Banner Graphic, Volume 18, Number 35, Greencastle, Putnam County, 17 October 1987 — Page 3

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WILLIAM HUDNUT 'Married to' Indy

Hudnut decides to stay mayor, not try for governor

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The 1988 Republican gubernatorial primary is 6% months away, but Lt. Gov. John M. Mutz’s victory celebration already has begun. Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut, considered by many a strong potential challenger for the GOP nomination, scratched himself from the entry list Friday, leaving Mutz the only Republican in the race. Hudnut said personal factors and his love of Indianapolis convinced him to remain in city hall and not try to move four blocks west to the Statehouse. “I’m marrieu to Indianapolis. I’m in love with this city,” said Hudnut, who is seeking a fourth term as mayor. “Just as forcefully as I can say it, I want to be re-elected mayor. “This is a personal decision based on my own personal priorities and values and where I am with my life right now,” said Hudnut, speaking to a gathering of reporters, city workers and Marion County Republican leaders Friday. Hudnut’s decision not to run will spare the party a potentially divisive and expensive May 1988 primary that could have improved Democrats’ chances to win their first gubernatorial election since 1964, GOP leaders said. Mutz, who will formally announce his candidacy Nov. 10, said he believes Hudnut “thought about the future of the Republican Party.” “It does prevent the kind of divisive activity that could have affected the party negatively,” Mutz said at his Statehouse office. “Another thing is it probably saved the party $1.5 (million) to $2 million that might have been spent in a Republican primary.” Mutz said it is possible “another candidate could come along” to challenge him But he said he now expects Republicans to come together. Hudnut’s supporters “are people we will reach out to because we know that a unified Republican Party is the most important thing we can have going into an election year,” he said. State Republican Chairman Gordon K, Durnil said Hudnut took “a responsible position.” “He’s looking out for the best interests of the Republican Party, the city of Indianapolis and those things he should be,” said Durnil. “He’s doing what we all have come to expect him to do: provide good leadership.” A former congressman and

Vote Democratic

MICHAEL HARMLESS Mayor

<<<%« CLAUDIA WILLIAMS Second Ward Councilman

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JOHN MUTZ All by himself now

Presbyterian minister, Hudnut fueled speculation he planned to run for governor by pursuing a vigorous speaking schedule across the state for more than a year. Earlier this year, a group calling itself Citizen’s Choice ’BB formed to promote a Hudnut candidacy. The group was formed “without my foreknowledge or consent,” Hudnut said Friday. He said he made his decision within the last 72 hours and announced it quickly “to spare other people the agony of getting further out on a limb.” “It was a tough decision, but the bottom line was it was not in my heart to do it, and I might as well let that out,” said Hudnut. He denied he was pressured to skip the governor’s race. Hudnut has been challenged in recent weeks by Democratic mayoral candidate J. Bradford Senden to declare his plans for the future. Senden’s campaign has a radio advertisement suggesting Hudnut would abandon the mayor’s office to run for governor. Independent candidate Carl Moldthan also is running for mayor. Donald Heckard, chairman of Citizen’s Choice ’BB, said his group had more than 10,000 signatures on petitions urging Hudnut to run and expected to raise $500,000 for his candidacy. “It’s a personal decision, not a political decision, and I respect his decision,” said Heckard. “I would expect we would close up shop.” Citizen’s Choice ’BB pledged when it was organized that the money it raised would be turned over to the eventual nominee if Hudnut didn’t run. Mutz already has raised close to $1 million and has a campaign budget of $3.5 million, said Michael McDaniel, his campaign manager. Mutz’s campaign had planned to spend $1.2 million before next May to ward off Hudnut’s challenge. That amount can now be reduced, campaign officials said. Asked if he would support Mutz, Hudnut said, “Sure.” However, he declined to say that he would campaign for the secondterm lieutenant governor, who is from Indianapolis. “I can’t answer that now. We’ll have to wait and see how things develop,” said Hudnut. The mayor also declined to rule out a race for governor after 1988. “Who knows? Life is full of unexpected surprises,” Hudnut said.

JUDITH BERRY Clerk-Treasurer

IL. fife SUE MURRAY Third Ward Councilman

Aware of problem, but no consensus

Panel can't agree on highway funding

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A legislative study committee that has spent three months looking at ways to increase highway funding cannot agree on what should be done, the panel’s chairman said. The Interim Study Committee on Transportation Motor Vehicles, which heard from experts, lobbyists and four potential 1988 gubernatorial nominees, will make no recommendation to the Legislature, Rep. Orville H. Moody, R-Angola, said. “I knew there was no consensus from talking to individual members and listening to their comments,” said Moody. “We’re all aware the problem is there,” he said of highway funding. “But I don’t believe we can come up with a consensus of what we can or cannot do.” Moody invited members of the committee to offer their own proposals, which would be included without recommendation in the House-Senate panel’s final report. Rep. Thomas D. Coleman, R-New Castle, told the committee he will propose a new system to audit trucking companies more closely to make sure they are paying the state all the taxes they owe. Most of those tax revenues are used for highway work. Department of Highways officials told the committee this summer the department would need SSO million more per year to perform regular maintenance and up to SIOO million more annually if new construction is undertaken. “There is a problem, and money would be the salvation for problem

New kernel of promotion for Hoosiers MARION, Ind. (AP) Grant County officials hope their com-munity-grown commodity of popcorn will help them lure new businesses to the area. The Grant County Economic Growth Council has begun mailing cardboard tubes filled with locally grown popcorn to 1,000 targeted businesses. The corn is produced by Weaver Popcorn Co. of nearby Van Buren. Timothy Eckerle, the council’s executive director, hopes the corn catches the eye of businessmen planning to expand or relocate their operations. “The primary goal of this campaign is to develop a personal relationship between Grant County and business decisionmakers,” Eckerle said. “Anybody can send out paper clips from Taiwan, but using something from your community is the tie-in you need. Weaver Popcorn gives us that.” Eckerle said normally he wouldn’t have gone along with a plan to mail trinkets to potential clients, but the council’s marketing consultant, Laser Communications of Indianapolis, sold him on the idea. The council plans to mail letters to about 3,000 potential relocators on a list gleaned from Dun & Bradstreet Inc., which provides credit ratings and other information on more than 3 million U.S. and Canadian corporations. The letters will be followed up with a tube of popcorn.

MICHAEL ROKICKI Counci Iman-At-Larye

ROBERT SEDLACK Fourth Ward Councilman

SHERI ZELLERS ROACH First Ward Councilman

state

solving,” said Moody. Among the money-raising options discussed by the committee were increases in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, motor registration fees and other highway user fees. Lt. Gov. John M. Mutz, who is expected to announce his candidacy for the 1988 Republican gubernatorial nomination Nov. 10, urged the committee at a September meeting to adopt his plan to give the highway department SSO million more annually. The Mutz plan called for a SSO million infusion of money from the state general fund next year and SSO million a year after that from a proposed, but not-yet appproved state lottery. Also in September, Sen. Frank L. O’Bannon, D-Corydon, told the panel a gasoline tax increase might be necessary and also proposed capping the amount of fuel tax revenues used for non-highway purposes. At the same meeting, Kokomo Mayor Stephen J. Daily suggested lifting the freeze on local tax rates for road and street funds, allowing local governments the option of

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raising more money for road improvements. Secretary of State B. Evan Bayh said more efficient management of the highway department could save money that could be used on road repair and construction. O’Bannon and Daily are announced candidates for the 1988 Democratic nomination for governor. Bayh has promised to announce in November whether he will seek the 1988 Democratic nomination. “For us as a committee to make recommendations, after all the various chatter among the candidates, it could be counterproductive to any of them or all of us,” said Moody. Moody also said the committee would make no recommendation on a possible replacement for the fuel decal tax because the state’s current decal tax is being challenged in court. “It’s a delicate situation because we’re in litigation now,” he said. “I don’t want to undermine the attorney general,” who is defending the state’s decal tax. The operator of each commerica 1

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October 17,1987 THE BANNERGRAPHIC

truck used in the state must pay Indiana SSO a year for a fuel decal, generating about $27 million a year for state coffers. However, the American Trucking Association, National Private Trucking Association and private trucking companies have filed suit challenging the tax. They argue it is unfair because a trucker who makes one run through the state has to pay the same SSO fee that an in-state trucker pays to drive thousands of miles on state roads during the year. Coleman acknowledged his proposal is a response to the truckers’ suit. He proposed expanding Department of Revenue auditing so that all trucking companies, including out-of-state businesses, that send vehicles through Indiana would be audited periodically to see if the companies are paying all registration and other fees to the state. The companies would be billed for the state’s auditing costs, he said. “I think they’re going to find many, many thousands of dollars owed to Indiana,” said Coleman. “We’re going to pick up a lot of revenue, and I think the truckers are going to think the SSO decal tax is cheap.” Kenneth E. Cragen, president of the Indiana Motor Truck Association, said his group supports strengthening auditing but is unsure Coleman’s proposal would be the most cost-effective way to do that. “We think there are people in the* trucking industry who haven’t paid taxes, but we don’t know that this is the way to stop that,” he said.