Friday, June 05, 2015

More Frankfort Obamacrat skulduggery

Looks like the Kentucky Department of Insurance has grown tired of answering questions about hiding evidence of ObamaCare failures, hiding it some more, violating federal law to keep it hidden, falsifying data to continue to keep Kentuckians in the dark and then having no answers for when people start to learn the truth.

That's the only possible explanation for the fact they have removed any trace of the true ObamaCare rate increase figures which lasted on the site for about a day. The Kentucky Department of Insurance web site has been scrubbed of its link to rate increase information which can still be found at www.ratereview.healthcare.gov.

"Their health reform policy does not work, has not worked and cannot work, but Frankfort Obamacrats have frankly done a great job of spinning the ObamaCare disaster around in circles so many times the media doesn't even try to call them on garbage like this," said leading ObamaCare critic David Adams. "Kentuckians should look forward to getting a Republican governor in November if for no other reason than to see our press corps to start showing a little fortitude again."

Thursday, June 04, 2015

Frankfort Obamacrats understate ObamaCare premium increases for 2016

The Kentucky Department of Insurance released a partial list of "average rate increases" for 2016 ObamaCare health plans in the state yesterday which conflict with the rates they sent to the Obama Administration.

The DOI's release yesterday claimed Anthem had requested an average increase of 14.6%, but reported to Obama four different rate increases for four different Anthem plans: 13.18%, 14.31%, 17.00% and 21.46%. The average of those numbers is 16.49%. The DOI's release yesterday claimed Humana had requested an average increase of 5.2%, but reported to Obama six different rate increases for six different Humana plans: 13.74%, 11.63%, 25.88%, 11.28%, 11.78%, and 10.98%. The average of those numbers is 14.22%.

This is exactly the kind of dishonesty and confusion we have come to expect from these people.

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Kentucky Death Spiral: Biggest ObamaCare insurer seeks 25% rate hike

The Kentucky Health Cooperative was created with tax dollars under ObamaCare and kept afloat with subsequent grants of millions more. Now they want a twenty five percent average premium increase for 2016, according to Ronda Sloan of the Kentucky Department of Insurance.

This information came after repeated requests made to the Department of Insurance to divulge premium information the Obama Administration appears to be sitting on.

"I'm still waiting to see their official filing because this 'average' rate increase language looks a little fishy," said David Adams, leading opponent of ObamaCare in Kentucky. "Obamacrats have been consistently untrustworthy and slow to tell the whole truth since the beginning of their health reform debacle, so I won't be surprised at all if it is even worse than we are being told."

Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Six states ducking required ObamaCare transparency; one blames Obama

When yesterday's deadline for states to post 2016 ObamaCare health premiums passed, all but California, Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York and Rhode Island had complied. But only Kentucky was blaming President Obama for the failure.

Kentucky Department of Insurance spokeswoman Ronda Sloan insists the Obama Administration has Kentucky's rates and is choosing not to make them available to the public.

"We are waiting to hear when Kentucky's submitted information will be posted to the federal site," Sloan said, while refusing repeated requests to make the rates available herself.

So far only the Louisville Courier Journal has expressed even minimal interest in the controversy among the mainstream media types and Sloan has stopped responding to emails. Those hidden rates can't stay hidden forever.

Kentucky misses June 1 ObamaCare transparency deadline; blames Obama

Kentucky Department of Insurance spokeswoman Ronda Sloan said state officials sent 2016 ObamaCare health insurance premium information to federal authorities for posting on the healthcare.gov web site, but the rates were not published yesterday.

"We are waiting to hear when Kentucky's submitted information will be posted to the federal site," she said.

While appearing to throw the President of the United States under the bus for missing the required transparency deadline, Sloan also refused repeated attempts to merely divulge the information so it could be published here.

"The complete filings are available through open records," she said.

The apparent disdain for the public's right to know and even federal law drew a swift rebuke from Kentucky's most vocal critic of state and federal health reform shenanigans.

"Obama and Beshear have treated the law like toilet paper so many times in turning our doctor's offices into police state outposts we have become numb to the shock," said David Adams, plaintiff in a legal effort to curtail Kentucky's participation in ObamaCare. "But there is only one reason they would not want us to see the upcoming health insurance premiums in a timely fashion. If we are paying attention at all, the politician who should get hit hard on this right away is Jack Conway."

Monday, June 01, 2015

Trouble in ObamaCare's Bluegrass paradise?

Barack Obama and Steve Beshear aren't ready for you to see how much ObamaCare is going up in Kentucky.

Recent data on Kentucky's skyrocketing ObamaCare health premiums has been scrubbed from the state's Department of Insurance web site for weeks, but full disclosure of proposed rate increases was supposed to be posted today, according to Ronda Sloan of the Kentucky Department of Insurance.

"We are waiting to hear when Kentucky’s submitted information will be posted on the federal site. We were told earlier that the states’ information would be going online gradually throughout the day. If I hear anything later this evening, I will send you an email," Sloan said.

It is common sense that if the rate increase information were good, Beshear and Jack Conway would have been choking back tears at a press conference earlier today.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Obamacrats forcing Kentucky court officers to break state law for health "reform"

Kentucky probation and parole officers have been instructed this afternoon to sign their clients up for ObamaCare, Kim Murphy, Kynect Program Coordinator, said.

"We have been informed that all of the Probation and Parole officers statewide were going to be instructed to make sure everyone they see gets signed up (for ObamaCare)," she said. Murphy added that judges around the state have already been making ObamaCare enrollment a condition of release from prison.

Newly released ex-offenders are already eligible to sign up for ObamaCare, but the idea of forcing them to sign up or face being sent back to jail is new -- and problematic.

KRS 439.500(1)(a) prohibits probation and parole officers from using their office to influence the political action of any person. In the NFIB case, the United States Supreme Court explained "(n)either the Act nor any other law attaches negative legal consequences to not buying health insurance, beyond requiring payment to the IRS. The Government agrees with that reading, confirming that if someone chooses to pay rather than obtain health insurance, they have fully complied with the law."

So if not purchasing ObamaCare is not a matter of breaking the law, then forcing someone to become an ObamaCare statistic is clearly a political act. Probation and parole officers in Kentucky can't do that, so forcing them to violates state law.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

ObamaCare Kynect hell breaks loose Monday

The Kentucky Department of Insurance is required by federal law to post ObamaCare rate increase requests on Monday and they are widely expected to demonstrate more health reform failure, just as the fall campaign for Governor gets started.

"This weekend it will be official that Kentucky Republicans have nominated in Matt Bevin a candidate who has not wavered or played word games with real opposition to ObamaCare to run against a Democrat who has hid under his bed during the whole controversy," said David Adams, plaintiff in the legal effort to shut down Kentucky's state-run ObamaCare "exchange."

"Kentucky's ObamaCare 'public option' is insolvent and the expected death spiral is underway," Adams said. "It's going to be a very bumpy ride for Kentuckians still expecting ObamaCare to work."

Monday, May 18, 2015

Will T. Scott responds to newspaper endorsing someone else in GOP primary for Governor

Asking the Herald-Leader editorial board to pick the best Republican for governor is like taking a skunk on a coon hunt. Nevertheless, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the fact they did not endorse me.

Kentucky is in bad shape. The next governor will find Frankfort's cupboards bare and hungry people beating on the doors of the Capitol calling on resources we don't have. This is not a time for trusting state government to someone seeking to make a statement or build a resume.

We need a problem-solver and that's what I am.

We need to fix a $34 billion hole in our public pension system. The longer we wait, the worse it gets and the more Kentuckians will suffer.

We can prevent that by amending our state constitution to allow limited casino gambling and requiring that revenue from this activity pay this huge debt. Kentuckians are already gambling in casinos, but the money is going to other states to help them pay their bills.

We need to stop throwing away the lives of young Kentuckians afflicted with drug addictions when they are willing to be saved. Tossing nonviolent drug addicts in prison with hardened criminals is an enormous waste of life and must be corrected for our state to reach its potential. I have a detailed plan to fix this.

And unlike my opponents, I will close Obamacare Kynect my first day in office.

Please learn more about my background and plans at www.willtscott.com.

Will T. Scott

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Kentucky Downs already a casino, but won't help state's $34 billion pension problem until we act

Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky is running a casino with gambling currently prohibited by state law, said Republican gubernatorial candidate Will T. Scott.

"I've been there to see it and there is nothing about historical horse racing or parimutuel betting about it," Scott said. "They have slot machines all over the place just like you would see in Reno."

Scott has made solving Kentucky's massive $34 billion pension underfunding problem with limited casino gambling at horse tracks a key part of his platform this year.

"The way to do it is to require in the Constitution revenues from the expanded gambling go to pay our biggest unpaid bill first and that's pensions," Scott said.

Thursday, May 07, 2015

Kentucky's ObamaCare "Cooperative" is insolvent

A Standard and Poor's research report issued this week finds the Kentucky Health Cooperative, an ObamaCare creation funded initially by federal dollars and then bailed out with tens of millions of dollars more last year, is insolvent.

The report analyzed health insurers' requests for risk corridor receivables. Those are funds supposed to be taken from profitable insurers and given to unprofitable ones under ObamaCare. Kentucky Health Cooperative booked more "receivables" expected to be coming from the risk corridor program than the company has in capital, which includes mostly federal loan and bailout funds.

According to the report, the Kentucky insurer booked an amount of risk corridor receivables equal to 117% of capital, more than every other insurer in the nation except one. The bad news for them and their customers is S&P estimates the risk corridor program is less than ten percent funded and there is no likelihood of Congress acting to make up the difference. That means the Kentucky Health Cooperative is toast.

Cooperative officials appear to be refusing all requests for comment and the Kentucky Department of Insurance has pulled down their web page that used to allow consumers to view rate increase requests.

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

Hal Heiner's ObamaCare meltdown

Hal Heiner is either confused about the difference between the ObamaCare exchange and the Medicaid expansion or he has swallowed the left-wing KoolAid about what happens on the way to ending ObamaCare.

On a Kentucky Sports Radio debate today, Heiner said: "I am not willing to kick 330,000 people to the curb and destroy the healthcare system that's available..." That was in response to a question about Heiner's continued squishiness on ObamaCare.

The point is that since the very early days of the campaign, no one is talking about the impossible task of reversing the Medicaid expansion from the Governor's office. The question was about shutting down the state-run ObamaCare exchange, which will have no impact on the Medicaid expansion. Defaulting to the federal exchange involves no innocent victims, much less Heiner's imaginary 330,000 being "kicked to the curb."

My favorite part from Heiner was the bit about destroying the healthcare system. I'm guessing he just started his post-primary pivot to the left earlier than a more disciplined establishment politician would.

Jamie Comer wrong on freedom of speech

It's no secret gubernatorial candidate James Comer has been talking to lawyers about people talking to bloggers. Looks like he may need some better advice or something.

Comer claimed in a radio debate today in Louisville that Hal Heiner's campaign violated the law by speaking to a Lexington blogger.

Speaking to Heiner, Comer said "if you see an email that was sent from your running mate to this blogger, encouraging this blogger to contact all the Republican Party chairs and vice-chairs of the state and spreading lies about me, coordinating -- which is illegal on its own -- with this blogger, how would you react to that as the leader of your ticket with your running mate and your campaign staff?"

I would love to challenge Comer to show us the statute forbidding conversation, interaction or -- if you must -- coordination between a blogger and a candidate or a member of a campaign staff. He can't do it, of course, because no such prohibition exists anywhere.

This is really getting embarrassing. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for someone speeding in a school zone. That should go ten times more for someone who claims he wants to be Governor. The state government's chief executive officer is charged with faithfully executing state law. How can he be expected to do that if he doesn't even understand citizens' rights regarding our ability to speak to each other?

Monday, May 04, 2015

Heiner, again: I will do NOTHING on ObamaCare

The Bowling Green Daily News has posted answers to questions asked of Republican gubernatorial candidate Hal Heiner. One exchange in particular shows clearly why he cannot be trusted to represent the GOP this fall:

What are your plans for the Kentucky health care exchange and how do you plan on putting them into effect?

Heiner: "I have called for a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act and stand with (Kentucky GOP) Sens. (Mitch) McConnell and (Rand) Paul in doing so. In the meantime, we are left with an expanded Medicaid system that must be reformed – both to protect the survival of our rural hospitals but also to fit within our budget constraints as a commonwealth. As governor, I'll work to bring accountability and personal responsibility into our health care system by introducing programs that are working in other states – health savings accounts, deductibles and health incentives that can bring down costs for the entire system. As a Frankfort outsider, I plan to bring this type of thoughtful, conservative leadership to the governor's office on day one."

Choosing only to cheer for repeal of ObamaCare is the role of a powerless bystander, not a Governor with explicit powers spelled out in the language of the "Affordable Care Act," as well as the Constitution. Only Will T. Scott has promised to shut down Kynect, the state-run ObamaCare exchange, on his first day in office. Heiner's only response to Scott's decisive action on this front is to complain vaguely about taking "healthcare" away from Kentuckians. With Republicans like this, who needs Democrats?

Sunday, April 26, 2015

James Comer's six figure gift from taxpayers to Democrat politician begs further explanation

A question from the audience at Saturday's gubernatorial debate in Nicholasville surprised some audience members when all four candidates said they had made campaign contributions to Democrats in past elections, but the rest of the story is more interesting and requires more damage control from James Comer's faltering campaign.

Comer said he had given to one Democrat -- former State Representative Richard Henderson, who lost his seat last November after getting caught up in a cockfighting scandal. But there was a Comer beneficiary who got quite a bit more than a $100 check from Commissioner Comer.

Former State Representative Fred Nesler (D) received a $100,000 taxpayer-provided boost to his state pension in June 2012 when Comer appointed him to an executive position in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. This huge gift was made possible by Comer's vote for HB 299 from 2005, which he has had a horrible time trying to explain. (Click here for an amazing video of Comer falling all over himself and trying to blame others for his absurd vote.)

Given Comer's incoherent and painful non-explanations of his vote to pad his pocket some $500,000 at your expense, getting him to talk about why he spread your wealth on to his Democratic friend should provide him further embarrassment.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Will T. Scott urges drug policy overhaul

We can fix Kentucky's failing approach to drug addiction starting with an innovative state program to guarantee safety of potential employees with past felony drug problems, said Republican gubernatorial candidate Will T. Scott.

"Our prisons are not doing their job, protecting you," Scott said. Without a different approach, a never-ending cycle of theft, robberies and worse make victims of innocent Kentuckians. "Of the people in prison due to addiction-related criminal activity, at least sixty percent will commit new crimes within three years of their release from prison," Scott said.

Scott proposes a Kentucky Certified Worker program funded with fees charged to inmates to insure employers against losses caused by rehabilitated felons. The program will provide an opportunity for rehabilitated Kentuckians to build productive lives as opposed to a life sentence in the shadows or worse.

"That means a decent job and, as Merle Haggard sang, 'having pride in who I am.'"

Part of the solution to Kentucky's worsening drug problems is more comprehensive use of drug courts with an emphasis on rehabilitation outside of prisons and in minimum security facilities for less money than we currently spend.

"This new path will work and it will make our homes, garages, highways and businesses much safer at a much lower cost," Scott said.

Justice Scott also proposes a tougher law enforcement approach against the distribution of heroin.

"Heroin transport, sales and use will be under attack like never before," Scott said, referencing a plan to deter importation of heroin from other states.

Scott refers often to the hope of recovery and a strong desire to help rescue Kentuckians from the ravages of addiction and restoration to full productivity, including expungement of criminal records in some cases, including restoration of all rights of citizenship.

"What I'm really telling you is to the extent we can truly rebuild a justice system that really rehabilitates our addicted prisoners and helps them rebuild their lives, pride and confidence in themselves, then we can and will be safe again in our homes, businesses and garages."

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Kentucky GOP delegation pounces on Comer, Heiner

A letter signed by nearly all Kentucky's entire Republican congressional delegation and delivered today took aim directly at gubernatorial candidates Hal Heiner and James Comer. The letter also invited all gubernatorial candidates to a post-election "Unity Rally" May 30 in Frankfort at GOP Headquarters.

"It is absolutely essential that we challenge a government-run healthcare system that is limiting choices and driving up costs for so many of our fellow citizens," the letter explained.

Comer and Heiner have been inconsistent at best in challenging the ObamaCare government-run healthcare system beginning last summer when they both told the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce they would take no action against the Kynect health insurance "exchange" which inspired another candidate to join the race. Both then reiterated their ambivalence in February in a national publication.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Heiner, Comer: Republicans made us do it

Gubernatorial candidates James Comer and Hal Heiner told the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce last summer they would do nothing to shut down ObamaCare's Kynect program in Kentucky. This February, they both told National Journal the same thing. They've both bristled at criticism received for going squishy on this key topic, but at least until now they haven't blamed other Republicans for their bad decisions.

Enter April and the issues of pensions and guns.

Last week, Comer shocked and awed primary election voters when he was asked by the Courier Journal's Joe Gerth why he voted himself a half million dollar pension gift from taxpayers when he was a legislator:

When asked why he voted for the bill to begin with, Comer hesitated for eight seconds. “Well, you know, there’s, it’s, the a, that was a, clearly a bad vote,” he said, before noting that Senate President Robert Stivers and current U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie voted for it.

When asked what he saw in the bill that made him like it in 2005, Comer said, “You know, ... I can’t remember that far back.”

That was last week. Then today, Heiner's campaign blamed a bad vote he made on banning guns on "ten other Republicans" who did the same.

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Comer: send Heiner to jail for five years

Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer has figured out one way to beat Hal Heiner. He wants to send him to jail.

When a 501(c)(4) group called Citizens for Sound Government started running an ad attacking Comer for padding his pension in the legislature and for collecting federal farm subsidies, Comer responded as if the attacks came directly from Heiner himself. If true, that's a big problem.

"It's very discouraging Heiner would break his pledge to run a positive campaign," Comer told CN2 Politics. "I have a theory of who that donor may be (to Citizens for Sound Government.) It may be the same donor in his campaign."

Comer's clear suggestion that the 501(c)(4) ad was made in coordination with Heiner, would be an in-kind contribution under KRS 121.015 and subject to a $1000 limit under KRS 121.150. Under KRS 121.990(3), such a violation of contribution limits by Heiner would be a Class D Felony which could, under KRS 121.990(4), result in the Republican Party of Kentucky not having a nominee on the general election ballot if Heiner were nominated and removed after a successful complaint by the Democratic nominee.

Comer and Heiner should talk about this nonsense a lot more between now and May 19.

Sunday, April 05, 2015

Anthem doubles 2015 small group ObamaCare rate hike

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield small group health plans increased their customers' premiums 7.1% this past January 1, presumably for all of 2015. But it won't stay that way.

Anthem has requested an additional six percent from the Kentucky Department of Insurance, which routinely rubber-stamps such applications. The increase is set to take effect July 1.

If you are keeping score at home, that's a 13.1% increase for the largest small group health insurer in Kentucky in 2015 amid repeated claims from Obamacrats of the health law's great success.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Will T. Scott parachutes into lead

Gubernatorial candidate and former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott will perform a 3500 foot parachute jump to honor Kentucky's veterans on Monday, March 16 at 11 am ET in Elizabethtown, KY. The jump will take place at Skydive Kentucky, Elizabethtown Airport, 1824 Kitty Hawk Drive in Elizabethtown.

The jump will take place promptly at 11 am ET (weather permitting -- may have to wait briefly for 3500 foot ceiling). After the jump, Justice Scott and his running mate Sheriff Rodney Coffey will lay out their Kentucky Veterans Platform, including the following: 

The Scott-Coffey Administration's veteran-friendly focus will provide enhanced job preferences for veterans. Scott will continue his efforts and support for Kentucky Supreme Court Veterans treatment courts he helped build for veterans' "unseen" wounds. Scott and Coffey will work to enact a charitable property tax exemption for veterans' non-profit lodges like those in Ohio. Scott and Coffey will build veterans cemeteries in far western Kentucky and far south-eastern Kentucky. 

Scott and Coffey will announce and discuss their Kentucky Korean and Vietnam veterans "Coming Home March" for the afternoon of December 8, 2015 immediately following the swearing in of our next Governor and Lieutenant Governor. All Kentucky Korean and Vietnam war veterans will be encouraged to assemble at the Old Transportation Building Plaza in Frankfort and thereafter walk, march or ride (with or without assistance) up through Capitol Avenue to the Capitol steps, to there be received and welcomed home by a respected national figure and finally thanked for their service and dismissed. 

"After 61 years and 45 years, we are finally coming home," Scott said.

They will also announce and discuss Sheriff Coffey's charitable Wounded Warriors bicycle ride across Kentucky from Ashland to Paducah in April to raise money locally for Wounded Warriors projects.

Friday, March 06, 2015

Will T. Scott: reduce state healthcare regulation

In this time of great upheaval over ObamaCare, Kentucky should repeal state laws limiting the supply of medical services, specifically the "certificate of need" program, former Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott said.

Repealing certificate of need laws would allow medical providers to expand services without first seeking state government approval. 

"If more government control could make healthcare less expensive, Kentucky would have the cheapest care in the world," Scott said. "Instead, we have regulated ourselves into an expensive mess."

"The federal government gave up on certificate of need in 1987 because they found it did not protect consumers. Our people are my highest priority and I encourage my opponents to speak up on this issue."

Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Obama attorney: taxing power for me, but not for thee

In U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments today, ObamaCare attorney Donald Verrilli argued the IRS has the power to mandate ObamaCare taxes and subsidies even when the law does not authorize such action. This power, of course, is found nowhere in the U.S. Constitution or in federal statute.

It simply does not exist, except in the minds of Obamacrats. So, Verrilli maintains, if President Obama wants his IRS to violate the letter and the spirit of the social contract between government and the people in order to tax and subsidize where no such authority exists, that's just fine.

But apparently that's either just a one way street or a power belonging only to Obama.

When Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts asked Verrilli today if a future administration hostile to ObamaCare could decide to revoke the taxes and subsidies he wants them to impose unilaterally now, he said they could not.

If the U.S. Supreme Court rules the IRS needs congressional approval to enforce ObamaCare mandates, taxes and subsidies, the law will effectively collapse right away in most states.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Anthem joins the mid-year rate increase parade

With ObamaCare beneficiaries Kentucky Health Cooperative and Time Insurance Company gaining quiet premium increases in recent weeks, the largest health insurer in the state wants its piece of the pie too.

Anthem Health Plans has requested a "base rate change" effective July 1, but the Department of Insurance's public web site does not specify yet the amount of increase sought. The "Consumer Protection" people at DOI said they would divulge the amount of the increase on Monday.

This is a tax increase like the other ObamaCare tax increases. What's worse, consumers locked into ObamaCare plans no longer have the freedom to drop out their health plans when faced with one of these mid-year increases without becoming subject to the ever-increasing mandated coverage tax.  Frankfort Obamacrats will claim the state Insurance Code gives DOI the right to levy such a tax on Kentuckians whenever they wish, but that only makes it more infuriating.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Will Kentucky ObamaCare melt further after temperatures thaw?

A minor health insurance player in Kentucky just received quiet approval from state insurance bureaucrats to further gouge consumers just as Gov. Beshear triggered a state law designed to prohibit price gouging for other consumer goods. The timing of this price increase suggests other health insurers may soon follow suit.

Time Insurance Company health coverage premiums will increase nine percent in Kentucky on May 1. This comes after Time's fifteen percent increase took effect January 1. And this comes immediately on the heels of Kentucky's largest ObamaCare health insurer receiving multiple rate increases in quick succession.

Late last year, just as the Kentucky Health Cooperative was making headlines for sucking down tens of millions more in federal bailout funds and sacking consumer advocates, it requested a 9.9% rate increase in June and got a fifteen percent increase in September. They came back in October and increased that to twenty percent with a quick assist from the Kentucky Department of Insurance.

We'll be on the lookout for more rate increases in the weeks ahead.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Matt Bevin fell for ObamaCare's next big lie

We all know by now that President Barack Obama was lying when he said if you like your health insurance you can keep it, but Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin apparently didn't get the memo about another lie.

There is no provision in the so-called "Affordable Care Act" for states dumb enough to accept the Medicaid expansion to later rescind their acceptance despite presidential claims to the contrary designed to suck in the unsuspecting. Bevin should have known this. His claim that he would cancel out the Medicaid expansion if he is elected governor holds no water.

Former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott made headlines last month when he became the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to announce that he would take action to cancel Kynect, the state's ObamaCare health benefit "exchange." Fellow candidates James Comer and Hal Heiner subsequently flip-flopped from their prior positions that they would leave the exchange intact.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Beshear misstates Medicaid expansion statistics

Governor Steve Beshear and his Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange disagree about the total number of Kentuckians placed on Medicaid under ObamaCare -- by over half a million people.

Beshear announced today that 375,000 people were added to Medicaid from October 1, 2013 to the end of 2014. KHBE answered an open records request last November 26 stating "806,783 individuals are currently enrolled in Medicaid through Kynect."

The really odd thing about Beshear's number today is that there were already 310,000 Kentuckians on ObamaCare Medicaid at the end of open enrollment last April. At that time, enrollment for private plans was closed down and the army of ObamaCare sales people turned their focus completely toward signing new people up on Medicaid, aided by a flood of advertising dollars for the various Medicaid plans.

And Beshear now wants you to believe that in seven months they only signed up 65,000 for "free" Medicaid among people who would face fines for not signing up. It's much easier to believe hundreds of thousands were signed up, as KHBE said.

Beshear also said expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare will be responsible for adding 40,000 jobs a year in Kentucky by 2021 and add $30 billion to the state's economy. Skepticism abounds.

Will T. Scott: make the call on pensions

Will T. Scott urged his supporters statewide to call their legislators and demand a "NO" vote on Speaker Greg Stumbo's pension bailout bill, House Bill 4.

"Fixing Kentucky's public pension mess without borrowing us into a deeper hole or raising taxes is one of my highest priorities," Scott said. "We should not have to beg our representatives to lead on this. Pick up your phone and call 800-372-7181 and order them to vote against House Bill 4."

Scott is the only gubernatorial candidate with a plan to solve Kentucky's worst-in-the-nation pension underfunding problem with expanded gambling revenues constitutionally devoted to paying down pension debt.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Will T. Scott urges March caucus for state GOP

Kentucky Republicans should support a plan by Senator Rand Paul to choose a presidential candidate next year in March, before the May primary election, gubernatorial candidate Will T. Scott said.
"Rand is right when he says Kentucky's primary usually comes too late to have our voices heard in a meaningful way," Scott said. We can try a caucus in March this one time and see how it works. I'm sure most Republicans will agree with me." 

Senator Paul will ask county leaders of the Kentucky Republican Party to make this change at the next Central Committee meeting in Bowling Green on March 7.

Friday, January 30, 2015

GOP candidate breaks from pack against ObamaCare

Kentucky must shut down its ObamaCare exchange and GOP gubernatorial candidate Will T. Scott will do that on his first day in office, making him the only candidate holding this position.

"The only thing we get out of surrendering on ObamaCare is Barack Obama's appreciation," Scott said. "My primary opponents already gave up that fight last summer telling the Chamber of Commerce what they wanted to hear. I got in this race to provide leadership, not to go with the flow. The only thing we are getting out of a state-run ObamaCare exchange is the privilege of paying for it. When we shut ours down, the feds will come in and pay for the whole thing. And if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against Obama this summer, the law falls apart completely for the three dozen states without a state exchange. If I'm elected, we will be one of them." 

"I say 'no ObamaCare today, no ObamaCare tomorrow, no ObamaCare ever.'"

Reference: http://www.wdrb.com/story/26085741/little-daylight-between-heiner-comer-at-kentucky-chamber-forum

Monday, January 26, 2015

Will T. Scott: $34 billion is enough debt

Frankfort Democrats are circling their wagons around plans to plunge Kentucky $3.3 billion deeper into debt to cover years of state pension mismanagement, choosing to ignore the realities that massive taxation or more debt are not solutions to the pension system. Republican gubernatorial candidate Will T. Scott says enough is enough.

"They are just moving debt from one pile to another and, worse than that, if we do this for KTRS we will have to do it for KERS too so that means at least six billion," Scott said. "These same people are pushing casino gambling but they want to spend that revenue on more new programs and that's wrong. The only way to expand gambling in Kentucky is to mandate in the Constitution that ninety five percent of the money goes to fix our $40 billion pension problem."

"Kentucky has the worst pension problem of any state and Frankfort is still trying to poke the problem with a stick. The growing chorus of more debt, more debt, and even more debt isn’t a solution. I'm running for governor because Kentucky has a promise to keep that runs a lot deeper than allowing politicians to vote themselves wealth from taxpayers' pockets."

Monday, January 05, 2015

Misstating my case won't get rid of me


COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY

FRANKLIN CIRCUIT COURT

DIVISION II

CIVIL ACTION NO. 14-CI-1337

 

 

DAVID ADAMS                                                                                           PLAINTIFF

 

V.                                                        MOTION TO RECONSIDER

 

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY,

STEVEN L. BESHEAR, GOVERNOR, et al.                                          DEFENDANTS

 

 

 

            Plaintiff moves the Court to reconsider its order filed in this case December 22, 2014 to correct multiple errors. The fundamental mistake from which others flow is found in the following sentence in the Court’s ruling: “No funds for the Exchange are appropriated from the General Fund or Road Fund as alleged by Plaintiff. Even taking all of Plaintiff’s allegations as true, Plaintiff has not stated a claim for relief.”

            Plaintiff alleged the spending in question is not legal and requests that, as such, it must not be allowed by the Court. This is both a legitimate claim for relief and an allegation that can be proven true and entering the Executive Branch Budget into evidence does nothing to change that. Again, from Plaintiff’s Response to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss,” “State Group Health Insurance Funds for state employees exist in General Funds, whose forbidden appropriations present an inescapable problem for state employees charged with implementing “the ACA.” Even if all other legal problems with the attempted implementation of the “Affordable Care Act” are ignored out of hand, such as the multiple executive orders and constitutional and statutory problems in KRS 12.028 and Kentucky Constitution Sections 47, 180 and 230 with moving, spending and/or adding to Kentucky Access funds, this one cannot be.

            Plaintiff again respectfully requests the Court to reconsider its ruling in this case.

 

                                                                                                Respectfully submitted,

 

 

                                                                                                David Adams

                                                                                                121 Nave Place                                                                                                                                   Nicholasville, KY 40356                                                                                                                    859-537-5372

                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

 

 

 

This certifies the forgoing was served this 5th day of January, 2015 by electronic mail delivery upon Patrick R. Hughes, Dressman Benzinger LaVelle PSC, 207 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, Kentucky 41017-2596.

 

                                                                                               

                                                                                    David Adams

 

                       

Friday, December 19, 2014

Kentucky Obamacrats shoot your watchdog

The Kentucky Health Cooperative made news today by sucking up another $65 million "loan" from federal taxpayers just one year after being formed as an ObamaCare health insurer with a $58.8 million loan. But this evidence of wild mismanagement is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Kentucky Health Cooperative, by far our state's biggest ObamaCare insurer, is systematically removing health insurance agents from the Exchange who warn consumers about the co-op's questionable business practices. Several hundred health insurance agents previously appointed to represent the co-op's ObamaCare policies have seen their appointments cancelled and agents seeking to do business under the new regime are being turned away, leaving consumers without an advocate when the co-ops' nonexistent customer service and increasing deductibles become apparent.

"Gov. Beshear said at the beginning of ObamaCare that Kentuckians needed to be running ObamaCare in Kentucky, but all that has done is fill the pockets of his friends like co-op CEO Janie Miller," said Tea Party activist David Adams. "And now the very Kentuckians who were in place to blow the whistle on abusive tactics used by the co-op are being removed. It's yet another outrage from a group of bureaucrats with an enormous capacity for outrageous behavior."

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Si se puede: Obamacrats deem all "limited English" speakers in Kentucky disabled

Kentucky Medicaid Obamacrats have started threatening doctors who don't offer and pay for language interpretation services for people who don't speak English.

The cost for such an interpreter is at least $80 and the amount is not reimbursable by Medicaid. Providers have been told the rationale for this is that Medicaid views everyone who doesn't speak English to be disabled.

"Under ObamaCare, we have added almost 900,000 Kentuckians to Medicaid which the state can't afford and now we're bringing our nation's failed immigration policy into the mess," said Tea Party activist David Adams. "Shutting down the Medicaid expansion in Kentucky must be one of our highest priorities."

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

New and improved Kentucky ObamaCare lawsuit response for Dec. 17 hearing


COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY

FRANKLIN CIRCUIT COURT

DIVISION II

CIVIL ACTION NO. 14-CI-1337

 

DAVID ADAMS                                                                                           PLAINTIFF

 

 

V.                                RESPONSE TO DEFENDANTS’ MOTION

                                                            TO DISMISS

 

 

 

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY, ET AL.                                    DEFENDANTS

 

 

                        **********************************************

 

            Defendants having entered a CR 12.02(f) Motion to Dismiss to Plaintiff’s Complaint, Plaintiff respectfully responds as follows:

I.        ARGUMENT

 

            Defendants move for dismissal of Plaintiff’s Complaint by attempting to distract the Court from noticing the only meaningful fact in the present action: the current Executive Branch Budget does not fund the operation of a state-based health insurance exchange under ObamaCare (or the Affordable Care Act or ACA) and further specifically prohibits such expenditures as would perpetuate it.

            Governor Beshear has attempted to create some form of taxing and spending mechanism for implementing an optional state-based ObamaCare exchange in Kentucky using three separate and distinct Temporary Reorganization Executive Orders, one each in 2012, 2013 and 2014, which Defendants notably fail to mention in their Motion to Dismiss. KRS 12.028(5) mandates “subject matter of each executive order relating to reorganization shall be presented in the General Assembly in a separate bill.” This did not happen with Executive Order 2012-587, which attempted to create “Office of the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange,” necessitating its expiration and withdrawal and further, according to statute, forbidding its replacement prior to the next succeeding General Assembly. This prohibition was ignored by Governor Beshear, who immediately upon its expiration issued Executive Order 2013-418. This second Order sought to create the “Office of the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange” and House Bill 505 was subsequently introduced in the 2014 General Assembly. Near the same time, the Governor’s budget request sought appropriations for “Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange.” The bill was rejected by the General Assembly and the 2013 Executive Order subsequently expired. Again, Governor Beshear ignored the plain language of KRS 12.028(5) which states “If the General Assembly fails to enact a temporary reorganization plan, the Governor, the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership as created in KRS 154.10-010, and other elected state executive

officers shall not effect the plan prior to the next succeeding session of the General Assembly.”

            Executive Order 2014-561 as issued on June 30, 2014 abolished Kentucky Access, the supposed taxing and funding mechanism for “Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange” and placed it inside something called “Kentucky Health Benefit and Health Information Exchange” for which the General Assembly provided no funding in the Executive Branch Budget for Fiscal Years 2014-15 and 2015-16, stating in the budget itself “no executive order related to the ACA has been codified by the General Assembly,” “no provision within this Act shall be deemed, adjudged, or constructed as being a recognition, finding or admission of the General Assembly’s approval of the operation of the ACA in Kentucky,” and “The Governor is expressly prohibited from expending any General Fund resources on any expenditure directly or indirectly associated with the Health Benefit Exchange.” It could not be any more clear that the General Assembly has repeatedly and forcefully denied approval for state spending and taxation to support ObamaCare in Kentucky.

            Denying Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and further granting Plaintiff’s Prayer for Relief in Complaint is completely consistent with recent case law. “The mere existence of a statute that can be implemented only if funded does not mandate an appropriation.” See Fletcher v. Commonwealth (Ky. 2005) 163 S.W. 3d 852. “The purpose of Section 230 of the Kentucky Constitution, the statutes, and CR 54.04 is ‘to prevent the expenditure of the State’s money without the consent of the Legislature.’” See Kentucky Retirement Systems v. Foster (Ky. App. 2010) 338 S.W.3d 788 quoting Ferguson v. Oates 314 S.W. 2d 518, 521 (Ky. 1958) “It is a purpose consistent with the governmental separation of powers and reinforces the proper role of the judiciary.”

No funding exists for “Kentucky Health Benefit and Health Information Exchange” in the Executive Branch Budget Bill. Kentucky Access, the supposed funding and taxing mechanism for continued operation of ObamaCare in Kentucky is attached to the same unfunded entity created by Executive Order 2014-561 and, in any event, its contents are not available to be spent on further operation of ObamaCare in Kentucky because its reason for existing, per KRS 304.17B-005, “implementing an acceptable alternative mechanism within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. sec. 300gg-44(a)(1)” has been accomplished with passage of the “Affordable Care Act.” “The surplus remaining after the object of a levy has been accomplished must be treated as part of a general fund.” See Fannin v. Davis (Ky. 1964) 385 S.W.2d 321. Again, legal authority for such General Fund expenditures as Defendants seek does not exist, by explicit direction of the General Assembly. Further, State Group Health Insurance Funds for state employees exist in General Funds, whose forbidden appropriations present an inescapable problem for state employees charged with implementing “the ACA.”

Lastly, Defendants claim Plaintiff’s request for injunctive relief is deficient because it fails to comply with CR 65.04, which governs motions for temporary injunctions. Plaintiff has not yet filed such a motion, but will comply with requirements of same at such time.

 

                                                                              Respectfully submitted,

 

                                                                              David Adams

                                                                              121 Nave Place

                                                                              Nicholasville KY 40356

                                                                              859-537-5372

                                                                              Plaintiff

 

 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

 

This certifies the forgoing was served this 17th day of December, 2014 by personal delivery upon Patrick R. Hughes, Dressman Benzinger LaVelle PSC, 207 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, Kentucky 41017-2596.

 

Friday, December 12, 2014

Missing link to stronger, freer, more honest Kentucky makes debut next month

Kentucky is about to become a testing ground for a revolutionary approach to reporting news that does not bode well for Obamacrats or the mainstream media.

A former long-time Frankfort reporter will head up a statewide newspaper without advertising, subscriptions or left-wing biased reporting. Roger Alford, communications director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, will be the paper's editor and publication will begin on an undetermined date after the first of the year.

"Kentuckians are starving for credible public affairs information that doesn't push a pro-Democrat agenda," said tea party activist David Adams. "I think this new paper will have a quick and decisive impact on Frankfort and will inspire others to spring up around the country and around the world. To me this is taking full advantage of the information age. We are ready to starve the beast that is big government and this unbiased, uncontrolled news source gives us the strength to get it done."

More details will be made available in the days and weeks ahead. Stay tuned...