Pubdate: Tue, 28 Oct 2003
Source: Kentucky Kernel (KY Edu)
Copyright: 2003sKernel Press, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.kykernel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/790

TOUGH CHOICE FOR ATTY. GENERAL

To say that corruption in Kentucky is a problem is an understatement, not 
to mention a statement of the especially obvious. The state is clearly fed 
up with the partisan politics, the nepotism and the shady road construction 
contracts - among other topics.

But such knowledge and exasperation doesn't get us anywhere without action. 
And the action in question here should involve electing and designating a 
public official who will initiate and follow through on difficult 
investigations of corruption in Frankfort and everywhere else in the state.

The state official who takes up this cause is known as the attorney 
general, and the office is up for election this year as Ben Chandler steps 
down to run for governor.

The man for the job is Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington attorney and 
well-known figure in Kentucky politics, who is running as an independent.

Galbraith is first and foremost the right candidate for the office because 
of his known commitment to political independence and disdain for partisan 
politics. In a state where the two political parties constantly vie for 
control not just of office, but of contracts and pork-barrel funding for 
special interests, an independent-minded attorney general will be part of 
the solution.

In the Kernel editorial board's discussion of the attorney general race, 
Republican Jack Wood also came up as a worthy candidate in the race, and 
some of our votes will go his way. After he and his own party have snubbed 
each other in the race, there can be little suspicion that he will feel 
beholden to party leaders.

Greg Stumbo, the Democrat in the race, also seems a viable candidate. He 
has extensive experience as an attorney and long tenure in the state 
legislature.

But it is also his status in Frankfort politics - currently House majority 
leader - that gives cause for concern. It may well be that he will have to 
investigate the same people he has worked alongside for years, should he be 
elected. This, of course, creates too many conflicts of interest.

Also a priority on Galbraith's platform is the prescription drug epidemic 
currently overwhelming Kentucky. His plan to reorganize the war on drugs in 
this state has a fresh appeal that Stumbo, at least, can't match with his 
emphasis on the status quo and stepping up the existing strategy.

"Increasing certain facets of the war on drugs is absolutely futile," 
Galbraith said in a meeting with the Kernel editorial board. While his plan 
to ask pharmaceutical companies such as PurduePharma for $2 billion to 
underwrite efforts at fighting the epidemic sounds a little excessive, it 
is clear that the people who produce these drugs should help prevent their 
abuse.

His positions on marijuana use are well known; he uses it openly, and has 
long campaigned for decriminalizing the drug. Although he's in favor of 
enforcing laws on hard drugs, he wants to turn out large numbers of 
non-violent drug offenders from prisons, many of them to rehabilitation. 
This is a far better attempt freeing up space and funds than Gov. Paul 
Patton's recent fiasco with releasing hardened criminals for lack of funds 
to keep them.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman