The Houston Chronicle - Friedman Is Getting Down To Business

Friedman Is Getting Down To Business

Gubernatorial hopeful works to fight idea he isn't versed on issues

By JANET ELLIOTT
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Monday was the day that Kinky got serious.

Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman, best known for his satire and cigar, took his first halting steps toward dispelling the rap that he isn't versed on the issues.

He met with reporters for an hour to discuss political reforms and other issues.

Appearing uneasy at times and often deferring to his campaign director, Friedman said citizens should be allowed to place measures, such as casino gambling, on the ballot through a process called initiative and referendum.

He also proposed Same Day Voter Registration, which would allow Texans to register and vote on Election Day, and publicly financed campaigns, funded through fees on lobbyists and their expenditures.

The humorist, novelist and musician said he would ban legislators and state employees from lobbying in Texas for two years after leaving their positions. Departing lawmakers now can immediately begin lobbying, and agency decision makers have to wait one year.

Friedman acknowledged his inexperience dealing with public policy details.

"I'm not the world's authority on this stuff. I'm not pretending to be," Friedman said as two documentary crews filmed the news conference.

But he expressed certainty that changes have to be made to engage more Texans in state government.

"I can see real, real clearly that we've got to open up politics to the people," he said.

Tom "Smitty" Smith, Texas director of Public Citizen, said Friedman's proposals "would fix many of the fundamental problems we have with Texas politics today."

As governor, Friedman said he would spend several hours each day talking on the phone to constituents and would appear regularly on a radio show to which people could "call in and unload."

He said such interaction would keep him in touch with the public.

The South Austin warehouse that serves as Friedman's campaign headquarters was not the slickest setting for the political coming-out. Staffers wheeled in desk chairs for reporters, and a camera tripod was set up as a makeshift podium for the microphones.

Youthful campaign workers leaned against the walls, and a rat terrier rescued by Friedman got his belly rubbed by a reporter sitting on a broken-down couch.

Friedman said allowing citizens to gather signatures to place measures on the statewide ballot would be one way to legalize casino gambling, which he said is the surest way to fund education.

When asked whether he saw any downside to allowing the public to put issues before voters, Friedman stepped aside and let campaign director Dean Barkley answer. Barkley said there would need to be limits in the law requiring issues to have a broad base of support to get on the ballot.

"Kinky, how do you feel about this? You're the candidate," asked another reporter.

"I'm for it," Friedman said. "I know political reform is good for Texas because I know we ain't got any of it."

Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the Republican state comptroller who is also trying to get on the ballot as an independent candidate for governor, expressed support for initiative and referendum several weeks ago.

The secretary of state is reviewing Strayhorn's and Friedman's petitions to see if they qualify for the November ballot. Each must have 45,540 signatures of registered voters who did not participate in either party primary.

Friedman, who submitted nearly 170,000 signatures, said he would make it easier for independent candidates to run. He called for a system that would place independent candidates on the party primary ballots, giving voters a choice and encouraging participation in the primaries.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell said he wasn't impressed by Friedman's ethics plans.

"This plan would do nothing to limit campaign contributions, turns a blind eye to the cash-and-carry shenanigans in Austin, and would do zip about actually enforcing ethics laws," said Bell, a former congressman from Houston who filed ethics charges in Congress against then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Friedman plans to talk in the coming months about education, immigration, renewable energy and health care.

During Monday's session, Friedman criticized Gov. Rick Perry for the recent tax plan that shifted some of the funding of public schools from homeowners to businesses. He called it a "shell game," but when asked what parts of the tax plan he might try to undo, he seemed confused.

"Perry's package? You'll have to tell me Perry's package," he said.

Barkley interjected, "There's cigarette taxes."

"I'll jump in on that," said Friedman, waving his cigar. "Number one, it irritates me. It's a regressive tax, taxing the same people who are playing by the rules, the small businesspeople."

Friedman mentioned former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, a professional wrestler who ran as an independent and served one term as governor, as the model for his campaign.

"It's crazy. It sounds stupid, but if I had Jesse Ventura, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett in top positions ... the state would run with a lot more honesty, a lot more decency," he said.

Posted by Kinky Web on June 6, 2006 11:55 AM

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/2006/06/friedman_is_getting_down_to_bu.html