Running amok on heating subsidies

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities tried yesterday to make the case for jacking up taxpayer subsidies for heating expenses for low-income Americans. They are upset that President Bush is talking about a veto for a new $2.5 billion for LIHEAP, complaining that an expected 40% increase in home heating costs will cause widespread hardship.

Right. And creating billions more dollars of artificial demand each year will ensure that those huge cost increases keep coming. Then we will have more and more people depending on the government to heat their homes and will need higher and higher taxes to pay for our socialized heat.

Around and around we go...

Now THIS is a great idea

The Ohio Institute is going to put political candidates on the spot if they don't support government transparency:

"A Pledge for Transparency and Accountability in Government will be distributed to all candidates for elective office, at all levels of government, from townships and school districts to the General Assembly. It asks that candidates acknowledge the importance of Internet availability, the legal basis of transparency in the stateand federal constitutions, and the use of practical, current technology, such as searchable databases and relevant cross links."

Kentucky needs spending transparency and, while we are at it, we need to put government notices online.

Clock running out on Fayette jail defendants

Sources report at least two of the four defendants in the Fayette jail inmate abuse scandal will have their employment with the city of Lexington terminated.

In a sane world, this would beg the question of why they continue to leave whistleblower John Vest twisting in the wind after almost two years while they are figuring out quickly how to deal with the people on whom he blew the whistle.

5:13 pm UPDATE: CWA Local 3372 President Joey McCarty confirmed that all four defendants still employed by FCDC -- John McQueen, Clarence McCoy, Kristine Lafoe, and Anthony Estep got letters last week giving them seven days to decide if they wanted to resign or be fired.

Chandler: say little, do nothing

Sage campaign advice from Congressman Ben Chandler in Ryan Alessi's column this morning says it all:

"It's so basic," Chandler said. "That's what the Democrats did in the 2006 elections -- they just talked about change and a new direction and they didn't really say much about anything else."

McCain offers VP advice to Obama

In a radio address Sen. John McCain is going to deliver today, he will suggest that Sen. Barack Obama "should consider someone with a knack for brevity and directness, to balance the ticket."

Here is his speech:

"Good morning, I'm John McCain. As you may know, the Democratic National Convention is just a couple of weeks away. It was four years ago, at the same gathering, that America heard a fine speech from an Illinois state senator named Barack Obama. He's done pretty well for himself since then. And the smart money in Denver is on another celebrated performance."

"But even the most stirring speeches are easily forgotten when they're short on content. Taking in my opponent's performances is a little like watching a big summer blockbuster, and an hour in realizing that all the best scenes were in the trailer you saw last fall. In the way of running mates, Senator Obama should consider someone with a knack for brevity and directness, to balance the ticket."

"In the meantime, let me take a stab at a plot summary of the Obama campaign: America is finally winning in Iraq, and he wants to forfeit. Government is too big, and he wants to grow it. Taxes are too high, and he wants to raise them. Congress spends too much, and he proposes more. We need more energy, and he's against producing it."

"Energy in particular seems to confound Senator Obama, because if there is any problem that can't be solved by words alone it's America's need for secure and affordable energy supplies. So far, he's managed to come up with an energy plan that's so timid only OPEC and a few interest groups in his own party are happy with it. And this week, Senator Obama set about correcting that impression."

"First there was his call for Americans to check their tires -- which is commonsense advice, but hardly has the makings of a national energy strategy. If we can't drill our way out of the problem, it seems even more unlikely that we can inflate our way out of it."

"Next came Senator Obama's mention of offshore drilling -- formerly known in the Obama campaign as a "gimmick" and a "scheme." As more people notice that his answer to most every form of energy production is "no," my opponent tried to simulate a "yes." He pledges a vague willingness to possibly consider limited drilling as part of some hypothetical compromise at an undetermined date. Careful listeners are still waiting for an actual commitment to offshore drilling."

"Apparently, Senator Obama was trying to get credit for changing his mind on drilling, without actually changing his position against drilling. This was the rare case of a politician actually hoping to be accused of a flip-flop. But even that would be giving Senator Obama's energy plan too much credit. As of today, he still has no plan to produce more oil by drilling offshore. And my opponent's most memorable flip-flop remains his frequent criticism of the Bush-Cheney energy policy, despite voting for the Bush-Cheney energy bill in 2005 -- a bill I opposed and voted against."

"Finally, Senator Obama proposed to release oil from our nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. For those keeping track, this comes exactly a month after he said he was firmly against using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve."

"A serious energy plan involves a lot more yes's than no's. And that is why I say yes to drilling, here and now. Yes to 45 more nuclear power plants to provide our country with electricity. Yes to clean coal technology, so that we can create jobs and use America's most abundant resource. Yes to renewable energy sources, so that we can shift away from petroleum over the long term. Yes to a break from the federal gasoline tax, so that our government helps you in a time of need instead of just adding to your costs. In short, yes to all of the above -- to a bold plan for achieving energy independence that starts today."

"Regaining control over the cost and supply of energy in America will not be easy, and it won't happen quickly. But no challenge to our economy and security is more urgent. And you have my pledge that if I am president, we're going to get it done. Thanks for listening."

Frankfort's big taxers get one more worry

I just got my first post up as a new contributor to the National Taxpayers Union. Hoping to shine a little extra light on the goings-on here in Kentucky.

Please check it out.

See no surplus, hear no surplus, speak no surplus

Remember earlier in the year when the media dutifully reported state government revenue statistics each month in the run-up to the Great Depression of 2008 as an opportunity to talk about how dire our revenue situation was and how badly we needed tax increases?

Have you wondered where that dutiful reportage went the last two months?

See this.

Taxing our way to prosperity still not working

A Tax Foundation study out today shows that in 2008, citizens of twenty four states pay a higher portion of their income than Kentuckians do. The same report, though, shows that only four states have a larger discrepancy between state rank for tax burden (25) and per capita income (47).

Neighboring Tennessee has the eighth lowest tax burden in the nation and a per capita income $3751 higher than Kentucky's. It seems that if Kentucky wants its citizens to earn income like its neighbors to the south do, it will resist raising taxes and may do well to consider eliminating all income taxes.

"Grab your wallets" alert in Frankfort

The Joint Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education is meeting Monday morning to discuss how to make college more affordable in Kentucky.

Whither the ink-stained wretches?

Found an extraordinary newspaper industry blog post with even more extraordinary comments attached about the current state of affairs in the newspaper industry.

Fascinating read.

The way people get their information and what they do with it is changing rapidly.

Meanwhile, some people at the Lexington Herald Leader are busily rearranging deck chairs:

Cutting welfare abuse gets a boost

Rep. Lonnie Napier is still stirring up support for stopping drug abusers from also abusing Kentucky's welfare system.

Chandler caves in?

Speaking to a Madison County forum tonight in Richmond, WLAP's Leland Conway said a staffer for Congressman Ben Chandler told him the Congressman is ready to vote to drill for oil.

Vanity alert in McCain and Obama-land

Just realized I got quoted in the Washington Post today in a story about Sen. John McCain's campaign using "AstroTurf".

"Another political blogger, David Adams, who runs Kentucky-centric Kyprogress.org, was unaware that McCain's campaign had listed his site as a target for comments until he was told about it by a reporter Friday. He questioned how much good such messages would do in any case. Kentucky, he points out, is a solidly Republican state that probably will vote overwhelmingly for McCain in the fall."

""Our eight votes are going to McCain no matter what he or Barack Obama says," Adams said of the electoral college."

McCain still considers me an "other." And that reminds me, I'm headed off to Richmond for a forum on what "conservatism" means.

Hurry up those Kentucky tax cuts

Rumors continue to swirl about Gov. Steve Beshear calling a special session after the November election to raise Kentucky taxes. This will be another Beshear screw-up. Not only will the Senate not let him do it, but it would have a horrible impact on our fiscal health.

What we really need to do is cut taxes.

A Forbes magazine list of the fastest-dying cities in America should serve as a jolt back to reality for those who want to keep making government bigger:

"Where's it worst? Ohio, according to our analysis, which racked up four of the 10 cities on our list: Youngstown, Canton, Dayton and Cleveland. The runner-up is Michigan, with two cities--Detroit and Flint--making the ranking."

This should have a sobering effect on Kentuckians, given that another new study shows Michigan and Ohio both more business-friendly for manufacturers.

Just a question

On Saturday, October 25, nearly 60,000 southerners will congregate in Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky to watch the Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Kentucky Wildcats in a game of football.

If Barack Obama shows up to wave at the crowd and perhaps mutter a few generalities, will the media ignore the game and report on the tens of thousands of screaming fans who turned out to express repentance for their formerly racist ways?

Who do you think you're fooling, Skippy?

Governor Steve Beshear's effort to keep hiding the state's checkbook from taxpayers took an odd twist tonight involving Finance and Administration Cabinet Secretary Jonathan "Skippy" Miller.

Miller was apparently so exhausted from his first e-transparency task force meeting on June 19th that he couldn't manage to have another one until September 2nd. That, of course, is when Secretary of State Trey Grayson, the leading state official on government transparency, will be in Minneapolis for the Republican National Convention.

Miller told WHAS reporter Mark Hebert that he didn't know when the GOP convention was. Skippy has lived and breathed politics his entire life. There is no way he didn't know when the convention was.

Beshear could have enacted this months ago. It's way past time to quit screwing around.

David Boswell wants to be Moveon.org's boy

Sen. David Boswell is desperate to get out of the state Senate this year so he can maximize his state pension. He even tried to run for governor, but never got that off the ground.

Now he is trying to get outside groups to fund his flagging congressional campaign against Sen. Brett Guthrie. From the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer today:

"Boswell is still attempting to tap into Democratic donors from national organizations and from outside the district and planning a fundraiser featuring former U.S. Senator and governor Wendell Ford and U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader in the U.S. House."

You can find Rep. Steny Hoyer's name on an online petition put out by Rep. Eric Cantor to urge Hoyer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to get serious about addressing gas prices. Boswell isn't about to cross Pelosi and Hoyer while he is trying to get money out of them.

"Boswell doubted whether action on the issue was needed before the U.S. House is set to reconvene on Sept. 8."

""I think it can probably wait until the recess is over," Boswell said."

Draud still spinning, media still buying it

Education Commissioner Jon Draud told The Louisville Courier Journal's Toni Konz that he isn't going to ask for a raise six months into his job.

How magnanimous of him, especially considering that the General Assembly slipped him an extra $40,000 this spring.

Tax reform for working Kentuckians

Rep. Bill Farmer is working on a bill to repeal all Kentucky income taxes.

It isn't what they are trying to do in Massachusetts, but would involve expanding and raising sales taxes in an effort to keep revenues where they are now.

It would be a serious step in the right direction.

Hurricane Grayson: Beshear ducks and covers

Gov. Steve Beshear already embarrassed himself trying to get out in front of Secretary of State Trey Grayson's spending transparency initiative back in June, despite his dithering for six months. And he obviously heard the chants at Fancy Farm for Grayson to run against him in 2011.

So it comes as no surprise to learn Beshear has scheduled the next meeting of the E-Transparency Task Force for September 2nd, when Grayson is away at the Republican National Convention.

It would be a lot easier to take Gov. Beshear seriously about his desire to show the public what state government has been hiding all these years if the meeting he is slipping in while Grayson is unavailable were not the first one since June 19th.

Pitiful display, Gov. Beshear.