This has to be one of the dumbest political moves I seen lately. What was Jim Newberry thinking? Who told him this was a good idea?
If you are going try to do this sort of thing then you better have a majority of the Council behind you and the police and firefighters should at least be neutral to the idea.
You are never going to get our elected representatives to step out in front of an issue like this unless you have all the other ducks lined up.
Jim, I sorry Bud, but this was a dumb idea and makes you look like a political amateur.
Members of the Fayette County legislative delegation on Monday appeared opposed to Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry's proposal for the city to take control of the retirement benefits for police officers and firefighters hired after July 1.
Before a packed room of more than 110 current and retired Lexington police officers and firefighters, the lawmakers questioned the effect such a change would have on current employees and retirees, whether the Urban County Council supported the measure and whether police officers and firefighters were involved in the decision.
Legislators were most critical about the timing of the proposal -- brought to them with just eight days left in the session -- and the opposition of both the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Wet Noodle Anyone?
Steve Beshear steps up one more time for Brereton Jones and his coalition of needy horse farm owners.
House Democratic leaders have two days to whip up support for a casino amendment or go bust.
Gov. Steve Beshear met with House Democrats for less than 10 minutes Monday afternoon after launching his "final push" to get legislation to expand gambling on the November ballot….
The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, compared the rally to "whipping a dead horse with a wet noodle."
You know I really can’t think of anything to add to Rev. Kemper’s comment, it says it all.
House Democratic leaders have two days to whip up support for a casino amendment or go bust.
Gov. Steve Beshear met with House Democrats for less than 10 minutes Monday afternoon after launching his "final push" to get legislation to expand gambling on the November ballot….
The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, compared the rally to "whipping a dead horse with a wet noodle."
You know I really can’t think of anything to add to Rev. Kemper’s comment, it says it all.
Racial Profiling in State Hiring
Update:
Senior moments are a bitch, so is screwing up and not completely researching a post. Both have happened here.
Inspite of a not so great summary that says nothing about foster and adoptive families, which is what this bill is about, let me do a mea culpa for not doing my homework and putting out a sloppy posting and even an apology to Stan Lee who appears to be one of the good guys here.
I’m sorry but this strikes me as a totally unnecessary addition to the state bureaucracy.
HB 666 (BR 1074) - D. Owens, R. Meeks
AN ACT relating to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to establish the Office on Racial Disportionality within the cabinet secretary's office; specify duties of the office to include training, targeted recruitment and employment efforts, data collection, and strategic planning; require the department and its contractors to collect and analyze data by race, evaluate and implement a plan to address disportionality; require annual report to the Governor, Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare, and the public each year.
Before you start calling me a racist, I don’t care if you are black, brown, yellow, red, white or some combination of the above. I don’t care if you are male, female or transgender. I don’t care if you are Baptist, Catholic, Jew, or following the teachings of Islam. I don’t care if you are straight, gay or bisexual.
When it comes to hiring people to work for the state, I do care if you are competent. I do care if you are ethical, honest and trustworthy. I do care if you are the most qualified person for the job.
This bill seeks to institutionalize hiring based on skin color, not a good criterion for hiring and certainly not a good criterion for establishing another state agency.
Oh, and this thing passed the House 95 to 0, with 5 not voting.
Even Stan Lee voted for this thing. I wonder what his supporters think of this vote?
Senior moments are a bitch, so is screwing up and not completely researching a post. Both have happened here.
Inspite of a not so great summary that says nothing about foster and adoptive families, which is what this bill is about, let me do a mea culpa for not doing my homework and putting out a sloppy posting and even an apology to Stan Lee who appears to be one of the good guys here.
I’m sorry but this strikes me as a totally unnecessary addition to the state bureaucracy.
HB 666 (BR 1074) - D. Owens, R. Meeks
AN ACT relating to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to establish the Office on Racial Disportionality within the cabinet secretary's office; specify duties of the office to include training, targeted recruitment and employment efforts, data collection, and strategic planning; require the department and its contractors to collect and analyze data by race, evaluate and implement a plan to address disportionality; require annual report to the Governor, Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare, and the public each year.
Before you start calling me a racist, I don’t care if you are black, brown, yellow, red, white or some combination of the above. I don’t care if you are male, female or transgender. I don’t care if you are Baptist, Catholic, Jew, or following the teachings of Islam. I don’t care if you are straight, gay or bisexual.
When it comes to hiring people to work for the state, I do care if you are competent. I do care if you are ethical, honest and trustworthy. I do care if you are the most qualified person for the job.
This bill seeks to institutionalize hiring based on skin color, not a good criterion for hiring and certainly not a good criterion for establishing another state agency.
Oh, and this thing passed the House 95 to 0, with 5 not voting.
Even Stan Lee voted for this thing. I wonder what his supporters think of this vote?
Senate Budget Plan
Some thoughts on the Senate Budget plan:
The Good:
A good start on Prison reform:
Removing 2,000 non-violent state inmates from county jails through home incarceration, saving an estimated $24 million a year. The House had proposed removing about 400 inmates.
Stealing from the Numbers Game:
Kentucky Lottery Corp. to contribute 35 percent of its revenue to the General Fund, up from 26 percent last year.
From the Lottery Post Kentucky Lottery has record revenues:
The Kentucky Lottery Corp. had a record $744 million in revenues, or total ticket sales, in the fiscal year ending June 30, according to year-end figures.
The Bad:
We rather pay for have kids smoke, pay for cancer related medical expenses, and screw the budget instead of raising a tax. Damn Grover Norquist.
…rejected the Democratic-controlled House's proposals to raise the cigarette tax from 30 cents to 55 cents per pack and to apply the state's 6 percent sales tax to a few services, such as chartered flights
Screw the employees, a time honored method of balancing the budget.
Raising the pay of all state workers, including teachers and court workers, by 1 percent in each year of the biennium. The House's budget had provided 2 percent annual raises for most state workers and a 1 percent raise for teachers in the first year, followed by a 3 percent raise in the second year.
They are only the most defenseless in society, who cares they don’t vote.
Providing $41 million less for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services than the House's proposed budget. The Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation was cut $9.4 million over the biennium, while the Department of Community Based Services, which includes social workers, lost $7 million
The Ugly:
Sucking up to the military vote:
Providing a tax rebate on military pay. Military members could apply for a refund of their state income tax, beginning later this year. The Senate appropriated $10 million to pay for the program, but recent legislative estimates have suggested the program could cost $18 million a year.
Counting on things that aren’t going to happen:
The Senate also adopted a proposal in the House's proposed budget that would eliminate nearly 10 percent of the state government work force through attrition, saving an estimated $85 million annually.
Where the hell are the rest of the Democrats in the Senate?
Democratic Sens. Ernesto Scorsone of Lexington and Julian Carroll of Frankfort voted against the bill.
The Good:
A good start on Prison reform:
Removing 2,000 non-violent state inmates from county jails through home incarceration, saving an estimated $24 million a year. The House had proposed removing about 400 inmates.
Stealing from the Numbers Game:
Kentucky Lottery Corp. to contribute 35 percent of its revenue to the General Fund, up from 26 percent last year.
From the Lottery Post Kentucky Lottery has record revenues:
The Kentucky Lottery Corp. had a record $744 million in revenues, or total ticket sales, in the fiscal year ending June 30, according to year-end figures.
The Bad:
We rather pay for have kids smoke, pay for cancer related medical expenses, and screw the budget instead of raising a tax. Damn Grover Norquist.
…rejected the Democratic-controlled House's proposals to raise the cigarette tax from 30 cents to 55 cents per pack and to apply the state's 6 percent sales tax to a few services, such as chartered flights
Screw the employees, a time honored method of balancing the budget.
Raising the pay of all state workers, including teachers and court workers, by 1 percent in each year of the biennium. The House's budget had provided 2 percent annual raises for most state workers and a 1 percent raise for teachers in the first year, followed by a 3 percent raise in the second year.
They are only the most defenseless in society, who cares they don’t vote.
Providing $41 million less for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services than the House's proposed budget. The Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation was cut $9.4 million over the biennium, while the Department of Community Based Services, which includes social workers, lost $7 million
The Ugly:
Sucking up to the military vote:
Providing a tax rebate on military pay. Military members could apply for a refund of their state income tax, beginning later this year. The Senate appropriated $10 million to pay for the program, but recent legislative estimates have suggested the program could cost $18 million a year.
Counting on things that aren’t going to happen:
The Senate also adopted a proposal in the House's proposed budget that would eliminate nearly 10 percent of the state government work force through attrition, saving an estimated $85 million annually.
Where the hell are the rest of the Democrats in the Senate?
Democratic Sens. Ernesto Scorsone of Lexington and Julian Carroll of Frankfort voted against the bill.
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