In an email to constituents this morning, Congressman Ben Chandler repeated a bogus "statistic" that 200,000 students don't go to college each year because they can't afford it.
That is complete bunk.
I will personally show anyone struggling with financing a college education how to get it done. Just email me.
And the less money you have, the easier it will be.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thanks To Bunning And McConnell
Kentucky's U.S. Senators both voted yesterday against the liberal "Middle-Class Kids Need HillaryCare Now" bill.
The bill passed by a veto-proof margin in the Senate, but as long as the House Republicans hold strong, Hillary will not get her way on this one.
The bill passed by a veto-proof margin in the Senate, but as long as the House Republicans hold strong, Hillary will not get her way on this one.
Rep. Yonts Incentivizing Crime-Free Students
Rep. Brent Yonts pre-filed a bill yesterday that is worthy of discussion. The bill offers a financial incentive for high school and college to avoid illegal use of drugs and alcohol and other various forms of illegal activity. It also provides some tax deductibility for college tuition costs.
Unfortunately, a discrepancy between the actual bill and the Legislative Research Commission's description of the bill may cause some confusion.
The bill refers to assistance with tuition expenses, but the bill description claims the program will provide scholarships for "up to 100 percent of the total cost of education." This is not correct.
Anyone who has financed a college education knows "tuition" is only a fraction of the "total cost of education," which includes room and board, transportation, books, fees, and -- more frequently these days -- purchase of a computer.
Unfortunately, a discrepancy between the actual bill and the Legislative Research Commission's description of the bill may cause some confusion.
The bill refers to assistance with tuition expenses, but the bill description claims the program will provide scholarships for "up to 100 percent of the total cost of education." This is not correct.
Anyone who has financed a college education knows "tuition" is only a fraction of the "total cost of education," which includes room and board, transportation, books, fees, and -- more frequently these days -- purchase of a computer.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Update On Jody Richards Paycheck Scandal
He's giving himself a huge payday loan, I guess.
Jody Richards keeps telling people he is going to turn in the excess taxpayer money House members received after Democrats surrendered the special session in July.
He still hasn't paid up. Should we check his freezer at home?
Jody Richards keeps telling people he is going to turn in the excess taxpayer money House members received after Democrats surrendered the special session in July.
He still hasn't paid up. Should we check his freezer at home?
Would Governor Beshear Tax Health Benefits?
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is threatening to shut down state government starting Monday if she doesn't get some tax increases, pronto.
Here's one Steve Beshear will like a lot: some Michigan legislators want to start taxing health insurance benefits.
How better to raise money to pay to resuscitate and hospitalize the thousands of Kentucky middle-class surburbanites dying in the streets for lack of government health insurance?
This plan would mesh well with Beshear's welfare for politicians plan and his plan to subsidize the out-of-state casino mafia.
Here's one Steve Beshear will like a lot: some Michigan legislators want to start taxing health insurance benefits.
How better to raise money to pay to resuscitate and hospitalize the thousands of Kentucky middle-class surburbanites dying in the streets for lack of government health insurance?
This plan would mesh well with Beshear's welfare for politicians plan and his plan to subsidize the out-of-state casino mafia.
Let's Destroy All Farming Like We Did Tobacco
A funny thing happened to the tobacco industry that was supposed to die with deregulation and the tobacco buyout.
It is booming and there's no reason to expect other domestic agriculture products would respond differently to getting government out of the way.
It is booming and there's no reason to expect other domestic agriculture products would respond differently to getting government out of the way.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Carpet Bombing The Fayette County Jail
The FBI hit the jail in Lexington again today to drop off subpoenas in the ongoing inmate abuse scandal.
The grand jury meets tomorrow.
The grand jury meets tomorrow.
While We're Talking About Gambling
The Democratic party's candidate for Treasurer Todd Hollenbach actually wants to expand the money-losing KAPT program, which our legislature has mercifully closed to new losses. This drain on taxpayer funds hasn't been explored as Steve Beshear's plan to soak Kentuckians with casino gambling losses has gotten all the attention.
GOP candidate Melinda Wheeler has a much more sensible plan: she promises to shut down the Treasurer's office, which serves currently as an expensive resting place for politicians.
GOP candidate Melinda Wheeler has a much more sensible plan: she promises to shut down the Treasurer's office, which serves currently as an expensive resting place for politicians.
Supporting Republicans Who Act Like Republicans
Kentucky's entire GOP delegation in the U.S. House voted yesterday against expanding government health insurance to more middle-class families.
Good. Much of what ails America can't be fixed without entitlement reform. And that means fewer entitlements for people who are better off without them.
Immigration wouldn't be a problem if everyone were coming here to be productive. Public and private pensions wouldn't be melting down absent the short-sighted greed of union negotiators. Medicare and Social Security are on a collision course with reality. Hillary and her storm troopers march determinedly toward making it worse as soon as possible.
Predictably, Democrats think Hal Rogers, Ed Whitfield, Geoff Davis, and Ron Lewis made a political mistake on this vote. They deserve our thanks and our support for this vote. The only thing that would make it better would be to let the program die off completely. But I suspect we will have to be happy for now with slowing its rapid expansion.
When the left's prediction of death of middle-class kids in the streets fails to materialize, we will have more hard evidence for avoiding socialized medicine once and for all.
That's what liberal critics are afraid of.
1:02 Update: Nicholasville Conservative recommends an article from John Stossel on this subject. It's a good one.
Good. Much of what ails America can't be fixed without entitlement reform. And that means fewer entitlements for people who are better off without them.
Immigration wouldn't be a problem if everyone were coming here to be productive. Public and private pensions wouldn't be melting down absent the short-sighted greed of union negotiators. Medicare and Social Security are on a collision course with reality. Hillary and her storm troopers march determinedly toward making it worse as soon as possible.
Predictably, Democrats think Hal Rogers, Ed Whitfield, Geoff Davis, and Ron Lewis made a political mistake on this vote. They deserve our thanks and our support for this vote. The only thing that would make it better would be to let the program die off completely. But I suspect we will have to be happy for now with slowing its rapid expansion.
When the left's prediction of death of middle-class kids in the streets fails to materialize, we will have more hard evidence for avoiding socialized medicine once and for all.
That's what liberal critics are afraid of.
1:02 Update: Nicholasville Conservative recommends an article from John Stossel on this subject. It's a good one.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Acting More Like Democrats
DNC Chair Howard Dean is pushing the Democratic party to the left through the organization that survived his run for president. He is raising money for more consistently "progressive" candidates like Donna Edwards who is running against Maryland Congressman Al Wynn, who Dean refers to as a "Bush Democrat."
And yes, I know Democracy for America is officially run by Mad Howard's brother Jim. If Jim were really going too far left for Howard, though, DFA would be shut down immediately.
And yes, I know Democracy for America is officially run by Mad Howard's brother Jim. If Jim were really going too far left for Howard, though, DFA would be shut down immediately.
Is Beshear Playing Dumb Or Is It You?
As Ryan Alessi's latest revelation about Steve Beshear's role in the destruction of Kentucky Central comes to light ...
... Beshear's previous memory-related comments make a little more sense:
Just don't say you weren't warned.
And, of course, when it comes to policy we always have this:
The court-appointed liquidator of Kentucky Central at one point barred Steve Beshear from doing further work on the case and informed Beshear that his law firm would have to pay for an ethics investigation, documents show.
This comes after Beshear, the Democratic nominee for governor, has repeatedly claimed he didn't recall anything about a secret ethics report by a Cincinnati firm, Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur. And he recently said he wasn't aware his former firm, Stites & Harbison, paid more than $100,000 for it.
... Beshear's previous memory-related comments make a little more sense:
"When I say 'I don't recall,' if later you come up with something that says I was there, that's OK because I'm being up front in saying I don't recall because this is, what, 14 years ago?" he said.
Just don't say you weren't warned.
And, of course, when it comes to policy we always have this:
Monday, September 24, 2007
Beshear Campaign Staff Gains As UAW Strikes
General Motors union employees across the nation walked off the job today in a massive strike larger than any seen in the automobile industry in thirty years. Now they will have more free time to campaign for the Democratic campaigns.
Good thing Beshear and friends haven't succeeded in unionizing Toyota yet.
Good thing Beshear and friends haven't succeeded in unionizing Toyota yet.
Jody Richards Agrees To Return Unearned Money
The unearned checks distributed to legislators after the House Democrats surrendered the July special session will be returned today, House Speaker Jody Richards' spokeswoman reported this morning.
2:27 pm UPDATE: Frankfort sources report Speaker Richards will refuse again today to send back the taxpayers' money.
We need to have a little fun with this while we wait for Jody Richards to pay up. Whoever can get closest to the time and date which confirmation goes out that the unearned paychecks are turned back in wins.
2:27 pm UPDATE: Frankfort sources report Speaker Richards will refuse again today to send back the taxpayers' money.
We need to have a little fun with this while we wait for Jody Richards to pay up. Whoever can get closest to the time and date which confirmation goes out that the unearned paychecks are turned back in wins.
Where Are Steve Beshear's Barking Dogs?
Kind of funny to see the Beshear campaign still proudly touting their unsurprising support from former state Rep. Steve Nunn, who was run out of office last year in part because of a hilarious barking dog radio ad that hounded him for supporting a variety of tax increases.
After Beshear's casino gambling plan bites the dust in the legislature again, he and his dogs would have little choice but to try biting us with tax increases as well.
After Beshear's casino gambling plan bites the dust in the legislature again, he and his dogs would have little choice but to try biting us with tax increases as well.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Socialized Medicine Plans Shrink In Sunlight
Maybe we should call California's ArnoldCare and Sen. Clinton's HillaryCare "the Shrinky Dinks."
Hillary couldn't take the heat in the '90's. This time won't be any different.
Hillary couldn't take the heat in the '90's. This time won't be any different.
The claim that no new bureaucracies are created will be challenged. Like Gov. Schwarzenegger, Mrs. Clinton envisions requiring everyone to prove they have health insurance. But she's vague on the details: "At this point, we don't have anything punitive that we have proposed." You can bet she will have some ideas.
Even so, making certain people have insurance is easier said than done. California has had a law mandating that drivers have car insurance since 1970 and has required physical proof of insurance to register a car for a decade. Even so, the Insurance Research Council says 25% of the state's drivers remain uninsured.
• Illegal aliens and their access to health insurance will be controversial. Mrs. Clinton promises health care for all, but is punting on the issue of whether the illegal aliens, who often use emergency room services, will be covered. Ms. Rubiner admits it's a "huge issue," but says "that's one we're going to have to think through a little bit."
"Let The Liberal Editorial Boards Decide!"
Just heard Hillary Clinton describe public financing of political campaigns as her solution to her own campaign finance scandals.
If Steve Beshear wins the governor's race -- and after his casino plan falls flat -- it will be fun next year running against this and other really bad ideas he and Hillary share.
If Steve Beshear wins the governor's race -- and after his casino plan falls flat -- it will be fun next year running against this and other really bad ideas he and Hillary share.
Destroying Business As Fast As They Can
Sen. Barack Obama's idea to save Social Security without paying a political price among the middle class would make HillaryCare look like a bounced check fee.
What he hopes you fail to realize is that employers pay half of Social Security taxes. And taxes on businesses have a funny way of hitting everyone with price increases and job cuts.
Meanwhile, it's a terrible shame Republicans squandered the opportunity to stop spending the annual Social Security surplus while we still have one.
What he hopes you fail to realize is that employers pay half of Social Security taxes. And taxes on businesses have a funny way of hitting everyone with price increases and job cuts.
Meanwhile, it's a terrible shame Republicans squandered the opportunity to stop spending the annual Social Security surplus while we still have one.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Frankfort's Own Frito Bandito
Jody Richards still has the taxpayers' money he promised to return after the House Democrats surrendered the special session in July. Maybe we should check under his hat.
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