When a Louisville judge ruled today that Kentucky's law restricting registered sex offenders from living with 1000 feet of places where children congregate is unconstitutional, he did what he had to do.
But when legislators passed the law, they were doing what they had to do as well. Several surrounding states had passed similar restrictions and we didn't want to be a magnet for sex offenders fleeing restrictions in those states.
This will continue to bounce around in the courts, and neighbors of sex offenders will continue to suffer when their streets pop up on sex offender registries.
Legislators will probably have to go back to the drawing board on this one.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Other Kentucky Dem Primary In 2008
While Hillary Clinton and friends will be ignoring the Bluegrass state's voters next year in our state's meaningless presidential primary, Greg Stumbo and a soon-to-be crowd of Kentucky Democrats will be vying for the right to promote the the agenda of surrender and socialism.
Stumbo announced his plans to run today, but there is no way his fellow Dems allow themselves to be represented by his baggage without a fight. Should be interesting to watch.
Stumbo announced his plans to run today, but there is no way his fellow Dems allow themselves to be represented by his baggage without a fight. Should be interesting to watch.
Maybe We Should Recruit Wisconsin Employers
Wisconsin is trying to pass socialized medicine and, interestingly, they are admitting how outrageous the costs will be. There is at least one bright spot for Kentucky that I see in Wisconsin's self-imposed misery:
In other words, they wouldn't even need subsidies or special tax breaks, just an absence of disastrous health insurance policies. There are enough House Democrats who remember well our debacle in 1994. Our experience should serve as a valuable object lesson for citizens of other states as well as our own.
As if that's not enough, the health plan includes a tax escalator clause allowing an additional 1.5 percentage point payroll tax to finance higher outlays in the future. This could bring the payroll tax to 16%. One reason to expect costs to soar is that the state may become a mecca for the unemployed, uninsured and sick from all over North America. The legislation doesn't require that you have a job in Wisconsin to qualify, merely that you live in the state for at least 12 months. Cheesehead nation could expect to attract health-care free-riders while losing productive workers who leave for less-taxing climes.
In other words, they wouldn't even need subsidies or special tax breaks, just an absence of disastrous health insurance policies. There are enough House Democrats who remember well our debacle in 1994. Our experience should serve as a valuable object lesson for citizens of other states as well as our own.
What's Wrong Boys, You Already Have Casinos!
Property taxes are up in Indiana, and Indianapolis just raised income taxes by 65% to fight crime.
While officeholders everywhere in both parties are set on growing spending and entitlements, and given our mounting troubles with public pensions and illegal immigrants on welfare, when are we going to start shrinking government?
Anyone?
While officeholders everywhere in both parties are set on growing spending and entitlements, and given our mounting troubles with public pensions and illegal immigrants on welfare, when are we going to start shrinking government?
Anyone?
Monday, July 23, 2007
Make KEES Awards More Meaningful
Rep. Carl Rollins (D-Midway) is working up another bill to double KEES awards. It is foolish to be giving more money to kids who couldn't get a 3.0 GPA in high school.
By feeding public money to future college drop-outs, we are just raising the cost for everyone else. I like the idea of raising KEES awards, but only for students who can manage to make solid grades in high school.
By feeding public money to future college drop-outs, we are just raising the cost for everyone else. I like the idea of raising KEES awards, but only for students who can manage to make solid grades in high school.
Making Kentucky Schools Better 2007-2011
The Lexington Herald-Leader has challenged the gubernatorial campaigns to talk about education:
I can't agree more than halfway with the premise that we have backslid under Governor Fletcher. The education establishment which has used its decades at the helm of Kentucky's schools far more effectively to hold us back than anything Fletcher has done since December of 2003, can't really complain about too much except for the use of the ACT exam to better measure achievement.
And I think that is the best thing we have done in a long time.
We must demand that both candidates address education plans for the next four years with specifics. And if Governor Fletcher is looking for another area of his campaign to fine-tune, school choice is just sitting there waiting for him.
Fletcher needs to explain how he would reverse the backsliding of his first term, and Beshear needs to spell out how he'd do better.
I can't agree more than halfway with the premise that we have backslid under Governor Fletcher. The education establishment which has used its decades at the helm of Kentucky's schools far more effectively to hold us back than anything Fletcher has done since December of 2003, can't really complain about too much except for the use of the ACT exam to better measure achievement.
And I think that is the best thing we have done in a long time.
We must demand that both candidates address education plans for the next four years with specifics. And if Governor Fletcher is looking for another area of his campaign to fine-tune, school choice is just sitting there waiting for him.
Subsidizing Bad Career Choices Means We Will Get More Of Them
The U.S. Senate is expected to introduce a bill today that would dramatically expand unemployment benefits for service workers who claim to have lost their jobs to free trade overseas.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Fiscal Conservatives Strike Back
The Kentucky Club for Growth got some well-deserved good publicity today.
A whole lot of what is wrong with our state will go away when more than just a few legislators focus on promoting good policies.
A whole lot of what is wrong with our state will go away when more than just a few legislators focus on promoting good policies.
Kentucky's Future Under Governor Beshear
Kentuckians might want to pay attention to the effort to further expand casino gambling in Indiana in order to raise -- you guessed it -- more revenue.
How many times to we have to go through this? States sell casinos as a solution to revenue shortfalls. Then they spend all the money they see coming in and spend more for the added social costs. Then they build more casinos on the promise that just a few more will fix the problem for good.
Then they do it again.
How many times to we have to go through this? States sell casinos as a solution to revenue shortfalls. Then they spend all the money they see coming in and spend more for the added social costs. Then they build more casinos on the promise that just a few more will fix the problem for good.
Then they do it again.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Reforming Med-Mal + Repealing CON = More Doctors, Healthier Kentuckians
It certainly won't be any easier if we fail to dispatch liberal trial attorneys Steve Beshear and Jack Conway in November, but Kentucky needs to take another look at medical malpractice reform.
How about a little real-world evidence that reform actually works?
How about a little real-world evidence that reform actually works?
Greg Stumbo Asleep At The Wheel
There was a whole lot of gouging going on last night and our illustrious Attorney General hasn't done anything about it.
My wife and daughter went to Joseph Beth bookstore in Lexington last night for the Harry Potter release. They picked up a pre-paid copy of the book we bought six months ago for $29 while innocent consumers paid an outrageous $37.
Meanwhile, Walmart was selling the same book last night for $17. Since we are still under a state of emergency from 2005, I assume we should expect a price-gouging lawsuit soon.
My wife and daughter went to Joseph Beth bookstore in Lexington last night for the Harry Potter release. They picked up a pre-paid copy of the book we bought six months ago for $29 while innocent consumers paid an outrageous $37.
Meanwhile, Walmart was selling the same book last night for $17. Since we are still under a state of emergency from 2005, I assume we should expect a price-gouging lawsuit soon.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Lots Of New Hot Air In The Rocky Mountains
Get this: former Kentucky liberal blogmeister Mark Nickolas has proof that global warming is cooking Montana.
NIMBY Alert: Beshear Casino Plan For Midway
A Democratic Party source reports Woodford county officials and casino candidate Steve Beshear have cooked up an elaborate ruse to build a stand-alone casino in beautiful Midway, Kentucky.
The site is called the Midway Station Commerce District and is promoted by organizers as something that "will become a vital part of the region as it embodies the values of the New Economy."
But it is really just going to be a casino that will suck the life out of local businesses.
The site is called the Midway Station Commerce District and is promoted by organizers as something that "will become a vital part of the region as it embodies the values of the New Economy."
But it is really just going to be a casino that will suck the life out of local businesses.
Start Phasing Out Kentucky Corporate Taxes
Over 49% of GOP primary voters this year pulled the lever for candidates who made corporate income tax reduction key planks in their campaign platforms.
It may be difficult for Washington to have a real discussion about lowering federal corporate income taxes, but we shouldn't let that stop us.
The worldwide case for lowering corporate taxes is overwhelming. Eliminating them in one fell swoop is worth considering hypothetically, but politically it is a non-starter.
An across-the-board one percentage point reduction in corporate taxes should easily create enough economic activity to justify talking about further cuts.
It may be difficult for Washington to have a real discussion about lowering federal corporate income taxes, but we shouldn't let that stop us.
The worldwide case for lowering corporate taxes is overwhelming. Eliminating them in one fell swoop is worth considering hypothetically, but politically it is a non-starter.
An across-the-board one percentage point reduction in corporate taxes should easily create enough economic activity to justify talking about further cuts.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
It's Raining Subpoenas!
It's a mess down at the Fayette County Detention Center tonight after federal authorities dumped subpoenas on several suspects and witnesses in the prisoner abuse scandal.
And the city's lawyers are scrambling to drop soon-to-be defendants and to make them get their own legal representation.
The Isaac/Newberry cover-up has just about run its course.
And the city's lawyers are scrambling to drop soon-to-be defendants and to make them get their own legal representation.
The Isaac/Newberry cover-up has just about run its course.
Honor Among Thieves In Indiana
No word yet on how many Kentuckians are among those who may face criminal charges because a big casino in Indiana put the wrong software in one of its slot machines.
Someone should ask Jack Conway what he would do to protect Kentucky consumers in the case of such a screw-up here. And will AG Greg Stumbo do anything to protect his constituents from such a malicious prosecution by another state?
Someone should ask Jack Conway what he would do to protect Kentucky consumers in the case of such a screw-up here. And will AG Greg Stumbo do anything to protect his constituents from such a malicious prosecution by another state?
Jack Conway, Consumer Protector Or Not?
Attorney General candidate Stan Lee is on the Leland Conway show in Lexington this morning asking his opponent, liberal activist Jack Conway, to join him in opposition to Steve Beshear's casino gambling scheme.
Jack can't seem to do it, though. All he can manage to do is call Stan Lee names.
For someone who keeps talking about wanting to raise the level of anti-business activism in the Attorney General's office, Jack Conway's continued silence on the casino issue is illuminating. This issue should be a complete non-starter for everyone but Steve Beshear.
Where are you, Jack?
Jack can't seem to do it, though. All he can manage to do is call Stan Lee names.
For someone who keeps talking about wanting to raise the level of anti-business activism in the Attorney General's office, Jack Conway's continued silence on the casino issue is illuminating. This issue should be a complete non-starter for everyone but Steve Beshear.
Where are you, Jack?
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