We Can't Be Broke, We Still Have Checks!

The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee will discuss HB 87 tomorrow. The bill would give $20 million from the General Fund to tobacco farmers.

Who's Your News Daddy?

In our poll-driven world, the news that Fox News has overtaken CNN as a most-trusted news source will upset some people.

Do the math, though, and you will see CNN actually came in third. Number two was my favorite "None of the Above."

Fayette Jail Shake-Up On The Way

The Pepto Bismol is flowing tonight around the Fayette County Detention Center amid intense speculation Director Ron Bishop will be forced out by the end of the month.

It gets better.

Number two man, Deputy Director Donald Leach is coming under fire for consulting work he has done the last couple of years on the strength of a Doctorate in Public Administration degree awarded to him in 2005 from a reputed mail-order diploma mill.

Why Kentucky Needs Independent Blogs

I don't know whether to be totally shocked or well, not, that the Lexington Herald Leader would do an expose on Kentucky jails today and completely ignore the disastrous Fayette County Detention Center in their own back yard.

Chronicles of Blarney

The Louisville Courier-Journal digs into its archives this morning to point out that they knew two years ago that Kentucky was dramatically overspending tax money.

Based on the comments by Fletcher and his budget team, a Courier-Journal story published on April 24, 2006, said:

"Unless the state's economy grows at a much higher-than-normal rate -- and much higher than projected -- lawmakers in 2008 will not have money for teacher raises, university improvements or other funding increases without raising revenue or making painful spending cuts in other areas."

Perhaps they would have been able to find that story faster if their archives from those days weren't loaded up with stories about merit hiring and other much less important issues than blowing tax money.

I Could Have Saved Them The Fifty Cents

The Lexington Herald Leader's Michelle Ku has filed an open records request for FCDC Director Ron Bishop's training records which were reported on here.

Michelle, make sure you look at both copies of the training report -- the one that shows Bishop with a zero and the second one with his name scrubbed off completely to avoid attention.

Kentucky Schools Can't Afford Union Thugs

... or prevailing wage.

Governor Steve Beshear is finding it necessary to dump his other grandiose campaign promises. Now that organized labor leaders helped get him elected, what are they going to do? Vote for a Republican?

Kentucky can't afford to carry these guys around. Unfortunately, Beshear is going to have to submit to the union-ectomy willingly, which is something he shows no signs of being ready for. While we wait, we can take comfort in the fact that his idea of collective bargaining for state employees has already been tossed in the trash.

Pol Brings Dull Pencil To Online Battle Of Words

Rep. Charlie Hoffman makes national news for proposing a very stupid law.

Ed Worley's Tax You More Fund

Polwatchers reports Sen. Ed Worley is ready to increase the cigarette tax to raise revenue rather than focus on cutting spending. I guess it would really be news if Worley, a non-smoker, came out in favor of taxing ill-gotten gains at a higher rate but, until then, maybe some of these big taxers should go for the Tax Me More Fund.

Winning Kentucky's Fiscal Responsibility War

State House members of both parties are already talking about filing a discharge petition to force a floor vote on Rep. Jim DeCesare's bill to repeal the very expensive Limited Liability Entity Tax.

When he was a candidate, Governor Steve Beshear promised to support repeal of the tax.

Beshear Gambling Strategy Exposed

Senator Tom Buford said today Governor Steve Beshear invited him to his office and spoke with him about taking a job in the administration.

Buford refused.

Will it be Beshear the Repealer?

House Leadership yesterday quietly assigned a bill that is very important both politically and fiscally to the Appropriations and Revenue Committee.

House Bill 26 would repeal the Limited Liability Entity Tax, also known as the Alternative Minimum Calculation signed into law by Governor Ernie Fletcher and hated by businesses paying the tax.

And if Governor Steve Beshear is really in a repealing and money-saving mood, he should support the effort to shut down the Treasurer's office, too.

Mortgaging Nonsense in Kentucky

The General Assembly has three bills so far attempting to address a problem with mortgage loans. I can't find much in this, this, or this we wouldn't be better off just leaving alone. In fact, it seems to me that if what we really want to do is make things worse, passing these bills would be a pretty good way to start.

We Have To At Least Get This Right

Everything has a price. When we try to use government to escape that universal truth, we invite unintended problems.

Don't imagine we will do anything good by forcing people to pay more for their car insurance because they have good credit.

A Good Way To Have More Spending Money

Now that the General Assembly and Governor are on the same page about cutting spending (ha!), perhaps they really should look at prohibiting the Kentucky Lottery from spending any of its revenue on advertising.

People are going to gamble anyway, right?

Kathy Stein's Inconvenient Sex Talk

Rep. Kathy Stein wants schools to back off just telling kids not to have sex and instead to give them "science-based" contraception instruction.

Providing Educational Opportunities For A Few

House Speaker Jody Richards wasted no time refiling his bill to legalize Kentucky's illegal charter school at Western Kentucky University.

Come on, guys. Wouldn't it be easier to let all of Kentucky have access to the innovative teaching a handful of students are now getting illegally?

All we have to do is make charter schools legal in the state.

From The "It's About Time" Department

Rep. Lonnie Napier filed a bill today to deny state aid or food stamps to adult drug abusers.

Mayor Newberry, At Least Take His Car Keys

Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry may be content to watch the Fayette County Detention Center melt down under federal investigations and civil lawsuits. But if he is not going to do anything substantial, he should at least park FCDC Director (and Louisville resident) Ron Bishop's city car and let him take care of his own transportation like the employees who don't break the law do.

Did I mention Director Ron Bishop didn't complete ANY of his required 2007 training and then tried to cover it up?

Defining Education Reform For 21st Century

Kentucky's education establishment went ballistic yesterday over the mere suggestion they might have to take less money in the next budget to deliver their mediocre results.

The need to change the way we discuss education reform is not unrelated to the many problems in overcrowded county jails throughout the state.

Bureaucrats may be satisfied with papering over Kentucky's dropout problem, but yesterday's high school graduates -- in large numbers -- are today sleeping on the floor in county jails.

With the current push among the education crowd to shift more resources toward early childhood education, we have what amounts to a crass diversion from real problems in favor of spending on a new program several years removed from accountability.

New laws to force students to stay in school against their will are just the opposite side of the same coin.

We can't afford these games any longer.

Middle school is where we are losing our kids. When they give up in middle school, they too often start using drugs and drop out of high school. These are the people filling up our jails.

We don't need more tax money for teachers unions and bureaucrats nearly as much as we need to concentrate our efforts where they benefit kids more than the bureaucrats.