Winner Of 2002 Powerball Blew It All

Wasting $113 million in four years is pretty sick, don't you think?

It is interesting that so many of Jack Whittaker's problems seemed to occur in and around casinos. And we want to set our under-educated, over-entertained population loose in gambling houses as a way to finance bigger government in Kentucky.

Annie, Get Some More Guns

Cities and towns would do well to get serious about fighting crime by promoting gun ownership.

Stan Lee Gets CJ Love

How about this?

The rumors about Rep. Lee running for Attorney General will get a little push from this write-up.

Greg Stumbo, You Have The Right To Remain Silent

Attorney General Greg Stumbo should consider himself lucky Kentucky doesn't still have a statute on the books that deems adultery a felony.

Michigan's Attorney General, another prosecutor who is a known adulterer, isn't so lucky.

Still Eating Our Social Security Seed Corn

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) says the Bush administration needs to get off the idea of Social Security solvency as the top priority of reform and focus on creating a better deal for young people. He suggests this could be an issue in 2008.

Republicans surrendered the high ground when they didn't end the practice of spending the current payroll tax surplus each year. Personal accounts need to happen and will happen eventually, but the argument has likely been too damaged for that to happen very soon.

Of course Pence is right that raising payroll taxes would be a horrible idea. The tragedy is that this even has to been stated.

Scary Truth About California's Health Plan

If you have read a little about California's proposal to provide universal coverage, you have probably been misinformed. The plan would not hit the state for much; it is mostly federal money that will finance this monster.

Can Kentucky be very far behind in trying to implement this very dangerous idea?

A Glimpse Into Our Future: New Jersey For Sale

The next time someone tells you how casinos will solve Kentucky's budget woes, tell them about this.

And of course the MSM hasn't told you anything about the massive higher education budget cuts in Blue State New Jersey, home of a dozen casinos.

Jody Richards' Proliferation Of Nonsense

I waited all week for someone else to say something dumber than House Speaker Jody Richards' whopper on Monday in defense of Certificate of Need laws.

It didn't happen.

Bear in mind that every single analysis of CON has determined that by artificially limiting supply of health care services, CON laws cause prices for medical services to go higher than they would with repeal of these laws.


From the Kentucky Tonight television program on Monday night, here is Speaker Richards' comment:

"Since so much of hospital costs are paid by Medicaid and Medicare, I think if you allowed a proliferation of this very expensive technology I think you are going to see in the long run rates go up and I think it is going to be counterproductive. I'm very much in favor of keeping the current Certificate of Need laws."

Proliferation of technology?! What on Earth is he talking about? In what alternate universe does limiting supply lower costs?

With everyone else trying to find ways to lower healthcare costs, it would seem logic might trump partisanship and we could repeal Kentucky's CON laws. Richards is expected to announce a run for Governor soon. Is this the kind of rhetoric we can expect from him between now and May?

UK: Unmarried Bennies To Cost You $633K/Year

The University of Kentucky's effort to become a Top Twenty Research University is obviously on the ropes if their best idea for moving forward is spending tax dollars for their employees to sign up "domestic partners" to their benefit plans.

What a pathetic waste.

Upcoming Harper Ad Hits Hard

Now this is a real issue worth talking about.

Some in Frankfort say repeal of the AMC tax would be a bad thing. The Bluegrass Institute says the tax is the bad thing.

"Blogging Mayor" In Illinois A Role Model

Governing Magazine's blog has the story of a small town mayor whose outreach effort is worthy of emulation here.

Mitt Romney In Kentucky

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is coming to Louisville and unlike last time, there is no disaster in Massachusetts that will prevent him from coming.

The then-Governor was scheduled to appear in the Derby City last July to meet with Republicans and talk to legislators about his healthcare plan. Unexpected state business prevented him from appearing, though an aide was on hand to make an uninspiring pitch for universal coverage.

Romney's campaign has been dogged by his evolving positions on some key issues.

Northup in 2007

So, would Anne Northup be an upgrade in the Governor's Mansion, a downgrade, or just business as usual?

Have to imagine with the former Congresswoman in the race that the field is set. Will the GOP primary be about real issues like fiscal policy and meaninful education reform or, well, not?

For now at least, I am more interested in an upgrade at Attorney General.

Democrats Declare War -- On George Bush

Still without a "plan" of their own, Congressional Dems say it is time to expect more from Iraqis. That's just what President Bush said.

There is no reason to believe the anti-war fist-shaking contains any substance now.

I don't believe they will really do anything on this.

Indiana Gambling Expansion On Steroids

Gambling-for-tax-revenue enthusiasts want to put slot machines in 3500 new locations in the Hoosier State.

What's interesting is that even the Louisville Courier Journal sees this gambling revenue deal doesn't work as well as promised.

The last sentence in the editorial -- "There would be more losers than winners." -- is obviously true, but also misses the point. The point is there is far more losing than winning. Taxpayers wind up getting hosed in these set-ups. And the proliferation of illegal gambling is a pretty poor excuse for capitulation to gambling interests. Illegal gambling hits government once when problem gamblers and their families wind up on the dole. Legal gambling hits government twice -- once when families get wiped out and once more when new gambling revenue gets spent on politician-enhancing projects instead of on cleaning up its own mess.

Sex Groups Combine To Protest Stan Lee

My favorite part is the Q&A. Hilarious!

Mark Nickolas' Head Will Explode...

...when he reads this.

Do The Minimum Wage Dance

If your slavish devotion to liberal ideology requires you to support the minimum wage, you really don't want to read this.

Funny Thing Happened To Dem Peace Rally

Congressional Democrats talk tough about how the courageous thing to do is to surrender Iraq to the terrorists, but they can't/won't pull the trigger.

On Priorities And Polar Bears

Kentucky may not have a Bridge to Nowhere, but we do have a proposed polar bear exhibit at the Louisville Zoo that will not die until it gets $6 million in tax dollars.

Seems like there are a lot of things we could do with that money that would benefit the state more than creating a fake arctic monument to the public welfare.

In fact, the Louisville Zoo would probably benefit immensely from an effort to wean it off tax dollars permanently.