Send In The Clowns

I didn't know they were going to hold another special session of General Assembly......

Old Mulkey Meetinghouse to Host Clown Camp for Kids

URL : http://kentucky.gov/Newsroom/parks/mulkeyclowncamp.htm

Date : Friday, June 20, 2008

Issued By : Department of Parks

Summary : Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site will host "Clown Camp" on Thursday and Friday, July 17 and 18, 2008. The two-day camp for children age 10 and over will give participants an intensive hands-on learning experience on street performing and clowning as taught by members of "The Clockwork Clown & Co."

Reduction in Retirement Benefits

I’m not going to take on the entire retirement reform bill at one time. If I did your eyes would glaze over, I know mine do, before we got half way through the legalese.


So let’s just start with the changes to the Cost of Living Adjustment for existing retirees.

The bill quits using the Consumer Price Index to compute the Cost of Living Adjustment and sets the annual raise to 1.5 % per year.

The Legislature has the ability to do away with COLA’s for existing retirees anytime they want “The General Assembly reserves the right to suspend or reduce the benefits conferred in this subsection if in its judgment the welfare of the Commonwealth so demands.”

Here is the zinger"

The Consumer Price Index has never dropped to 1.5% during the last 20 years. Below are the percentages for the last 20 years. The General Assembly will happily screw the state employees by annually reducing their purchasing power.

Below is the CPI for the last 20 years.

1987 3.60%
1988 4.10%
1989 4.80%
1990 5.40%
1991 4.20%
1992 3.00%
1993 3.00%
1994 2.60%
1995 2.80%
1996 3.00%
1997 2.30%
1998 1.60%
1999 2.20%
2000 3.40%

2001 2.80%
2002 1.60%
2003 2.30%
2004 2.70%
2005 3.40%

2006 3.20%
2007 2.80%

Day Late and a Dollar Short

The saying “better late than never” doesn’t apply here.

I received the following Commonwealth News Center Updates via email on June 23.

Media advisory
URL : http://kentucky.gov/Newsroom/finance/etransparency.htm
Date : Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Issued By : Finance and Administration Cabinet
Summary : The Kentucky eTransparency Task Force to hold its first meeting

Governor Beshear Issues Call for Special Legislative Session to Address Pension Reform
URL : http://kentucky.gov/Newsroom/governor/20080617special.htm
Date : Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Issued By : Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Summary : Governor Steve Beshear today issued the call for a special session of the General Assembly to convene on Monday, June 23, 2008, to act on the state's public pension crisis.

Chief of Staff Jim Cauley Announces Decision to Leave Post in Beshear Administration
URL : http://kentucky.gov/Newsroom/governor/20080618cos.htm
Date : Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Issued By : Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Summary : Governor Steve Beshear today announced the decision of Chief of Staff James Cauley to resign in order to pursue his own political consulting business.

And this one on June 24th:

eTransparency Task Force holds inaugural meeting
URL : http://kentucky.gov/Newsroom/finance/etransparency.htm
Date : Thursday, June 19, 2008
Issued By : Finance and Administration Cabinet
Summary : Gov. Beshear's vision for making public information more available, accessible discussed

Now I know email is not perfect, but a 5 or 6 day lag?

I don’t know if this time lag is intentional or just blazing incompetence but it is another example of how this administration appears to be clueless when dealing with the public appearance of doing the right thing.

I do know that all four of the items were things that I have commented on in this blog.