Good Politics And Good Public Policy

Robbie Rudolph was smart to mention domestic partner benefits as an issue for the inevitable special session last night on KET. Smart politically because of how it got everyone's attention and smart as a pre-emptive policy measure that will benefit the state.

Tax dollars for public school domestic partners would be a minor cut with little bloodflow, though it would surely open up more such wounds if allowed to go untreated. And the unkindest cut to the body politic is the Democratic candidates who insist straight-faced that no tax dollars would pay the benefits. Even the universities' reports that advocate for the extension of benefits admit this is not true.

It is convenient politically that domestic partner benefits through state entities violates the Constitution. This is really about moving forward on government control of healthcare, which is neither cheaper nor more efficient as its advocates -- still with straight faces -- claim. But talking people out of voting themselves largesse from the public treasury is getting harder to do. We don't really want to have the full battle on this now, but this skirmish remains very winnable.

I'm going to the UK Board of Trustees meeting today, where they are set to vote on proceeding with this battle. It's good politics for fiscal and social conservatives to rally together on if they vote for the benefits and good public policy if they vote against.

They will, of course, vote for the benefits.

Greg Stumbo AWOL On Boyfriend Benefits

LG candidate Greg Stumbo must be on strike from his day job as Kentucky's Attorney General.

It has been almost three weeks since Attorney General candidate Stan Lee formally asked Stumbo for an AG's opinion on the constitutionality of state universities providing domestic partner benefits.

What is Stumbo waiting for? Dem AG candidate Jack Conway doesn't want to answer that question either. Don't these guys have any courage in their convictions at all?

Do UK Greeks Want Your Tax Dollars To Pay For Advancing Their Political Activism?

The graduate advisor at the University of Kentucky chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity wants nearly one million state tax dollars a year to pay for health benefits for university employees' domestic partners.

Here is part of an email Russ Williams sent to someone urging him to use his vote as a member of UK's Board of Trustees to stop the unconstitutional push for boyfriend bennies in tomorrow's meeting:

Thanks for your note but it is in the best interest of the University of Kentucky to provide benefits to all its employees. This is an issue of fundamental fairness and competition as a business.



Russ Williams, MSW
Senior Training Specialist
HR Training and Development
123 Scovell Hall
Lexington, KY 40506-0064
Office: (859) 257-9432
Cell: (859) 351-1366

Social Security Report Due Out Today

Another year has passed and we are only getting closer to bankrupting ourselves through inaction on Social Security and other entitlements. Meanwhile, our state problem with public health benefits is worse because we can't inflate our way out of the mess, even if we wanted to.

How the heck do we get the masses worked up enough to demand action on this stuff?

Well, we really can't. At least not yet. As long as most people believe they don't pay income taxes, they will have no fear of raising them. That's why socialized medicine polls so well. If you don't think you will be paying for something, why would you fight it?

And that is why I don't think financial literacy programs in the schools will work. Too many interest groups have too much riding on keeping the people poor and stupid.

The New National Divide: Education Freedom

The state of Georgia passed special needs scholarships on Friday, something Kentucky failed to do earlier this year when House Dems killed this good bill.

This is an important first step toward school choice and the discussion will be back in this state. Education bureaucrats hold on their power (at the expense of students and parents) can't continue in the face of declining results.

I would prefer this not be another partisan fight. Positive results would be better. But education reform opponents depend heavily on teachers union support in their elections.

Fletcher Versus Patton: At Least These Good Old Boy Checks Are Clearing The Bank

It's funny to hear from some of the people ripping Governor Fletcher for passing around big checks for projects around the state. While I wish we were cutting back on the spending while we have increased our bonded indebtedness and are facing billions in pension shortfall, there is one detail conveniently forgotten.

The first "scandal" of the Fletcher administration came after Paul Patton passed out the same oversized checks at the end of his second term. The new administration had to cancel the projects Patton promised because there was no money for them and, predictably, caught hell for doing so.

Kentucky Should Look At Doing This

When you need money -- and we do -- you sell stuff.

Time For Lee Todd To Go

The University of Kentucky should fire Lee Todd.

University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. will recommend that UK's Board of Trustees approve an employee benefits package that includes domestic partner benefits for unmarried same-sex and opposite-sex couples.

Todd will give his endorsement when the full board meets Tuesday.

The committee on domestic-partner benefits projected the additional health coverage to cost $633,000 annually.

Is This All They Have Left?

If this is the best hit piece the Courier-Journal can muster against Governor Fletcher, we can only assume they are close to conceding that the field is too weak to beat Ernie.

This week, Gov. Fletcher left open the possibility of tackling only half the pension problem in a special session, which would be worse than tackling none of it at all.

Fixing the financial problem without dealing with the systemic issues that caused it would be a terrible mistake.

After all, if the benefits for future employees aren't changed, then pension costs will eventually take up so much revenue that there won't be money for education, health care and other obligations.

As the Governor said, fixing this will require hard work. It's time he did some.

As uninspiring as this race for the Governor's Mansion has been for fiscal hawks, it has been far more demoralizing for the wage-fixing, homosexual agenda, socialized-medicine folks who lack a champion with enough energy to draw a crowd.

In another month, The Courier Journal and friends will turn their attention from the Governor's race and toward trying to get Louisville liberal Jack Conway elected Attorney General.

Skippy For Chairman?

Sources report Congressman Ben Chandler and Auditor Crit Luallen are pressuring Jonathan Miller to drop his bid for the Dem nomination for governor. The payoff for Miller would be the chairmanship of the Democratic Party of Kentucky.

Their hope is to get Miller's supporters to go for Steve Beshear.

Federal Entitlement Fans' Wrong-Way Bet 2005

In the two years since opponents killed Social Security reform, The Dow Jones Industrial Average has gone up approximately 30%.

Thanks guys.

NKY Poverty Activists Trying To Kill Off Labor Market For Homeless Day Laborers

A lawsuit to "help" homeless people won't result in higher pay for them. They will lose their jobs while the activists rail against the evils of Corporate America.

What Kind Of Sick Puppy Watches The KET Democratic Secretary Of State Debate?

Let's just say Trey Grayson will definitely look like he is ready for higher office after dispatching one of these three very forgettable candidates.

Bruce Lunsford's Fifteen Minute Video

This will drive the other Dem campaigns crazy.

There was one noteworthy quote among the fluff. Lunsford said near the end of the video "He (Ernie Fletcher) promised me he would clean up the mess in Frankfort, he promised me that he would provide health insurance for all the Kentuckians and he promised me he would be bi-partisan."

Lunsford is an avid -- and apparently delusional -- proponent of socialized medicine in Kentucky.

Is Fred Thompson Reaganesque?

Cal Thomas says yes.

Proud

Our oldest son, Tommy, is headed to Georgia Tech this fall to study Nuclear Engineering. He gets his brains from his mother. Thanks to Jeff McDanald at the Jessamine Journal for picking up the story.

And thanks to the taxpayers and voters in Georgia for setting up the nation's largest state-run merit-based scholarship program. As a Kentucky resident, Tommy didn't qualify for a HOPE scholarship, but with this good public policy and the Academic Common Market, higher education is surprisingly inexpensive in that state.

Maybe Jonathan Miller Should Plagiarize Some, Too

The MSM has tracked down the sources of Bruce Lunsford's and Steve Beshear's fresh new ideas.

A quick look at Jonathan Miller's website suggests he could use a plagiarist or two on his staff as well:

Education of Kentucky's children is not simply the responsibility of government it is a moral obligation and a question of justice. Every child, regardless of circumstance, should be afforded an education that enriches and empowers. Moreover, it makes sound economic sense for our state. For too long Kentucky has lingered near the bottom nationwide in educational success. By investing in our children early and giving them the tools they need to be successful lifelong learners we ensure the future health of the Commonwealth and the wellbeing of its communities and families.

Is that how they taught you to write at Harvard, Jonathan? Not only does the above paragraph take several sentences to say nothing, it is plagued by poor punctuation and hackneyed verbiage. You have all that liberal Washington D.C. money. Hire a plagiarist.

Louisville Mayor's Handwriting On The Wall

Jerry Abramson won't pick a favorite from the B-list.

Rep. Ron Lewis Says Repeal Tax Code By 2010

HR 510 would repeal nearly all of the federal Tax Code. Rep. Ron Lewis is the only Kentucky co-sponsor. The rest of the state's delegation should be made to explain why they prefer to keep the American people trapped under the current tax scheme when we could do better.

Repeal is the proper first step. We need to repeal payroll taxes as well, but scrapping the Code and giving Congress until December 31, 2010 to replace it would be a great way to start working on a solution to a problem we all agree we have.

In fact, the key to financial literacy isn't a school program or a public-private partnership preaching to kids. The key to financial literacy is getting rid of payroll deductions for federal and state taxes. Make citizens write those checks themselves and see how fast they start paying attention to personal financial and public fiscal matters.

Mitch McConnell Smacks Down Tax Increases

As the majority in Congress inches closer to repealing the Bush tax cuts, Sen. McConnell calls them out.