Casino gambling is getting all the attention in Frankfort right now, but we have much bigger fish to fry.
Kentucky's unemployment benefits deficit of over $207 million is getting bigger every week. This isn't a smoke-and-mirrors "shortfall" game. This money will have to be paid back to the federal government in the next state budget.
Continuing to throw up across-the-board spending cuts as Gov. Steve Beshear does won't solve the persistent problems in jobless benefits, Medicaid, or public employee benefits.
Eliminating programs that don't work and improving spending accountability provide opportunities we can't continue to ignore. We should begin with stopping corporate welfare, repealing prevailing wage, ending certificate of need, and move quickly toward justifying every dollar of K-12 education spending. We are also still waiting for Gov. Steve Beshear's promised spending efficiency study, transparency web site, and a serious approach to the $30 billion public employee benefits underfunding.
Governor?
