As discussed with you last week, Governor Pataki is holding a fundraiser for 
his reelection campaign in Houston on Monday, June 4th. (His current terrm 
expires in 2002.) According to the fundraiser organizing this event, 
Elizabeth Blakemore (713-526-3399), there will be a reception from 5-6:30 
p.m. at the home of Judy and Jack Holmes in River Oaks, followed by a dinner 
at 7 for approximately 20 people at a location to be determined. Governor 
Perry will be attending the reception, but not the dinner. All proceeds from 
the fundraiser will go to the Pataki campaign. Tickets to the dinner are 
$5,000.00 per person.

When I spoke with Blakemore last week, she indicated that the event was being 
chaired by Bill Wise from El Paso, but she was willing to figure out a way to 
get Ken or Jeff equal billing. She indicated that they do not yet have a 
location for the dinner and suggested that it might be hosted in Ken or 
Jeff's home. She also suggested that if we were willing to commit to $25,000, 
we should be given co-chair status and would check with Pataki's office to 
confirm that. I spoke with Blakemore today (5/11) and she confirmed that we 
would definitely be given co-chair status for a $25k contribution. (She noted 
that there may in fact be one or two others as well.) 

I recommend that we co-host the event. As Rick correctly noted, we don't have 
much of a relationship with Pataki, and this would give us a chance to begin 
to establish closer ties with him. As you may be aware, NY law limits 
corporate donations to NY candidates in any one year to $5,000.00 in the 
aggregate. However, every individual corporation is allowed to make a 
separate $5,000.00 contribution. 

For the time being, I asked Blakemore to use me as her contact person. But it 
makes sense to get her hooked up with someone in Houston. Let me know how you 
want to proceed.