Everyone likes to talk about cutting government waste, but when it comes down to actually doing it too many supporters of the spending seem to come forward.
Citizens Against Government Waste, nonetheless, has 750 recommendations that would cut $280 billion in federal spending in the next year and $2 trillion over the next five years.
After the president vetoes the surrender budget, Congress will have another opportunity to ignore recommendations like this. But as our population ages, we are going to have to change the way we think about entitlement spending. As public retiree health spending bankrupts Kentucky, Medicare's red ink looms large on the federal front.
A fundamental shift in the function of government is necessary. It is one thing to rail against subsidies for studying methane production by cattle or bridges to nowhere, but until we get government out of places where it doesn't belong, such efforts will amount to nothing.
We must begin to cut back on the kind of businesses governments can get involved in. If we can manage that, we will eliminate a whole segment of government spending that generates much of the waste and corruption we see now. Only then can we get serious about cutting government spending.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Libertarian View Of 2007 Race
Take Back Kentucky blasted Anne Northup and endorsed Gatewood Galbraith.
Kentucky Dem Treasurer Idol
I'm watching the Democratic candidates for Treasurer on KET, something I won't be doing for long. It occurs to me that what this debate needs is a Simon Cowell character.
"I've never heard such a dreadful answer. Why are you even here? Simply awful."
"I've never heard such a dreadful answer. Why are you even here? Simply awful."
Replacing Skippy; Are You Surprised?
Contributions For Treasurer Candidates:
Lonnie Napier $81,505
Ken Upchurch $36,700
Melinda Wheeler $28,410
Brandon Smith $8,300
Todd Hollenbach $23,374
Mike Weaver $7,841
Patrick Dunmire $2426
Jack Wood $200
Stan Lee Destroys Primary Opponents; Race Over
The really interesting race this fall will be for Attorney General between consistent Lexington conservative Stan Lee and far-flung Louisville left-winger Jack Conway.
Lee has raised $106,476, which is more than his three primary opponents combined. Interestingly, Lee's closest competitor on the stump, Tim Coleman, shows $94,185, but $59,500 came from people with the last name Coleman. This includes $51,000 from the candidate himself.
Lee's broad base of support gained over a courageous tenure as State Representative -- not any shortcomings of the able Mr. Coleman -- has turned this race into a rout.
Jack Conway now faces the unenviable task of convincing Kentuckians outside of Louisville that he is not too liberal to serve as Attorney General. His campaign chairman Ben Chandler just voted to surrender to the terrorists in Iraq and his party's incumbent AG Greg Stumbo is standing by limply watching his bosses in the homosexual agenda lobby ram domestic partner benefits through the commonwealth's two largest universities. No comment yet from Conway on his feelings about these unconstitutional actions.
Good luck, Mr. Conway. You will surely need it with those millstones hanging around your neck.
Lee has raised $106,476, which is more than his three primary opponents combined. Interestingly, Lee's closest competitor on the stump, Tim Coleman, shows $94,185, but $59,500 came from people with the last name Coleman. This includes $51,000 from the candidate himself.
Lee's broad base of support gained over a courageous tenure as State Representative -- not any shortcomings of the able Mr. Coleman -- has turned this race into a rout.
Jack Conway now faces the unenviable task of convincing Kentuckians outside of Louisville that he is not too liberal to serve as Attorney General. His campaign chairman Ben Chandler just voted to surrender to the terrorists in Iraq and his party's incumbent AG Greg Stumbo is standing by limply watching his bosses in the homosexual agenda lobby ram domestic partner benefits through the commonwealth's two largest universities. No comment yet from Conway on his feelings about these unconstitutional actions.
Good luck, Mr. Conway. You will surely need it with those millstones hanging around your neck.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Self-Funders Of The World, Unite!
A statement from the Harper for Governor campaign attempts to pre-emptively address criticism of his fundraising numbers:
Billy Harper didn’t enter this race with his hand out. He entered the race because he’s a passionate advocate for Kentucky and believes the people of the Commonwealth share his passion.
Billy has focused most of his time and energy on traveling the state, meeting Kentuckians and listening to their point of view rather than asking people for money. The friends Billy has made in business, through his work in education reform and on the campaign trail over the past several months have begun to come to him with offers to hold fundraisers. This emerging grassroots support will put Billy over the top in this election.
The bottom line is Billy Harper won’t be beholden to any interests other than those of the Kentucky people.
Steve Beshear All In For Casino Scheme
How about a little skepticism for the idea that opening up casinos and giving the state a bunch of money will somehow just work out peachy?
Political Ramifications Of Newfound Planet
No doubt Karl Rove cooked this up.
Astronomers think they may have found another habitable planet. Now famous liberals like Alec Baldwin, Madonna, Rosie, and Al Gore won't have to threaten to move to France if their candidate loses the next election. They can actually leave the solar system.
Astronomers think they may have found another habitable planet. Now famous liberals like Alec Baldwin, Madonna, Rosie, and Al Gore won't have to threaten to move to France if their candidate loses the next election. They can actually leave the solar system.
Newspapers Hate Stan Lee's Fiscal Responsibility, Especially When It Bites Their Bacon
Certain government announcements in Kentucky are required by law to be printed up in local newspapers. Kentucky law actually mandates buying of newspaper advertising for this purpose.
Rep. Stan Lee has tried for years to allow those announcements to be published online. Putting public announcements on the internet would save taxpayer dollars, but the effort to do so has made the Kentucky Press Association mad.
I appreciate someone willing to pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel when the issue involved is saving tax dollars. If there is something in these public notices worth knowing about, online disclosure is sufficient. The opposition to Representative Lee on this is just about newspapers not wanting to lose a government contract.
As a conservative, I'm sure Rep. Lee is not bothered about giving newpapers another reason to nip at his heels. It's just funny to see one of his primary opponents trying to make hay over this and almost completely explains why newspapers are coming out of the woodwork to endorse Tim Coleman.
Rep. Stan Lee has tried for years to allow those announcements to be published online. Putting public announcements on the internet would save taxpayer dollars, but the effort to do so has made the Kentucky Press Association mad.
I appreciate someone willing to pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel when the issue involved is saving tax dollars. If there is something in these public notices worth knowing about, online disclosure is sufficient. The opposition to Representative Lee on this is just about newspapers not wanting to lose a government contract.
As a conservative, I'm sure Rep. Lee is not bothered about giving newpapers another reason to nip at his heels. It's just funny to see one of his primary opponents trying to make hay over this and almost completely explains why newspapers are coming out of the woodwork to endorse Tim Coleman.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Skippy Speaks
Change for Kentucky has released The Jonathan Miller Tapes. Hot stuff!
I'm gonna be a leader. We've seen in two recent years a governor who has allowed other political forces -- the legislature and special interests, most dominantly -- to take charge of political policy. I'm gonna lead. I'm going to come up with very detailed plans. Now of course there will need to be compromises and of course I want to lend an open ear to ideas from across the state. But when when we come up with a plan...
Another Really Bad Hillary Clinton Idea
Hillary Clinton is running hard on the idea of equal pay for women. Anyone interested in seeing women get a fair shake in the business world really needs to take a second look at this.
Let me begin by saying that my wife and my daughter are very important to me. Years ago when my mother was raising two boys on her salary alone, I was particularly glad she had professional job opportunities available to her. I want very much for my daughter to have at least the same opportunities if not much more.
Hillary's equal pay campaign, if successful, would destroy opportunities for women faster than the Taliban. Women who have struggled for so long to be taken seriously, treated respectfully, and paid well will be crushed in the marketplace if businesses are forced into a no-way-to-win gender-equity pay program.
Think of it like this: you are a manager and you have two applicants for a position. Both are well-qualified and have similar attributes except one is male is one is female. The largest risk under mandated gender-equity pay is that the female -- once employed -- might sue for rather than negotiate pay increases. It would just be too easy to hire the man and avoid the whole mess.
For the benefit of all American women, we need to fight Hillary on this one.
Let me begin by saying that my wife and my daughter are very important to me. Years ago when my mother was raising two boys on her salary alone, I was particularly glad she had professional job opportunities available to her. I want very much for my daughter to have at least the same opportunities if not much more.
Hillary's equal pay campaign, if successful, would destroy opportunities for women faster than the Taliban. Women who have struggled for so long to be taken seriously, treated respectfully, and paid well will be crushed in the marketplace if businesses are forced into a no-way-to-win gender-equity pay program.
Think of it like this: you are a manager and you have two applicants for a position. Both are well-qualified and have similar attributes except one is male is one is female. The largest risk under mandated gender-equity pay is that the female -- once employed -- might sue for rather than negotiate pay increases. It would just be too easy to hire the man and avoid the whole mess.
For the benefit of all American women, we need to fight Hillary on this one.
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.
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.
Monday, April 23, 2007
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?
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.
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.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
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