1

9
7
7

P
r
i
m
a
r
y

E
l
e
c
t
i
o
n

P
r
e
v
i
e
w

C
a
n
d
i
d
a
t
e
s

I
s
s
u
e
s

S
a
m
p
l
e

B
a
l
l
o
t
s

S
p
e
c
i
a
l

s
e
c
t
i
o
n

M
a
y

1
5
,

1
9
7
7

S
i
x

S
e
e
k
i
n
g

L
e
x
i
n
g
t
o
n
-
F
a
y
e
t
t
e
'
s

T
o
p

S
p
o
t

P
h
o
t
o

b
y

M
a
l
c
o
l
m

l
.

S
t
a
l
l
o
n
i

T
h
e

s
i
x

c
a
n
d
i
d
a
t
e
s

f
o
r

m
a
y
o
r

a
r
e
,

f
r
o
m

l
e
f
t
,

R
o
g
e
r

W
a
r
e
,

T
e
r
r
y

N
e
w
m
a
n
,

J
i
m

A
m
a
t
o
,

S
c
o
t
t
y

B
a
e
s
l
e
r
,

J
o
e

G
r
a
v
e
s

a
n
d

N
i
c
k

M
a
r
t
i
n
.

By ANDY MEAD
Of The Herald Stoff
The mayor of Lexi ngton is paid
$100,000 for a four -year term, but
that's probably not why so many peo-
ple have applied for the job.
There were onl y two applicant s
four years ago when the first mayor
of the new merged government was
chosen. This year there are six.
All profess a great love for Fay-
ette County (five were born here) and
have come up with six sets of plans
to make it better (or prevent it from
getting worse) _
It ' s up to the voters to decide
whose plans are best. The decision
process begins with the May 24 elec-
tion primary, when four names will
be pared from the list and the two
top vote-getters will remain to fight it
out in the November general election.
To help with that primary choice,
here's a brief rundown on the candi-
dates (in order of their appearance on
the ballot) along with some of the
reasons why they want the job.
Scotty Baesler
..... Scotty Baesler, a 35-year-old
lawyer, has been vice mayor of the
Urban County Council the last three
and a half years.
With Mayor Foster Pettit not seek-
ing re-election, Baesler is the closest
thing to an incumbent in this
His campaign has reflected such ast -
ance.
Baesler points to the programs he
has initiated or had a hand in while
serving as vice mayor and asks for a
chance to finish the job as mayor_
The local already is
r epairing potholes, synchronizing
traffic lights, improving intersections
and planning new roads to make it
easier to get around in Lexington. he
says. Sewer projects, after years of
delay, are beginn'ing to bear fruit and
Baesler promises "no person' s owner-
ship of his home will be jeopardized"
by assessments.
He has led the field in disclosing
details of his campaign finances,
which he says is a " basic issue" in
the race.
Baesler says he will appoint a sen-
ior citizens expert, expand communi -
cation and cooperation between
government and education and work
to boost the income from tourism and
conventions.
Joe Graves
Y' Joe Graves is a 47-year-old
business consultant and first-term Re-
publican state senator from the 12th
district, which includes about half the
population of Fayette County.
-He also has served one term on
the old Lexington Board of City Com-
missioners and one term as state rep-
resentative from the 78th legislative
district.
Graves stresss the "people-ori -
ented" nature of his campaign and
promises citizens a greater voice in
setting policies both in his campaign
and in his administration.
To that end, he says he will make
a "special effort" to stay in touch
with constituents by taking a mobile
office into neighborhoods once a
month, inviting people selected at ran-
dom to dinner and making random
calls to ask people's opinions on is-
sues.
Graves promises to revamp traffic
planning by removing the present
traffic engineer and bringing in a
"proven" person to head a new de-
partment of traffic and transportation.
He al so wants to synchronize all
traffic lights with a central computer.
He says he will propose an ordi-
nance that would require all new pro-
grams to include a "financial impact
ordinance" so everyone would know
what they would cost.
Terry Newman
II' Terry Newman is a 30-year-old
University of Kentucky graduate stu-
dent who has never held public office.
Newman describes himself as "the
only conservative" in the race and
says his effort is based on "humanis-
tic, professional leadership" he has
learned as a student and social
worker.
He says he will stop growth by
"humanely discouraging the annual in-
flux of over 6,000 new permanent resi-
dents."
The power of the chief administra-
tive officer would be greatly de-
creased in a Newman admihistration
and he has asked the present CAO,
Dean Hunter, to hand in a resignation
the day after a new mayor is sworn
in.
Newman wants to remove railroad
tracks from downtown Lexington and
replace them with a "greenbelt park"
that could also serve as a trolley line
for commuters.
He says he is "the first public
voice" in Lexington to "pledge my
heart and soul to the protection of our
community from the impending threat
of nuclear technology for convenience
energy" and will fight to keep nuclear
power plants at least 100 miles away.
Roger Ware
II' Roger Ware is a 36-year-old
barber working on a cosmetology li-
cense. He has never held public of-
fice.
Ware is unique in the field. He
doesn't want to be elected mayor ,
only to have some kind of influence
on the policies of the. person who
eventually wins.
The message he wants to get
across is that Lexington should do
more -for its "forgotten" residents :
the street people - prostitutes, winos,
drug addicts and the extremely poor.
None of the other candidates un-
derstand the magnitude of social prob-
lems in Lexington, he says.
He wou.\d _foi ti<1 te a metropolitian
lottery to finance social programs and
says great sums of money could be
saved if prisoners were put to work
digging sewers and people receiving
food stamps were given jobs directing
traffic.
Ware also wants the works of
local and state artists to be displayed
in public buildings and says. opera
companies which perform in Lexing-
ton should give a performance in a
public park for poor people.
Nick Martin
""" Nick Martin is a 2l yearold
former radio newscaster who last
year was state coordinator for Eu
gene McCarthy's unsuccessful inde
pendent bid for the presidency. He
has never held . elective offiqe.
Martin sees his candidacy as "a
sounding board for opinions that
aren't carried by the regular politi
cians" and says his administration
would bring about radical changes in
the way local government operates.
He promises to support a "vigor
ous" nutrition program for the el-
derly, the poor and school children.
He advocates rent control and be-
lieves the local government should
own utility companies.
A strong, .supporter of Dean
Hunter, Martin says he would allow
the CAO more freedom in the day-to-
day operation of the city and he
promises to establish a commissioner
level post to deal with consumer and
environmental affairs.
He also strongly backs the citi-
zen's advocate and believes "we must
refocus the priority of the police de-
partment to that of public service
rather than crime-stopper."
The government should subsidize a
women's center with a 24-hour rape
crisis unit, a female counselor and
boarding for " displaced homemak-
ers," he says.
Jim Amato
""" Jim Amato is a 43-yearold law
yer and former Lexington poli ce
judge. He also has served as cit y
prosecutor, state Alcoholic Beverage
Control Commissioner and director of
Kentucky Citizens for Judicial lm-
provment , the group that lead a suc
cessful effort to revamp the state's
judicial system.
Amato's 54vote loss in the last
mayoral election sets the tone for his
effort in this race. "This Time -
Amato" is the theme of his campaign.
The proposals he made in the 1973
race still are needed to solve Lexing-
ton's problems although they have
been ignored by the Pettit administra-
tion, he says.
He believes steps .s.w::h as using
traffic directors at maj or intersec-
tions, making most lanes one-way dur
ing rush hours and staggering work
hours will help alleviate traffic prob-
lems.
He raps the present administration
for not doing more sooner on install-
ing sanitary sewers and suggests the
current efforts on sewers is a political
gesture.
Amato favors downtown foot pa-
trols for police and says as many as
100 new officers may be needed.