One point missing from our discussion about the competing Democratic plans to raise your Kentucky taxes is that the reliance on refinancing bonds works like a tax increase, too. If we redo a bunch of bonds that are within just a few years of maturity, but have higher interest payments than are available now, we will wind up paying more money on that debt over time.
The interest payments may be lower now, but by resetting the terms back out to twenty years, we are ensuring that Kentucky taxpayers of the future will pay more then because we didn't cut spending now.
If we were actually saving the savings it might be a different story, but you know we won't be doing that.
And when you add in the public employee benefits disaster no one is talking about anymore, you see that we are only setting the timer on a killer bomb that will go off after the current crop of "leaders" is dead or out of office.
And speaking of death, HB 707 zings you on your final exit by prohibiting anyone but funeral directors from transporting a body to be cremated. Limiting competition here is certain to increase final expense prices.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Ed Worley Gets One Thing Right
Senator Ed Worley just said on the Senate floor "The basic question before us today is 'have we been successful with KERA and with CATS?"
It is correct to say that is the question at the heart of the current education debate.
But the magic didn't hold for long. Worley said the answer was "yes" and then he voted "no" on Senate Bill 1 and then added that we would really "humanize" the education process by passing a bullying bill.
It is correct to say that is the question at the heart of the current education debate.
But the magic didn't hold for long. Worley said the answer was "yes" and then he voted "no" on Senate Bill 1 and then added that we would really "humanize" the education process by passing a bullying bill.
Photoshop Me, Baby, One More Time
This picture would now be perfect if Governor Steve Beshear had a cigarette in his left hand.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Another Steve Beshear Fib (Non-Smoking Version)
If you haven't gotten in the habit of reading the Bluegrass Policy Blog, you may have missed this.
Cutting The Fat In Reverse
Now that Governor Steve Beshear has come clean about his support for a seventy cents a pack cigarette tax increase, we are about to see it get better.
House Majority Caucus Chairman Charlie Hoffman is going to propose raising it by a dollar.
House Majority Caucus Chairman Charlie Hoffman is going to propose raising it by a dollar.
Shaughnessy Spins The Roulette Wheel
Senator Tim Shaughnessy stopped to explain his vote against the SB 1 education reform bill by making an odd comparison that defines the opposition to improvement of public education in this state.
"This is a gambling bill," Shaughnessy said. By that he meant changing from the familiar course would present too much risk.
Nonsense. Depending on the education bureaucracy to operate with little real accountability and putting them in charge of administering the state's method of tracking their efforts would never be tolerated in the real world and should not be supported by taxpayers.
Senate Bill 1 just passed out of the Senate Education Committee on a party-line vote.
"This is a gambling bill," Shaughnessy said. By that he meant changing from the familiar course would present too much risk.
Nonsense. Depending on the education bureaucracy to operate with little real accountability and putting them in charge of administering the state's method of tracking their efforts would never be tolerated in the real world and should not be supported by taxpayers.
Senate Bill 1 just passed out of the Senate Education Committee on a party-line vote.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
What, No Jail Time?
Senate Bill 246, filed Wednesday, requires parents to send their children to public school until age eighteen.
This is perhaps the closest we will get to any kind of school reform from this General Assembly. The only way they could make this junk worse would be to work up some kind of punishment for parents when their teenagers drop out of school. Otherwise, the people who really get hurt by expanding compulsory attendance are the kids who want to learn but are required to sit next to the disruptive kids who are forced to stay in school.
This is perhaps the closest we will get to any kind of school reform from this General Assembly. The only way they could make this junk worse would be to work up some kind of punishment for parents when their teenagers drop out of school. Otherwise, the people who really get hurt by expanding compulsory attendance are the kids who want to learn but are required to sit next to the disruptive kids who are forced to stay in school.
Sorry Charlie
Rep. Charlie Hoffman is riding out his last days in House leadership kicking the casino gambling horse, trying to get it to make the final turn.
But it won't get him to the finish line. It is dead.
Hoffman stuck another amendment on the casino bill today. What a complete waste of time this whole General Assembly session has been. Leaders like Sorry Charlie just won't get us anywhere.
But it won't get him to the finish line. It is dead.
Hoffman stuck another amendment on the casino bill today. What a complete waste of time this whole General Assembly session has been. Leaders like Sorry Charlie just won't get us anywhere.
Here Comes Adult Supervision
Louisville GOP insiders say long-time activist Craig Maffet has the votes to become the next chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party.
This is a welcome change in The River City.
This is a welcome change in The River City.
(D)-Disarray
House Democrats have cancelled tomorrow's caucus meeting where some hoped they might get their act straight.
The group has not met since the first week of the General Assembly, which is very unusual and suggests there is no functioning leadership.
3/06 UPDATE: Now it looks like the the meeting will happen, but the agenda will only include the budget and tax increases.
The group has not met since the first week of the General Assembly, which is very unusual and suggests there is no functioning leadership.
3/06 UPDATE: Now it looks like the the meeting will happen, but the agenda will only include the budget and tax increases.
More Attacks On Political Speech
HB 775 would prohibit posting anonymously to a blog, website, or message board and levies hefty fines for violations.
SB 214 would criminalize internet-based communications deemed annoying.
SB 214 would criminalize internet-based communications deemed annoying.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Making The Case For Moving The Filing Deadline
The House of Representatives just passed a tax increase bill 97-0.
Rep. Jim DeCesare's amendment to repeal the LLET came up for a voice vote (and clearly passed, according to my hearing, though Speaker Richards screamed "NO!" into his microphone.
Passing this bill simply makes it harder for companies to justify doing business in Kentucky. The bill raises taxes on companies who do business here but are headquartered in other states. No one can pretend this tax would cause any more companies to move their business here.
If we didn't shut off our candidate filing season earlier than anyone else in the country, a lot of people would have earned opponents today.
Rep. Jim DeCesare's amendment to repeal the LLET came up for a voice vote (and clearly passed, according to my hearing, though Speaker Richards screamed "NO!" into his microphone.
Passing this bill simply makes it harder for companies to justify doing business in Kentucky. The bill raises taxes on companies who do business here but are headquartered in other states. No one can pretend this tax would cause any more companies to move their business here.
If we didn't shut off our candidate filing season earlier than anyone else in the country, a lot of people would have earned opponents today.
Lemurs, Camels, And Jackasses. Oh My!
House Budget Chairman Harry Moberly made a circus out his Appropriations and Revenue Committee meeting this morning. He attempted to use camels to destroy the coal industry and lemurs to tax the state into oblivion.
Two Very Different Legislative Chambers
While the most important bills likely to pass the Kentucky Senate this year would rein in government powers in education and the executive and legislative branches, the misfiring in the House continues with Rep. Kathy Stein's bullet bill.
The bullet bill would effectively disarm law-abiding Kentuckians by requiring a serial number and an additional tax on every bullet sold in Kentucky.
The bullet bill would effectively disarm law-abiding Kentuckians by requiring a serial number and an additional tax on every bullet sold in Kentucky.
Monday, March 03, 2008
An Amendment Worth Talking About
Rep. Jamie Comer filed an amendment today to the felon voting bill, HB 70, that would require felons to repay 25% of the cost of their incarceration before having voting rights restored.
Keeping His Eye Off The Ball
Governor Steve Beshear has been cozying up to former Rep. Mike Weaver recently and taking an interest in his race against Rep. Tim Moore.
The anti-gambling people, the anti-socialized medicine people, and Senator Brandon Smith report that is probably good for Rep. Moore.
Beshear was asked recently about his solution to his political problems. He offered this:
The anti-gambling people, the anti-socialized medicine people, and Senator Brandon Smith report that is probably good for Rep. Moore.
Beshear was asked recently about his solution to his political problems. He offered this:
Jim Wayne's World Invades Earth
Rep. Jim Wayne's bills usually get laughed out the House, but this year looks to be different.
The House appears ready to call for a vote on HB 262, an enormous tax increase. It stands no chance in the Senate, but the House has gone off the deep end.
The House appears ready to call for a vote on HB 262, an enormous tax increase. It stands no chance in the Senate, but the House has gone off the deep end.
Another Money-Saving Idea
How does it benefit Kentucky for us to give free health insurance to part-time city commissioners and county magistrates?
And let's not have any more of that "best and brightest" bunk...
And let's not have any more of that "best and brightest" bunk...
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Where's Kentucky's HillaryCare Now?
One of the best things about the current fiscal crisis in Kentucky is no one is talking about spending more money on government-provided health insurance.
Well, almost no one.
The fiscal note on HB 345 estimates that for KCHIP, Kentucky will spend $198 per month in 2008-09 and $212 per month in 2009-10 per child. That's a little much, especially considering that it's just Kentucky's share before the federal match.
Another line in the fiscal note, however, would be a more useful focal point:
We need to be raising eligibility limits on KCHIP, not lowering them. Doing so would enhance our ability to help the kids from the poorest families.
Well, almost no one.
The fiscal note on HB 345 estimates that for KCHIP, Kentucky will spend $198 per month in 2008-09 and $212 per month in 2009-10 per child. That's a little much, especially considering that it's just Kentucky's share before the federal match.
Another line in the fiscal note, however, would be a more useful focal point:
"Allowing members to remain in the program who are not eligible would prevent the program from serving the neediest population due to limited funding."
We need to be raising eligibility limits on KCHIP, not lowering them. Doing so would enhance our ability to help the kids from the poorest families.
We Have Your Answer, Mr. Cross
Al Cross gives an interesting history lesson about part of what plagues Frankfort in today's Courier-Journal.
In it, he lodges a valid complaint about how incumbent legislators a generation ago rigged the game for themselves so that they could more easily get over on their constituents. Inexplicably, this outrage persists:
It doesn't serve the public interest to arrange our elections with the sole purpose of unfairly protecting incumbents. Given the mess our incumbents have put us in, it should be pretty easy to see that unraveling any part of this twisted tizzy would help democratize the power base in the state.
Senate Bill 3 would move the legislative filing deadline to after even-year sessions, to enhance citizens' ability to protect themselves from legislators who lose sight of their purpose in Frankfort.
Seems to be a bit of that going around.
In it, he lodges a valid complaint about how incumbent legislators a generation ago rigged the game for themselves so that they could more easily get over on their constituents. Inexplicably, this outrage persists:
"(That led to a series of wholly selfish acts; lawmakers made the primary filing deadline one of the earliest in the nation, so they could gauge their opposition before casting controversial votes.)"
It doesn't serve the public interest to arrange our elections with the sole purpose of unfairly protecting incumbents. Given the mess our incumbents have put us in, it should be pretty easy to see that unraveling any part of this twisted tizzy would help democratize the power base in the state.
Senate Bill 3 would move the legislative filing deadline to after even-year sessions, to enhance citizens' ability to protect themselves from legislators who lose sight of their purpose in Frankfort.
Seems to be a bit of that going around.
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