Shhhhh... be vewwy, vewwy quiet!

The Fayette County Detention Center is trying to keep quiet the fact that they have fired the four indicted employees in the Fayette jail inmate abuse scandal.

Funny thing on the way to high tax Nirvana

Gov. Steve Beshear really doesn't want you to read this blog post, comment on it, or to tell your friends about it.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Beshear needs to stop talking about raising taxes and get serious about making better spending decisions. Tax increases aren't going to save him and they won't help any of us.

Beshear to channel Hillary Clinton

Behind the scenes, Governor Steve Beshear's administration is working up another socialized medicine program.

Brother, can you spare a bailout?

Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said in the Wall Street Journal this morning that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should have been allowed to collapse rather than receive a taxpayer bailout.

Amen.

By the same token, overspending legislators should have to make up for years of raiding the public employee benefits plans without a taxpayer bailout.

Picture = a thousand words

Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama keep trying to spin his tax increase proposals, but are finding it a little difficult to run from the facts.

Here are the facts:

KDP distracted by Trey Grayson

Secretary of State Trey Grayson sent out an email to supporters this morning urging them to contribute their ideas for the national Republican Party platform:

"I am writing to encourage you to help us develop the Republican Party platform that will be adopted at the 2008 Convention."

"As you may have heard, I have been asked to serve as the Co-Chair of the "Guaranteeing Energy Independence and a Cleaner Environment" sub-committee of the Platform Committee."

"I wanted to let you know that the Party is seeking your input as we develop the policies and principles upon which we should stand for the next four years."

"To do so, we have created a webpage -- www.GOPPlatform2008.com --
where you can share your thoughts, participate in polls, and communicate directly with the policymakers who will be shaping the party's agenda."

"I can personally attest to the fact that all comments and feedback will be reviewed and taken into full consideration as we prepare for our convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul."

Meanwhile, the Jefferson County GOP has put out a petition to urge some blogger to stop his half-baked Bluegrass Report attacks on Grayson.

Since we know the Kentucky Democratic Party backed the site when it was written by Mark Nickolas, maybe we should hear their thoughts on what is being posted to that site now.

Beshear hanging out with Obama too much

Gov. Steve Beshear made clear his support for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid earlier this month at Fancy Farm. Now his seems determined to complete his transformation into just another tax-anything-that-moves politician.

From the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer:

"When asked after the event what other sources of revenue he had heard suggested in the town hall meetings, Beshear only mentioned one other -- increasing the tax on alcohol."

"Beshear said he hadn't decided whether he would reconvene the legislature for a special session to deal with a new revenue measure before the end of the year."

""We also don't know yet whether our revenue projections are going to hold or not to know whether we might need to take any action," Beshear said. "We don't have enough information yet to know whether we'll be doing anything like that.""

Democratic candidates across the state should be made to answer whether or not they support plans to raise taxes after the election. Otherwise, we should probably just assume we already know the answer.

Biting the hand that bites the hand

Jacob Payne of Louisville has the goods on another corrupt Kentucky Democratic Party Chair. So she got him kicked out of the national convention.

Good stuff. Be sure to read the comments.

One-two punch: first oil, next tax reform?

While we are all excited about Speaker Nancy Pelosi and friends losing their religion on environmental extremism, it might be a good time to consider real tax reform. Here's the latest from the National Taxpayers Union:

Jon Draud is full of it

Education Commissioner Jon Draud, fresh off ripping off taxpayers to pimp his ride and pad his pension(details here), is now lying about school funding, too.

What the left tells itself when no one is listening

The latest Social Security "research" is no more reassuring than anything else from the "there is no crisis" crowd than we have heard the last few years:

"Since the early 1980s, Social Security has been taking in more in worker contributions than it has been paying out in benefits. This has resulted in a growing trust fund of more than $2 trillion. These reserves are projected to grow for another decade, and then will decline and run out in 2041. If no action is taken, benefits will have to be cut by about 25%, as they will be funded entirely from current contributions. Even if lawmakers allowed this to happen, future retirees will receive benefits that are more generous than those received by previous generations. Retiring at 65, the typical young adult born between 1980 and 1990 will receive retirement benefits valued at $188,000 in 2007 dollars, up from $181,000 for retirees born between 1960 and 1970."

Yeah, you lost me at "trust fund of more than $2 trillion."

Is the Dem well really this dry?

The partisan slugfest often looks suspiciously like a race to the bottom. In a year in which some civil rights activists are starting to figure out that environmental extremism is a thinly-veiled war on low-income people, though, there is increasing evidence some Democrats are really out of ideas.

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.

Education watchdog hopeful for real reform

Could a Frankfort task force actually do something positive for someone other than the politicians? Richard Innes, the Bluegrass Institute's education analyst, sees a glimmer of hope in the one set up to study CATS testing:

"It seems the people appointed to this group are less malleable and a bit more interested in giving this a good “college try” than the department of education anticipated. And, when I found myself in agreement with some of the comments from the Kentucky Education Association president about problems with writing instruction interference from CATS, there may indeed be some hope that what the department wanted to be a low key sort of white-wash might just turn out to be something much better."

Hard not to be skeptical, but we'll see.

This time they have really gone too far

A check of internal personnel records at the Fayette County Detention Center shows that jail employee Rashel Coatney, who was roughed up by a jail administrator and told that she was fired two weeks ago, has essentially been placed on unpaid leave.

This is outrageous because the single mom (and her son who has cancer) can't get any public assistance because she is, technically, not unemployed. So jail administration is jamming this young lady into a box she can't get out of as some kind of sick vendetta against her.

This sorry episode lays bare a sick leave policy at the jail that is being used as a weapon against employees who don't play the kind of games Director Ron Bishop has been playing for years. Fayette county taxpayers will ultimately pay many millions of dollars to clean up the messes Bishop has created in sexual harassment lawsuits, racial discrimination, a class action lawsuit for improper compensation practices, and a federal investigation into inmate abuse and misuse of public property. Mayor Jim Newberry has slept through the whole thing.

As a Jessamine County resident, I can watch and wait with a somewhat detached indifference for the massive lawsuits to keep coming down. They won't cost me a dime.

But I refuse to sit by idly while these "leaders" toy sadistically with innocent children. If you live in Lexington, please call Mayor Jim Newberry at 576-2564 and tell him to stand up for an innocent, hard-working citizen for once instead of for his political cronies at the jail. If he wants to save money, he can get rid of the administrators' taxpayer-provided cars.

Enjoy your gas price increase holiday, Ben

While Rep. Ben Chandler rests up from his hard charge to the left in Washington D.C., House Republicans are making a loud statement for energy independence on Capitol Hill.

Get off the pot, Governor Beshear

Did I mention that Gov. Steve Beshear is "studying" the idea of improving Kentucky's disastrous scholastic assessment program called CATS?

Education Analyst Richard Innes at the Bluegrass Institute has more devastating evidence that the "writing portfolios" we do in our public schools are a waste of time and money.

Here is another dead bill that would have addressed this problem. Oh, and don't forget this one. It's the reason Beshear is "studying."

Time's a wasting, Governor.

What kind of conservative are you?

The Madison County Republican party is hosting an interesting event Thursday, August 7th at 7:00 pm. They are calling it a "Community Forum on Conservatism" and seeking to answer the questions "What does it mean to be a conservative?" and "Has the meaning of conservatism changed over time?"

The panelists are the Bluegrass Institute's Chris Derry, Rep. Lonnie Napier, and WLAP's Leland Conway.

Everyone is invited to the event in Central Bank's Community Room at 350 W. Main Street in Richmond.

What are you trying to say, Governor?

Somehow I missed the press release on this one, but someone might want to ask Gov. Steve Beshear about the single largest corporate giveaway in Kentucky last week.

He gave $1.625 million to a company that makes adult diapers.

Playing by "big government rules"

We're looking at a big battle in 2009 over health insurance reform. The "Harry and Louise" ads from 2004 helped save us from HillaryCare won't cut it this time. Here is a very effective video being used to push government healthcare:

And here is the fifteen year-old stuff that needs to be updated:

It's a shame that we're arguing about whether mindless bureaucrats or mindless corporate hacks should carry the day. Getting the government out of the way and introducing real competition into the marketplace would easily deliver lower prices and better service.

Political imaginations running wild

Some people try to counter the fact that outspoken people like Dan Rather and Katie Couric dominate a mainstream media with a bias toward a statist ideology by claiming implausibly that they actually veer to the right.

Here is another nail in that coffin. Lexington Herald Leader columnist Tom Eblen said this morning, in his description of the Fancy Farm picnic:

"Young Republicans dressed as Arab sheikhs, “thanking” Lunsford for higher oil prices, through some stretch of the political imagination. Young Democrats dressed as characters with the names “Texas Oilman Mitch” and “Bush's Lapdog Mitch.”"

Lunsford hopes to join a party in the Senate that has quashed every effort to expand domestic oil exploration for many years. Joined by a handful of "Republicans" who agreed with them the last few years, they have been able to shut off the domestic spigot unimpeded for decades. Seeking to add one more vote to that sentiment, as Lunsford does, is indeed worthy of appreciation from Arab oil producers.

And that brings us to the next sentence in Eblen's column. How can Lunsford's support for rising oil prices be imaginary when the "Texas Oilman Mitch" character isn't worthy of any kind of derogatory mention?

Another Kentucky education bombshell

Kentucky's faked high school drop-out rates missed another one.

When the Kentucky Department of Education figured out that the American Diploma Project they joined in 2002 was actually a serious effort and not marketing gimmicks and spin, they sat on the back row, put on their dark sunglasses, and went to sleep.

Road trip!

Headed off for my first Fancy Farm. I have the technology to report from there and expect to do so. Please check back.

Here's one rumor for you.

UPDATE: I think I can sum up the meaningful political discourse from the whole day in one sentence. This fall's Congressional races are about gas prices.

Today was fun. Gov. Beshear did better than I thought he would. Neither Mitch McConnell nor Bruce Lunsford drew any blood. Heather Ryan and Todd Hollenbach did pretty well also. Secretary of State Trey Grayson had the best line of the day when he talked about Gov. Beshear studying another potential policy move and the Frankfort press going down to Grayson's office to see how it was working out in practice.

Problems reading blogs this morning?

For some reason, Site Meter is causing a bunch of blogs to not be readable in Internet Explorer. The fix appears to be simply to remove Site Meter from the site. You won't see the problem if you use Fire Fox, but anyone still on Internet Explorer will.

If you have a blog or know someone who does -- and you can't open it in IE, that's the way to repair the problem. Spread the word.

Or ask your Congressman to sponsor the 2008 Blogger Hit Counter Bailout, Subsidy, And Nationalization Act. That could help, too.

Do you give a hoot about the McCain campaign?

I just got a call from Paul Farhi, a Washington Post reporter, who is writing a story about Sen. John McCain's online outreach program. He was curious about what he said was a rewards system for readers of the McCain site who post McCain talking points onto various sites on the internet.

I know the McCain site has me featured on there as one of the "other" blogs, but I didn't know anything about this.

Is that interesting? Well, no. But the fact that there is very little interesting about the McCain campaign and the guy is running even in the polls with Emperor Barack Obama is, in fact, noteworthy.

Just keep not being Barack Obama, there, Senator McCain.

Changing the world one YouTube at a time

I got off the airplane in Washington D.C. Wednesday morning and rushed over to the Americans for Tax Reform office for a couple of meetings. There I got dragged into a room and was told to talk for 45 seconds about something that should be on the Republican party's national platform. (The very nice young lady who took the video might have mentioned that my tie wasn't straight.)

If you haven't done this yet, you can go on here with your two cents.

Giving the welfare state one more chance to work

Sen. Barack Obama is proposing to raise taxes on oil companies to fund a $1000 "energy rebate." The energy rebate will spur demand and lead to higher prices at exactly the wrong time. This would necessitate President Obama, one supposes, to raise taxes further to provide further relief.

And around and around we go.

You want something to be afraid of?

Be afraid of this.

One more thing about the economy

Louisville blogger Jake Payne raises some key points in his missive about the economy yesterday:

First, the "Republican meme" is that the economy is bad and that it is the Democrats' fault. That works out pretty well because the Dems say it is the GOP. Partisan rancor is fun!

But they are both wrong. The economy is, as recently as a month ago, still growing. We are so far from going to hell in a handbasket -- as far as the economy goes -- that it isn't even funny. But Republicans in general aren't fighting the mainstream media sales pitch on this, they are just trying to reach a point of political advantage. And maybe that will work.

But if we are going to hold reasonable discussions, we need to be straight about what the facts are. The economy isn't the problem; government involvement in the economy is the problem. If you say you are worried about your ability to survive in this economy and yet you pay to watch television, pay to eat out as restaurants and eat popcorn at movies, spend money you don't have running up credit card balances and driving around in fancy cars instead of saving for retirement, you aren't worried about the economy but are instead counting on a government bailout.

That's the bad plan here.

We have a lot of economic freedom in this country and that works very well. It works so well, in fact, that we risk blowing the whole thing because we have been able to afford so much government nonsense for so long.

Just as we should get rid of some of the luxuries listed above in the name of belt-tightening, we should trim back the government we can't afford before it is too late.

Bill Clinton promises a night to remember

Couldn't resist showing this email I just got from the Hillary Clinton isn't running for President (until 2012) campaign:

Spend less, spend better, have more

Keeping anyone from a family, business, or government afloat in tough budget times involves managing fixed and variable revenue streams and liabilities. As people drive less and make other changes to better manage personal budgets, though, public officials looking at dwindling road funds struggle to understand what they are going to have to do to get our fiscal heads back above water.

In much the same way individuals cut back on entertainment and eating out, governments are going to have to spend less money filling the pockets of people who could do better taking care of themselves if they weren't so heavily incentivized to remain dependent.

In other words, we would have more money to build and maintain roads if we didn't waste so much providing health insurance to middle-class families who should be expected to get it on their own.

And putting government spending online so taxpayers can share in the decision-making is the best way to improve the quality of these necessary prioritization discussions.

Bad news for nation of whiners

The Great Depression of 2008 not only has not materialized, but we aren't even in a recession.

I bring this up to point out that the people who are moaning and complaining about how horrible everthing is really need to check their bearings. You remember the old Frank Sinatra song where he sings "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere?" It's corollary might be this: if you can't make it in an expanding economy, it probably isn't the government's fault.

Mayor Newberry, sell the cars and save the kid

Sources with the City of Lexington report Mayor Jim "fire them if their kids get cancer" Newberry is still waffling about whether to do the right thing and give Rashel Coatney her job back.

A commenter on this post spelled out details of an alleged deal that Ms. Coatney is supposed to have gotten.

Newberry has been extraordinarily worthless is dealing with matters at the jail during his term. Forcing this young woman to compromise with the wolves at the facility is wrong on many levels.

He needs to step up now. Sell the cars your jail administrators are driving around in, Mayor Newberry, and do right by Rashel Coatney.

Making racism a taxable event

I know there are still a few people in Kentucky who really hate people based on the color of their skin.

This isn't for them.

This is for the rest of us who are driving around in cars to destroy the earth; African Americans first.

Just raise our taxes and everything will be fine.

Reality TV bailout coming up next!

Just saw this from Associated Press:

LAKE CITY, Ga. - More than 1,800 people showed up to help ABC's "Extreme Makeover" team demolish a family's decrepit home and replace it with a sparkling, four-bedroom mini-mansion in 2005.

Three years later, the reality TV show's most ambitious project at the time has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis.

After the Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 loan, it's set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5. The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but told WSB-TV they received the loan for a construction business that failed.

We have already justified so many forms of unjustifiable government bailouts, how can we complain when our erstwhile celebrity recipients feel the need to do a little speculating?

Ready for another tax scam?

It is almost time for Frankfort politicians to start talking up a back-to-school sales tax holiday just in time for free publicity in advance of the November elections.

Don't fall for it.

The Tax Foundation has a detailed discussion about this political game, but the bottom line is that if Frankfort really wants to give us a break, why don't they cut the sales tax from 6% to 5.9% for everything all year?

No takers on that suggestion, I'll bet. Wonder why?

It's the government involvement, Gov. Beshear

Just saw this from a recent gubernatorial trip to Somerset:

“We need to start emphasizing preventative health care and wellness,” (Governor Steve Beshear) said. “That’s why health care is so expensive.”

Sounds like more government programs are headed our way.

Lowering excessive government spending, regulation, and utilization could more effectively address medical costs than changing lifestyles the way Gov. Beshear wants to do ever will.

He is talking about educating people to choose good habits but continuing to subsidize the bad ones.

Getting rid of Certificate of Need and removing welfare benefits from illegal drug abusers would work better. Raising deductibles and co-pays for government workers and retirees would help.

Instead, of course, Beshear wants to dig the hole deeper by signing up more people on government health insurance:

"Questions were also raised about the K-CHIP program, which offers free health care to children in families that are 200 percent or below the federal poverty level."

"Some 60,000 to 65,000 children qualify for the K-CHIP program in the state that aren’t in it, and Beshear said more must be done to give children the health care they need to stay healthy and develop well mentally and physically."

Which liar lied last, Stumbo or Beshear?

Here's a great passage deep in Ryan Alessi's Monday column:

"Last week, Beshear said he would stay out of House leadership races and didn't speak to Stumbo about that subject when the two met in Prestonsburg earlier this month."
"But Stumbo had a different recollection."
"“What he asked me was if I was interested in getting back into legislative leadership. And I said, ‘Yeah, I enjoyed it (previously),'” Stumbo said. “Then he asked, ‘If you got back into legislative leadership, would you and I have any problems?' And I said ‘No.'”"

And which issue is at the forefront of this unholy alliance? Is it raising taxes on you, expanding the welfare state one slot machine at a time, or finding fresh, new ways to slap each other on the back while public employee fringe benefits drive us to bankruptcy?

Greg Stumbo whines his way to prosperity

Ryan Alessi picked up Saturday on a 2005 law I may have mentioned once or twice. Great job getting this quote from Representative/former Attorney General/future pension glutton Greg Stumbo:

"Stumbo said he doesn't have a problem with lawmakers receiving generous pension benefits.
”The General Assembly is a full-time job with part-time pay,“ he said."

Boo-freaking-hoo.

That's pretty rich coming from someone who has spent decades scheming for new ways to gorge himself at the public's expense.
From the 7-22-2005 Big Sandy News:

"Last week, Stumbo said in a statement that he did not have to register his businesses although the AG's consumer protection divisions advises people to do business with licensed and registered companies.
"The Attorney General's strong leadership on consumer protection issues is obviously unaffected by these facts," spokeswoman Glass said in a written statement.
Stumbo did not address a question from the newspaper about whether it is a conflict to develop lots on the golf course because while Stumbo was a state legislator, he helped secure millions in state and federal funds to develop StoneCrest which will also have recreational grounds."

Jefferson County GOP picnic Friday

Congressman John Yarmuth's campaign got video of his opponent Anne Northup Friday night saying that her "secret weapon" on the ballot this November will be Sen. Mitch McConnell's name right above her's.

It will be interesting to see what they might do with that.

Northup spoke to about 300 Jefferson County Republicans at an outdoor meeting and Jefferson County GOP Chair Brad Cummings said a key difference between the candidates is in their approaches to gas prices:

Congressman John Yarmuth hopes to lower gas prices by forcing oil companies to drill in places they have been unable to find oil.

Just a thought about Rashel Coatney

If Lexington taxpayers weren't paying for their detention center administrators to drive around in taxpayer-provided cars, they could probably afford to pay medical expenses for the young son of a single mom jail officer instead of firing her because of her sick boy.

If you would like to call Fayette County Detention Center Director Ron Bishop and tell him to turn in the car he drives from Louisville every day, here is his cell phone number: 859-948-9113.

Tell him David Adams told you to call. He will appreciate that.

Just say no to the horsing bailout

I get that any business or trade association would want to have some kind of political connection to offer resistance when the government goes looking for someone to screw over, but when did we get to the point that if you don't go running to the politicians when you business gets in trouble you get steamrolled by your competitors with your own tax dollars?

That stampede you hear is the horse industry coming to the trough.

Barack Obama's economic plan at work

A Chicago blogger has seen Obama Magic at work on the mean streets of the Windy City. Check it out.

Just the way it goes

I'm off to cover what will either be a really neat exclusive story or a complete nothing I can't talk about. Either way, I'll be back soon.

Still can't keep a good idea down

Back in late May, hackers caused the Bluegrass Institute site to be taken down several days for repairs.

Well, it has happened again.

The Bluegrass Institute stands for government spending transparency, lower taxes, better schools, economic freedom, and personal liberty. The main site has been hit again and may have been totally destroyed, but the work of the Institute continues with no interruption.

The Institute's blog is just fine as is Kentucky Votes, a tracking device for legislative bills and lawmaker voting records.

I just went to a meeting today at which progress on an all-new site for the Institute was discussed. The new site won't be up for several more weeks, but the battle for creating a brighter future for Kentucky will continue despite any and all temporary setbacks.

Corporate welfare weakens America

I'm reading a very interesting book about how out-of-control fringe benefits wrecked Detroit automakers over the last half a century, destroying manufacturers' ability to come up with new products under crushing health care expenses.

(That doesn't sound familiar to anyone, does it?)

Sen. Barack Obama wants to flush $4 billion down the same toilet.

State Medicaid transparency, what a concept!

South Carolina continues to kick our butts on Governor-driven state spending transparency.

Their latest victory is in posting Medicaid spending to the internet. Governor Steve Beshear, meanwhile, is still dithering.

Rep. Jim DeCesare says he will re-file his transparency bill from last year, but he shouldn't have to when Beshear could get it done via executive order.

Need video conferencing Thursday

Just when I thought I was almost completely off the gasoline-consuming grid, I have to drive around to meetings today.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't check back here often for updates (because I'll figure out a way!) but it just means new posts will be a little sparse for a little while.

I'll throw out one thought. I may have the ability to bring in some national speakers to Kentucky for a conservative activists' convention. Any thoughts?

"Newberry's judge" has to go

The plaintiffs in the Lexington illegal welfare benefits case will ask that Judge Jennifer Coffman recuse herself from the case because of her close ties to Mayor Jim Newberry. From Dr. David Duncan's filing:

"She represented the interests Lexington Fayette Urban County Government while
in private practice prior to her appointment as a Federal judge;"

"2. She swore in the present Mayor James Newberry at his request and he is the Chief Executive Officer of one of the Respondents;"

"3. Petitioner does not believe Judge Coffman cannot be unbiased in this case."

"4. A ruling in this case by this judge would give the appearance of corruption given this judge’s connection with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government."

Meanwhile, Mayor Newberry seems to be playing "hide the politician" by ducking multiple attempts to serve papers on him from the lawsuit.

Pathetic.

Barry can't do math

Do you really like Sen. Barack Obama's tax proposals and economic ideas?

This will help:

Lexington jail defendants duck and cover

The defendants in the Lexington jail prisoner abuse scandal are attempting this morning to give up their right to a speedy trial in order to delay the August 18 start of their trial.

Defendant Anthony Estep said through his attorney Brian Butler "the length of their investigation, the nature of the alleged conspiracy, the voluminous discovery much of which must be inspected at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Office and
the number of co-defendants make this matter complex and warrant a continuance."

He is probably right, but I can't imagine what kind of magic bullet they are going to find in a few more weeks or even months.

Why can't it be "press one for freedom?"

Just took a call from James "Jim" Wells of Lexington. He said he wanted to talk to me about something. Said he had just called in to Verizon customer service and had a recorded voice tell him to press one for English.

"I didn't serve in the war on foreign soil to press one for English," Wells, who will be 82 in January, said.

Wells joined the United States Navy on his 17th birthday and spent most of World War Two in England, Ireland, and Wales. He earned four battle stars.

"I could hear the Battle of Normandy," he said. "I wasn't in it, but I could hear it."

He then went to the Pacific and arrived in Tokyo thirteen days after the war had ended. He remembers seeing suicide bombers.

Mr. Wells said he enjoyed reading this site and asked if I might help put his frustration into words. Done, Mr. Wells. God bless you. And thank you for your service to America.

Beshear makes move to behead Draud

Gov. Steve Beshear's first action after his election last November was to try to get rid of Education Commissioner Jon Draud.

Looks like he has found his man.

Not that Draud has been any kind of change agent at the Department of Education, but if Beshear plans to replace him with Rep. Frank Rasche, he is not exactly moving us forward.

It's the stupid out-of-control spending

Congress is getting ready to misspend another billion dollars of your money:

"The federal government doesn’t need to spend more money on infrastructure. The 2005 highway bill, for example, increased funding by 42 percent – to a record $286.5 billion. This isn’t to say that Congress can’t reevaluate where existing funds are allocated. If bridge inspection is a priority, tax dollars should be shifted from less pressing projects. If just 1/25 of the funds that went to the 2005 highway bill’s 6,500 earmarks (totaling 9 percent of the total cost) were devoted to bridge repair, the new spending in H.R. 3999 would be more than offset. Taxpayers shouldn’t have to shell out another dollar until Congress gets its transportation spending priorities straight."

"Roll call votes against H.R. 3999 will be significantly weighted in our 2008 Rating of Congress."

It's the same story all over again. Taxpayers tighten their belts at home while politicians whip out the credit card.

Landmark lawsuit rocks sanctuary city

Americans who value our freedoms are genuinely proud to see people from around the world risk everything they have to come here for the opportunity to enjoy what we often take for granted.

Few of us, however, include in our definitions of freedom the unfettered ability to live off the efforts of others through welfare and public benefits. Unfortunately, too many of those few who do are elected officials.

For the rest of us, Jenean McBrearty of Danville comes to the rescue today as the author of a lawsuit in federal district court in Lexington. You can get details of the lawsuit here.

McBrearty said inaction by Lexington officials left no choice but to file the lawsuit:

Dr. David Duncan has been a high-profile voice for fiscal responsibility and public safety. He blasted Mayor Jim Newberry for falling short of his public duties in these areas.

The importance of this case will become apparent as citizens come forward and file similar suits in other cities across the state and nation.

Al and me in Austin

Al Gore is across town talking to Netroots Nation. Americans for Prosperity has a hilarious Al Gore video:

Why not just spend less on stupid stuff?

From the Associated Press:

"Among other revenue-raising possibilities, the commission recommended gradually increasing the current federal fuel taxes to 40 cents a gallon.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association is calling for a 10-cent-a-gallon raise and indexing the tax to inflation. With construction costs soaring because of competition for building materials from China and other developing nations, the tax rate would have to be about 29 cents a gallon to achieve the same purchasing power as the 18.4-cent rate imposed in 1993, the association says.

Including state and local levies, people in the U.S. pay about 47 cents on average in taxes for a gallon of gasoline. Fuel in many European countries costs $8 to $9 a gallon, with half or more of that going to taxes."

We just love tax increases, don't we? Sure would like to see public spending restraint emerge as a silver lining of the gas price cloudiness.

Live blogging Americans for Prosperity

I'm at the Americans for Prosperity conference in Austin, Texas. Robert Novak is the keynote speaker.

I'll cover his remarks on the Bluegrass Policy Blog.

UPDATE: the post is up on Bluegrass Policy blog including comments about Senator Mitch McConnell. (Hint: Novak said he is not a big fan of McConnell, but that he expects him to be Minority Leader next year.)

Few hail the hero's return

A couple of years ago, Ben Chandler's campaign consultant Mark Nickolas caught lightning in a bottle when he started a blog called Bluegrass Report. He frequently received fawning coverage in the mainstream media and claimed traffic rivalling that of many weekly newspapers in the state.

BGR 2.0, with a new writer, isn't off to a very good start. In fact, it's dreadful:

It is impossible to deny the devastating impact Bluegrass Report had on Ernie Fletcher's administration. Seeing it reduced to putting a happy face on Steve Beshear should maybe be a worth a little laugh. Instead, it is just sad.

Will Jim Ramsey get a pass?

Louisville Business First looks pretty silly congratulating University of Louisville President Jim Ramsey for not taking a $113,000 bonus earlier this month.

The hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent grants doled out under his watch dwarf that amount.

There is going to be much more on this ahead.

Another scalp so soon?

There are unconfirmed reports this morning Fayette jail Assistant Director of Operations Jim Kammer is being forced to retire at the end of August.

He would join Don Leach in getting a long overdue kicking to the curb.

The timing of these high level retirements is significant because they will cost both men dearly in terms of lost pension money.

Unfinished business remains.

The city of Lexington probably has no comment.

Bad numbers in Whitley county

The Corbin News Journal reports today that the Whitley County School Board "voted to provide a free breakfast for all students."

Setting aside for now the argument about whether that is a necessary and proper government expenditure right now, the numbers just don't make sense.

According to the newspaper, the school superintendent said the cost would be $50,000 a year. It also says the cost per breakfast is $1.15.

In a district with ten schools, that just doesn't add up.

Of course, we are talking about Kentucky schools. The numbers often don't add up.

Aim for their heads, Jim Bunning

Sen. Jim Bunning did a quick interview with Larry Kudlow about how our Republican administration is screwing us fiscally.

Gonna get another scalp soon

With Fayette County Detention Center schemer Don Leach forced out this week, we turn our attention to which domino falls next.

Some say Jim Kammer. Others guess Ron Bishop.

Getting both of them off the public payroll -- and a few more, too -- can't happen fast enough.

Getting McCain right on education reform

Sen. John McCain was in Cincinnati this morning talking up school choice. That's a good thing, says the Cato Institute, as long as he doesn't try to do it on a national level.

"...the Constitution mentions neither the word “education” nor the word “school.” Congress and the president simply do not have a mandate to create such a program. More than that, a national private school choice program risks extending pervasive government regulation over private schools from the Potomac to the Pacific, homogenizing the options available to families and thus defeating the entire point of school choice. It is far better and safer for presidential candidates to tout the merits of school choice and encourage their state-level counterparts to put these programs into place."

Kentucky should start with special needs scholarships because official abuse is so bad against students with special needs in Kentucky public schools.

Four minutes of smaller government whoopass

Just as Massachusetts is asking for another $100 million for their socialized medicine program, the people who are pushing to repeal their state income tax are now asking for government spending transparency.

Awesome:

Hillary Clinton STILL not dead?

They are switching superdelegates away from Barack Obama.


And my favorite quote from a Fox News interview (linked here) with a Hillary supporter is "we all know that politicians say things to leave them room to maneuver." Sounds like a great Clinton campaign motto for the fall campaign.

Second favorite quote: "the Democratic party is right now in a crisis. They have tried to create a sense of faux unity and it isn't working. And it doesn't take a genius to see that it isn't working."

Replacing Ernesto

Lots of behind-the scenes action on the Republican side in the effort to keep Rep. Kathy Stein out of the state Senate.

From the Lexington City Council, At-Large member Linda Gorton is having her name tossed around as a possibility.

Will there be another study group?

Talk radio host Leland Conway made Gov. Steve Beshear say this morning he would consider a plan to eliminate Kentucky's income tax. Rep. Stan Lee then came on the show and said he would get started on a bill.

Leland has been out front on this effort for a while now.

Beshear sets up a website without a study group

Gov. Steve Beshear announced today an interactive website to allow state employees to arrange carpool rides to work. Apparently he did this without the aid of a task force or study group.

That's probably a good thing because his government transparency task force he started with much fanfare a month ago (and under pressure from Secretary of State Trey Grayson) appears to have ground to a halt.

Perhaps he thinks we have forgotten all about that "people's right to know" stuff.

2:39 pm UPDATE: Finance and Administration Cabinet spokeswoman Jill Midkiff just confirmed that no meeting of Beshear's task force is currently scheduled.

One down

Under intense pressure for his role in multiple scandals at the Fayette County Detention Center, Don Leach is resigning August 1.

He leaves a Lexington jail that, under his de facto leadership, has become embroiled in a massive federal investigation, lawsuits Fayette county taxpayers will be paying off for decades to come, and a gathering storm of the type of political scandal Lexington has in the past been able to sweep under the rug.

Mayor Jim Newberry probably has no comment.

Cutting off Medicaid's nose to spite KY's face

The Lexington Herald Leader takes a swipe at the drug problem this morning by suggesting we burden our drowning Medicaid entitlement with paying for drug treatment.

"County jails are particularly ill-equipped to provide treatment or deal with addiction. And Kentucky Medicaid does not pay for drug treatment.
The legislature and Gov. Steve Beshear are taking smart steps by diverting more non-violent criminals from prison and increasing treatment, though modestly.
But Kentucky, which has the fastest-growing prison population in the nation, will need the cooperation and ideas of everyone, from Main Street and the courthouse to the statehouse, to beat this beast."

I can't imagine a quicker way to bankrupt the state, can you?

Since they asked, there is a much better way. Welfare reform.

Compared to what?

I would love for anyone to explain to me why Lexington taxpayers wouldn't be better off selling their public golf courses. The fact that the Lexington Herald Leader editorial page insists that they are a "bargain" should cinch it.

Forcing private golf courses to compete with (and subsidize) public courses on land that could more efficiently be used for neighborhoods or businesses would be impossible to justify if the big-government types were forced to do so.

Four days from the truth

Last Thursday, Gov. Steve Beshear's budget office admitted that state revenue was up for the fiscal year ending in June.

I still haven't seen anything in the MSM about that. Have you?

Lex jail head circles wagons, shoots "wounded"

As a criminal trial with an August 18 start date threatens to shine unwanted light on his own checkered past, Fayette County Detention Center Director Ron Bishop is trying to intimidate potential witnesses by threatening to fire employees who aren't "on the team" and charging them with abuse of the facility's vague employee leave policy, jail employees say.

That's interesting because when Bishop himself was testifying in his own civil suit in Louisville in July of 2006, jail records show he was on the clock back in Lexington.

This isn't the first time Ron Bishop thought the rules for everyone else didn't apply to him.

All the key players in Lexington had no comment.

Is Hillary still not dead yet?

Sure would like to hear what Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have to say about this.

FDIC: a stupid idea that should die now

Some people are trying to blame yesterday's failure for IndyMac bank on Sen. Chuck Schumer and some are jumping on Sen. John McCain, but President Franklin Roosevelt is a more likely culprit.

IndyMac, a Pasadena, California thrift, specialized in jumbo mortgages for so-called "liar loan" applicants. The only way they could get away with that is because they could bring in large deposits from investors who felt secure because of the Depression-era federal deposit insurance program, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Without the FDIC, depositors would have to ask the tough questions about what their money would be invested in. We have the technology to regulate that very well now, thanks. We could have figured out how to do that back in the 1930's, but there is absolutely no excuse for overpaying for the illusion of safety now.

Until we kill off the FDIC, taxpayers will be on the hook for more banks' bad investment practices.

Fayette jail defendant should have talked to dad

Lieutenant Kristine Lafoe, the only female defendant so far in USA v McQueen et al, the Fayette jail inmate abuse scandal, had good reason to steer clear from the official misdeeds of which she is accused.

At the very least, she should have known better than to ignore the warnings of whistleblower Cpl. John Vest, who said in sworn testimony he reported cases of excessive force against inmates up his chain of command. Lafoe was in charge of the intake area of the jail when Vest worked there.

Kristine Albaugh Lafoe is the daughter of former Fayette County Chief Deputy Sheriff Joe Albaugh. Mr. Albaugh assisted in the indictment and conviction of former Sheriff Lonas Taulbee, who did hard time for theft and malfeasance after getting caught stuffing cash in the ceiling of his office.

When Albaugh ran for sheriff himself in 1998, he told Ace Magazine "I came forward with great danger to myself and my family."

Lafoe's trial starts August 18 and Vest is suing the city of Lexington for millions of dollars for trying to shut him up when he put himself and his family in danger.

An interesting side note is that Lonas Taulbee's daughter is Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator Renee True, who ran on a gubernatorial slate last year with the ethically challenged Steve Henry.

GOP Online Platform Committee open for you

I just found this. Check it out and report back, please.

Gutsy move in Massachusetts

I've watched with mild curiosity a movement to get state income tax repeal on the ballot this November in Massachusetts.

But now I'm a believer.

The Massachusetts Secretary of State certified yesterday that income tax repeal had gotten a sufficient number of signatures to force a November election, eliciting this response:

"In a statement to the News Media, Carla Howell said:

"Governor Deval Patrick, the state legislature, and the Massachusetts Teachers Union no longer control the decision of whether to END the Income Tax. The voters will decide this November 4th."

"Our END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative is the first major tax cut for working class and middle class Massachusetts taxpayers in 28 years. Since Proposition 2 1/2."

If that doesn't get you, this will. They are proposing to not replace the income tax with anything and to simply require government to spend less.

"Ending the Massachusetts Income Tax would roll back the state government spending 39% -- to the 1995 budget.

Between 1990 and 2007, the population of Massachusetts rose from 6 million residents to 6.5 million. In 17 years, the population increased 8.3%.

During the same period, Massachusetts state government spending more than DOUBLED.

During the same period, most city and town government spending also more than DOUBLED.

Reducing state government spending by only 39% leaves the state government more than it needs."

The big government types will go to war on this, but Kentucky should take a lesson. The only way we are going to get our government finances under any kind of control is to cut way back on the spending.

Thanks to Grover Norquist for the heads-up on this.

"You can't handle the evidence!"

A motion in US District Court in Lexington over the Fayette jail inmate abuse scandal defendants' request to view sealed evidence has been set aside by Judge James Todd. A hearing scheduled for this morning has been cancelled.

11:45 update: The federal court online document program which has been down all morning has come back up. It looks like the defendants asked for two kinds of evidence and were granted access to one of them. The other, called Brady material, is evidence that might be beneficial to the defense and includes names of witnesses who have received immunity for their testimony. The prosecution said there was no such evidence but agreed to provide any if it becomes available.

A third type of evidence, called Jencks Act evidence was requested by the defense and denied for now by the prosecution on the grounds that no such evidence exists until the trial starts. When witness testimony begins at trial, Jencks Act evidence would include any statements, written or oral, by a witness including grand jury testimony. There is a pre-trial conference set for July 23 and the jury trial begins August 18 before Judge Karen Caldwell.