Energy plan supporters who claimed the scheme at the heart of this weeks special session wasn't a government giveaway now need only look at the appropriation on page 106 of the bill in the amount of $5,319,500 from the General Fund.
That is for the first year interest payment on the $100 million bonding appropriated on page 105 of the bill for the purpose of giving companies cash in advance of the start of their projects.
What is that if not corporate welfare? In the mountains of eastern Kentucky, they call welfare "crazy checks." Maybe we need to start referring to HB 1 as the Coal Company Crazy Check Act of 2007.
It wouldn't be quite so bad if we weren't borrowing the money before we give it away. But there is no justification for a fiscal conservative vote in favor of this mess. And since the powers-that-be have put out the word that only one technical correction to the bill will be allowed -- but no amendments -- the responsible thing to do is to vote against the bill.
