What This Race Should Really Be About

The GOP gubernatorial primary has gotten personal. What issues do you wish the candidates would address?

Ed Whitfield Is a Fair Taxer

While former U.S. House members Ernie Fletcher and Anne Northup are clashing about who has raised taxes higher, Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky's First District wants to shut down the Internal Revenue Service.

Whitfield has signed on to the Fair Tax Act. Good move, Rep. Whitfield.

Which Dem Campaign Will Have Most Impact On Policy In Kentucky?

Bruce Lunsford would give us Canadian-style healthcare. Steve Beshear would invite in casinos.

We would contend with the possibility of these policies if one of these candidates actually won election. Neither initiative, though, is very likely to gain passage through the legislature. But Jody Richards may have more of an impact by losing than most other candidates would have by winning.

Richards' poor showing in the race should result in his removal from the Speaker post in the House. Who the House Dems will serve up in his place to lead in the General Assembly will determine which bills get a hearing in that chamber. A governor might alter state policy substantially, but Richards' ouster on May 22 and again in January will create very interesting opportunities for change in state government.

Courier Journal Loves Anne Northup?

The Courier Journal asks GOP primary voters to consider the difference between the largest tax increase in Kentucky history and a smaller "modernization" tax increase and to favor the bigger one.

While I don't have much energy for defending Fletcher's "revenue-neutral" tax increase, the CJ support for KERA is pretty far over the top.

Let's start with the first sentence:

... the Kentucky Education Reform Act, which has done so much to lift achievement and aspirations in this state ...

This old talking point is contradicted by ACT scores that the state educrats can only manage to show improvement in when they falsify results by including scores from private school students.

Then there is this:

Actually she voted, like every other public-spirited and thoughtful member of the General Assembly, to fund KERA.

Flowery adjectives shouldn't distract from condemnation of a particularly bad investment Republicans knew was likely to perform poorly.

Then, for a newspaper that so enjoys calling conservative people liars, this string of whoppers can only be described as remarkable:

She voted to help poor districts overcome an illegal, unjust and destructive system of funding; to create family resource centers; to modernize the school curriculum; to give parents a real role in the administration of schools; to buy the technology needed for a modern, competitive K-through-12 education; to test our kids and hold schools accountable for any lack of progress.

It is telling that the same people who insisted KERA would make education so much better in Kentucky are now demanding billions more to make education better.

It would be nice if we could move education policy discussions beyond the sound-bite level. Some improvements do require money, but others that would save it -- such as school choice and higher standards -- get sold short. Now that both R's and D's are stuck on selling ever-increasing funding levels as their primary function in education reform, I'm not hopeful we will progress here any time soon.

I Spy With My Little Eye, A Shift In The Race

Very reliable inside sources report each of the Republican gubernatorial campaigns have polling data showing Anne Northup with a small lead and headed for a run-off with Governor Ernie Fletcher.

WROCK Blogster

Former Rep. Anne Northup turned the tables on a fairly tough crowd at the Women Republicans of Central Kentucky meeting today in Lexington, claiming she hasn't been nearly as negative as Ernie Fletcher -- who she compared to Bill Clinton -- in this campaign.

Interestingly, she also mentioned "relentless attacks on blogs" directed at her.

Robbie Rudolph and Dick Wilson spoke on behalf of their campaigns as well.

What's Next: "Drive Off In A New Otis Mobile, Those Other Clunkers Will Leave You Stranded!"

Marketing to political observers is something political bloggers struggle with every day. So this email from Rick's City Cafe in Frankfort got my attention:

Good morning---today, let's get the special out of the way first----OYSTER PO-BOY AND SIDE FOR $1.00 OFF REGULAR PRICE OF $7.99!!!! Of course you can get the "GATEWOOD BURGER" right up to him becoming governor for $4.99 with a side dish!!!

NOW, about those republican and democrat fat filled, preservative laced (I mean look at Mr. Lunsford and Ann Northrop), artificial color (take a look at some of those fake tans---what are they trying to hide---hello Steve Henry aka George Hamilton), BS filled hot dog candidates for governor!!!! Not a dimes worth of difference and like a real hot dog---they may end of killing you---- with their policies!!! AND THEN---- we have the lean, mean, healthy, low fat, no filler, organic, HAMBURGER!!!!This product is very pure and healthy for you and all Kentuckians---I now present to you GATEWOOD GALBRAITH---not a greasy fat filled hot dog, but a picture of health---He is simply the diet we need for all of Kentucky!!!

I hear customers say---if Gatewood had a chance, I would vote for him!!? The only way he has a chance is if you do vote for him!! From Republicans to Democrats to Independents to reporters to fireman to policemen to the average every day citizen on the street, there is one word I hear more than any other and that word is GATEWOOD!! So, vote your conscious mind and let's make a difference our children will be glad you made!!

I haven't had the Gatewood Burger, but I might have to sneak by and grab one. Rick's Cafe is not far from the Capitol and the food is fantastic.

Next time, Rick, buy an ad!

Is Billy Harper Worth Another Look?

The Harper campaign has been saying for months that Northup and Fletcher would eventually tear each other apart giving Billy Harper an opportunity to slip through the middle.

Now that the slugfest has started -- and given Harper's ability to write his own check to take advantage -- some people might be willing to give Billy Harper a chance.

His leadership against the Alternative Minimum Calculation and his well-known position against new taxes combined with his strong stances for school choice and Right to Work and against Certificate of Need laws could make things interesting.

Stan Lee Is On The Air

Mark Nickolas' Kiss Of Death

His first gubernatorial candidate out of the race, lefty blogger Mark Nickolas sees a momentum shift from Skippy Miller to Anne Northup.

Burning Question Two Weeks From Election Day

Will Anne Northup update her attack ad by removing the picture of Jonathan "Skippy" Miller as one of the happy Democrats expecting Ernie Fletcher to get the GOP nomination?

Indiana Democrats Kill School Choice Option; Teachers Union Wins, Students Lose

Indiana's House Democrats have shut down virtual charter schools in their state.

Survey Says School Choice Needs To Be Explained, But When It Is It Wins

Click here to see for yourself.

Will Billy Harper Be Like Fleet Street?

He started first out of the gate as a snow-white outsider with enough money to run a campaign for governor out of his own check book, but Billy Harper has since dropped way back in the field. After spending gobs of money to run commercials during the 2006 campaigns, his own bid has not seemed to catch fire.

In fact, Harper created his own political baggage by claiming credit for the Kentucky Education Reform Act. Otherwise, his positions on school choice, taxes, spending, and economic development have been the stuff of dreams for conservative Republican primary voters.

He has run a "positive" campaign, waiting for his two better-known opponents to rip each other apart. It hasn't seemed to be an effective strategy, but in a low-turnout three-way race, very strange things could happen. Could Billy Harper shock everyone as the next Jesse Ventura?

If he could re-introduce himself effectively to voters and take ownership of a fresh issue like market solutions to rising health insurance premiums, maybe, just maybe, he could slip into contention in the final stretch.

Repeal The 16th Amendment Now

In 1913, the 16th amendment to the U.S. Constitution tossed aside the Founding Fathers' respect for the privacy of an individual to earn an income without government interference. As a direct result of this mistake, we have afflicted ourselves with an incomprehensible and ludicrously inefficient federal tax code.

Sixty years later, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Constitution that didn't recognize privacy in personal economic activity somehow turned a blind eye in the name of privacy toward anyone who desired to kill another human as long as part of his or her body has not yet emerged from the womb.

Isn't it about time we started to clear up inconsistencies like this?

Give Me A Libertarian Who Hunts Down Terrorists

Congressman Ron Paul would be a great candidate for President on the strength of his economic policies, but his weakness on the throw-out-the-rulebook War on Terror is a deal-killer. Too bad his opponents for the nomination are, for the most part, stronger on defense but far weaker on the economy.

Courier Journal Says Jonathan Miller Should Quit

In the weakest gubernatorial endorsement editorial I have ever seen from a "major" newspaper, the Louisville Courier Journal encouraged Kentucky's Democrats to nominate Steve Beshear for Governor.

As attorney general and lieutenant governor, and in his work as a successful private attorney, Mr. Beshear has demonstrated the kind of toughness needed to break the partisan logjam in Frankfort and to move the state energetically in new directions.

Treasurer Jonathan Miller is expected to pull a Bruce Lunsford and quit the race on Monday. The CJ gives him a nice, swift kick toward the door:

State Treasurer Jonathan Miller offers a progressive voice, but his experience seems too thin for a jump to state government's top job. He is, unfortunately, more likely to harm Mr. Beshear's chances than to elevate his own.

Also, it is interesting to note that the CJ fails to mention that Beshear's house of cards is built on getting casino gambling past the legislature. Despite Beshear's impotent bluster about forcing the General Assembly to act (which the CJ also fails to mention), it will never happen.

The 200 word non-endorsement responses from the other candidates will be fun to read.

Jody Richards Misses Mark On Education Policy

The most basic economic theory states that lowering the price of a good increases demand for it. Education is a good and all consumers of education want to lower the price of it.

Right?

So why in the world do we continue to fall for foolish schemes like Jody Richards' College Opportunity Grants?

Establishing “College Opportunity Grants,” which would double the amount of need-based assistance given to students in the neediest 25th percentile of applicants.

Why don't we just call this "Soak The Middle Class" and quit pretending that putting our focus on expanding access to higher education by throwing more money at people based solely on their low incomes helps "education"?

I know. I am being insensitive and politically incorrect and Republican. But will someone explain to me how increasing demand -- and therefore the price -- of higher education by further subsidizing students who happen to have low incomes really benefits the state? It would be much more honest and correct to say that our goal is to create higher education opportunities for low income students by limiting them for those of mid-range means.

I fail to see how such class warfare benefits education. Seriously, Richards' "Grants" might legitimately claim to give at least a freshman year to some students of very limited means, but those same students have access to ample federal funds already.

If what we want is to improve schools, we should shift our focus to aiding more students who demonstrate a willingness to do the work necessary to complete a college degree. Let's incentivize achievement and not low incomes. It would be far better to tell kids in middle school that the only way they can live better than their parents is to work hard and we will help them get a college education. Instead, we tell them that mediocre effort and broke parents are all they need to get into college. Then we wring our hands because our students aren't prepared to do college work. Their failure succeeds only in raising prices for those who are more prepared, but less indigent. The biggest winner in this system is the politicians writing press releases about how much they care for the poor.

Pelosi Take Note: Mayor Of Mogadishu Bans Guns

War-torn Somalia is now going to try a little gun control. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi has painted herself into a corner by cutting off funding to American troops in Iraq.

How long will it be before Speaker Pelosi suggests insurgents in Iraq turn in their guns to mosques in Baghdad? And what would Ben Chandler say if she did?

GOP Candidates Missing Most Important Issue

While the Democratic candidates for governor are all over the subject of who has the best plan for socialized medicine in Kentucky, the Republican candidates have been silent about how to use market principles to really improve how we pay for health care.

I understand the fear that Kentuckians are ready to go for more government involvement in health insurance, but the stakes are so high that it is a shame to see no one trying to lead in the right direction on this.

Anyone who might be inclined to take on this most important issue might start by reading this.