Can't pretend that Mark Nickolas moving to Montana won't have an impact on the Kentucky blogosphere.
Good luck, Mark.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Treasurer Skippy Double Dips Frankfort Style
Mark Hebert says Jonathan Miller will take time from his busy Treasurer duties to draw a hefty paycheck as chairman of the Democratic Party of Kentucky.
Unconscionably Obscene Market Regulation
The legal standard for obscenity is intentionally vague. Different communities, as a result, get to decide what kind of business activity crosses the line and what is acceptable to the local folks. That's why Lexington and Louisville have strippers available to dance on your table if you want that and most other places do not.
The same standard should not apply to the free market supply of gasoline, but when the U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to make "price gouging" illegal, they applied an absurd standard to regulation of the price of gasoline.
Sadly, every Representative from Kentucky except for Rep. Geoff Davis voted to make it illegal to sell gasoline at a price that is "unconscionably excessive."
This is worse than the 2004 Kentucky price gouging law AG Greg Stumbo is using to attack Marathon Oil. They are easy political points, I know, but unless you want the government coming against your business some day because one politician needs a few votes, you might want to pay attention to this.
The same standard should not apply to the free market supply of gasoline, but when the U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to make "price gouging" illegal, they applied an absurd standard to regulation of the price of gasoline.
Sadly, every Representative from Kentucky except for Rep. Geoff Davis voted to make it illegal to sell gasoline at a price that is "unconscionably excessive."
This is worse than the 2004 Kentucky price gouging law AG Greg Stumbo is using to attack Marathon Oil. They are easy political points, I know, but unless you want the government coming against your business some day because one politician needs a few votes, you might want to pay attention to this.
Race Over, Stumbo Needs To Do His Job
Now would be a great time for Attorney General Greg Stumbo to come clean on his position regarding the unconstitutional boyfriend benefits at our state's two largest universities.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Underemployed, Overpaid Lib Seeks Do-Nothing Job; Skills Include Taking Credit, Casting Blame, Failing To Get Blogger Kicked Off Radio Show
The Lexington Herald Leader is getting up to speed on the old story about Jonathan Miller being handed the Democratic Party Chairman's job in Frankfort.
Melinda Wheeler: Take My Salary, Close My Office
I was skeptical when Treasurer nominee Melinda Wheeler started campaigning on a plan to shut down the worthless Treasurer's office, but now that she is the nominee I want to help make this worthwhile goal a reality.
And no, I don't expect Todd Hollenbach to successfully defend the office Jonathan Miller ran into the ground and campaign to have a machine print his signature on all the state checks while he interviews ghost writers all day between naps.
Look out for Wheeler the Repealer...
And no, I don't expect Todd Hollenbach to successfully defend the office Jonathan Miller ran into the ground and campaign to have a machine print his signature on all the state checks while he interviews ghost writers all day between naps.
Look out for Wheeler the Repealer...
Linda Greenwell v. Crit "Musical Chairs" Luallen
A second state budget secrecy bill could be headed to Kentucky and its success in another state exemplifies why Kentucky needs a stronger state Auditor, said Linda Greenwell, Republican candidate for Auditor of Public Accounts.
Yesterday, the Texas legislature passed a bill that would allow that state to ignore new federal accounting regulations meant to prevent governments from hiding pension deficits. It should never have happened there, Greenwell said, and we can't afford for it to happen here. Greenwell said the public needs to be aware of this move before Kentucky legislators try it, and a competent state auditor would make sure they were.
"The current Auditor said nothing when Rep. Harry Moberly (D-Richmond) tried to shut the public out of the entire budgeting process earlier this year," Greenwell said. "There is no reason to expect her to stand up to a fancy trick to pretend state pensions are just hunky-dory now. This is the taxpayers' money and I think they deserve more than political games from their Auditor."
Kentucky taxpayers are swimming in a sea of red ink because Frankfort politicians have fought for three decades any efforts to clean up what is now an $18 billion tidal wave of unfunded pension liabilities for state workers and retirees. Recognizing the problem and not covering it up is what Kentucky needs and offering active oversight is the reason Greenwell said she is running for Auditor.
"The Auditor can't just sit back and wait till it is her turn to run for governor," Greenwell said. "We should all know by now the old way of doing things doesn't work anymore. Governor Fletcher has tried to change the culture in Frankfort, but he can't get over the hump these next four years with an Auditor who is primping for her next race."
Yesterday, the Texas legislature passed a bill that would allow that state to ignore new federal accounting regulations meant to prevent governments from hiding pension deficits. It should never have happened there, Greenwell said, and we can't afford for it to happen here. Greenwell said the public needs to be aware of this move before Kentucky legislators try it, and a competent state auditor would make sure they were.
"The current Auditor said nothing when Rep. Harry Moberly (D-Richmond) tried to shut the public out of the entire budgeting process earlier this year," Greenwell said. "There is no reason to expect her to stand up to a fancy trick to pretend state pensions are just hunky-dory now. This is the taxpayers' money and I think they deserve more than political games from their Auditor."
Kentucky taxpayers are swimming in a sea of red ink because Frankfort politicians have fought for three decades any efforts to clean up what is now an $18 billion tidal wave of unfunded pension liabilities for state workers and retirees. Recognizing the problem and not covering it up is what Kentucky needs and offering active oversight is the reason Greenwell said she is running for Auditor.
"The Auditor can't just sit back and wait till it is her turn to run for governor," Greenwell said. "We should all know by now the old way of doing things doesn't work anymore. Governor Fletcher has tried to change the culture in Frankfort, but he can't get over the hump these next four years with an Auditor who is primping for her next race."
Put Up, Shut Up, Or Don't Show Up?
Governor Fletcher won re-nomination yesterday with 101,256 Republican votes versus 100,875 who voted against him. The only reason it wasn't a late night nail-biter with a certain recount given a mere 381 vote margin is, of course, that the votes against him were shared by two opponents.
So where do we go from here?
Pragmatic Fletcher loyalists will quickly point out primary opponent supporters have no place else to go in November. And really, they are right. Steve Beshear has very serious credibility problems with most people who occupy the political middle. But here's the thing: no one can wish away the nasty primary we just had and a lot of people who supported Northup won't forget. The hard truth is a lot of them can be replaced, though, by new voters who show up to vote against the Casinocrat Beshear.
Harder still for the small minority of fiscal conservatives in the state -- by that I mean those who prefer to eschew pork spending even in their own backyards -- is the clear evidence they no longer have a party to turn to.
Given all that, I'm going to the Unity Rally Saturday 6 pm at RPK in Frankfort. I'm for Governor Fletcher in the fall. And that means writing and speaking in favor of his re-election.
But I will also spend the next four years advocating for conservative principles, hopeful that 2011 will bring better support for issues like tax reform, education reform, health insurance reform, entitlement reform, and economic development reform. Governor Fletcher can and probably will do better on these issues in a second term and Steve Beshear would beyond a shadow of a doubt be worse, but we really need some breakthroughs in these areas.
Given the electoral math, the Fletcher campaign has little motivation to reach out to intraparty opponents now. So don't expect them to. But Kentucky lacks the resources to thrive under big-government policies. Frustrated fiscal hawks need to stay engaged in the process.
So where do we go from here?
Pragmatic Fletcher loyalists will quickly point out primary opponent supporters have no place else to go in November. And really, they are right. Steve Beshear has very serious credibility problems with most people who occupy the political middle. But here's the thing: no one can wish away the nasty primary we just had and a lot of people who supported Northup won't forget. The hard truth is a lot of them can be replaced, though, by new voters who show up to vote against the Casinocrat Beshear.
Harder still for the small minority of fiscal conservatives in the state -- by that I mean those who prefer to eschew pork spending even in their own backyards -- is the clear evidence they no longer have a party to turn to.
Given all that, I'm going to the Unity Rally Saturday 6 pm at RPK in Frankfort. I'm for Governor Fletcher in the fall. And that means writing and speaking in favor of his re-election.
But I will also spend the next four years advocating for conservative principles, hopeful that 2011 will bring better support for issues like tax reform, education reform, health insurance reform, entitlement reform, and economic development reform. Governor Fletcher can and probably will do better on these issues in a second term and Steve Beshear would beyond a shadow of a doubt be worse, but we really need some breakthroughs in these areas.
Given the electoral math, the Fletcher campaign has little motivation to reach out to intraparty opponents now. So don't expect them to. But Kentucky lacks the resources to thrive under big-government policies. Frustrated fiscal hawks need to stay engaged in the process.
"Draft Forgy" Dies A Not-So-Quiet Death
The anonymous effort to draft Larry Forgy to run against Mitch McConnell perished as quickly as it sprang to life.
Forgy said last night he had no interest in running for anything, much less the U.S. Senate.
So the only thing that remains is to guess who is behind the anonymous Draft Forgy website.
My money is on Cliff Schechter.
Forgy said last night he had no interest in running for anything, much less the U.S. Senate.
So the only thing that remains is to guess who is behind the anonymous Draft Forgy website.
My money is on Cliff Schechter.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Election 2007 Comes Down To Casino Vote
So it's Ernie Fletcher against Steve Beshear in the gubernatorial race.
Yes, we get to hear about pardons, indictments, and hiring. But we also get to really hash out the casino issue. Should be very interesting...
Yes, we get to hear about pardons, indictments, and hiring. But we also get to really hash out the casino issue. Should be very interesting...
Senator McConnell, Call Joe Lieberman
The Senator from Connecticut is talking again about switching to the Republican party because of the Dems' insistence on surrender in Iraq.
What GOP Needs From Its Gubernatorial Nominee Is What Kentucky Needs From Next Governor
Republicans and Democrats may have their nominees for governor today or maybe we will have to wait until next month for a run-off.
Either way, the GOP needs a nominee who can and will actively pull people together. The GOP needs a nominee who can and will promote conservative values and issues credibly.
The presence of a weak Democratic opponent might make these vital party-building and state-salvaging duties seem superfluous. But shirking now could hurt Kentucky for a long time. The Republican party works best when it is a party of ideas and principles. Pining for larger-than-life personalities like Lincoln or Reagan is satisfying on some level, but the strength of solid values -- and not the power of individual characters -- generates cohesion and enduring success.
Billy Harper is the party's best chance to govern Kentucky the next four years because more than the fresh start most of us agree we need, he offers the best commitment to fiscal responsibility and realistic improvement in education in the whole field.
Either way, the GOP needs a nominee who can and will actively pull people together. The GOP needs a nominee who can and will promote conservative values and issues credibly.
The presence of a weak Democratic opponent might make these vital party-building and state-salvaging duties seem superfluous. But shirking now could hurt Kentucky for a long time. The Republican party works best when it is a party of ideas and principles. Pining for larger-than-life personalities like Lincoln or Reagan is satisfying on some level, but the strength of solid values -- and not the power of individual characters -- generates cohesion and enduring success.
Billy Harper is the party's best chance to govern Kentucky the next four years because more than the fresh start most of us agree we need, he offers the best commitment to fiscal responsibility and realistic improvement in education in the whole field.
Monday, May 21, 2007
MSM Turns Blind Eye To Fayette County Fraud
U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Coffman thrashed Fayette County Detention Center officials Friday in open court and the mainstream media in Lexington still can't manage to cover the official misconduct at all.
After sleeping through the Ron Berry years, you would think journalist watchdogs would be all over this.
After sleeping through the Ron Berry years, you would think journalist watchdogs would be all over this.
Cell Phone, Internet Users For Billy Harper!
A Washington D.C. pollster called my home via robo-dial Friday night. But guess what? I wasn't there so I missed the call. Like more and more people, the best way to reach me is on my cell phone.
Meanwhile, fewer people are tuning in to broadcast television every day. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the internet playing a greater role in this gubernatorial election. And between Ernie Fletcher, Anne Northup, and Billy Harper, only Harper has really used new technology to his advantage.
In a 10-15% turnout election, the opportunity for this to create a surprising result can't be ignored.
Meanwhile, fewer people are tuning in to broadcast television every day. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the internet playing a greater role in this gubernatorial election. And between Ernie Fletcher, Anne Northup, and Billy Harper, only Harper has really used new technology to his advantage.
In a 10-15% turnout election, the opportunity for this to create a surprising result can't be ignored.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Bipartisan Scam To Advance Casinos
Bruce Lunsford has jumped all over Steve Beshear for claiming casinos will benefit Kentucky. But Lunsford's running mate Greg Stumbo cooked up a scheme in 2005 with the ethically-challenged Sen. Ed Worley to try to make casinos easier to legalize.
Lunsford has given us solid reasons not to trust him already. Don't take your eye off the ball here.
The subtle scheming to turn our state government over to out-of-state casino operators crosses party lines and will usher in an era of corruption far beyond what Kentucky has experienced before if we don't stomp it out now.
Billy Harper is the only viable candidate in either party to stand consistently against allowing this plague to advance. The numbers don't add up and Harper seems to be the only one who wants to really do the math.
Lunsford has given us solid reasons not to trust him already. Don't take your eye off the ball here.
The subtle scheming to turn our state government over to out-of-state casino operators crosses party lines and will usher in an era of corruption far beyond what Kentucky has experienced before if we don't stomp it out now.
Billy Harper is the only viable candidate in either party to stand consistently against allowing this plague to advance. The numbers don't add up and Harper seems to be the only one who wants to really do the math.
Dangerous Liaisons On The Campaign Trail
Senate Democrat Leader Ed Worley of Richmond says he is against casino gambling when he is in his conservative central Kentucky district. But when he is talking to gambling groups or trolling for $1000 checks from very shady characters like R.D. Hubbard of Palm Desert, California, he tells a much different story.
Is this really who Governor Fletcher wants standing up with him just days before an election?
A Primary Opponent For Mitch McConnell In 2008?
I'm not sure who will lose more votes over this, Anne Northup or Ernie Fletcher, but I don't think it helps either one.
Voters are angry enough about politicians playing power games rather than staying focused on improving government. Again, the surest way to move the party away from this kind of nonsense this year is to nominate Billy Harper for governor.
Voters are angry enough about politicians playing power games rather than staying focused on improving government. Again, the surest way to move the party away from this kind of nonsense this year is to nominate Billy Harper for governor.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Northup Whiffs On Right To Work
The Kentucky Right to Work Committee candidate survey hit mailboxes today.
It was no surprise that none of the Democrats answered their questions about supporting employee rights versus unions. Republican Anne Northup, though, joined them:
Only Billy Harper and Ernie Fletcher answered "yes" to all six questions.
It was no surprise that none of the Democrats answered their questions about supporting employee rights versus unions. Republican Anne Northup, though, joined them:
1. Will you support efforts by the Kentucky legislature to enact a statutory right to work law in Kentucky (including procedural and amendment votes)?
2. Will you support legislation that would ban monopoly bargaining over Kentucky's employee's by union officials?
3. Will you support legislation terminating "agency shop" privileges for public section union officials?
4. If elected, will you oppose so-called "neutrality agreements" and allow workers to hear all available information?
5. If elected, will you oppose all attempts to pass so-called "project labor agreements" and allow contractors to bid on state construction projects regardless of whether or not their employees pay dues to a union boss?
6. If elected, will you support legislation eliminating the automatic payroll deduction of public employees' union dues by government entities?
Only Billy Harper and Ernie Fletcher answered "yes" to all six questions.
Billy Harper Is The Only Candidate Who Can Unite The Republican Party In May, State In November
The most interesting place to be in Kentucky next Saturday will be in Frankfort at the GOP Unity Rally, if it happens.
The RPK website doesn't list the event. May not happen anyway, as the bad blood between the Fletcher camp and the Northup camp is boiling.
If Ernie Fletcher wins out on Tuesday, I can't imagine many Northup supporters will be ready to go cheer on the governor by Saturday after Fletcher called her anti-Christian. And how many Fletcher supporters will be able to muster support for a freshly nominated Anne Northup after she called Governor Fletcher a crook?
And if the two of them are locked in a run-off Tuesday, there will obviously be no Unity Rally on May 26.
So what Republicans really need to think about is how we are going to pull off any kind of unity, especially if it is delayed by a really nasty extra campaign that eats up half the summer.
After you have thought about that, think about how that is another good reason to vote for Billy Harper on Tuesday. Even if he comes in second on Tuesday, he should easily win a run-off. After not making enemies in the primary, Billy Harper will be very well positioned to unite the state in November.
The RPK website doesn't list the event. May not happen anyway, as the bad blood between the Fletcher camp and the Northup camp is boiling.
If Ernie Fletcher wins out on Tuesday, I can't imagine many Northup supporters will be ready to go cheer on the governor by Saturday after Fletcher called her anti-Christian. And how many Fletcher supporters will be able to muster support for a freshly nominated Anne Northup after she called Governor Fletcher a crook?
And if the two of them are locked in a run-off Tuesday, there will obviously be no Unity Rally on May 26.
So what Republicans really need to think about is how we are going to pull off any kind of unity, especially if it is delayed by a really nasty extra campaign that eats up half the summer.
After you have thought about that, think about how that is another good reason to vote for Billy Harper on Tuesday. Even if he comes in second on Tuesday, he should easily win a run-off. After not making enemies in the primary, Billy Harper will be very well positioned to unite the state in November.
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