Tight

Large field promises

tough mayoral race
By TEVE BALLI ER
opy Editor
Lexington voter will not elect a
n w ma or until ovember, but four
candidates are already in con-
tentioo, pr paring campaigns which
could mak thi race one of the mo t
hard-fought er.
Thr announ cd candida s are
well-known local political figure ;
Jam Amato, otty Ba ler and
Joe Grav
The fourth, ick fartin, d cribes
hil'l'l If a cone rned citizen
fru trated with ity go emment.
Anoth r po ible andidat , rban
county councilman Don Blevins has
indicated h may enter the race.
The two leading ote-gctters or the
May 24 primary will face each other
in the ov. 8 I ction. If the race is
closer tha n the one in 1973, it will be
a tight conle t indeed. Mayor Foster
Pettit d feated Amato four years
ago by all o( 54 votes.
By law, the mayoral race is
nonpartisan, with party affiliation
not given at the polls. Here i a look
at the caooidate , in alphabetical
order and the i ues th y ve em-
phasized:
Jame mato
Amato, 43 has called for
leadership in city government and
y th lack of dir tion is " more
critical' than in h' la t c mpaign.
At a ki k-0ff rally th' w k, h
d cribcd the governm nt a "adrift
in a a or bu u rati and
I gi ative red tape."
lf Lexington can finan e a 1 1c
lt r, id Amato "\ e can urcly
pro icle a lramc program to allow a
person tog t to work and back in a
rea mable tim ."
A law er, Amato ha
appointed cit pro
lcctcd polic court judg , and
re enUy re igr d a ta Alcoholi
B verage Cl1trol ommi ion r lo
begin his campaign.
His oppo nts may call alt ntion
to Amato a o iation with
Lexington attorn y Rob rt hller
who worked in Amato' 1973 am-
paign.
Miller wa prominently in olved
in th contro rsial la le lease of the
P pper Distellery ' arehou , now
under graoo jury investigation.
Amato has pledged to try and
solve traffic problem through re-
routing of lane , onstructing
railroad overpa e , upporting
lag r d work hours and a com-
prehensive growth plan. He
promi to r I a d tailed i ue
ta ments before the primary.
otty Ha ler
r all the candidate , B
pcrhap th . tr cognition ra tor,
l advan g f being a UK
ba k tbaU play r in th arty 1 s.
.. . pla11.,t'\l'l'll ht'ca111paign
... 111111 'l'. I of thr candid.at
.JOE (;!( ,\\' ES
... lh ,. lour H11111hli an
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Large field. promises
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tough 'lnavora1 .. .
. '' i.
Continued from page l . against loeal segregation in . Martin, 21, is a reporter for
Graves is a long-time friend earlier yearsand is proud of radio station WVLK and the
of Pettit, and many observers the fact he hired the first youngest' candidate . in the .
hint that Graves's . election black salesman in a major race.
would merely extend. the Kentucky retail store, the ' Alth gh' :h ed th
d
. ou econc es ere .
present a m.inistration. famliy-owned Graves, Cox .. b t h' h
1
, T. o. counter th1's, h1's 1;n -'1t1'al Co. . ' are areas a ou w ic
have much to learn," Martin
speech criticized Pettit's Graves also . opposed contended in an opening
administration, saying the construction of the Red River statement that he owes no
city has been poorly planned, Dam atthe early year of 1968. favors .to special interests.
traffic congestion has been .He . was also the only
. dealt with ineptly, and too Lexington councilman to Recently a UK student,'
much" attention has bee,n oppose a . resolution sup- Martin pledges action toward
give.n to downtown projects, porting the dam's campus con<;erns such as
at the expense of out-lying struction. . " . . . enforcement of apartment
i1eighb<rhoods. i _ Although wealthy, Graves .. safety laws, rent control and
'Exp .. _ .la1'n1' ng h1's strat'e . gy , . h . t h t Id no arrests for _passession of
is appre ensive a w a cou small amounts of marijuana.
Graves said he is "trying to become an expensive cam-
1
- . .. .
' indicatewhatkindofamayor paign for the three major Heproposesaipercentcut
I'll be . .'. Mayor Pettit.'s candidates. His expenditures in . government .oper.ating
is in law, mine is will not be as large as expenditures and. 3 per cent
_in business;" he said. . . Baesler's, said Graves, and cut in capital expenses. City
. Gra ves has pledged
0
he indicated that Common workers, he says, should use
strearrline local government Cause Will soon make an less office equipment and
a.nd 'make it more .efficient. appeal to all candidates to not drive more eeonomical cars.
The 38 per cent increase in try and buy the election Martin also proposes the
the local government budget . throi,igh advertising. . redistribution of payroll taxes
has not improved the quality ' "to thooe who can best afford
and quantity of seryice,.
Graves ciairns. . .
Graves is a former city
commissioner (before the
merged government) and has
also served as state
representive and currently
state senator.
The lone republican in the'
mayoral race, Graves _has a
liberal reputation. He worked
Nif!olas Martin
. it.,, .'
'"
4
1 He criticized the per-
Martin entered the race formanre of mayor and
this week, . in his words, . county council in .
"reluctantly" because he was '
not ''satiSfied with the caliber saying they should not be
of candidate already seeking involved . in the .: daily
operation and detail work of
the pasition." government. Those jobs,
The director of Eugene Martin said, should be left to
McCarthy's . 1976 Kentucky the Chief Administrative
campaign for president,
Officer without interference:
' '