He's Just Like Ronald Reagan

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will be on the Leland Conway radio show in Lexington this morning on 630 WLAP. Or you can listen on www.wlap.com.

Reminder: Businesses Don't Pay Taxes

Would you be willing to trade a cigarette tax increase for repeal of the income tax on unprofitable businesses?.

Did Beshear Sell Judicial Appointment For $200?

Governor Steve Beshear just appointed John Chappell as a District Judge in the 27th district today. Chappell, a London attorney, filed to run for the office on December 12.

This wouldn't be the John Chappell, Attorney at Law, of London who contributed $200 to Scott Alexander's Senate campaign on January 19, would it? That wouldn't be good.

CHAPPELL, JOHN
402 W. 4TH STREET
LONDON, KY, 40743
Employer : JOHN CHAPPELL, AAL
Occupation : ATTORNEY INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$200.00 on 01/19/2008
ALEXANDER, SCOTT for
STATE SENATOR - 30TH DISTRICT
SPECIAL - 02/05/2008

The impropriety of the contribution and subsequent appointment aside, I would think two hundred bucks isn't very much money for this sort of thing. Do we really want this governor to be in charge of selling casino licenses?

Who Do You Want To Get Your Tax Rebate?

The federal government this spring is expected to send back tax dollars to taxpayers as an "economic stimulus." Whether you like the economic rationale or not, you probably would be interested in a bill to keep that money away from Governor Steve Beshear, wouldn't you? Well, here you go.

Fastest Political Flameout In History

Louisville's Chris Thieneman nuked himself this morning.

Steve Beshear's Unnecessary Tuition Increases

Governor Steve Beshear's proposal to cut Kentucky's merit-based KEES college scholarship program and maintain spending for need-based aid is probably going to be a disaster.

Just as the legislature is considering a measure to lower the GPA to renew KEES scholarships, the proper cost-saving move would be to increase standards for getting the awards. Instead, Beshear will probably cut all awards the same amount in the name of "fairness."

Doing this and in effect raising the proportion of aid that is award exclusively on the basis of not having enough money to pay for college is a sure way to exacerbate the inflation problem.

Nice job, Steve. What's next? (Oh yeah, public employee benefits...)

Steve Beshear's Going Out Of Business Sale

Looks like Attorney General Jack Conway has found a rug to sweep his and Governor Steve Beshear's problems under.

Do you have Skippy Miller under there already?

How about R.D. Hubbard?


HUBBARD, R.
124 KOVENISH
PALM DESERT, CA, 92260
Employer : HOLLYWOOD PARK
Occupation : RACE TRACK OWNER INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$500.00 on 05/10/1999
MILLER, JONATHAN for
STATE TREASURER - STATEWIDE
PRIMARY - 05/25/1999

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUBBARD, R.
73-405 EL PASO #32D
PALM DESERT, CA, 922600000
Employer : R. D. HUBBARD ENTERPRISES, INC.
Occupation : REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$1,000.00 on 02/19/2003
CHANDLER, A. for
SLATE - STATEWIDE
PRIMARY - 05/20/2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUBBARD, R.
124 KOVENISH
PALM DESERT, CA, 92260
Employer :
Occupation : RETIRED INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$1,000.00 on 03/21/2007
LUNSFORD, W. for
SLATE - STATEWIDE
PRIMARY - 05/22/2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUBBARD, R.
73-405 EL PASO #32D
PALM DESERT, CA, 92260
Employer : RD HUBBARD
Occupation : DEVELOPER INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$1,000.00 on 04/16/2007
MILLER, JONATHAN for
SLATE - STATEWIDE
PRIMARY - 05/22/2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUBBARD, R.
73-405 EL PASEO NO. 32D
PALM DESERT, CA, 92260
Employer : R.D. HUBBARD ENTERPRISES, INC.
Occupation : REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$10,000.00 on 11/30/2007
BESHEAR MONGIARDO INAUGURAL COMMITTEE
FARMER, TRACY for
SLATE - STATEWIDE
GENERAL - 11/06/2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUBBARD, R. D.
73-405 EL PASEO NO. 32D
PALM DESERT, CA, 922600000
Employer : R. D. HUBBARD ENTERPRISES, INC.
Occupation : REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$1,000.00 on 05/08/2007
BESHEAR, STEVEN for
SLATE - STATEWIDE
PRIMARY - 05/22/2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUBBARD, R. D.
73-405 EL PASEO NO. 32D
PALM DESERT, CA, 922600000
Employer : R. D. HUBBARD ENTERPRISES, INC.
Occupation : REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$1,000.00 on 10/17/2007
BESHEAR, STEVEN for
SLATE - STATEWIDE
GENERAL - 11/06/2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUBBARD, R.D.
73-405 EL PASEO / NO. 32D
PALM DESERT, CA, 922604214
Employer : R.D. HUBBARD ENTERPRISES, INC.
Occupation : CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER INDIVIDUAL Contribution
$1,000.00 on 10/10/2006
WORLEY, JAMES for
STATE SENATOR - 34TH DISTRICT
GENERAL - 11/07/2006

Second Time's A Charm?

Governor Ernie Fletcher's campaign against casino gambling wasn't going to work for reasons that had little or nothing to do with casino gambling.

The Senate 30 special election may not prove anything about casinos, either, but the race may turn out differently.

Have you seen this commercial (airing now in the district)?

This Is Probably Going To Be Quote Of The Day

Senate Bill 3 just got voted out of the State and Local Government Committee with amendments to add Kentucky to Super Tuesday in presidential primary elections and to remove the emergency clause so its provisions wouldn't take effect this year. Speaking for the bill, Senate President David Williams said:

"The main thing is that we have more transparency and accountability in the process."

Couldn't agree more. But if we really want transparency, we also need government expenditure transparency.

Steve Beshear Keeps A Campaign Promise

And it is going to cost you a bundle.

Ron Bishop Thinks He Isn't Going To Jail

FCDC Director Ron Bishop and his storm troopers in the Lexington jail think they have found their fall guys and are immune from criminal prosecution.

Well, they should think again. Ask your attorney down there on Main Street to explain this to you, fellas.

From Lexington-Fayette County Ordinance Number 255-94,1,12-13-94:

Sec. 25-29. Reprisals against persons disclosing violations prohibited.
(1) No officer or employee shall subject to reprisal, or directly or indirectly use, or threaten to use, any official authority or influence, in any manner whatsoever, which tends to discourage, restrain, depress, dissuade, deter, prevent, interfere with, coerce, or discriminate against any officer or employee who in good faith reports, discloses, divulges, or otherwise brings to the attention of the ethics commission, any law enforcement agency or its employees, or any other appropriate body or authority, anyfacts or information relative to an actual or suspected violation of any law, statute, executive order, administrative regulation, mandate, rule, or ordinance of the United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, or the urban county government, or any facts or information relative to actual or suspected mismanagement, waste, fraud, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. No officer or employee shall be required to give notice prior to making such a report, disclosure, or divulgence.
(2) No officer or employee shall subject to reprisal or discriminate against, or use any official authority or influence to cause reprisal or discrimination by others against, any person who supports, aids, or substantiates any officer or employee who makes public any wrongdoing set forth in subsection (1) of this section.

Penalties for violation include a fine and up to one year in jail.

Beshear Hints At Cutting Pension Benefits

In an advance copy of Governor Steve Beshear's budget address, he says he will offer a state employee pension reform proposal "in the coming weeks."

"What we can do now is address the increasing costs. These programs are not sustainable at current levels," Beshear said.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Sounds like Rep. Fred Nesler just filed the cigarette tax bill to save us all.

10:00 pm Update: No, it was a false alarm. Stay tuned for tax increases though.

Jason Mays Versus United Auto Workers

Looks like the hottest ideological battle in central Kentucky among the 2008 state House races will be between pro-union Rep. Charlie Hoffman and former Georgetown College assistant basketball coach Jason Mays.

With non-union Toyota the economic engine of the district, a strong campaign against Majority Caucus Chairman Hoffman could get interesting.

And with Hoffman filing bills like this, Mays should be able to get a lot of help.

Busted, Now Pay Up

Governor Steve Beshear got caught breaking a campaign promise not to misuse state aircraft and now he is saying he will pay for it.

Is the check in the mail, Governor?

Maybe we should require the Executive Branch to set up a website to help us keep track of their expenditures of state money for political or personal purposes.

You know, like illegal raises for girlfriends and such.

Larry, Moe, and Curly Can't Find The Microphone

Harassment by top officials at the Fayette County Detention Center against some employees who have testified in the wage and hours class action lawsuit may be about to unleash a fresh batch of lawsuits.

Watch yourself, Mr. Kammer.

(And a personal note to Bishop, Leach, and Kammer: watching you guys try to figure out where I am getting my information is hilarious! Keep trying if you want, but you will NEVER figure it out until I am ready for you to figure it out. Fun stuff...)

Thieneman Versus Northup Day One

Congressional candidate Chris Thieneman said today he is against slipping earmarks into legislative bills.

Closing Libraries In Casino-Rich Illinois

Evanston, on Chicago's North Shore, should be close enough to the economic development opportunites brought by casinos that they would be swimming in cash by now.

Alas, it isn't so. They are negotiating instead how to get by on a combination of property tax increases and spending cuts, which include closing two public libraries.

Governor Steve Beshear is expected to lay out part of his plan tomorrow night to make Kentucky a rich casino state like Illinois.

One other interesting proposed cut I found was this one:

Carroll said she hopes to save $300,000 by dropping a contract with a health insurance brokerage firm and having the city negotiate health coverage contracts directly.

Why on earth is a city the size of Pikeville paying anyone $300,000 to help them pick out health insurance plans?

This is why I think a good solid fiscal crisis would be a great thing for Kentucky. Getting all the various interest groups to stop ravaging the taxpayers and to, instead, start in on each other is not only more fun than watching demolition derby, it is the only way we are going to get things out in the open and start cutting out the real waste.

Beshear Can't Even Lead On Dental Exams

A Lexington Herald-Leader story about a bill to require parents to get dental exams for their children exposes yet again Governor Steve Beshear's unwillingness to provide any of the "leadership" he promised before he was elected.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear is still reviewing the legislation and declined to comment, through a spokesperson.

The bill is less than one sentence long. It requires -- in addition to the pre-existing mandate for immunizations -- the following:

... a dental health certificate from a dentist licensed in any state indicating the health of the child's teeth, jaws, and mouth.

Beshear is really taking his do-nothingism too far. At this rate, I can't wait to see him tackle anything like the public employee benefits disaster. Slots at the tracks, right Steve?

By the way, the story indicates a reporter tried in vain to reach Senate President David Williams for his opinion. That was unneccesary. The same bill died in a Senate committee just last year.

You May Not Know Gordon B. Hinckley Yet...

Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, died tonight.

This just happened so it will be a little slow getting out in the news, but when it does it will stir up discussion again about presidential candidate Mitt Romney's faith.

A lot of people will be surprised by the national media coverage Hinckley's death will receive. He was very media savvy, a great interview, and was highly regarded by national media figures.

At this point in the race, it will be very interesting to see the impact a renewed focus on religion will have.