Rogers: Senate improved bailout bill

Local News

October 3, 2008

By CHRIS HARRIS, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Fri Oct 03, 2008, 06:45 PM EDT

Somerset — The last time around, Somerset’s own Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers was one of only two Kentuckians in the U.S. House of Representatives to support the $700 billion bailout of the nation’s troubled financial industry, which fell 228-205 Monday.

On Friday, the Senate-reenergized plan picked up only one more of the six available Kentucky House votes, but more than enough elsewhere to pass through by a count of 263-171, following a tidal wave of shock in the mass media that the taxpayer-funded bailout didn’t succeed the first time around.

Rogers supported the measure the first time, and did so again on the second, though he reiterated Friday that he is “not a fan” of the financial rescue package. However, he was unwilling to not step in and try to quell a national economic crisis.

“I found myself unwilling to gamble on my people’s future, and feared that simply sitting idly by would put this country into its deepest financial recession in a generation,” said Rogers in his statement.

“In addition, I believe the bi-partisan Senate package really improves the bill the House rejected, providing maximum protections for the taxpayers,” he continued.

• protecting 21 million middle-class families from an average $2,500 tax increase because of the “outdated” Alternative Minimum Tax — “a regressive, unfair tax originally intended to capture only wealthy individuals.”

• tuition deductions for college students;

• out-of-pocket expense deductions for teachers;

• updates to the child tax credit;

• research and development tax credits for small businesses.

Rogers suggested the updated version of the package does good for those affected by another headline-making national catastrophe.

“In these trying economic times, it is especially important for the Congress to lend a helping hand to our citizens most in need,” said Rogers, “and the bill provides critical tax relief for our citizens on the Gulf Coast and the Midwest who are trying to rebuild their lives and homes from devastating hurricanes and floods.”

But it’s the citizens of his own Fifth Congressional District, Rogers suggested, that he was most trying to help by voting for the bailout.

“Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have always sought to help residents of southern and eastern Kentucky achieve a more prosperous future,” said Rogers. “It is that future I am most concerned about today. Whether it’s the homeowner looking to refinance their mortgage, the student looking to attend college, the small business owner trying to meet payroll, or the retiree looking to make ends meet, I’m hopeful this bill will give a leg up to those citizens most in need.”

Rogers blamed the credit market woes on “Wall Street fat cats” whose “greed, corruption, and irresponsible behavior” have put the livelihood of American citizens in peril.

“The sad reality is there are millions of innocent victims suffering from this tragedy all across America,” said Rogers. “The troubles in our credit markets have gone well beyond affecting the robber barons on Wall Street — it is beginning to affect everyday Americans in their everyday lives.”

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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