Posted on 01/16/2003 10:00:44 AM PST by Doug Fiedor
For Immediate Release:
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Frankfort, KY January 15, 2003
Yesterday afternoon, State Senator Virgil Moore formally filed the necessary forms to become a Republican candidate for Governor. Don Bell, of Oldham County, joined Senator Moore on the ticket as candidate for Lt. Governor.
Don Bell, a former Marine, retired after a career as a U.S. Secret Service agent. Over the years, Bell protected Presidents Ford, Nixon, Reagan and Bush. In recent years, Mr. Bell has overwhelmingly won five key races in Republican primaries; two of which were state-wide races.
Senator Moore reports: "We have secured the base to move forward and win the Republican primary for Governor this May. Unofficially, we started quietly working to secure support for our campaign many months ago. So, even though the campaign officially begins today, we already have a great group of campaign volunteers in place around our Commonwealth and, every day, more folks are coming forward to help in our campaign. These folks are both ready and willing to get this campaign started. Which means, out of this year's crowded Republican ticket, we have the best chance to win."
Both Virgil Moore and Don Bell have been leaders all of their adult lives. Both men have broad administrative experience. As a career Army officer, Senator Moore has vast experience as a commander, administrator and personnel manager. Currently, Moore is serving his eleventh year in the state senate, where he has consistently been a stabilizing influence on that body. As a retired career Secret Service agent, Don Bell compliments the ticket with leadership skills, strong accounting skills and an unprecedented experience at sniffing out waste, fraud and abuse.
In 1995, Senator Moore was appointed to the Capitol planning and advisory committee by then President Ech Rose and Senator John Rogers to prepare the incoming Governor a draft budget. That committee prepared a draft that was accepted by Governor Patton as written, with few changes. The 1996 budget provided for a 2.8% pay raise for all state employees and a $200-million surplus that started Kentucky's rainy day fund.
In the 2000 legislative session, Senator Moore accurately predicted the state's current budget shortfall and repeatedly urged the Governor to take corrective steps. Moore also repeatedly asked the administration to cooperate with the General Assembly to prevent the continued loss of manufacturing jobs in Kentucky. Unfortunately, Senator Moore's concerns fell on deaf ears.
Moore says: "At that time, the Governor could have permitted the house to pass legislation that would have saved some of Kentucky's jobs, which would have softened the drop in our economy. But, he did not. Instead the Governor spoke of tax increases.
"Meanwhile others, like the Governor of West Virginia, were pointing in the correct direction by working with businesses and encouraging them to expand in their states -- which both provided new jobs and expanded the states' tax bases. The results are that the growth rate in states like West Virginia are now much higher that Kentucky's." Virginia's administration also has an ongoing advertising program promoting Virginia as Business Friendly.
These failures by the current administration were instrumental in encouraging Senator Moore to consider running for Governor himself -- and hardened his resolve to do so. As Senator Moore repeatedly states: "We can do better." Indeed, as both Moore and Bell believe, the people of Kentucky deserve better.
Senator Moore feels he is the most prepared of any of the candidates to accept the responsibility to lead Kentucky forward. Moore feels "we can and will do better" for Kentucky. The Moore-Bell team will make a difference for the people of Kentucky by improving Kentucky's economy while also providing for education, health care, roads, water, and infrastructure.
Senator Moore says he has demonstrated the determined strength our state needs to exercise the discipline needed on so many issues. He feels he and Don Bell can definitely do better for Kentucky.
Mike Moreland, a Boone County Magistrate who also serves as state chairman for the Republican Liberty Caucus, says that Virgil Moore is one of only five state senators who have pledged to uphold the free-market principles espoused by that group. "In order to receive the endorsement of our organization, a candidate must demonstrate the willingness to reduce government while supporting individual liberty and privacy. Both Senator Moore and Mr. Bell have demonstrated this quality." Other state-wide organizations have also already stated their support for the Moore-Bell ticket.
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2 enclosures:
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Virgil Moore Biography ? Short Version
Virgil Moore was born in Knox County, Kentucky, and spent most of his boyhood in a small community near Barbourville until his graduation from Knox Central High School. After graduating, Virgil chose to juggle three part- time jobs in order to attend Indiana Technical College, but soon realized his true calling would be in the United States Army, ultimately serving as a decorated Vietnam military commander.
Upon completing his initial four-year enlisted term, Virgil joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps at Eastern Kentucky University where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Business and Math, and was subsequently commissioned in the United States Army at the rank of Second Lieutenant by President John F. Kennedy. While attending college, Virgil also met his wife of 44 years, Sharon Maupin, and was named a Distinguished Military Graduate. Together they have three children: Gina, Dana and Scott.
All in all, Virgil Moore served his country for 21 years in the Army, completing tours in Germany, Korea and Vietnam, during which time he also won the Bronze Star for Valor. Then, upon retirement from the military, Virgil chose to pursue a life-long interest in farming on his 600-acre homestead in rural Grayson County, where he continues to raise cattle, tobacco, timber and grain. Shortly after his retirement, however, Virgil was once again called upon to assist the citizens of the Commonwealth by serving as the Grayson County Republican Party Chairman from 1982-1990, a role which would later lead to his election as State Senator in 1992.
Now re-elected to that same office on two subsequent occasions, Virgil currently serves the citizens of Kentucky as Chairman of Senate Transportation Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Licensing and Occupations Committee, and as a senior member of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources and Veterans Affairs Committees.
If elected Kentucky's next Governor, Senator Virgil Moore will continue his dedication to our Commonwealth by working to reduce taxes, localize education, and limit federal and state expansion into private enterprise.
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Don Bell Biography -- Short Version
Don was born in Parnell, KY (Wayne County) and is one of eleven children. He has been married to Stephanie 32 years. They reside in Buckner, KY, and have three children: Becky, Greg and Brian.
At age 18, Don began working at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. During these years, he became a tour leader, taking visitors on tours of the FBI Headquarters. At this young age, he dealt with the offices of J. Edgar Hoover and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. After completing four years in Washington, Don left to attend college.
Don earned his B.S. Degree from Murray State University and his M.A. Degree from George Washington University. Don had a career with the United States Secret Service, serving 20 years as a Special Agent. During his career, he was assigned to protect former President Truman, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan, and Vice President Bush.
Don received recognition from the FBI, DEA, Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While assigned to the Secret Service Headquarters, he served as the liaison representative with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice, including FBI headquarters.
Don was featured on the CBS TV program ?60 Minutes,? as a result of an investigation that had an impact on fraud and corruption in Kentucky.
Don served his country in the United States Marine Corps. He is an honorary Chief of Police with the Louisville Police Department and a member of the Kentucky Peace Officers Association. He has also served as a member of the U.S. Magistrate/Judge Selection Panel.
We'll have the bumper stickers out in a few days.
The most treacherous RINOs live in Northern Ky.
Louisville and Lexington's RINO's are mostly just clueless on the issues.
Here, they are socialist opportunists and big-time public parasites that are in bed with the Democrats all the time.
They can be vicious.
Really? I had no idea. :>
You rang ?
These tactics are rampant in Kentucky.
The Moore-Bell team support all of our rights.
HOORAY!!!!
I live in Kentucky and the Moore-Bell team can count on my support.
I'll start spreading the news immediately.
(talking about the financial crisis and how education funding will probably have to be cut if they can't pass all the sin taxes they want) The Legislature convened on Jan7. We must decide if we are going to cut education, raise revenue, or do a combination of both. Most policy makers agree that we have eliminated most of the fat in the budget The budget experts predict we will need to cut 2.1% in FY'03 and 5.2% in FY'04 in order to have a balanced budget. The cuts in FY'04 will surely stop the progress we have made in education."
If you can give me an alternate view of this, I'll write a letter to the editor. We've already got a letter supporting Ben Chandler in the paper and I'd like to get Moore and Bell's names out there.
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