Bowling for Bowling Green (and SOKY).

Two candidates running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in May came Bowling for Bowling Green this week. On Wednesday I attended Gov. Fletcher's town hall meeting here in Bowling Green. The event was attended by various elected officials and interest groups who wanted a say on how the "surplus" is to be spent. Many, who wanted to have the money returned to those who paid the taxes in the first place, were "out voted" by local special interest groups clamouring for a piece of the "surplus" pie. While it is unknown if the expenditure of the money is at the Gov.'s discretion or is subject to legislative approval, what is suspected, however, is that most of the money will have to be used to pay for the projects the Gov. previously vetoed out of the last budget, which he now wants the Legislature to restore. The Gov. also mentioned that he will use some of the money to act to protect social workers from danger and reminded the audience that his administration has spent $500 million on projects in Warren County!

Today, I saw the team of Anne Northup and Jeff Hoover make a campaign stop at the Bowling Green airport. The two reiterated their calls for a new direction in Frankfort "to bring real consrvative ideas and principles" and renewed their statement that their team can win in the fall while Fletcher's cannot, because the Democrats will focus on Fletcher Administration's "scandals, indictments and pardons" without having a need to even discuss issues that matter most to Kentuckians, like health care, education, etc. . Mrs. Northup also stated, as reasons for her conclusion that Fletcher cannot win in November, the results of various polls (see latest USASurvey) which highlight Fletcher's high disapproval ratings and the fact that many voters complained about Fletcher (and her association with him) during her campaign last fall.