Labor Day is a good time to give thanks for the freedoms we Americans enjoy because of the continued growth of our economy for future generations. Recognizing that entrepreneurship brings unparalleled vigor to our way of life, forward-looking American public policy generally encourages individuals to strike out boldly on their own in pursuit of the American Dream.
Sadly, Democrats can only manage to nip at the heels of the great American economic engine with pitiful, counterproductive minimum wage tax increase proposals. On Friday, Senator Ernesto Scorsone (D-Lexington) gave us another one.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Massachusetts Train Wreck 7/1/07
The Boston Globe reports on progress for socialized medicine in Massachusetts. It will be in place by July 1 of next year. The best part will be all the people appealing their premiums on an individual basis, sitting in hearings explaining why $18 a month is too much to pay for health insurance with necessities like cable tv, cell phones, junk food, booze, tattoos, tricked out cars, bling, etc. Should be a hoot seeing all the whining this one is going to cause.
I can't imagine Governor Mitt Romney's bid for the GOP Presidential nomination surviving this mess.
I can't imagine Governor Mitt Romney's bid for the GOP Presidential nomination surviving this mess.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
"Invincible" Americans
My wife and I went to see the Disney movie "Invincible" last night.
Don't go see it unless you actually like inspiring, moving experiences that make you laugh, think, cry -- I got some popcorn in my eye, but you might be moved to tears -- and that leave you wondering how you would stand up under truly difficult economic challenges.
The true story is based on the life of Vince Papale, a 30 year-old Philadelphian struggling to make ends meet in 1976. He lost his job, his wife, and his sense of hope in rapid fire succession before an open tryout with the NFL's Eagles led to a three year pro football career. Part of the story was the pervasive hopelessness spawned by limited economic opportunities for Vince and his friends in their south Philadelphia neighborhood.
That subtext of the movie had me wondering how we would survive under truly difficult circumstances in this country. Some would have us believe we are now about to slip into a Depression to make the 1930's look good, but the truth is we are so wealthy in America that a real downturn would be a horrific shock to most of us.
How would we survive it? I can't help wondering how long we would bicker, fight, and blame before we pulled together and made do to the best of our abilities.
As the fifth anniversary of 9/11 draws near, it is hard to not feel a little nostalgia for the brief time when Americans were on the same page, as well as what it would take to get us back there.
Go see the movie. I think anyone would enjoy it, but it just might leave you pondering the invincibility of Americans.
Don't go see it unless you actually like inspiring, moving experiences that make you laugh, think, cry -- I got some popcorn in my eye, but you might be moved to tears -- and that leave you wondering how you would stand up under truly difficult economic challenges.
The true story is based on the life of Vince Papale, a 30 year-old Philadelphian struggling to make ends meet in 1976. He lost his job, his wife, and his sense of hope in rapid fire succession before an open tryout with the NFL's Eagles led to a three year pro football career. Part of the story was the pervasive hopelessness spawned by limited economic opportunities for Vince and his friends in their south Philadelphia neighborhood.
That subtext of the movie had me wondering how we would survive under truly difficult circumstances in this country. Some would have us believe we are now about to slip into a Depression to make the 1930's look good, but the truth is we are so wealthy in America that a real downturn would be a horrific shock to most of us.
How would we survive it? I can't help wondering how long we would bicker, fight, and blame before we pulled together and made do to the best of our abilities.
As the fifth anniversary of 9/11 draws near, it is hard to not feel a little nostalgia for the brief time when Americans were on the same page, as well as what it would take to get us back there.
Go see the movie. I think anyone would enjoy it, but it just might leave you pondering the invincibility of Americans.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Northern KY Scandal Brewing
Sources in Frankfort report a juicy lawsuit is about to explode all over Democrat House candidate Randy Blankenship.
Apparently he has a little problem with other people's right to privacy. This one will be fun to watch.
Apparently he has a little problem with other people's right to privacy. This one will be fun to watch.
Liberals Attack Suburbanites Again
I couldn't resist commenting on Mark Nickolas' blog after he congratulated Lexington for being named the 9th smartest city in America. Stunningly, the man who tried to run Ben Chandler into the Governor's Mansion suggested that Louisville got dumber when the city merged with the county.
Somehow, it is fitting that he posted it to his "Education" label since liberals in Kentucky seem to think the best way to boost education testing statistics is to cut out the special education kids and to include private school students when it is convenient to do so.
Somehow, it is fitting that he posted it to his "Education" label since liberals in Kentucky seem to think the best way to boost education testing statistics is to cut out the special education kids and to include private school students when it is convenient to do so.
Sammy Brown Tracks Down Suspect
Nicholasville murder suspect Melissa Helton would have been arrested in Kentucky yesterday, but instead had to be located in South Carolina where she was apprehended by local authorities.
Jessamine County Sheriff Captain Kevin Corman, who is the Democrat candidate for Sheriff this year, told the Lexington Herald-Leader he did not know how she came to be located there.
That's funny, because if he had only thought to ask Deputy Sheriff Sammy Brown, his Republican opponent, he would know.
Brown is the one who spent the day Thursday tracking Helton and arranging for her to be apprehended.
Jessamine County Sheriff Captain Kevin Corman, who is the Democrat candidate for Sheriff this year, told the Lexington Herald-Leader he did not know how she came to be located there.
That's funny, because if he had only thought to ask Deputy Sheriff Sammy Brown, his Republican opponent, he would know.
Brown is the one who spent the day Thursday tracking Helton and arranging for her to be apprehended.
Hacker Denies Helping Worley
Mark Hebert of Channel 11 News in Louisville reports on his website that Ralph Hacker, a member of the Kentucky GOP Executive Committee, hosted a fundraiser for scandal-tarred Sen. Ed Worley (D-Richmond).
Hacker denies helping Worley raise money. He said he agreed to write a check when asked, but did not do so.
Hacker denies helping Worley raise money. He said he agreed to write a check when asked, but did not do so.
President Photoshop?
Hillary Clinton is moving closer to announcing her bid for President of the United States.
We know Photoshop can clean up Katie Couric and even Rosie O'Donnell, but can it do anything about Hillary's extreme views on healthcare, social issues, government spending and her flabby national defense flip-floppery?
We know Photoshop can clean up Katie Couric and even Rosie O'Donnell, but can it do anything about Hillary's extreme views on healthcare, social issues, government spending and her flabby national defense flip-floppery?
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Name That Fraud Contest
We have just about reached the point where Ed Worley's fraud-for-land scandal deserves a name.
Any ideas?
Since Sen. Worley was caught on tape trying to wiggle out of a world of woe in the multi-million dollar racketeering lawsuit he faces, I thought some kind of alliteration would be catchy, but I am struggling to come up with a good one.
A special prize to the reader who comes up with the best name.
Any ideas?
Since Sen. Worley was caught on tape trying to wiggle out of a world of woe in the multi-million dollar racketeering lawsuit he faces, I thought some kind of alliteration would be catchy, but I am struggling to come up with a good one.
A special prize to the reader who comes up with the best name.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Worley Scandal Makes Front Page
The Richmond Register picked up on Sen. Ed Worley's (D-Richmond) fraud trial today with a front page story.
Unfortunately, the Register story swings a wide berth around the most interesting facts made public so far about the case.
For example, we know Ed isn't happy part of his scheme got caught on audio tape. Sen. Worley's effort to get the tape thrown out of court is humorous as he seems not to know that telephone calls in Kentucky can be recorded by one party to the call without the knowledge of the other.
A closer look at his complaint shows even more. Worley says in an August 23 court motion that the tape of his conversation was "improperly concealed" and should have been presented as part of the discovery process. The victim in the case, Earl Estes, responded in an electronic filing today as follows:
"The defendents (Worley and partner A.D. Grant), having
defrauded the Plaintiff, having been caught in the fraud on
tape, and then having testified falsely under oath about the whole
thing, now cry foul and claim that Plaintiff's failure to turn over the
tapes or the transcripts before they perjured themselves in their
depositions isn't fair."
The taped conversations with Worley and Grant are pretty funny, knowing what we know now, but prior to the depositions in which they both contradicted their taped statements, the victim could not have known the tapes represented valuable evidence to confirm what he previously only suspected.
Again, from today's filing by the attorney for the victim:
"Up until Worley and Grant gave their depositions it was not at all clear that the statements would become impeachable evidence, since until then there was no way of knowing what their story would be."
Unfortunately, the Register story swings a wide berth around the most interesting facts made public so far about the case.
For example, we know Ed isn't happy part of his scheme got caught on audio tape. Sen. Worley's effort to get the tape thrown out of court is humorous as he seems not to know that telephone calls in Kentucky can be recorded by one party to the call without the knowledge of the other.
A closer look at his complaint shows even more. Worley says in an August 23 court motion that the tape of his conversation was "improperly concealed" and should have been presented as part of the discovery process. The victim in the case, Earl Estes, responded in an electronic filing today as follows:
"The defendents (Worley and partner A.D. Grant), having
defrauded the Plaintiff, having been caught in the fraud on
tape, and then having testified falsely under oath about the whole
thing, now cry foul and claim that Plaintiff's failure to turn over the
tapes or the transcripts before they perjured themselves in their
depositions isn't fair."
The taped conversations with Worley and Grant are pretty funny, knowing what we know now, but prior to the depositions in which they both contradicted their taped statements, the victim could not have known the tapes represented valuable evidence to confirm what he previously only suspected.
Again, from today's filing by the attorney for the victim:
"Up until Worley and Grant gave their depositions it was not at all clear that the statements would become impeachable evidence, since until then there was no way of knowing what their story would be."
More 2007 Buzz
Linda Greenwell got 49% of the vote for Auditor of Public Accounts in 2003, narrowly losing to Paul Patton's cabinet secretary Crit Luallen.
She is running again.
"I'm definitely running," Greenwell said. "I plan to file the day after the election in November."
Other speculation has Richie Farmer weighing a run for Governor.
She is running again.
"I'm definitely running," Greenwell said. "I plan to file the day after the election in November."
Other speculation has Richie Farmer weighing a run for Governor.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Free Speech and Fair Tax
The Johnson amendment allows the federal government to use the U.S. Tax Code to abuse the free speech rights of non-profit organizations.
The Fair Tax would help. Here is how.
The Fair Tax would help. Here is how.
GOP Losing On Gas Prices?
How can the Republicans possibly be losing support because of gas prices when the closest the Democrats have gotten to an actual idea on the subject has been to raise gas taxes by fifty cents a gallon?
And that was four years ago.
And that was four years ago.
Monday, August 28, 2006
The Dropout Problem In Kentucky
The best problems for big government to have are those that have no solution but do possess a very active constituency. So much the better if that active constituency persistently campaigns for increasing sums of money to "solve" the problem.
The high school dropout rate is a great problem for big government fans in Kentucky. Any education bureaucrat worth his salt can preach convincingly on the need to reduce the dropout rate. The income statistics and crime statistics tied to education attainment -- or lack of it -- really are compelling.
A former effort to reduce the dropout rate had us forcing kids to stay in school or lose their drivers licenses. This law served an educational function as hundreds of affected teenagers learned how to exploit the hardship loophole when caught driving on a license suspended due to dropping out of school. (Hey, it was more fun than civics class!)
We keep trying program after program to reduce the dropout rate, all to no avail. Yet the next program is just a brainstorm away. Open your checkbooks. Here it comes!
I have an alternative approach. Let's see how high we can push the drop-out rate. Class sizes are always a problem so let's see how we can encourage those who don't want to be in school to clear out so willing students can get what they need.
If the state offered to pay sixteen year old public school students $500 to drop out of school, we would see those who valued education that little head for the exits.
Good riddance, good luck with the job search, and -- most important -- good for the willing students who remain in school. And good for the state as well. Five hundred dollars and a pat on the back is much less money than it would cost to house an uninterested student for another couple of years and no real public benefit.
Okay, the diploma counts for something. So let's give $1000 to the same would-be dropout if he can pass the GED exams. A little incentive is a good thing.
This would be a positive for everyone involved. Kids who don't value education will get more than they eat up otherwise to hit the street. Some of those same low achievers will decide to hit the books before hitting the door in order to get the extra GED money. In the process, they will pick up a diploma. The most important lesson will be for those who stay in school, seeking higher education rather than going for the quick -- and small -- bucks.
The high school dropout rate is a great problem for big government fans in Kentucky. Any education bureaucrat worth his salt can preach convincingly on the need to reduce the dropout rate. The income statistics and crime statistics tied to education attainment -- or lack of it -- really are compelling.
A former effort to reduce the dropout rate had us forcing kids to stay in school or lose their drivers licenses. This law served an educational function as hundreds of affected teenagers learned how to exploit the hardship loophole when caught driving on a license suspended due to dropping out of school. (Hey, it was more fun than civics class!)
We keep trying program after program to reduce the dropout rate, all to no avail. Yet the next program is just a brainstorm away. Open your checkbooks. Here it comes!
I have an alternative approach. Let's see how high we can push the drop-out rate. Class sizes are always a problem so let's see how we can encourage those who don't want to be in school to clear out so willing students can get what they need.
If the state offered to pay sixteen year old public school students $500 to drop out of school, we would see those who valued education that little head for the exits.
Good riddance, good luck with the job search, and -- most important -- good for the willing students who remain in school. And good for the state as well. Five hundred dollars and a pat on the back is much less money than it would cost to house an uninterested student for another couple of years and no real public benefit.
Okay, the diploma counts for something. So let's give $1000 to the same would-be dropout if he can pass the GED exams. A little incentive is a good thing.
This would be a positive for everyone involved. Kids who don't value education will get more than they eat up otherwise to hit the street. Some of those same low achievers will decide to hit the books before hitting the door in order to get the extra GED money. In the process, they will pick up a diploma. The most important lesson will be for those who stay in school, seeking higher education rather than going for the quick -- and small -- bucks.
Why Liberals Hate WalMart
A Washington Post (!) essay comes to a devastating conclusion that Democrats have turned on WalMart because the company does more to help low-income people in its normal business practices than government entitlement programs could ever pretend to.
Now is a great time to point out pandering to anti-business interests is good for Democrat pot-stirrers but bad for the nation.
Also would be nice to see more analysis about the demonization of oil companies. That is another one out of their playbook that doesn't hold water.
Now is a great time to point out pandering to anti-business interests is good for Democrat pot-stirrers but bad for the nation.
Also would be nice to see more analysis about the demonization of oil companies. That is another one out of their playbook that doesn't hold water.
Not Big Steve Henry Fans
Wow. The Louisville Courier-Journal has a happy re-cap of Dem Gov. wannabe Steve Henry's habit of blaming his misdeeds on others for the last decade.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Lie Into The Microphone, Ed Worley
The federal racketeering lawsuit against KY Democrat Senate leader Ed Worley is getting interesting.
Apparently, Worley got caught saying something on tape that he wishes he hadn't said.
In a motion Worley filed Wednesday is U.S. District Court, he said "At no time did Earl Estes disclose to me that any conversation I ever had with him, including any conversation I had with him in November of 2005, was being recorded and I did not know the conversation was being recorded. I did not and do not consent to being secretly recorded and would not have talked to Mr. Estes if I knew that I was being recorded."
Kentucky law does not require a crime victim to notify a perpetrator he is recording a telephone call to collect incriminating evidence.
Apparently, Worley got caught saying something on tape that he wishes he hadn't said.
In a motion Worley filed Wednesday is U.S. District Court, he said "At no time did Earl Estes disclose to me that any conversation I ever had with him, including any conversation I had with him in November of 2005, was being recorded and I did not know the conversation was being recorded. I did not and do not consent to being secretly recorded and would not have talked to Mr. Estes if I knew that I was being recorded."
Kentucky law does not require a crime victim to notify a perpetrator he is recording a telephone call to collect incriminating evidence.
KY Republican Revolution 2006
I'm hearing reports all over the state of Republican candidates for local office who are winning wide support despite Ernie Fletcher's woes.
In the last few hours I have heard very encouraging central Kentucky news from County Judge candidates John Wilson in Garrard county, Danny Godbey in Lincoln county, and Randy Bowen in Powell county. All three seek to succeed Democrat incumbents. Lincoln and Powell counties are both historically Democrat counties.
I hesitate to wonder out loud how things might be turning out with a Republican governor engaged in the local races all this year.
In the last few hours I have heard very encouraging central Kentucky news from County Judge candidates John Wilson in Garrard county, Danny Godbey in Lincoln county, and Randy Bowen in Powell county. All three seek to succeed Democrat incumbents. Lincoln and Powell counties are both historically Democrat counties.
I hesitate to wonder out loud how things might be turning out with a Republican governor engaged in the local races all this year.
Friday, August 25, 2006
GOP "Insurgency" Not Dead Yet
Larry Forgy said of the Fletcher Deal: "I feel the Republican insurgency is killed by this."
I'm not sure which side is actually leading the "insurgency," but the Fletcher administration can't depend on yesterday's end of the merit hiring court case to heal what ails his bid for re-election.
It is going to take one heck of a 2007 General Assembly session to do that.
I'm not sure which side is actually leading the "insurgency," but the Fletcher administration can't depend on yesterday's end of the merit hiring court case to heal what ails his bid for re-election.
It is going to take one heck of a 2007 General Assembly session to do that.
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