Kentucky Gov. Proposes Tax Hikes
A Democratic chief executives admits to having an affair - and admits to lying about it. And he proposes tax increases. No, it's not Bill Clinton. It's Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton, who in September, Patton admitted an affair with businesswoman Tina Conner. Now he's back, and is proposing tax hikes to offset slowing revenue growth because of the sluggish economy in the Bluegrass State. Patton's a Democrat, so he's just being true to his party's tax-and-spend nature.

According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Patton said Wednesday that the state must raise taxes, make substantial spending cuts - or both - to handle a revenue shortfall of a projected $144 million in the current fiscal year and a projected revenue shortfall of $365 million the next fiscal year.

In Kentucky, Democrats control the state House, Republicans control the state Senate. Patton "said he's already cut expenses enough, and in a written report hinted at raising taxes on businesses," reports the CJ. His report said the state must "substantially raise revenues or make draconian cuts."

Senate Majority Floor Leader Dan Kelly, a Republican, said Patton was implicitly asking for higher taxes, but the state can cut more spending without substantially affecting services.

"We really feel like there is a lot more work to be done to get spending under control before you turn around and ask the people of Kentucky to pay more revenue," Kelly told the CJ.

Kentucky is one state where the Republican leader appears to be standing up against higher taxes and looking to spending cuts to balance the budget.