Special Edition: 1996 Indiana Democratic Convention Wednesday, June 5, 1996 • Volume 2, Number 34 Page 1of8 ••••• O'Bannon blisters ....•• • • • ·-·­--·• •••• •• •• Goldsmith on freeze THE -- Property tax becomes first campaign battle INDIANAPOLIS - Mayor Stephen Goldsmith launched the first shot in the Indiana gubernatorial race with his call for a "hard HOWEY freeze" in property taxes that he said would result in a $4 billion sav­ ings for taxpayers. Goldsmith told the Indiana Bankers Association Wednesday POLITICAL morning that such a move would "immediately change the dynamic of property tax relief" and create economic growth. Hours later, in a "rapid response" reminiscent of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, Lt. Gov. Frank O'Bannon dismissed the proposal as a REPORT "shell game?' "Ifyou just freeze the rate and say simply that's going to The Weekly Briefing On Indiana Politics freeze taxes or cut taxes ... and your assessment goes up, you're going to pay more taxes;' O'Bannon told a room packed with the news The Howey Political Report is published 40 times a year by media. "I'm saying over the next four years if you freeze the tax rate NewsLink, Inc. The Howey Political Report is an independent, in the reassessment on fair market value, the homeowner is going to non-partisan newsletter analyzing the political process in Indiana. It neither endorses candidates nor advocates positions take it on the chin as well as the farmer. They're going to pay more of public policy. taxes. "That's the story today and you'll write 'Goldsmith cuts prop­ Brian A. Howey editor and publisher erty taxes' and all he's doing is freezing the rate. In communities that are growing, they'll probably come out all right. But in communities The Howey Political Report Office: 317-685-0883 not growing very fast, they can't even keep up with inflation;' 200 W. Washington St, Suite M-1 Fax: 317-692-1032 O'Bannon said, telling reporters, "You need to ask questions:' Indianapolis, IN 46204 [email protected] The exchange on Wednesday came midway through what NewsLink Home Page: http://www.iquest.net/-hwypol/ will be the most dramatic week of O'Bannon's lengthy political career Subscription information: $250 annually for 40 to date.It fired up a race that will give Hoosiers the greatest contrast editions via fax or first class mail Call 317-685-0883. in gubernatorial candidates since Oliver P. Morton defeated a Copperhead opponent in 1860. © 1996, The Howey Political Report. All rights reserved. On Monday, O'Bannon announced his choice of South Bend Photocopying, faxing or reproducing in any form, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is~ prohibited Mayor Joe Kernan as his running mate.By Saturday, the two will offi­ without consent of the publisher. icially be nominated in a convention at the State Fairgrounds plan- continued on page 2 ((QUOTE" OF THE WEEK INSIDE FEATURES "I'm embarrassed to say it was $3,000 .... " • Play of the Week: Goldsmith in the WSJ page2 • Bob Lang on elephants &donkeys page2 --Gary Mayor Scott King, to the • Horse Race: Whitewater a looming storm page3 Indianapolis Star, on a bounty gang • HPR Interview: Mayor Joe Kernan pages4-5 members have placed on his head. • Campaign '96: Sweet 16 in the House page7 Wednesday, June 5, 1996 :r-- Page 2 of 8 • ~fICK]l~R ned as a throwback to the c a»·s when Drn .1 cratic sources tell HPI: chat polling reveal,ed cratic candidates would parade into th1; o d O'Bannon's strength with female and rural vot­ T A Coliseum in convertibles. ers. Kernan, a POW in Vietnam, give:> the ticket 1 I :Llll.zUf ;I , , : .• The O'Bannon/Kernan - or ''OK"' - :icket a war hero and urc.: :1 mayor. Kerr an is Irish­ PLAY OF THE WEEK: M,:111or almost didn't come together. During th:" ed1 of Catholic, a 1roting bloc ~like Tackett of the Stephen Goldsmith laid out a May 20, sources close to Kernan and thr.! Chicago Tribune described as key to the success pillar of his coming fall Iieam­ O'Bannon campaign believed the mayeir r ac of the Democratic pre~;idential ticket. paign in Monday's Wa,11 Street taken himself out d the ruor :ig. The l'fJ -,j m Other sources '·i<1.y Democrats were wor­ Journal with an artid!! he was Maggie Kernan's banking career,c: 1 mmut ried about the TV resources Goldsmith poured wrote,"Desigrning ;:1 S1w>oth ing and the fact that Joe Kernan loves being into the So 11th Bend/Elkhart TV market during Privatization."lt rernrnnted mayor. That's when former rn r:gresswo ma n fiH the primar:r'. That regi m, adjacent to Michigan, how Indianapolis chari£1ed a Long Thompson appeared 1.0 emerge as tl1e has witnesi,:ed Gov. Jolin Engler's dramatic potential closing off n~,i! Naval leading LG candidate. Fort Wayne sources tell social re for ms there, and, hence, voters might be HPR that she agreed to be considered on 1ht' Air Warfare C1mter int 1c1 a bil­ more willing to buy in to Goldsmith's mold­ lion dollar private mtor bid­ condition that if she didn't receive the noni:ia­ smashing reform ideas in Indiana. rH~ ding war, won by Hu£',1 i's tion, the official reason would be she decli d. The Democratiic ticket with Mayor Electronics forp.lt lk.ei:11>s 2,500 The ticket was reviired when after .:t Kernan, former Mario 11 County Prosecutor Jeff high-paying jobs i111 IMiliana­ vacation, the mayor ca:ne to Indiam.polis .1r1 Modisett for attorney g1.~neral, and Richmond polis. The di111cher we. .• 1his May 23 and met priYately ·with O'Bann' m, \\'ho principal Ann Englani l, does offer gender and line: "What helped ti~l' ~he sketched out his duties and allayed some .:1f 1the geographical balance. i<ernan hinted Monday scale was Presiden1t Clinton's fears associated with moving and cam:r that he might be the ticket's point man aiming formal endorsement i:i'I' our change.Kernan went on to malke his own .lrn­ at Goldsmith's privatii ation record. Modisett privatization approaclh. ~t matic speech May 24 at the dedication of !h1~ has already challengecl Goldsmith's record on encouraged the Navy t,c, start Vietnam and Korean war memorials. O' Be: nnon plea bargJins. thinking of it!1elf ai. a rnn­ officially asked him Ito ioin the ticket the hllow­ Wec! nesday's e i:change revealed an sumerfocused on qu<:,111 y ing week. O'Bannon ready to qwckly and forcefully rather than just a pm ~luicer The one flaw in the "OK ticket" is tha: it's respond to Goldsmith It could be Indiana's first worried about cost" two white guys running,leaving the Republi­ glimpse at 1 Democral willing to say,"No more cans with an opportunity to be gender indusive. Mr. Nice Gi:.y:' Continued ,:in page 3 But Kernan brings an array of strengths. Demo- ............ THE ~ 1996 C~~uve~l;on Special Pric s HOWEY' Yes, I want the best coverage of Indiana politics! POLITICAL Please send me: REPORT D One year of the Howey Political Report {40 issues) for ~$225 D Six months of the Howey Political Report (20 issues) for S-l3G $135 New! 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Box 1452 Indianapolis, Indiana 46209-8728 . ' , . Page 3 of 8 Wednesday, June 5, 1996 Look for Clinton to TICKER follow RFK's ghost HORSE RA c E T A p E on the Cannonball The Indiana Tax Court's deda­ TRENDLINE: Clinton-Gore began the '92 campaign with a bus tour that took them on ration that the state's property Indiana's I-64. Look for Clinton to do an HST /RFK whistle stop from Fort Wayne to Chicago tax assessment system is unc­ prior to the convention.Bobby was the last pol to ride the Wabash Cannonball in May 1968. constitutional prompted State Sen. Larry Borst, who chairs PRESIDENT STATUS COMMENTS the Senate Finance Comm­ Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Ross Leans It's the cover up, stupid.Little Rock verdicts ittee, to say that Indiana Perot, Ralph Nader Clinton should trouble all Democrats. Starr is pumped. could shift to a market-based But Dole isn't. Clinton on the campaign trail is system by simply altering a stunning. His stealing the Wisconsin welfare few words in the existing law thunder from Dole was classic.A rollercoaster. (Leslie Stedman, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette). But most GOVERNOR legislators disagreed. State Stephen Goldsmith, TOSSUP We had this "Leans O'Bannon"when it looked Rep. B. Patrick Bauer said two Frank O'Bannon like Jill Long would make the ticket. That, along years won't be enough to with Bayh-O'Bannon's 30 percent welfare drop change the system.State Rep.