Last Thursday, Gov. Steve Beshear's budget office admitted that state revenue was up for the fiscal year ending in June.
I still haven't seen anything in the MSM about that. Have you?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Lex jail head circles wagons, shoots "wounded"
As a criminal trial with an August 18 start date threatens to shine unwanted light on his own checkered past, Fayette County Detention Center Director Ron Bishop is trying to intimidate potential witnesses by threatening to fire employees who aren't "on the team" and charging them with abuse of the facility's vague employee leave policy, jail employees say.
That's interesting because when Bishop himself was testifying in his own civil suit in Louisville in July of 2006, jail records show he was on the clock back in Lexington.
This isn't the first time Ron Bishop thought the rules for everyone else didn't apply to him.
All the key players in Lexington had no comment.
That's interesting because when Bishop himself was testifying in his own civil suit in Louisville in July of 2006, jail records show he was on the clock back in Lexington.
This isn't the first time Ron Bishop thought the rules for everyone else didn't apply to him.
All the key players in Lexington had no comment.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Is Hillary still not dead yet?
Sure would like to hear what Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have to say about this.
FDIC: a stupid idea that should die now
Some people are trying to blame yesterday's failure for IndyMac bank on Sen. Chuck Schumer and some are jumping on Sen. John McCain, but President Franklin Roosevelt is a more likely culprit.
IndyMac, a Pasadena, California thrift, specialized in jumbo mortgages for so-called "liar loan" applicants. The only way they could get away with that is because they could bring in large deposits from investors who felt secure because of the Depression-era federal deposit insurance program, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Without the FDIC, depositors would have to ask the tough questions about what their money would be invested in. We have the technology to regulate that very well now, thanks. We could have figured out how to do that back in the 1930's, but there is absolutely no excuse for overpaying for the illusion of safety now.
Until we kill off the FDIC, taxpayers will be on the hook for more banks' bad investment practices.
IndyMac, a Pasadena, California thrift, specialized in jumbo mortgages for so-called "liar loan" applicants. The only way they could get away with that is because they could bring in large deposits from investors who felt secure because of the Depression-era federal deposit insurance program, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Without the FDIC, depositors would have to ask the tough questions about what their money would be invested in. We have the technology to regulate that very well now, thanks. We could have figured out how to do that back in the 1930's, but there is absolutely no excuse for overpaying for the illusion of safety now.
Until we kill off the FDIC, taxpayers will be on the hook for more banks' bad investment practices.
Fayette jail defendant should have talked to dad
Lieutenant Kristine Lafoe, the only female defendant so far in USA v McQueen et al, the Fayette jail inmate abuse scandal, had good reason to steer clear from the official misdeeds of which she is accused.
At the very least, she should have known better than to ignore the warnings of whistleblower Cpl. John Vest, who said in sworn testimony he reported cases of excessive force against inmates up his chain of command. Lafoe was in charge of the intake area of the jail when Vest worked there.
Kristine Albaugh Lafoe is the daughter of former Fayette County Chief Deputy Sheriff Joe Albaugh. Mr. Albaugh assisted in the indictment and conviction of former Sheriff Lonas Taulbee, who did hard time for theft and malfeasance after getting caught stuffing cash in the ceiling of his office.
When Albaugh ran for sheriff himself in 1998, he told Ace Magazine "I came forward with great danger to myself and my family."
Lafoe's trial starts August 18 and Vest is suing the city of Lexington for millions of dollars for trying to shut him up when he put himself and his family in danger.
An interesting side note is that Lonas Taulbee's daughter is Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator Renee True, who ran on a gubernatorial slate last year with the ethically challenged Steve Henry.
At the very least, she should have known better than to ignore the warnings of whistleblower Cpl. John Vest, who said in sworn testimony he reported cases of excessive force against inmates up his chain of command. Lafoe was in charge of the intake area of the jail when Vest worked there.
Kristine Albaugh Lafoe is the daughter of former Fayette County Chief Deputy Sheriff Joe Albaugh. Mr. Albaugh assisted in the indictment and conviction of former Sheriff Lonas Taulbee, who did hard time for theft and malfeasance after getting caught stuffing cash in the ceiling of his office.
When Albaugh ran for sheriff himself in 1998, he told Ace Magazine "I came forward with great danger to myself and my family."
Lafoe's trial starts August 18 and Vest is suing the city of Lexington for millions of dollars for trying to shut him up when he put himself and his family in danger.
An interesting side note is that Lonas Taulbee's daughter is Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator Renee True, who ran on a gubernatorial slate last year with the ethically challenged Steve Henry.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Gutsy move in Massachusetts
I've watched with mild curiosity a movement to get state income tax repeal on the ballot this November in Massachusetts.
But now I'm a believer.
The Massachusetts Secretary of State certified yesterday that income tax repeal had gotten a sufficient number of signatures to force a November election, eliciting this response:
If that doesn't get you, this will. They are proposing to not replace the income tax with anything and to simply require government to spend less.
The big government types will go to war on this, but Kentucky should take a lesson. The only way we are going to get our government finances under any kind of control is to cut way back on the spending.
Thanks to Grover Norquist for the heads-up on this.
But now I'm a believer.
The Massachusetts Secretary of State certified yesterday that income tax repeal had gotten a sufficient number of signatures to force a November election, eliciting this response:
"In a statement to the News Media, Carla Howell said:
"Governor Deval Patrick, the state legislature, and the Massachusetts Teachers Union no longer control the decision of whether to END the Income Tax. The voters will decide this November 4th."
"Our END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative is the first major tax cut for working class and middle class Massachusetts taxpayers in 28 years. Since Proposition 2 1/2."
If that doesn't get you, this will. They are proposing to not replace the income tax with anything and to simply require government to spend less.
"Ending the Massachusetts Income Tax would roll back the state government spending 39% -- to the 1995 budget.
Between 1990 and 2007, the population of Massachusetts rose from 6 million residents to 6.5 million. In 17 years, the population increased 8.3%.
During the same period, Massachusetts state government spending more than DOUBLED.
During the same period, most city and town government spending also more than DOUBLED.
Reducing state government spending by only 39% leaves the state government more than it needs."
The big government types will go to war on this, but Kentucky should take a lesson. The only way we are going to get our government finances under any kind of control is to cut way back on the spending.
Thanks to Grover Norquist for the heads-up on this.
"You can't handle the evidence!"
A motion in US District Court in Lexington over the Fayette jail inmate abuse scandal defendants' request to view sealed evidence has been set aside by Judge James Todd. A hearing scheduled for this morning has been cancelled.
11:45 update: The federal court online document program which has been down all morning has come back up. It looks like the defendants asked for two kinds of evidence and were granted access to one of them. The other, called Brady material, is evidence that might be beneficial to the defense and includes names of witnesses who have received immunity for their testimony. The prosecution said there was no such evidence but agreed to provide any if it becomes available.
A third type of evidence, called Jencks Act evidence was requested by the defense and denied for now by the prosecution on the grounds that no such evidence exists until the trial starts. When witness testimony begins at trial, Jencks Act evidence would include any statements, written or oral, by a witness including grand jury testimony. There is a pre-trial conference set for July 23 and the jury trial begins August 18 before Judge Karen Caldwell.
11:45 update: The federal court online document program which has been down all morning has come back up. It looks like the defendants asked for two kinds of evidence and were granted access to one of them. The other, called Brady material, is evidence that might be beneficial to the defense and includes names of witnesses who have received immunity for their testimony. The prosecution said there was no such evidence but agreed to provide any if it becomes available.
A third type of evidence, called Jencks Act evidence was requested by the defense and denied for now by the prosecution on the grounds that no such evidence exists until the trial starts. When witness testimony begins at trial, Jencks Act evidence would include any statements, written or oral, by a witness including grand jury testimony. There is a pre-trial conference set for July 23 and the jury trial begins August 18 before Judge Karen Caldwell.
MSM wakes up to Kentucky pension issue
A good article in Business Lexington this morning addresses important issues about the state's public employee fringe benefits disaster.
Speaker Richards (or whoever winds up running the House next year) had better get serious about public employee compensation and bringing it more in line with what is available in the private sector.
"In a floor speech Monday, House Speaker Jody Richards tried to sound hopeful.
He said "the structural changes we are making will prevent the system from going bankrupt provided that future legislators have the will to fund the system at an actuarially acceptable level as statutorily required by this legislation." Then he added that "investment performance will need to be improved."
All that means if increasingly higher amounts of money are poured into public retirement funds each year, health-care costs don't get too far out of control and investment returns improve, the benefits system may not become insolvent. Insolvency would necessitate putting in even more taxpayer dollars.
Rogers is skeptical about the legislators' plan.
"That's crazy," he said. "That's no reform at all. Uncertainty like that would run my company out of business. Frankly, a well-funded defined contribution plan properly invested can provide much more retirement benefit to an employee than a company pension. There is a reason that virtually the entire private sector has converted to defined contribution plans and the public sector remains mired in the past."
Speaker Richards (or whoever winds up running the House next year) had better get serious about public employee compensation and bringing it more in line with what is available in the private sector.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Whiners and crybabies and economic growth
If the people who are ready to kill Phil Gramm would stop hyperventilating long enough to hear what he actually said, a lot of them would agree with him.
KY Libertarian Chair: better if Obama wins
Kentucky's Libertarian Party Chairman's message for Republicans who aren't happy with Sen. John McCain as their presidential nominee is similar to the official Republican Party statement: if you vote third-party, you elect Barack Obama.
The difference is that what Republicans says as a warning, Libertarians say with hope for a brighter future.
"Please support and vote for 3rd party and independent candidates," Ken Moellman, LPK Chair, said. "Tell your "hold your nose for McCain" friends that in the long run, it'll be better if Obama wins. Once the Republican Party starts consistently
losing by 4 or 5 points, they'll adopt the platform of the 3rd party
that's getting 5% or better of the vote; because at the end of the day,
political parties are about winning.
"And besides, it took a Jimmy Carter to give us Ronald Reagan," Moellman said.
Sen. Barack Obama had the single most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate in 2007, according to National Journal. He supports higher taxes, unprecedented federal intrusions into private business transactions, socialized medicine, and an amazing variety of extremist ideas you are just going to have to see to believe.
The difference is that what Republicans says as a warning, Libertarians say with hope for a brighter future.
"Please support and vote for 3rd party and independent candidates," Ken Moellman, LPK Chair, said. "Tell your "hold your nose for McCain" friends that in the long run, it'll be better if Obama wins. Once the Republican Party starts consistently
losing by 4 or 5 points, they'll adopt the platform of the 3rd party
that's getting 5% or better of the vote; because at the end of the day,
political parties are about winning.
"And besides, it took a Jimmy Carter to give us Ronald Reagan," Moellman said.
Sen. Barack Obama had the single most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate in 2007, according to National Journal. He supports higher taxes, unprecedented federal intrusions into private business transactions, socialized medicine, and an amazing variety of extremist ideas you are just going to have to see to believe.
Hillary Clinton won't go away
Sen. Hillary Clinton is selling t-shirts for $50 on the internet to pay off her campaign debt (to herself.)
She even says near the bottom of her email "by helping us pay down the debt from one of the hardest-fought races in Democratic primary history, you're making a real difference today for all our future efforts.
Wonder what she means by that?
Obama has to love this.
She even says near the bottom of her email "by helping us pay down the debt from one of the hardest-fought races in Democratic primary history, you're making a real difference today for all our future efforts.
Wonder what she means by that?
Obama has to love this.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Rumors and more
Got a copy of a goofy Fayette County Detention Center internal email. Here, see for yourself (click to read):
As funny as it is to see them getting worked up about rumors (imagine that, at the Lexington jail!), the hilarious part is that it is true.
This is how administration is going to fire Lt. Revel.
As funny as it is to see them getting worked up about rumors (imagine that, at the Lexington jail!), the hilarious part is that it is true.
This is how administration is going to fire Lt. Revel.
More Fayette jail cover-up craziness
As Mayor of Lexington, Teresa Isaac said and did some pretty strange things.
But even after hearing her threaten to condemn Lexington Mall and turn it into a softball field, would you ever believe she would vet her hiring of Fayette County Detention Center Director Ron Bishop through a phone call to a woman who runs a coalition of left-wing groups in Memphis, Tennessee?
From Isaac's deposition:
There are a couple of funny things about this: the "reporter" is Deborah Clubb, executive director of Memphis Area Women's Council. She used to be a "reporter" but when she was making excuses for Bishop's long line of issues she was, instead, a firmly entrenched left-wing group activist. Hadn't been a reporter for quite a while.
If Isaac would lie about this, what else might she lie about?
And if Bishop were a Republican rather than a well-connected Democrat, do you imagine these two feminists would be covering for him?
But even after hearing her threaten to condemn Lexington Mall and turn it into a softball field, would you ever believe she would vet her hiring of Fayette County Detention Center Director Ron Bishop through a phone call to a woman who runs a coalition of left-wing groups in Memphis, Tennessee?
From Isaac's deposition:
Isaac: (Bishop) had been a jailer before and he had worked in state government.
Question: Jailer where?
Isaac: I believe Memphis.
Q: High jailer or was he just a jail employee?
Isaac: I would not be able to recall without his file in front of me, but I did call a reporter for the Memphis Commercial Appeal and talked to her about what his tenure at the jail in Memphis had been.
Q: What did you find out?
Isaac: That there had been some issues that had come up but all of them had been resolved in his favor.
Q: What issues?
Isaac: I don't recall now.
Q: Sexual harassment?
Isaac: I truly don't recall now but I do remember calling the reporter from the Memphis Commercial Appeal and talking to her.
Q: What did the reporter mean that they had been resolved?
Isaac: I guess if there was some kind of an investigation that it came out it wasn't his fault.
There are a couple of funny things about this: the "reporter" is Deborah Clubb, executive director of Memphis Area Women's Council. She used to be a "reporter" but when she was making excuses for Bishop's long line of issues she was, instead, a firmly entrenched left-wing group activist. Hadn't been a reporter for quite a while.
If Isaac would lie about this, what else might she lie about?
And if Bishop were a Republican rather than a well-connected Democrat, do you imagine these two feminists would be covering for him?
Forget Japan; send Beshear to California
Enticing businesses to move from California to Kentucky may not be such a hard sell if a massive $9.7 billion tax increase goes through in Sacramento.
Saving a few dollars on Gov. Beshear's junkets overseas would be nice. Putting Kentucky in position to benefit from the disastrous tax policies of another state would really be great.
Of course, we need to look out for our own disastrous policies, not the least of which is the public employee benefits mess we still need to clean up.
Saving a few dollars on Gov. Beshear's junkets overseas would be nice. Putting Kentucky in position to benefit from the disastrous tax policies of another state would really be great.
Of course, we need to look out for our own disastrous policies, not the least of which is the public employee benefits mess we still need to clean up.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Coveting North Carolina's partisan rancor
North Carolina has a Democratic governor and Democratic majorities in its House and Senate.
And unlike Kentucky, it has Republicans in both chambers who are speaking out about the level of debt they are slathering on future generations of taxpayers because of profligate spending.
What's really interesting is that, since North Carolina is more than twice Kentucky's size, the amount of debt they are balking at is much smaller than that which sailed through Kentucky's legislature.
And unlike Kentucky, it has Republicans in both chambers who are speaking out about the level of debt they are slathering on future generations of taxpayers because of profligate spending.
What's really interesting is that, since North Carolina is more than twice Kentucky's size, the amount of debt they are balking at is much smaller than that which sailed through Kentucky's legislature.
Is the state lottery era almost over?
Anyone who made it past third grade math understands that buying a state lottery ticket is little more than a quick way to pay taxes.
So it is more than a little funny to see a university business professor in Virginia get upset enough to sue his state after learning that he was buying tickets with absolutely no chance of a big payoff.
Kentucky's Senate picked up on the idea to stop advertising the lottery to save money. While House Dems would have little of it, the idea is too good not to come back.
As ridiculous as it is to expect Kentuckians to go to the store and buy a lottery ticket because they saw a tv advertisement, it is foolish to expect lottery revenues to keep fueling our big spenders forever.
Probably not a bad idea to assume the Virginia lawsuit marks the beginning of the end for state lotteries.
Either way though, we should seriously reconsider placing so much confidence in such a bad bet. Wouldn't it be better to eliminate business taxes and watch the economic growth expand opportunity in the state?
So it is more than a little funny to see a university business professor in Virginia get upset enough to sue his state after learning that he was buying tickets with absolutely no chance of a big payoff.
Kentucky's Senate picked up on the idea to stop advertising the lottery to save money. While House Dems would have little of it, the idea is too good not to come back.
As ridiculous as it is to expect Kentuckians to go to the store and buy a lottery ticket because they saw a tv advertisement, it is foolish to expect lottery revenues to keep fueling our big spenders forever.
Probably not a bad idea to assume the Virginia lawsuit marks the beginning of the end for state lotteries.
Either way though, we should seriously reconsider placing so much confidence in such a bad bet. Wouldn't it be better to eliminate business taxes and watch the economic growth expand opportunity in the state?
How about another price fixing scheme?
From the same people who caused your food prices to explode while trying to lower your gasoline prices, we now have expressions of concern about college education costs.
Last year's big idea from the General Assembly was freezing tuition increases.
“Something's got to happen,” said Richard A. Crofts, the interim president of the state Council on Postsecondary Education.
“It can't continue, and we're going to have to develop a plan,” he said.
Last year's big idea from the General Assembly was freezing tuition increases.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Big week coming up for Fayette jail defendants
Attorneys for the five indicted Fayette jail employees in the inmate abuse scandal will be back in US District Court Friday trying to get their hands on the evidence against their clients.
Federal prosecutors are fighting the effort.
Before that battle, though, intense speculation surrounds a Wednesday morning hearing in the same courtroom for three "sealed defendants." If those defendants turn out to be Fayette jail employees who have agreed to testify against the five indictees, this story will quickly become very difficult to ignore.
Same goes for this story.
Federal prosecutors are fighting the effort.
Before that battle, though, intense speculation surrounds a Wednesday morning hearing in the same courtroom for three "sealed defendants." If those defendants turn out to be Fayette jail employees who have agreed to testify against the five indictees, this story will quickly become very difficult to ignore.
Same goes for this story.
Doing something about gas prices
A new bill pre-filed today will allow people to drive electric cars on some Kentucky roads.
If you go to KentuckyVotes.org and sign up for daily updates, you will get information about all the new bills as they are filed.
If you go to KentuckyVotes.org and sign up for daily updates, you will get information about all the new bills as they are filed.
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