Bad news, Bishop

Fayette County Detention Center Director Ron Bishop has been trying for two and a half years to get rid of federal whistleblower Cpl. John Vest.

For some strange reason, Bishop thought he had his big chance recently when a career small time criminal busted in Vest's home, only to be thrown to the sidewalk and chased off by Vest.

The criminal went downtown and filed assault charges on Vest. Bishop seemed to think this would allow him to fire Vest legitimately after trying repeatedly to do so illegitimately.

But the charges against Vest were dismissed with prejudice Tuesday.

Bishop has failed repeatedly in his efforts to escape from a big civil lawsuit that also has Mayor Jim Newberry and candidate Teresa Isaac sweating.

Mr. Obama, tear down your campaign web site!

As President Barack Obama addresses the nation tonight, it might be worthwhile to look at some of the promises he made before the election that didn't make it passed his first bill.

Bunning: Williams owes me $30,000

Senator Jim Bunning said KY Senate President David Williams came to him last year and asked for financial help for the campaigns of Sen. Jack Westwood and Sen. Ken Winters. Bunning said he got a promise the money would be repaid.

"David Williams owes me $30,000," Bunning said.

Who are you and what did you do with KY Senate President David Williams?

A month ago, we had a Kentucky state Senate determined to hold the line on taxes and a House minority that usually showed evidence of a spine.

Or so we thought.

Now, we have an army of tax raisers. And don't you dare call the tax raisers tax raisers or one of the tax raisers will let you hear about it.

House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover is someone I have always liked and respected. This is probably about as confrontational as he is going to get in defense of his bad votes.

But now Senate President David Williams is going to come to my county this weekend to a Lincoln Day dinner. This comes after raiding the employee health fund of $50 million and raising taxes that, a month ago, I would have sworn that he understood wouldn't solve anything. It's easier to make the case, in fact, that the tax increases and the health fund raid may make things worse because, as in the case of the federal bailout that is on the way, the money has already been spent. Having failed to discipline ourselves this time, how much worse do you think it will be next time around?

Williams has also filed a bill to take executive branch power away from the executive branch and entrust it to the legislative branch. Can't imagine why anyone other than Greg Stumbo would think that is a good idea now.

Where's the rest of the cavalry?

Secretary of State Trey Grayson has just issued the following statement in support of Senator Jim Bunning:

"Recent news reports change nothing about the US Senate race as I am concerned," Grayson said. "Senator Bunning is a friend and mentor. As I have mentoned before, if he were to decide not to run, I would be keenly interested in the race. Senator Bunning has said that he is running, and I take him at his word. I am not planning a primary."

Mr. Tax Raiser, where are you?

Casey County Republicans report Taxpayer Protection Pledge breaker Sen. Vernie McGaha failed to show up for last Friday's Lincoln Day Dinner.

Wonder if any other Senate Republicans are getting nervous about keeping their speaking engagements?

Thank you, Uncle Albert

This looks like a great idea. The Organizer-In-Chief wants us to "thank" our representatives for voting for the latest bailout scheme for those running our state and local governments into the ground.

I think I will do just that.

Just wondering

When Rep. Ben Chandler ran for governor in 2003, he refused to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, calling it a stunt. When he ran for Congress the following year, he quickly promised never to vote for a tax increase. He has broken that promise many times.

It will be interesting to see if Sen. David Williams signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge prior to running for the U.S. Senate.

David Williams running for U.S. Senate

(2/23 10:30 am update: Williams denies making calls to members of the House and says he will make a statement about his plans soon.)

State Senate President David Williams is making calls to members of the state House drumming up support for what had been only a possible run for the United States Senate seat currently held by Sen. Jim Bunning.

Hmmmm....

Same as the last corruption

Please help spread the word about this.

Apology to Rep. Joe Fischer

In one of my other day jobs, I write for the Bluegrass Policy Blog. It was just brought to my attention that I left Rep. Joe Fischer off a list of legislators worthy of appreciation for voting in the best interests of taxpayers.

Sorry, Rep. Fischer. I fixed it here.

Having it both ways in Frankfort

Don't let President Barack Obama see this.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear offers some sensible advice to Kentuckians about managing their personal finances (below), but if we all follow it and stop financing our lifestyles with debt, jobs will be lost. Like in the car industry and the government sector.

And we know Pres. Obama is all about saving, and "creating," jobs.

Can't get criminals away from Lex. jail

Disgraced, audited, and mail order educated former Lexington jail administrator Don Leach has been calling the Fayette County Detention Center to tell his buddies how to get Lexington taxpayers to pay them to go to upcoming American Jailers Association conferences.

Hey Don: what do you think about Teresa Isaac running for mayor again?

Why do we let this stupidity persist?

Kentucky's practice of providing health insurance benefits for retired state and local government workers under 65 has to go.

Kentucky's $8.9 billion in unfunded health insurance liabilities for public retirees can't be made to go away quickly, but the practice of offering these benefits should be phased out as soon as possible.

The Commonwealth ranks 8th in the nation in per capita unfunded health insurance liabilities for public retirees. That is especially bad when it is considered that we are 42nd in per capita income and that all of the states with higher unfunded liabilities have more money than we do.

In other words, we are the single most unprepared state in the nation in terms of ability to dole out overly rich benefits to public employees. But we are doing it anyway.

Funny neither of the major newspapers in the state picked up on this story this week right after we raided the same fund of $50 million. But I guess we should be used to it by now.

SC Governor calls a spade a spade

Here's yet another reason to wish Kentucky had another state's governor.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is the reason Pres. Barack Obama's bailout of the cities and states included a provision essentially prohibiting governors from refusing to accept the "stimulus" money. South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn slipped that into the bill when Sanford was trying to explain that it was a bad deal for everyone.

Now, Clyburn says Sanford is against wasteful spending because he hates black people:

""The governor of Louisiana expressed opposition. Has the highest African-American population in the country. Governor of Mississippi expressed opposition. The governor of Texas, and the governor of South Carolina. These four governor's represent states that are in the black belt. I was insulted by that," Clyburn said. "All of this was a slap in the face of African-Americans. It had nothing to do with Governor Sanford.""

Sanford's response, through a spokesman, was fantastic:

""Representative Clyburn is no stranger to playing the race card, because he has no defense for the runaway spending and the deficits contained in this so-called stimulus bil that will hurt our economy. Spending money at the federal level that we do not have represents a future tax increase on all South Carolinians, regardless of their color - and in the process of doing so, he's ripping off everyone he claims to represent.""

Our own Gov. Beshear is eagerly awaiting the money with no apparent concern for the future.

Uh, no

It's not hard to blame Republicans in power since 2000 for giving us Democrats who make insane stuff like this our new reality.

What a dying political career looks like

Someone in Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry's office wanted to see if his recent Fox News appearance garnered any good press.

Google says no.
Newberry still hasn't announced his plans for re-election. Hope this helps. Then he can concentrate on fending off a certain lawsuit.

Where is Ben Chandler today?

Rep. Ben Chandler doesn't want you to know he is quietly urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi not to call up a bill that would force unionization on private businesses.

President Barack Obama campaigned hard for so-called card check legislation, his ACORN buddies are on board, and the union officials who fund Chandler's campaigns are counting on his support.

Everyone else? Not so much.

Here is video from a card check debate between Kentucky AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan and Kentucky Club for Growth Chairman Warren Rogers.



In other news, Chandler was against the bailouts before he was for them.

Someone has to say it

"Kentucky isn't like California."

How many times has a Bluegrass state native heard that? It used to be a putdown of Kentucky since, years ago, everything cool happened in California first and then we got it about ten years later.

But then California started going for every new left-wing crackpot idea under the sun. They have greened themselves, and taxed themselves, and spent themselves to the edge of fiscal disaster. Being unlike California has become a badge of honor.

Maybe, just maybe, circumstances are about to put us in a position where we go back to looking up to California again.

Now the only thing standing between Californians and the largest state tax increase in history ($14 billion and counting, tax increases are never "enough") is the state's small group of Senate Republicans.

We had a similar opportunity come up in Kentucky last week, but we aren't like California.

And now, California Senate Republicans have ousted their caucus leader for going along with the tax increasers. California big spenders are going to have to get with the cost-cutting program, it appears. And the sooner they do, the better. But we aren't like California.

Indeed, we aren't. More of our Senate Republicans went for the tax increases and the pension raid last week than went against them. Whisperings of efforts to run primary opponents against Republican taxers and raiders are starting to be heard.

Stay tuned...

Kiss that money goodbye!

The Louisville Courier Journal reports the Kentucky Department of Education will receive a $305 million federal bailout.

The schools' MUNIS accounting system is such a mess no one is going to be able to account for this money. That should stimulate someone to action in Frankfort or Washington D.C., but I'm not holding my breath.