Is honest transparency a political winner?

It's too early to tell what Gov. Steve Beshear's cynical approach to government spending transparency will cost him politically. Conventional wisdom certainly would suggest that simple lack of awareness will continue to allow him to get away with yet another broken campaign promise.

But if really Louisville rolls out a taxpayer's checkbook web site this summer that shows where the money is going and Beshear continues the shucking and jiving, the stark contrast might attract attention.

If Councilman Ken Fleming's obvious pride in leading Louisville toward openness and better taxpayer service is any indication, this issue isn't going away.

What happens when everything is a casino?

West Virginia's legislature on Friday sent a bill to their governor that would expand casino dependency past race tracks and on to a bankrupt resort in order to "save" it.

How long till they set up casinos at all the libraries and DMV offices to fund them? Is this getting a little ridiculous for anyone yet?

Rolling through Richmond

Thanks to everyone who participated in a great Tea Party event in Richmond on Saturday!

I'll be back in Madison County on Wednesday, April 15 and in Fayette County the same day to speak to mid-day courthouse crowds. Hope to see you there.

Thanks to the Richmond Register!

It's great to see the Richmond Register newspaper promoting today's Tea Party in Richmond.

Leland Conway speaks to GOP breakfast

Since LBJ declared war on poverty in the 1960's we have spent more than $12 trillion on that effort and have seen the number of people in poverty increase."

"Ignorance is not the same thing as stupidity. Most people think like we do, they just don't know it."

"I think Americans by and large still believe in a culture of life and liberty."

"On Wednesday we will have another Tea Party downtown in Lexington and next Saturday we will have another one at Applebee's Ball Park. Some people are saying 'I thought they already had one in Lexington.' We did. And we will have another and another and and another and another until the politicians in Frankfort and Washington D.C. get the message."

"I believe in the depths of my soul this nation has a special purpose and that purpose is Liberty."

"Our nation was not meant to go down in socialism."

Stan Lee speaks about 2009 General Assembly

"In the midst of a recession, we voted to raise taxes on Kentuckians nearly $300 million."

"We passed a $1.2 billion road plan with over $600 million in new debt."

Rep. Lee mentioned that repealing prevailing wage would have saved the state "more than $120 million a year."

Said SB 1 was the most important bill passed in the General Assembly.

"We came back to Frankfort in June of 2008 to fix the problem of pensions. Then just a few months later we backed off of the little bit of good that we did in that Special Session."

"All the businesses who said 'stick it to alcohol and tobacco,' your business is next because we're coming back in June."

How media misreports government overspending

The state reported Friday morning that General Fund revenues are higher for March and for the first nine months of the current fiscal year.

That would seem to contradict the politicians' claims of revenue shortfall, wouldn't it? Well, you'd never get the idea that spending to much (rather than taxing us too little) is the problem if you depend on the Lexington Herald Leader and Louisville Courier Journal for your news.






Seeing words like "no growth" and "flat," one might get the mistaken impression that revenues have not continued to climb.

Try instead the Bluegrass Policy Blog, which got it right and even did the math for you. Click here to read the story on the Bluegrass Policy Blog.

Taking Richmond by storm

The Richmond Tea Party for Saturday, April 11, is all set. Should be a great time. Details are here. Check back for video coverage.

I am convinced that the key to these events is setting them up two at a time and to always be promoting the next event. A follow-up to Saturday's Richmond Tea Party will come next Wednesday, April 15 at noon at the Madison County courthouse.

Local political figures Kent Clark, Ed Worley, and Harry Moberly are NOT expected to attend.

Irony escapes another industry in transition

The Radio-Television News Directors Association gave WHAS11 in Louisville its prestigious Edward R. Murrow Investigative Reporting Award for covering a story we all read about first and best on PageOneKentucky blog.

Hoping for better from Karem

After failing to place a top teachers union official on the state school board last month, Gov. Steve Beshear appointed Thursday one of the authors of the Kentucky Education Reform Act, former Sen. David Karem.

With the end of CATS testing, Kentucky is headed in a new direction toward greater accountability in our schools. Hope Karem works with us and not against us.

While Kentucky sinks deeper into debt

Kentucky's debt problem is Frankfort's big secret. Meanwhile, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford keeps fighting back.

Doesn't stand for "fantastic"

The National Taxpayers Union released Thursday it's latest Congressional report card for tax and spending votes. Rep. Ben Chandler earned his fifth straight "F" grade.


Sen. Jim Bunning earned one of only nine "A" grades in the Senate. Read the whole report here.

Obama the Restructurer

The White House announced Thursday a plan to buy up thousands of cars for the federal government's fleet.

"I will continue to ensure that we are working to support the American auto industry during this difficult period of restructuring," President Barack Obama said.

While Obama continues "ensuring" with our money, of course, necessary restructuring is unnecessarily -- and expensively -- delayed.

Kentucky Tea Party List

I think this is all of them up to the April 15 events. Then comes the one at Applebee's Park in Lexington on April 18.


APRIL 11TH:

City: Richmond, KY
When: April 11, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Where: 128 Big Hill Ave
Notes: Event at Wallingford Broadcasting, parking across the street

=================

APRIL 15TH:

City: Bowling Green, KY
When: April 15, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: 455 E. Main St.
Notes: Rally at Fountain Square Park and then proceed to the Warren County Justice Center.

————-

City: Elizabethtown, KY
When: April 15, 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Where: Downtown Public Square
Website: http://www.hardincoteaparty.com/home

————-

City: Frankfort, KY
When: April 15, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: Capitol Building, Front Steps

————-

City: Lexington, KY
When: April 15, 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where: Fayette County Courthouse

————-

City: Louisville, KY
When: April 15, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Where: Jefferson Square, 6th and Jefferson St.

————-

City: Nicholasville, KY
When: April 15th, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: Jessamine County Courthouse

————-

City: Owensboro, KY
When: April 15, 12:00 Noon
Where: City Hall

————-

City: Paducah, KY
When: April 15, 5:30 pm
Where: Dolly McNutt Plaza, between Paducah’s City Hall and the McCracken County Court House

————-

City: Richmond, KY
When: April 15th, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: Madison County Courthouse

Replacing Hebert with everyone

Louisville's WHAS investigative reporter Mark Hebert, widely regarded as one of the best at digging up official secrets, is leaving his reporting job next month to go to work for University of Louisville.

In a comment on the PageOneKentucky blog, Lexington Herald Leader reporter John Cheves praised Hebert:

"So now we have one less watchdog keeping an eye on the Kentucky statehouse. Bad news for the citizens, good news for the crooks."

Of course, it doesn't have to be that way. If the media folks who are left got together and forced state government to put spending and contracts on the internet for everyone to see, citizens would be safer from the crooks.

You're kidding, right, Gov. Beshear?

Gov. Steve Beshear was out Wednesday afternoon pimping a DVD about avoiding fraud. From the press release:



We don't know (though I was sorely tempted to call and ask) if the DVD includes any information about protecting ourselves from politicians who lie about tax increases, efficiency studies, pension reform, spending transparency or who engage in counterproductive, excessive regulation and pander to labor unions at taxpayer expense. I doubt it, don't you?

Kentucky Tea Party just getting started

Last month's tea party in Lexington helped generate a lot of interest across the state in citizen activism.

It's just going to get bigger.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Tax Day Tea Parties at lunchtime in towns across the state and nation on April 15. The big crowds so far have been weekend crowds. How many people will take time on a Wednesday to go to these rallies? I don't know. It might be a little discouraging for people who haven't done much -- or any -- such events.

I've organized and promoted several political events. Some have gone well and some have been complete flops. Some of the April 15 events may not be very big, but organizers will do well to focus instead on the people who do take the time to show up and get to work immediately on the next event.

In fact, it would probably be a good idea to plan another event immediately and promote it at the April 15 event.

By the way, I will emcee the Richmond Tea Party this Saturday, April 11 at 4:00 at Wallingford Broadcasting and will be back in Richmond on April 15 to speak at their Tax Day Tea Party.

At both, we will be promoting the April 18 Bluegrass Tax Liberation Day at Applebee's Park in Lexington.

See how that works?

Shut up and eat your stimulus, part two

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting Republicans who voted against the Spendulus bill by saying they oppose tax cuts.



Interestingly, these same people understood that borrowing money from the future to spread it around today is a bad idea as recently as two years ago.

All he needs is a "kick me" sign

The President of the United States shows the Saudis who is boss.

Speak up, Mayor Newberry

With less than two months before the start of a three-week federal trial against five former Fayette County jail officers accused of abusing inmates and conspiring to keep their activities quiet, it's worth mentioning again that Mayor Jim Newberry claimed last June to know who the other FBI targets are.

Maybe his 2010 election opponent could tell us something. Hello?