Let's Make 2008 The Year Of The Open Budget

Kentucky's legislative leadership now writes our state's budgets every two years behind locked doors, covered windows, and armed guards.

Whether you want the budget trimmed of fat or loaded with more, you can't be happy with the thuggish tactics we see played out in the spring of each even year.

The only reason the budget isn't worked out in public is because no one has called them on it.

This should also be an issue in this fall's elections.

The Wrong State Of Emergency

Kentucky is still suing Marathon Oil over violation of a "price gouging" law that doesn't exist anymore.

Publicity hound Attorney General Greg Stumbo started the lawsuit, which charges Marathon Oil made "too much" money from Kentucky consumers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The state of emergency which triggered the old law, though, was called by Governor Fletcher.

The new price gouging law doesn't allow a never-ending state of emergency. Currently, we are still under the one from 2005.

Our government wasn't set up to allow politicians to attack private businesses without making a very strong case. While all these guys are trying to get our votes, they should explain in detail why we should be suing under flimsy pretenses using a 2004 law we did well to repeal earlier this year.

There are two key issues here: one, if politicians can go after one industry in such a clumsy, overbearing manner, they can go after another and yours might be next. And two, despite the current fever for alternative fuel sources, we are easily decades -- if not centuries -- away from replacing oil. It is premature and unwise to be picking meat from the carcass of fossil fuels just yet.

Governor Fletcher and Attorney General candidate Stan Lee would do well to at least denounce Stumbo's crass action against Marathon.

Cutting The Size Of Government Isn't Easy

America's Governor Mark Sanford is struggling against his own party to change the political structure and culture in South Carolina.

Keep up the good fight, Mark.

Fat And Happy On Your Dime

Rep. Harry Moberly (D-Richmond) has gotten himself in position to be appointed president of Eastern Kentucky University and, of course, to rape our public pension system while he is at it.

The fine print on House Bill 299 from 2005 allows legislators to take state jobs for three years and draw a full pension for life.

I'm Pro-Choice On Education

As our children return to government monopoly school, it might be a good idea to read up on the spreading success of school choice in America.

It looks like Newt Gingrich is on the front lines in Detroit, but the same could be going on here.

Put Up Or, Well, You Know

Global warming alarmists must be excited Kentucky temperatures at an all-time high since 2005.

They can also make some money off your mantras with a contest that pays $100,000 to anyone who can prove man-made global warming.

Governor Fletcher Goes Left On Healthcare

I understand that Steve Beshear is a weak opponent who is talking himself out of the race with his slavish devotion to out-of-state casino owners. And I understand Governor Fletcher needs to expand his base to put Beshear away. But this latest promise from the Fletcher campaign is very disappointing:

The Governor will focus on expanding access to care for thousands of Kentuckians and will help every child in Kentucky to have health care coverage.

Unfortunately, every time government tries to equalize outcomes it winds up raising costs for all of us. I know no one in the Fletcher camp is listening, but taking care of our own kids would be much easier without the government doing so much to "help."

Beshear is still demonstrably worse on the issues, but this stuff is getting harder to swallow.

... And This Was Edited By One Of His Friends

Jack Conway seems pretty upset about his race against candidate for Attorney General Stan Lee. Pretty funny that the best he can come up with is that the Lexington Herald Leader editorial board doesn't like Rep. Lee.

Next week, Conway will report that the Courier Journal editors don't like him much either.



And after Conway's years of electoral frustration, I'd hate to see what kind of government Conway thinks the people of Kentucky "deserve."

Is Steve Beshear The Next Jennifer Granholm?

Steve Beshear is going to have a hard time getting through to November without doing a John Edwards and admitting that his agenda really means big tax increases.

And should he get elected, another interesting transformation would take place: when his gambling plan fails to gain support in the House or Senate, he will start a crying tour for higher taxes like Michigan's Jennifer Granholm is doing now.

Here's A Job For Liberal Blogger Union Thugs

Instead of standing by quietly while the left-wing Congress keeps voting to raise taxes and give the money to illegal aliens or push Americans young and old off their private health plans, soon-to-be unionized lefty bloggers should join the rest of us in fighting this:

Thank You For Gambling

Our son is packing to go to college next week. He is taking a $2500 KEES scholarship (lottery money) with him. He could go to University of Kentucky and pay $7096 in tuition, but he isn't going to do that. He is going to Georgia Tech, where tuition is only $4088.

Georgia has twice as many schools and twice as many students, while spending less than 70% more than Kentucky does on higher education.

So what is Kentucky doing with our money?

I'm grateful to the lottery ticket buyers of Kentucky for paying nearly all of my son's tuition, but sorry more Kentucky citizens don't demand better stewardship of our public education system.

Don't Just Stand There, Privatize Something!

Trusting government to continue maintaining our roads and bridges isn't a very good idea, according to a Wall Street Journal columnist.

Some objections to private ownership are simply cynical ploys by politicians looking to maintain their hold on public assets, especially since roads and bridges operated by transportation authorities are often job-patronage mills. Politicians from both parties in New Jersey railed against a recent study recommending leasing some of the state's toll roads, claiming such a deal would shortchange taxpayers. Of course, the state government is among the most bloated and costly for taxpayers in the country--and the Reason Foundation recently rated New Jersey roads worst in the nation. Yet the politicians worried that an auction, which could have raised some $20 billion for the fiscally challenged Garden State, might allow a private operator to take advantage of its citizens.

Unfortunately there are too many officials in both parties who are comfortable with the size of government and its continued expansion. What we really need is serious citizen activism to enforce a contraction of government's reach.

Chandler, Yarmuth Vote For Higher Gas Prices

U.S. House Democrats passed a ridiculous bill today to raise taxes on evil oil companies.

Guess who gets to pay those?

President Bush will veto the bill if it gets to him and this will be used against some of the people who want Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton ruling the world. Moments like this underscore the tragedy of the wasted twelve year opportunity of Republican majorities in Congress.

Reagan Warned Us About Socialized Medicine

Thanks to the Club for Growth for passing this along.

You might to scroll down a bit to see the video of Reagan, but it is worth it to see what way too many people want to do to us.

S-CHIPPING Our Way To Single Payer

The U.S. House and Senate have both passed bills expanding government-paid health insurance to people who don't come close to qualifying for Medicaid.

Watching the Democrat Congress run this garbage through can surprise no one. But the most disgusting part of this whole mess is watching Republican "leaders" get religion about free market principles now instead of before they lost their Congressional majorities.

The bills go to conference committee now so anything can happen. But putting middle class families in a position to drop their kids off their health policy and let the government take care of them is not pointing us in the right direction.

We will always spend too much on our healthcare system until we start spending fewer taxpayer dollars on benefits for people who can take care of themselves.

Will Beshear Champion Kentucky Porn Site?

California is looking at setting up a state-owned online casino.

So when will Steve Beshear up the ante and start proposing a Kentucky Porn Site? Isn't it about time we kept our own perverts' money at home, Steve?

Bad, Bad Taxes

I will be on Leland Conway's radio show (630 WLAP) at 9:30 this morning talking about some bad taxes and one possible solution to many of our problems.

Bridges And Roads Should Be It For State

Now that states spend so much time picking winners and losers in the business world and subsidizing bad personal decisions, can it be any surprise that bridges and roads -- a proper state government function -- are in such bad shape?

And even if roads and bridges are fine here, it would be great if we could avoid the debt and instant political gratification of all the excess junk.

Shutting Treasurer Office: Does State FOP Agree?

After eight years of serious waste in the Treasurer's office, the race for the office this year is about shutting it down.

After the state FOP endorsed all the Democrats they could, they took a pass on the Treasurer's race. The Democrat in that race seems like a decent fellow, he just doesn't seem to get that the office is a waste of time and money. The Republican, Melinda Wheeler, says shutting down the office is the right thing to do.

That should be enough to get her elected.

Junk Lawsuits By Any Other Name...

Thirteen states' trial lawyers associations have sought to conceal their identities by changing their names.

The Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys, for example, now calls itself the Kentucky Justice Association.

Tom Donohue, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, points out the damage an unfair legal system can do to a state like Kentucky.

"An unfair legal system sucks the life out of a state’s economy. It affects business expansion, it affects jobs and it takes money out of consumers’ pockets," Donohue said.

Kentucky recently ranked 33rd in the nation in terms of the fairness of its state legal system.

Kentucky's Democratic Party is trying to elevate two trial attorneys -- or should we call them "justice associates" -- to the two most powerful political offices in the state. Anyone who works for or with a business should be warned.