher did strike a partisan blow in his letter by saying House Democratic leadership failed "to work in a bipartisan manner to provide a responsible budget and a reliable revenue base."

House Majority Caucus Chairman Jim Callahan, D-Wilder, who has tried repeatedly to jump-start budget negotiations, took exception to Fletcher's comment.

"I'm very, very disappointed in the governor. I gave him more credit than this," Callahan said.

Callahan said Fletcher delivered his budget to the General Assembly on Jan. 27 but waited until the final days of the legislative session to formally introduce his tax modernization plan.

"Why not get together and pass the budget, and then work on tax modernization next year?" Callahan said.

Callahan was also critical of Fletcher for taking a Florida vacation this week.

Brian Richmond, a GOP consultant from Lakeside Park, said Fletcher's plea is likely to strike a chord with the public. "This is probably the most impressive thing he has done since he's been in office. He is saying that your government has failed you, I'm sorry and I'm doing what I can to fix it."

---

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com