Wednesday, December 13, 2006

HillaryCare For The Dogs

Sen. Denise Harper Angel (D-Louisville) has filed a bill that would require veterinarians to treat "assistance dogs" without regard to the ability of the dog's "handler" to pay for the service.

I find it interesting that a state senator who needs a euphemism to describe someone who "owns" a dog isn't too delicate to jail a veterinarian for up to 30 days and fine him up to $1000 for having the audacity to think he owns his professional services and and his time.

Disgusting

The Lexington City Council voted quietly last night to pay off the $750,000 loan condemnation supporters guaranteed as a show of "community support" for taking over Kentucky American Water Company.

What These People Need Is A Minimum Wage Hike

Funny "Hump Day" video.

While We're Talking State Tax Reform...

Look at what they are talking about in Missouri.

"Identity Theft" Nabs Illegal Aliens

That wasn't so hard, was it?

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

DC Democrat: Screw The Uneducated Poor

The public schools in our nation's capital are the very worst in the country, and the District's Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton likes it that way.

When Congress voted to raise the income limits on the District's experimental school voucher program to prevent 300 innocent children from being booted out the program and sent back to failing schools, Norton objected. She said allowing families who are clearly pulling themselves out of their low income difficulty to stay in the program "destroys the low-income rationale for the program."

The District of Columbia already has the highest paid teachers in the nation. The student's paradise they have created is a sight to behold.

Meanwhile, here in Kentucky we have a Republican candidate for governor who keeps taking credit in his ads and press releases for KERA. What's up with that?

Dem Gov 2007: It's Worley?

Kentucky's Senate Minority Leader Ed Worley (D-Richmond) is telling people in his district that he is going to leapfrog over Bruce Lunsford and run for Governor himself as a pro-casino candidate.

State Can't Afford Tax, Borrow, And Spend

The Bluegrass Institute's legislative update pulls no punches.

Pence Ponders Pardon Power

This is a good move.

Now if we could only get LG Steve Pence to rethink his support for casino gambling as revenue enhancement, we would really be getting someplace.

Monday, December 11, 2006

A Different Kind of Blue Versus Red

The major figures in next year's GOP primary for Attorney General may wind up being Lexington's Stan Lee and Louisville's Steve Pence.

I Thought Liberals Liked Higher Taxes

Mark Nickolas of Bluegrass Report is pretty upset that GOP Rep. David Floyd has filed a "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" bill to allow people to contribute more in taxes if they really want to.

A Rural Ticket For GOP Governor?

State Rep. Lonnie Napier could be back in the news soon after discussing with Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer the possibility of forming a ticket and making a run in May.

HealthCare Reform Gets Almost No Respect

In its final flurry of activity for the year, Congress passed a bill to allow unlimited contributions to Health Savings Accounts.

This will do more immediately for the stock market than it will for reforming healthcare in America, though that may not be all bad. If you have some money you want to tuck away in a tax-advantaged account, the HSA is going to be a new way to do it.

Creating new and better ways for people to invest more in equities is good for America. The Ownership Society is one that is less likely to fall for socialist utopian schemes like government-run healthcare. As more and more Americans come to own stocks, the mostly-Democrat plan to kill America's healthcare system might get harder to sell.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Hey, It's A Culture Of Corruption!

Unbelievable. Down in New Orleans, they just re-elected Rep. William "Bribe Money In My Freezer" Jefferson to another term in Congress.

These guys are really going to try to make this fun.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Might Ben Chandler Reconsider Gov Race?

Now that new House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is chatting up the idea of putting the House of Representatives back on a five day work week, I have to wonder if Rep. Ben Chandler might take another look at the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort.

When Ben went to Washington, he spoke openly of his appreciation for the three day work week that allowed him to be home in Versailles four or five nights a week. That left him sleeping in his D.C. office only two or three nights a week. That will be ending in January. Ben will be on the couch nearly full-time.

Frankly, I think one the best things Tom DeLay did as Majority Leader was cut back on the number of days the House was in session. Unwinding this reform just gives them more time to make more laws we could do without.

Don't Just End The War, WIN It

The incoming House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), said today "If the president is serious about the need for change in Iraq, he will find Democrats ready to work with him in a bipartisan fashion to find a way to end the war as quickly as possible."

I don't think it is just semantics to demand that our representatives stop talking about ending the war and start talking about winning it.

Meanwhile, the Ayn Rand Institute, provides this interesting essay which at least puts the focus where it belongs -- on defeating Islamic totalitarianism militarily.

Of course, ARI is wrong to suggest we should have left Iraq alone and bomb Iran instead. Hindsight and the Iraq Study Group provide political cover for the president's critics, but little else at this point.

Why People Don't Take Global Warming Seriously

Read about a Canadian wacko who crucified Santa in front of his own house to send a message about how materialistic people are destroying the world.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Harper To Attack Fletcher's Right Flank

GOP gubernatorial hopeful Billy Harper's campaign manager is preparing "to raise attention to issues" which Harper disagrees with Governor Ernie Fletcher on, such as spending too much money on public projects and raising taxes on Kentucky businesses.

Harper's campaign manager Stan Pulliam also said today Harper is in favor of school choice legislation.

It's Cold Outside

Yes, climate change is real.

But it has to be tough for even the most faithful adherent to the notion of mass death by greenhouse gas to get very excited when the morning temperature is nine degrees. One degree over the next century (maybe) with a cause we can do something about (maybe) just doesn't justify the hysteria.

If the moderate position on climate change is that we should cut down on pollution, then I'm a moderate on climate change. Buy long-lasting, low mercury, fluorescent bulbs for the energy savings. That's an easy thing we can all do that will help. Follow some of these tips as well.

Tax And Spend

For some insight into how Congressional Democrats are going to push tax increases, read this.

Borrow and Spend is not much better, but at least no one is trying to push it as a good for you.