Editorial: Guinn gets yet another lesson in Politics 101

Wednesday, April 7, 1999 | 11:48 a.m.

When Kenny Guinn was running for governor in 1998 he pledged to double the property tax rebate that about 13,000 low-income seniors receive. But Guinn has postponed an expansion of the popular property tax reduction for seniors, which currently averages about $225 a year, because of the state budget's financial woes.

It probably would have been better if Guinn had withheld support last year for the reduction since there were some indications that the state budget would be tight when the 1999 Legislature met. To Guinn's credit, though, he isn't fulfilling the campaign promise, instead making sure that the scarce funds available are spent elsewhere so other worthy government programs won't have their budgets cut too severely.

The new governor is learning that waging a successful political campaign is a lot easier than running state government and maintaining a balanced budget. This is a lesson not just for gubernatorial candidates, but for those running for the Legislature or even local offices, too. Keeping your word in politics is important, but when the realities of governing intervene, sometimes political promises can't be honored, especially when they interfere with doing what's right.

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