More proof Kentucky turning into France

This should help make the case for cutting out state welfare for Kentucky newspapers. Specifically, Kentucky must immediately stop forcing government agencies to buy newspaper advertising for public announcements. As a fine example of what this kind of cronyism can lead to, France is pulling out all the stops to bail out their dead tree media:

Thanks to Andy Roth at the national Club for Growth (not to be confused with the Kentucky Club) for passing this along.

Dead Chinese student roils Lexington jail

Federal investigators appear to be digging deeply into Fayette County Detention Center Corporal Charlotte Trotter's role in the suspicious death of a University of Kentucky doctoral student named Dong Zhang back on June 22, 2004 at the jail.

FCDC Director Ron Bishop doesn't want you to know about this. Neither, one assumes, does the Lexington Herald Leader.

(Also, I'd really like to know why college students all over the world are coming to this site via Google to read about Dong Zhang. Will someone please tell me?)

Are Beshear and Newberry on same page?

The World Equestrian Games is shaping up to be a massive taxpayer soaking.

Even if the 2010 event in Lexington goes well, it will be much more expensive than we are being lead to believe. If it gets ugly -- and it looks pretty ugly now -- it will be very embarrassing as well as costly.

We need some public assurances that organizers know what they are doing. Maybe we should get Gov. Steve Beshear and Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry in separate rooms and see who gives up the other one first.

Finally, an optimist!

Don't let them fool you: opportunities are plentiful in a recession. Fortunes will be made buying distressed assets from distressed owners. Stronger manufacturers and service providers will emerge as inefficient ones find other things to do better.

And, on the flip side, big-government politicians will use general feelings of uncertainty to increase their own power.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford will have none of that, though. He says he is actually having fun right-sizing government in the current environment.

From Stateline.org:

Changing the world one tweet at a time

People keep telling me twitter.com is the next big thing on the internet and I'm not at all sure they are wrong.

If you twitter, you can follow me here. Or at least you can click on the links. You might want to follow this one as well.

Will media miss this story, too?

If someone affiliated with free markets, smaller government, or conservative causes like lower taxes and less government spending provided evidence that supported an opposing point of view, the mainstream media would be all over it.

But what would happen if a University of Kentucky professor concluded from an academic study that school choice innovations such as private school vouchers, charter schools, and special needs scholarships would improve education in the state?

See for yourself.

Where's outrage for gun gouging?

In today's Frankfort State-Journal, Mike Sloan, the owner of Mike's Guns, Archery, and Pawn, is quoted saying that as the threat of an Obama presidency became increasingly likely gun sales skyrocketed and prices of weapons and ammunition increased.

This news comes on the same day Attorney General Jack Conway announced the results of his ridiculous gasoline price gouging investigation.

Unsurprisingly, the laws of supply and demand for gasoline -- and the subsequent government saber-rattling -- get all the attention.

Go figure.

As Minnesota zigs, Kentucky should zag

Politicos in Minnesota are talking about a bill likely to be filed in coming days that would automatically provide public assistance recipients moving to that state from other states the same benefits they received in their previous home.

Sounds like a great way to speed up the financial destruction of a state, doesn't it?

With the growing possibility of Californians on the dole fleeing a state unable to make cash assistance payments, doesn't it make sense that Kentucky should do something to protect itself from another influx of people with their hands out?

I mean, if we try to fit too many people on a life raft, we risk drowning everyone, don't we?

Another weak excuse goes down the drain

Can't find a job? Then you might want to go ahead and start a business.

Secretary of State Trey Grayson just made getting started a little easier by allowing new business owners to file state paperwork for a new business on the internet.

"This new service will save companies time and money," Grayson said. "By tearing down the bureaucratic red tape of state government, we hope this will encourage other entrepreneurs to start their businesses in Kentucky."

All you have to do is come up with a great idea for a new business, click the "FastTrack" button on here, and get to work.

That way, eventually, you won't have to worry so much about the state blowing up its unemployment fund or the welfare recipients escaping California or Illinois to come raid your state tax dollars.

Cover your own Newberry, please

A link to this post has been burning up the email circuit. It sparked an interesting conversation last night. First, this came in from a Lexington television reporter:

Minutes later came this response from a reader in San Diego some central Kentuckians will recognize (click the image to expand it):

Are we ready for school vouchers?

As Frankfort politicians play their high-stakes game of chicken between spending cuts and tax increases, it's at least worth mentioning that school vouchers could save a lot of money.

And vouchers would likely improve educational outcomes in Kentucky more than just about any policy change.

Here's the latest from The Manhattan Institute:

Read the rest here. I'm open to better ideas. Anyone?

Still throwing rocks at government watchdogs

House Speaker Greg Stumbo has expressed openness to killing the Kentucky Department of Education's discredited CATS program.

This would put him on the same side of the issue as Senate President David Williams.

But protectors of the status quo have, instead of making a case for the efficacy of their programs, made a habit of taking potshots at The Bluegrass Institute and anyone else who dares to threaten their base of power.

Take, for instance, this anonymous jab at The Institute on The Prichard Committee's new blog.

The Bluegrass Institute has tried for years to engage KDE sycophants like Prichard Committee in a meaningful debate.

Rip Van Bishop: "Thanks for wake-up call!"

Fayette County Detention Center Director Ron Bishop knows that when you put yourself in hot water and the heat gets turned up, it's time to dance.

He's dancing. Bishop said:

"In 2004, shortly after I became Director, I requested the audit of all three accounts covered by this audit report in order to ensure that all assets were accounted for and to identify practices and policies that needed improvement. The Prisoner Account Fund and Community Alternative Progam accounts were audited but the Phone Account was not. Therefore, I welcome the recommendations contained in the current audit report."

Guess where all the problems were found? The one area, Phone Account, that wasn't audited. Anyone else wondering why he didn't bother to check into that for five years rather than apparently sleeping on it? If you know the answer, call the FBI. That's one of the things they are trying to figure out.

The audit report Bishop mentions touches on financial mismanagement issues at the heart of an ongoing federal investigation into the activities of former Senior Administrative Officer Don Leach. Bishop might be setting himself up for some follow-up conversations.

"We have not seen any evidence that funds were spent for inappropriate purchases during the audit period or that assets were misused," Bishop said.

The audit, however, states:

"We noted several Memorandums of Agreement between Cottrell Consulting and Community Corrections were executed by the Director of Community Corrections. The LFUCG Charter specifically states that the Mayor shall sign all written contracts or obligations of LFUCG. In addition, interviews with Community Corrections personnel indicate that Community Corrections did not follow the Request for Proposal process when a $120,000 project was awarded to Cottrell via Memorandum of Agreement in October 2005. This is a violation of CAO Policy #1."

Didn't see that in The Lexington Herald Leader.

Expect to hear more about the jail's "phone account."

Lexington has to do better next time

Multiple sources confirmed tonight Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry plans to announce soon he will not run for re-election.

Newberry has been buried by controversy surrounding the CenterPointe development, scandals at the Lexington Airport and at the Lexington jail, his mishandling of the World Equestrian Games, public pensions, etc.

What a mess. So, who's next?

-------------------
Wednesday morning Update:

Did I mention that I really get a kick out of politicians who insist they never read blogs?

Obama honeymoon already over for KY Dems

An out-of-state political consultant says a group of very high profile Kentucky Democrats is setting up a plan to primary Congressman Ben Chandler in 2010, hoping they can score points against him for endorsing Barack Obama in 2008.

Look Mom, four year old bogus school data!

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is the foremost apologist for propping up Kentucky's public school bureaucracy and now they have a blog.

It is very telling that the first graph printed on Prichard's blog provides one example of several data points debunked by Bluegrass Institute Education Analyst Richard Innes fifteen months ago, yet held up as gospel by Prichard even today.

Expect breathless rehashing of Prichard's posts very soon in The Lexington Herald Leader and The Louisville Courier Journal.

Something stinks in Lexington

The Lexington Herald Leader's story about a city audit of the Fayette County Detention Center keeps raising more questions than it answers.

The following passage has been added to the newspaper story:

If the audit was dated Wednesday, then why was Susan Straub telling reporters on Tuesday afternoon that it wouldn't be ready for weeks?

And why hasn't the report been posted to the city's web site now, if it has been available for six days?

Sources report federal investigators looking into how the city has handled multiple issues at the jail are not amused by these discrepancies.

Jumping off Bunning's frying pan into the fire?

Off-season talk about knocking Sen. Jim Bunning into retirement from public office is coming from both sides of the aisle. One thought to consider before Attorney General Jack Conway starts looking for a Virginia realtor: five of the seven new Democratic U.S. Senators in their election campaigns were against the bank bailout. Days after getting cozy in their new, warm offices, the magically became in favor of it.

If Bruce Lunsford had replaced Sen. Mitch McConnell earlier this month, can there be any question that the figure would have been six of eight?

Expanded think tank role for KP publisher

The Bluegrass Institute will announce soon expanding the role of Kentucky Votes Director and Bluegrass Policy Blog lead blogger David Adams to include the duties of Grassroots Coordinator.

"I'll be meeting with individuals across the state to organize and expand efforts to promote greater freedom and prosperity for all Kentuckians. It's part of the Institute's effort to build on its past successes by turning up the heat on public officials who misuse their power to hold Kentucky back economically," Adams said.

The Bluegrass Institute's main initiatives include lowering taxes, improving government transparency, eliminating policies that hurt Kentucky's competitiveness, and getting a better return on Kentucky's public investments in education.

The Bluegrass Institute's web sites include Kentucky Votes, Bluegrass Policy Blog, and Freedom Kentucky.

Bad news travels fast in internet age

Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry has told people in his administration not to talk to me. With more and more people getting their news from the internet, it is probably not a bad strategy to try to keep me in the dark. There is evidence to suggest, however, that it isn't working: