Where are our Republicans on BeshearCare?

The most striking aspect of Kentucky's self-destructive dalliance with ObamaCare is the silence of the state's Republicans.

Are we so addicted to federal grant money (more than $60 million so far for health "reform," and counting) that even our elected Republicans can't see the strings attached?

Talk to your Republican officeholders at the state and federal levels about this. With very little effort, Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell could capture the attention of the overwhelming majority of Kentucky voters who oppose ObamaCare. It will take that to force corrective action out of Governor Beshear and the lethargic Republican leadership in the state Senate.

All of our U.S. House members but Reps. John Yarmuth and Ben Chandler should be eager to come to our aid, as should the small army of Republican candidates running in the May elections.

Where are these people, now that we need them?

Frankfort incumbent senator's ad tells the tale

Kentucky state Senator David Givens has voted to raise your taxes repeatedly in Frankfort. But in a newspaper ad he purchased for his re-election, he says he "consistently opposes tax increases." That's like Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who said he was personally opposed to abortion but voted for it anyway.

Then Givens said he is for open and honest government. He is probably talking there about his vote for Senate Bill 7 in 2011, a toothless "transparency" bill that hasn't changed anything in closed, secretive Frankfort. Voters may well conclude he "believes taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent," but only until they read and understand the next bullet point in the newspaper ad.

Givens' biggest whopper in the ad is his claim that he "has voted to cut billions in government spending." That only works if you can ignore the many billion more in spending that he voted for regardless of our state's ability to afford it. Givens voted to spend every dime of the $3.4 billion in Obama stimulus funds the federal government sent, the $2.4 billion in general fund appropriation-supported debt he voted for and the untold billions more in unfunded pension liabilities he will helped create by failing to properly fund the Kentucky Retirement Systems. Given these facts, the the slogan "A true conservative we can count on to protect our liberty" really doesn't make much sense, does it? David Givens had four years to come up with a better ad, but his sorry record dictates that he try to get by on subterfuge and slippery language.

Fortunately, Givens is opposed in the Republican primary by tea party candidate Don Butler, the former county judge in Metcalfe County. Butler has campaigned on a pledge to never vote for a tax increase, to never vote for an unbalanced budget and to refuse a legislative pension. Notice the difference between that and just stating that he opposes tax increases, debt and unbalanced budgets and our state's pension mess? 

Steve Beshear saw his shadow yesterday

Governor Steve Beshear yesterday called a halt to what was to be a series of open-to-the-public meetings on ObamaCare implementation in Kentucky. This came quickly after a team of his bureaucrats met substantial public resistance at a Frankfort meeting to discuss ObamaCare.

The Tea Party needs to step up and have them for him. Across the state and as soon as possible, we need to have citizen-run ObamaCare public hearings at which we seek to answer the following questions:

1- Do Kentucky citizens want ObamaCare or to participate in the excessively expensive federally controlled state-run exchanges when the law clearly makes participation optional? Why or why not?
2- Should Governor Beshear return the more than $60 million in federal grants for setting up a health insurance exchange?
3- Which legislators will demand that Governor send the money back? Do we need a special session of the General Assembly to address this issue?
4- What real solutions do we want to problems in the health care industry?

Setting up a public event is easy. Public libraries and schools have meeting rooms that can be used with little or no cost. A sponsoring organization is sometimes necessary and may be a good idea anyway. Teaming up with local civic groups can help spread the word about an event.

Lots of help is available if you are willing to get the ball rolling. Just ask.

Tea Party resurgence in Kentucky

The Tea Party came to prominence in the wake of ObamaCare, the federal takeover of American healthcare starting in 2009. State implementation of the federal law stirred up the movement again today.

It all started last week when a Kentucky ObamaCare official, Kris Hayslett quietly scheduled an auditorium in the state Transportation Cabinet building for a "public" meeting discussing state activity in setting up a health insurance exchange in the state.

A tea party activist uncovered the event and noted the almost eery lack of publicity behind it. With barely 72 hours notice, a Facebook event page was established. By Monday at 1pm, more than 100 tea partiers joined about three dozen state employees, contractors and lobbyists for what became a two hour long wake-up call for anyone who thought there would be no public resistance to socialized medicine.

"Unbelievable," said Candice Franklin of Lincoln County. "No one in Frankfort can answer where the money will come from to pay for this free stuff for everybody."

Kathy Linzy of Anderson County enjoyed watching the bureaucratic panel's shell-shocked reaction to public opposition to their scheme.

"Clearly their eyes were glazing over when the folks at the mic asked questions," Linzy said. "The panel did say these were not the questions they were looking for. What they were looking for was info and ideas on how to implement the health care exchange."

Kentucky has already accepted more federal money to establish a state run health insurance exchange than any other state but New York. Last week, Governor Steve Beshear claimed that he had no choice but to prepare to set up a state run exchange should the U.S. Supreme Court find the law constitutional. The panel today repeated his claim, despite the fact that the law clearly says it is optional.

Further, common sense says that not getting the state involved in this nonsense is the cheaper way to go.

"This is the camel's nose, head and three-fourths of its body already in the tent," said Dan Blanchard of Jefferson County. "If centralized government imposes its will on us here, it sets all the precedent they need to go after any vestige of liberty in any other areas we have left. This is not about affordable health care. It's about a pseudo-intelligent elite trying to control 'We the People.'"

The strong showing of tea partiers clearly frustrated the bureaucrats, but left conservatives wondering what would come next.

"Other than a show of force, I wonder if we accomplished much," said Ann Prothro of Woodford County. "I found them very parental, patronizing. It felt like they thought we were all talking in study hall."

Indeed, what comes next is critical. A single, simple demand is necessary. Conservatives and tea partiers should call Governor Beshear and demand that he return the $60 million in federal grant money Kentucky has received to implement an ObamaCare. His number is (502)564-2611. Further, please call your state Senator and Representative and demand that they publicly call on Beshear to send the money back and discontinue all efforts to create an ObamaCare health insurance exchange in Kentucky.

Attend Beshear's public ObamaCare meeting

Kentucky has already budgeted more money for implementing ObamaCare than any other state but New York. Governor Beshear has been working behind the scenes to set up an ObamaCare health insurance exchange in Kentucky while most people are distracted by the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the ObamaCare mandate.

If he is not reversed quickly, Beshear will be able to run ObamaCare in Kentucky even if the federal law is overturned by the Supreme Court.

The legislature has failed to stop him. We must do it and the time is now.

On Monday, May 7 in Frankfort, the Beshear administration is holding a public meeting about the future of ObamaCare in Kentucky. As many of us as possible must attend. The Beshear Administration tried to keep this meeting quiet; the idea was to bus their people in and make it look like everyone loves ObamaCare. If you can make it at 1pm on Monday to 200 Mero Street in Frankfort (Transportation Cabinet Building Auditorium C105), please come. Even if you can't attend, please spread this invitation as widely as you can.

Printing (or cutting) what doesn't "fit"

From the Associated Press (Printed in the Bowling Green Daily News):

Beshear's announcement raised concerns in Kentucky among opponents of the federal care reforms.

Tea party activist David Adams said Kentucky shouldn't have accepted the federal grants, and that Kentuckians should be outraged that Beshear has been working behind the scenes to plan the health insurance exchange.
"This is the most important thing state government will do to us this year," he said.
It's noteworthy that the Lexington Herald Leader chopped this off the online version of this story.

And here is my original statement:

"If the legislature had any guts they would have prohibited Governor Beshear from spending even a penny setting up the enforcement bureaucracy for ObamaCare. They don't need to have meetings to discuss how great socialized medicine is going to be in Kentucky; they should have already sent the $60 million in federal funds back to Obama. The way the federal law is written, we can ignore ObamaCare mandates if we just refuse to set up an exchange. The purpose of the exchange is to blame the insurance companies and go straight to single-payer when the whole thing proves disastrous. They have to schedule this thing during the day so we can't get a crowd there, but this is the most important thing state government will do to us this year. If you thought the failed General Assemby session was bad, this is Armageddon." David Adams

Steve Beshear comes out of closet on May 7

Kentucky will be Ground Zero of the national battle against ObamaCare on Monday, May 7 in Frankfort when  Beshear administration officials forcing us into government-controlled healthcare will hold an open meeting in Frankfort to discuss their progress.

Though some reports have been online and the state budget gives Beshear free rein to ram ObamaCare down our throats, this is his first time publicly admitting his involvement in this disaster.

The meeting will be held at 1pm ET in the auditorium (C105) at the Transportation Cabinet in Frankfort, 200 Mero Street. Beshear has continued to insist, despite the evidence, that he is not setting up an ObamaCare health insurance exchange -- the state enforcement bureaucracy for socialized medicine.

Kentucky has already budgeted more ObamaCare spending than any other state in the nation besides New York.

If you care about stopping ObamaCare and can make it on Monday, you won't want to miss this.

Who are Kentucky's Tea Party candidates?

In an email this morning, Louisville Courier Journal political writer Joe Gerth asked me who the Tea Party candidates are running in the state House and Senate this year. Below is my response. What's yours?

"Good question. I think it's a 'many are called, few are chosen' kind of thing. I hope they all wind up supporting tea party principles, but for now they are mostly running their own races. I hope voters ask the candidates where they all stand on tea party issues and why. Our state officials have underfunded state employee benefits for so long we have about three years left before we won't be able to pay benefits out of KRS funds. That's a tea party issue because taxpayers will be on the hook, but the establishment figures won't even talk about it. Our elected officials have left the door wide open for Obama and Beshear to destroy healthcare in Kentucky with a federally-controlled but state "run" health insurance exchange. Only a handful of candidates have pledged never to raise taxes. I think the candidates who will talk directly to these issues and keep talking about them will be the tea party candidates."

Bob Damron has a Campaign for Liberty problem

Kentucky state Representative Bob Damron (D-Nicholasville) is one of only two Democrats in the General Assembly who completed a Campaign for Liberty survey with 100% affirmative answers.

He might have a problem or two with that.

Interested voters who haven't already written off Damron for bad votes might want to ask him which federal official he wants to arrest first.

Question 4 on the survey asks if the candidate would support nullifying ObamaCare and "authorize state and local law enforcement to arrest federal officials attempting to implement the unconstitutional health care scheme."

Damron answered that he would do these things. I would like to see him say that on camera.

While he could certainly claim that he would take this approach to stopping ObamaCare since the opportunity has never come up, question 7 is a different story.

Question 7 asks "Do you oppose taking federal money to create a state health insurance exchange?" Kentucky has taken more federal money for this purpose than any other state except for New York. Damron has been there through the entire ordeal and has never objected once.

Steve Beshear hiding latest ObamaCare plans

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services officials are sitting on at least two periodic reports detailing state implementation of ObamaCare.

The most recent Health Benefit Exchange Planning Grant quarter report made public on the state's Division of Certificate of Need is dated July 15, 2011.

Kentucky has budgeted more money for setting up the state bureaucracy for ObamaCare implementation than any state other than New York.

Kentucky paints itself into ObamaCare corner

A little-noticed provision in Kentucky's 2012 budget bill exposes a problem to be faced by states dumb enough to enact any part of ObamaCare.

Section 10 on page 296 of Kentucky's HB 265 would enable Kentucky to set up a state health insurance purchasing compact with contiguous states to allow for cross-border buys of health coverage.

Kentucky is actively setting up ObamaCare and is in the process of spending more than any other state in the nation other than New York on ObamaCare.

Kentucky has seven contiguous neighbors. Six of them have expressed an interest in a similar purchasing compact with their neighboring states. Of those six, five have taken specific legislative steps to protect themselves from at least one element of ObamaCare. They would have nothing to gain by combining with Kentucky on health insurance starting in 2014, when ObamaCare kicks in.

That leaves Kentucky and West Virginia, two ObamaCare states, to set up a multi-state health insurance purchasing compact. The way to avoid becoming an ObamaCare state is to avoid setting up a state-run health insurance exchange. Kentucky is too far into that process, with the legislature enabling and Governor Beshear expected to issue an executive order after the elections in November. Even a favorable U.S. Supreme Court ruling later this year may not prevent that from happening if the individual mandate is invalidated but the rest of the law survives.

Our fearless leaders should have at least tried to avoid the insurance exchange trap when they had the chance.




 

Beshear slams shut bogus "Open Door"

After the Tea Party shifted Frankfort's discussion in 2012 toward the massive accumulation of debt in state government, two weeks ago we noticed Beshear had scrubbed state sites of significant data related to that debt.

It never occurred to me to check out the silly, but award-winning state transparency site but when I did, I found the state's vaunted Open Door has been closed.

If you click here and look at "Kentucky's Transparency Portal," the link labeled "State Debt Report" takes you to an error message.

Might be an interesting news story for some intrepid Frankfort reporter. No doubt if Governor Ernie Fletcher had tried this he would already have been drawn and quartered. 

Would Missouri jail Kentucky lawmakers?

Missouri's state Senate is considering a bill -- already passed by the state House -- to make it a crime to  help set up ObamaCare in that state. Kentucky's General Assembly just voted to spend $50 million to help set up ObamaCare in Kentucky.

And the really good news is the politicians prosecuted under this law wouldn't be subject to the Steve Nunn Exception and could lose their government pensions.

In all seriousness, Kentucky should return every dime of federal ObamaCare money and follow Missouri's lead in fighting against it. Granted, we would need more Republicans to go that far, but we should have had plenty to avoid getting in deeper than any state other than New York.

Legislative pension issue enters KY primary

One issue gaining traction this year in Kentucky legislative races is whether or not a candidate will accept a pension for serving in the legislature. It has finally become a point of contention in a Republican primary in Lexington's 76th state House district.

Richard Marrs is a conservative Republican who ran in this district in 2010 against Democratic Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo. Marrs holds the distinction in Kentucky of being the only House candidate for whom then-candidate Rand Paul campaigned by knocking on doors in his neighborhood. Marrs has pledged to reject a legislative pension if he is elected.

Marrs' opponent, Lavinia Theodoli Spirito, is taking the opposite approach by saying she will not refuse a pension.

In what might be a competitive race between conservative Richard Marrs and his opponent Lavinia Theodoli Spirito, this could be a defining issue.

Obama hopes you still don't read very well

I wonder how many people will send $3 (or more!) to President Barack Obama after reading this email, thinking that he is then going to fly them to Los Angeles to hang out with George Clooney. 

Probably a lot of the same people who still believe ObamaCare will lower their medical costs.

You may laugh, but your state representatives are just about ready to come home and tell you how conservative they are despite just setting up a ticking time bomb on Kentucky's health care system.

Kentuckians can ignore Supreme Court ruling

A lot of people will be watching the U.S. Supreme Court this summer to see if the justices rule ObamaCare to be unconstitutional or not. Thanks to Governor Steve Beshear and the state legislature, Kentuckians need not bother paying attention at all.

The General Assembly have authorized expenditures of over $50 million dollars to set up ObamaCare in Kentucky. That's more than any other state but New York. It would have been better for our health and finances to refuse that money and let the whole sordid scheme wither from neglect.

Unfortunately for us, our representatives in Frankfort took the money and bureaucrats are working to set up ObamaCare for Kentuckians. Worse, they granted the state's Insurance Commissioner open-ended powers to take control of healthcare in the state.

So even if ObamaCare is overturned and other states are spared, Kentucky won't be off the hook. The legislature did their dirty work in House Bill 265.

Tim Kline, a rock star in the making

Tim Kline is a 34 year old Owensboro, Kentucky attorney running for state House of Representatives in the 7th district.

A former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, Tim is a solid conservative and exactly the kind of person we need more of in Frankfort. Expect to hear a lot more about Tim in the weeks and months ahead.

Tim has the courage to campaign against the abuse and fraud in Kentucky Retirement Systems and pledges that  he will not accept a legislative pension.

Expect Tim to be an energetic leader among the new Republican wave coming in to augment Frankfort's decrepit legislature. The 7th district seat is currently held by a Democrat.

Ready for Kentucky's bankruptcy?

While Kentucky's political leaders mostly clown for the cameras in Frankfort, the smart money is watching the show but they aren't laughing. They are apparently, however, exploring ways to capitalize on our state's insane recklessness. The graphic below comes from www.statcounter.com, a site which tracks IP addresses of site visitors to Kentucky Progress.

Lazard Freres is a top financial restructuring advisory firm. In fact, Lazard Freres worked on the 2008 Lehman Brothers bankruptcy at the start of the banking crisis. It appears someone at the firm's New York office has been reading on this site multiple times. If you want to know what they know, you should read two of the pages they read most recently here and here.

 States can't legally declare bankruptcy, but that may be of cold comfort to bondholders and/or pensioners when our fiscal situation gets so bad there isn't enough money to go around.

Long memories, short pencils and Bob Damron

Kentucky state Representative Bob Damron (D-Nicholasville) is the only incumbent legislator this year who voted in 1994 to destroy Kentucky's individual health insurance market, subsequently apologized for it and then turned around and voted to spend $50 million we don't have to speed up ObamaCare implementation in Kentucky.

Damron called his vote for HB 250 in 1994 a "rookie mistake" and has claimed, correctly, that public backlash against Kentucky's attempt at creating "HillaryCare" here resulted in reforms that eventually enhanced what was left of our health insurance market.

Surviving his "rookie mistake" and then falling again under the spell of Barack Obama suggests strongly that it's time for Damron to call it quits. Damron's Republican opponent this fall is Nicholasville's Matt Lockett.

Barney Frank lives on in Frankfort, Kentucky

Massachusetts liberal Congressman Barney Frank is retiring in Washington D.C. but his thinking on ObamaCare seems to have taken hold in Frankfort.

Frank blamed the Democrats' loss of the House of Representatives in 2010 on President Obama's push for ObamaCare. It's not that he disagreed with the concept, he says they should have just waited until after the election because of the divisiveness of the issue.

Kentucky's politicians Steve Beshear, David Williams and Greg Stumbo appear to have taken to heart Frank's advice that Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi ignored.

Our Kentucky bunch waited until after the 2011 election to screw Kentuckians with a health insurance scheme that will haunt Kentuckians for years whether the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down ObamaCare or not.

Almost immediately after Beshear and Williams completed their uninspiring general election campaign -- in which Williams focused on calling Beshear a closet Hindu and Beshear focused on reminding people he was running against David Williams --  they set about passing a state budget that spends more money than every state but New York on ramming ObamaCare -- and worse -- down our throats.

If you liked how Frankfort destroyed Kentucky's individual health insurance market in 1994, you will love how they destroy it for everyone in the 2012 general fund budget. Oh, and you can thank Barney Frank for the political advice that helped make it happen.