News Release
July 29, 1997
Contact: Melissa Forsythe or Mark Pfeiffer
(502) 564-2611

Governor Paul Patton's innovative program to reduce state government costs, increase revenue and improve services with technology and training was in the spotlight Monday at the National Governors' Association Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

President Clinton told the 89th annual governors' conference that Kentucky is providing a resourceful transportation strategy for moving people from welfare to work. "Kentucky has an Empower initiative that uses the resources of four different cabinet offices and a free transportation brokerage system to assure transportation in all areas of the state," the President said. "And this will probably be something that all of us who come from states with large rural populations, where there are people in rural areas on welfare, will have to adopt."

Governor Patton told the NGA's opening session that Empower Kentucky, a complete reengineering of the state's business systems, is saving money, and freeing up revenue for new initiatives. Patton said, "We had to reduce costs if we were going to have any money to provide new services because my predecessors had devised a unique and painless way to curry favor with the voters. It's called pass a law now which cuts taxes during the next governor's term." Patton said implementing six tax cuts will absorb nearly all the state's growth revenue, so Kentucky had to do something different. "Empower Kentucky has identified $173 million of investments that would create $150 million in recurring savings, or revenue, when fully implemented," the governor said. "We've surpassed our goal of a fifty percent return on investments in technology and training."

Governor Patton also chairs the NGA Economic Development and Commerce Committee. He reported that the NGA Task Force on Transportation, working to increase the federal investment in highways and transit, has been very effective. He said as Congress considers the reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund, the role of the NGA Task Force is extremely critical. "The NGA's position is that all of the money generated from taxes on motor fuel should be put into the Trust Fund and spent on transportation," Patton said.

Governor Patton also will attend meetings of the Southern Governors' Association and the National Education Goals Panel while attending the NGA conference.