We've already seen corn prices skyrocket because the government wants to promote ethanol as an alternative fuel.
So how will we feel about our home electric bills after we subsidize rapid growth in coal usage only to have a negligible effect on oil importation and gas prices?
Friday, July 06, 2007
Special Session Chess Match Might Get Interesting
Who is winning? Who is losing?
Got an opinion of what will/should happen next?
Let's hear it...
Got an opinion of what will/should happen next?
Let's hear it...
Thursday, July 05, 2007
It's All Over But The Chest Thumping
Today was ugly and tomorrow will be uglier still.
Speaker Jody Richards couldn't have looked much more amateurish directing the House today. What a mess. The constitutional issues might keep the Adjournment 2008 fight going for a while, but the big losers in this are easy to see; it's the taxpayers.
Might be fun to see the House Dems get arrested for skipping out on their duty, but it would really be great to see some real issues get more prominent play.
The domestic partner mess needs to be addressed, but I think we need to put the coal to liquid deal to bed first. Otherwise, some real healthcare reform would be inspiring.
Speaker Jody Richards couldn't have looked much more amateurish directing the House today. What a mess. The constitutional issues might keep the Adjournment 2008 fight going for a while, but the big losers in this are easy to see; it's the taxpayers.
Might be fun to see the House Dems get arrested for skipping out on their duty, but it would really be great to see some real issues get more prominent play.
The domestic partner mess needs to be addressed, but I think we need to put the coal to liquid deal to bed first. Otherwise, some real healthcare reform would be inspiring.
Financial Literacy By Liberals
A bleeding heart group in Berea is going to combat payday loan operators by competing with them.
Their ironic plan is to help poor people get out of debt by getting their employers to give them low-interest loans.
They are a little light on details so far, but a video of the financial counseling would surely be a sight to behold.
I'm thinking it will go something like this:
Their ironic plan is to help poor people get out of debt by getting their employers to give them low-interest loans.
They are a little light on details so far, but a video of the financial counseling would surely be a sight to behold.
I'm thinking it will go something like this:
Dude, we're gonna get your boss to give you the extra bread you need for the stuff you deserve and then sue the fascist when he tries to get it back from you because you deserve it, man. Serves him right for not paying you a fair wage to begin with, man.
...Jobs Americans Just Won't Do
A medical blog called "InsureBlog" points out the most recent terrorists in England were people who took advantage of England's need to import immigrant doctors into their national health service, even from hostile nations.
This provides us with yet another reason to ask ourselves if we really want all our health care professionals working for the government at civil servant wages.
And there can be no doubt this is a Kentucky issue when one major candidate for governor makes no bones about moving us in that direction.
This provides us with yet another reason to ask ourselves if we really want all our health care professionals working for the government at civil servant wages.
And there can be no doubt this is a Kentucky issue when one major candidate for governor makes no bones about moving us in that direction.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Will House Fold On First Day Of Session?
WHAS reporter Mark Hebert says this morning Speaker Jody Richards will immediately adjourn tomorrow, ending Governor Fletcher's special session.
If they do this, I think it will be a serious political loss for the Governor. He won't want to hammer the Democrats for saving us from a large give-away on an iffy project and $60,000 a day to spend millions more on projects that can wait until January. The silver lining in that cloud may be that he could then focus his campaign on more meaningful issues like school choice, health care (for people who aren't on Medicaid), and repeal of the Alternative Minimum Calculation.
If they do this, I think it will be a serious political loss for the Governor. He won't want to hammer the Democrats for saving us from a large give-away on an iffy project and $60,000 a day to spend millions more on projects that can wait until January. The silver lining in that cloud may be that he could then focus his campaign on more meaningful issues like school choice, health care (for people who aren't on Medicaid), and repeal of the Alternative Minimum Calculation.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
More News Cover-Up On Socialized Medicine
Whether you are concerned or not about Governor Beshear and LG Mongiardo hitting us with their utopian fix for healthcare, you might want to look at what you aren't being told about the government-run program in England they want us to have.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Public Pension Mess: Forgotten But Not Gone
If we are really going to have a special session starting at the end of this week, the least we can do is repeal the bad law from 2005 that allows lawmakers a huge pension bonus for going to work elsewhere in state government.
It's The Health Care Costs, Stupid
Neither gubernatorial candidate is addressing a real pocketbook issue that could be fixed with a few simple changes in the law.
Health care.
Of course, Beshear thinks casinos will fix the problem, so Fletcher has a slight edge. But neither sees what repealing Certificate of Need would do. We need more competition among providers and insurers, yet our laws serve mainly to inhibit market forces from working.
It is a shame we have accomplished nothing on this front after four years with a Republican governor. The Democratic answers, meanwhile, will only make matters worse.
Free market supporters would do well to embrace this issue before it is too late.
Health care.
Of course, Beshear thinks casinos will fix the problem, so Fletcher has a slight edge. But neither sees what repealing Certificate of Need would do. We need more competition among providers and insurers, yet our laws serve mainly to inhibit market forces from working.
It is a shame we have accomplished nothing on this front after four years with a Republican governor. The Democratic answers, meanwhile, will only make matters worse.
Free market supporters would do well to embrace this issue before it is too late.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Fear Not, Liberal Kentucky Blog Readers
Bluegrass Report is on the trash heap Monday morning, but we still have BluegrassRoots.org for the crazy left-wing stuff.
Making The Right Call
There has still been no call of the special session that is supposed to start on Thursday.
Governor Fletcher should forget about the coal processing subsidy business and call a special session to address healthcare costs.
While everyone else is increasing government control in hopes that the next brilliant idea will finally work, Kentucky should eliminate all mandates on health insurance companies and focus regulatory efforts on enforcing contracts only.
Governor Fletcher should forget about the coal processing subsidy business and call a special session to address healthcare costs.
While everyone else is increasing government control in hopes that the next brilliant idea will finally work, Kentucky should eliminate all mandates on health insurance companies and focus regulatory efforts on enforcing contracts only.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Courier-Journal Insults Normal People Again
The CJ weighs in on illegal immigration again by suggesting anyone who is opposed is racist and uninformed.
Typical.
And then they got in the talking point du jour, bringing back the Fairness Doctrine:
If the liberal papers are so desperate in their rapid decline that they are really going to hang their hopes on shutting down talk radio legislatively, they sure don't need subscriptions or advertising dollars from people who disagree with them.
The free market is doing its thing again.
Typical.
And then they got in the talking point du jour, bringing back the Fairness Doctrine:
But if right-wing radio could produce such venomous (and effective) resistance to a reform supported by George W. Bush, imagine how it would react to a similar measure offered by Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.
If the liberal papers are so desperate in their rapid decline that they are really going to hang their hopes on shutting down talk radio legislatively, they sure don't need subscriptions or advertising dollars from people who disagree with them.
The free market is doing its thing again.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Milkflation
Cows make milk. Corn feeds cows. Federal government screws up corn market with ethanol nonsense, raising the price for the milk corn-fed cows make.
Got water, anyone?
Got water, anyone?
Cracking Down On Illegals In Kentucky
Rep. Rick Nelson (D-Middlesboro) told me yesterday he is going to file a bill to penalize employers who hire illegal immigrants.
Pre-filed Bill Would Cut Pay For Special Sessions
Rep. John Will Stacy (D-West Liberty) pre-filed a bill yesterday afternoon that would cut off legislator pay for either legislative body that adjourns during a regular or special session without the consent of other chamber.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Democrats Play Catch-Up On Energy Pork Bill
Speaker Jody Richards just started off today's House A&R meeting by stating his position that we don't need a special session.
I agree with him.
Update: Dr. Jim Bartis of the Rand Institute said if we do this we should also build a carbon sequestration facility because that will be necessary to attract potential federal subsidies in the future.
This is a reason not to do it.
Bill Caylor of the Kentucky Coal Association said he was in favor of anything that involved mining more coal but that the energy pork would have no impact on gasoline prices.
I agree with him.
Update: Dr. Jim Bartis of the Rand Institute said if we do this we should also build a carbon sequestration facility because that will be necessary to attract potential federal subsidies in the future.
This is a reason not to do it.
Bill Caylor of the Kentucky Coal Association said he was in favor of anything that involved mining more coal but that the energy pork would have no impact on gasoline prices.
Unfinished Business
Am I the only one who sees a momentum shift as the effort to give away the farm to illegal immigrants wanes? By the way, if you are still stuck on the Senate cloture vote, you may find solace among the House Republicans.
After Amnesty dies again, we need to push back by cutting off entitlements for illegals. I don't have a problem with them competing for our jobs, but there should be no incentive whatsoever for them to come here and draw welfare.
Meanwhile, as a column in today's Herald-Leader correctly notes, Kentucky is held back by the Alternative Minimum Calculation.
Governor Fletcher has shifted on casinos. Now is the time for him to shift on this bad tax. The primary vote in his race split down the middle with his two opponents promoting repeal. The conservative base has only two choices on election day: vote Fletcher or stay home. Giving us this one should make sense to Team Fletcher.
After Amnesty dies again, we need to push back by cutting off entitlements for illegals. I don't have a problem with them competing for our jobs, but there should be no incentive whatsoever for them to come here and draw welfare.
Meanwhile, as a column in today's Herald-Leader correctly notes, Kentucky is held back by the Alternative Minimum Calculation.
Governor Fletcher has shifted on casinos. Now is the time for him to shift on this bad tax. The primary vote in his race split down the middle with his two opponents promoting repeal. The conservative base has only two choices on election day: vote Fletcher or stay home. Giving us this one should make sense to Team Fletcher.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Governor Fletcher Steps Up Against Casinos
Finally.
Governor Fletcher announced today through his campaign manager that he doesn't support putting casinos on the ballot in Kentucky.
Good move. A little late in the day, but a good move nonetheless.
Casinos cost states more than they benefit them and putting the issue on the ballot only allows the casinos -- and their pathetic mouthpiece surrogates like KEEP -- to pour millions of dollars in slick advertising onto the airwaves.
While it would have been satisfying to see Team Fletcher jump on this earlier, they were right to hold onto it for a while. Beshear has no place to go on casinos, except maybe to bid higher.
Can we get $600 million a year, Steve?
Governor Fletcher announced today through his campaign manager that he doesn't support putting casinos on the ballot in Kentucky.
Good move. A little late in the day, but a good move nonetheless.
Casinos cost states more than they benefit them and putting the issue on the ballot only allows the casinos -- and their pathetic mouthpiece surrogates like KEEP -- to pour millions of dollars in slick advertising onto the airwaves.
While it would have been satisfying to see Team Fletcher jump on this earlier, they were right to hold onto it for a while. Beshear has no place to go on casinos, except maybe to bid higher.
Can we get $600 million a year, Steve?
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