Witch Hunting at the University of Kentucky

Alright, time for another Jon Stewart WTF moment.

The Family Foundation has issued a hit list of six UK faculty members.

”We're trying to highlight where public money is being spent,“ (Martin) Cothran said. ”We're asking should we basically be funding the (political) left through the universities with public money.“

Cothran said ”all of the politicization of the academy is coming from the left.“

Given the the actions of the Family Foundation I'm not even going to comment on how idiotic that statement is.

UK and other universities might have achieved greater diversity in terms of color, gender and nationality, but the political left controls the prevailing campus ideology, and that control amounts to ”partisan political activity,“ Cothran said.

If we are in the process of purging politicization from the University of Kentucky I’d like to add a person to the Foundations list.

Arthur J. Nitz, PT, PhD, ECS, OCS
Professor, Physical Therapy
ajnitz1@uky.edu

Art Nitz is the current Chairman of the Board of the Family Trust Foundation.

By the way, in case you don’t know where the Family Foundation and Dr. Nitz stand on Domestic Partner Benefits here is a page from the Family Foundation website.

Liberal Republicans

Sometimes even Republicans are too liberal according to hate-monger Frank Simon.

Where's the Fire?

When is a lobbyist not a lobbyist and when is a threat not a threat?

David Edmunds is not a lobbyist for the Family Foundation when he is a contributing columnist and policy analyst.

A threat is not a threat when there is absolutely no evidence that the threat ever existed, such as denying people health insurance will destroy marriage.

Edmunds somewhat incoherent rant, against everyone that doesn’t agree with the Family Foundation party line. does have one true statement (even if the grammar is egregious).

“It is clear that those pushing this special-interest agenda were less than forthcoming.”

I know he means the dreaded gay-lesbian liberal intellectual conspiracy to corrupt the morals of right thinking married people. We all know how those people are out to push their evil agenda of allowing people to have health insurance.

So in the interest of being forthcoming, I am sure the Family Foundation will soon be publishing the names of all of those couples who have had their marriages saved by Kentucky’s codification of bigotry.

Edmunds starts and finishes his rant with the question "Where's the fire?"

Well Dave, here’s the answer.

There are over 46 million people that do not have health insurance in this country. While the actions of two universities in Kentucky will not make even a minor dent in the problem, they are moving in the right direction.

I would respect The Family Foundation and its’ hired guns if they actually cared more about people and less about everyone marching lock step to their particular brand of political correctness.

Ethics, Directors and Lobbyists

A few of points to look at and then a question:

First from the Family Foundation of Kentucky:

We have people walking the halls of the state capitol to make sure the family is being taken into account in the writing of state laws, and to make sure you know about important laws that could affect you and your family.

According to the Legislative Ethics Commission the Family Foundation has six registered lobbyists they are Kent Ostrander, Martin Cothran, David Edmunds, Sarah R. Foster, Richard R. Nelson and Don Pinson.

The Republican wedge issue four years ago was the Gay Marriage Amendment. The Family Foundation spent $19,664.14 to get the amendment passed. The activities of the Family Foundation sound pretty political and partisan.

Second from the Kentucky Revised Statues:

18A.140 Prohibition against discrimination and political activities.

No employee in the classified service or member of the board or its executive director shall be a member of any national, state, or local committee of a political party, or an officer or member of a committee of a partisan political club, or a candidate for nomination or election to any paid public office, or shall take part in the management or affairs of any political party or in any political campaign, except to exercise his right as a citizen privately to express his opinion and to cast his vote.....

This is pretty clear. If you are a merit system employee, then stay out of partisan political activity.

Third from the May 8, 2007 Family Trust Foundation of Kentucky, Inc., Annual Report, filed with the Secretary of State:

Ed and Glenda McCracken of 3113 Cherry Meadow Path, Lexington, Kentucky 40509 are listed a members of the Board of Directors.

Fourth from the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance:

There is a contribution made by Glenda McCracken of 3113 Cherry Meadow Path, Lexington to Ernie Fletcher for $500.00 on March 19, 2007. The report lists her spouse as William McCracken; an Engineer Employed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Fifth from the Organizational Chart of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Ed McCracken is listed as working in the Project Management Branch of the Division of Environmental Analysis. Also, engineers are classified (merit) system employees according to the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet.

So here is the question:

How is it legal, let alone ethical, for a merit system employee to be on the Board of Directors of Corporation that has 6 registered lobbyists to influence the Kentucky General Assembly and spends money on partisan political issues?

College Of Dreams

According to the Human Rights Campaign the 9,934 employers currently offer domestic partner benefits.

They break down as follows:

Fortune 500 Companies: (268)
Private Sector Companies: (8673)
State Governments: (13)
City and County Governments: (145)
Colleges and Universities: (304)

Of the Colleges and Universities that offer benefits all of the Ivy League schools have had partner benefits for years.

Kal Littrell goes to Trinity Christian Academy and plays basketball for the Trinity Titans. In Greek mythology, the Titans are a race of godlike giants who were considered to be the personifications of the forces of nature. Interesting name choice for a Christian Academy, but I digress.

Last year Kal was starting the process of getting into a “good” school, maybe even an Ivy League School.

On Jane Shropshire's cattle farm outside Lexington, Ky., a herd of happy Black Angus cows lazes in the summer sun, fattening on the state's famous bluegrass. Meanwhile, inside Shropshire's office, a converted outbuilding once used for storing breeding records and vet bills, something else is being fattened up: Kal Littrell's resume.

Littrell is meeting with Shropshire to draw up a road map that will take him from her farm to the college of his dreams…….Sitting nearby, Littrell's parents hang on every word - even father Ken, who'd originally thought Kal was too young for college planning. And now? "It's never too early to start the process," he says.

Kal’s dad Ken was on the Board of Directors, Trinity Christian Academy, 2005 - 2006. It’s good to grow up in a nice house, in an expensive area, go to a private school and have a supportive family where education is valued.

You see Kal’s parents Ken and Peggy are on the Board of the Family Foundation. Ken is the Secretary of the Family Foundation Trust of Kentucky, Inc.

Ken does this in addition to owning Clean Sweep Car Wash. Clean Sweep has two locations in Lexington and one in Richmond. Ken is also a partner in Varney Property, LLC with his mother Launa Varney Littrell.

On the political donation front Ken Littrell gave $250 to Tim Philpot and $150 to John Roach. Peggy Littrell gave $150 to Alice Forgy Kerr. Those size contributions won’t even get you a phone call from the candidate.

Now here is the Jon Stewart "WTF" moment.

Peggy Littrell is a faculty member at the University of Kentucky, College of Nursing.

So once again we have a UK faculty member, a health care professional, working against providing health care benefits for the partners of university employees.

I hope Kal Littrell gets an Ivy League education, I’m sure it would broaden his view of the world.

Family Foundation - Who Are They?

Simple Question:

Who are the people behind the Family Foundation?

The parent entity of the Family Foundation is the Family Trust Foundation of Kentucky, Inc. The Family Trust Foundation runs under several assumed names:

Kentucky Candidate Information Survey
Say No to Casinos
Kentucky Memorial for the Unborn
Say No Casino
Kentucky Physicians Resource Council
Kentucky Center for Responsible Citizenship
Raise the Standard
Vote Kentucky
Kentucky Association of Pregnancy Care Centers
Concerned Parents of Kentucky
The Family Foundation

According to the Annual Report filed May 9, 2007 with the Secretary of State, the Board of Directors of the Family Trust Foundation of Kentucky, Inc are:

Officers:
Art Nitz – Chairman
Pat Glenn – Vice Chairman
Dick Bauer – Treasurer
Ken Littrell – Secretary

Members:
Dick and Marian Bauer
332 East Lexington Street
Harrodsburg, KY 40330

Lee and Helen Eaton (in abstentia)
4454 Mt. Horeb Pike
Lexington, KY 40511
31 Cayuga Road
Sea Ranch Lakes, FL 33308

Pat and Pam Glenn
1091 Washington Trace Road
California, KY 41007

Bob and Marilyn Kik
241 Mitchell Drive
Madisonville, KY 42431

Ken and Peggy Littrell
2356 The Woods Lane
Lexington, KY 40203

Rick and Susan Masters
1012 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40203

Ed and Glenda McCracken
3113 Cherry Meadow Path
Lexington, KY 40509

Bill and Kaye Munday
110 Remington Road
Hopkinsville, KY 42240

Dr. Art and Jane Nitz
132 Farmbrook Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601

Kent Ostrander
3550 Juliann Circle
Lexington, KY 40503

Reed and Misty Potter
107 Fifth Street
Pikeville, KY 41501

Greg and Luly Reinhardt
712 Talon Place
Louisville, KY 40223

Steve and Mary Anne Simmons
4169 John Alden Lane
Lexington, KY 40504

Dr. Larry and Laura Skinner
3949 Pines Road
Paducah, KY 42001

Jonathan and Sharon Stiles
P.O. Box 965
Morehead, Ky 40351

So let’s take a look at the Chairman of the Board.

Dr. Arthur Nitz is the President of Frankfort Physical Therapy, P.S.C. , Pro.Active Therapy Inc. and the Frankfort Alliance Church Of The Christian And Missionary Alliance, Inc.

Political contributions include $2,000.00 to George Bush and $550.00 to the Republican National Committee. In Kentucky, Dr. Nitz and his wife have given Ernie Fletcher $3,300.

Nitz is also a professor at the University of Kentucky and is an adviser to the Office of the President of Wheaton College where he was the captain of the 1974 Wheaton Thunder Football Team. Nitz is also the faculty advisor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

LEXINGTON, KY (July 24, 2001)-- Art Nitz, Ph.D., professor in the University of Kentucky College of Allied Health Professions Division of Physical Therapy, was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award from the U.S. Army Baylor University Academy of Health Sciences in June. Nitz graduated with a master’s degree from the program in 1976.

In case you don’t know where the Family Foundation and Dr. Nitz stands on Domestic Partner Benefits here is a page from the Family Foundation website.

So a leading opponent of partner benefits for UK faculty and staff is on the payrole of the University of Kentucky.

In case this happens to outrage folks on the University of Kentucky Campus here is the place you need to complain.

The next time the Family Foundation rounds up 200 people to go to Frankfort I’d like to see a few hundred show up at Room 204R Charles T. Wethington Building on the UK campus to voice an opposing opinion.

An "F" in Research Methodology

When I was in college, about a century ago, I took a class or research design. We studied how to create a valid statistical sample and how to construct a valid survey. A valid survey is one that tries to actually be unbiased and determine what people are thinking.

Here is an example of how to do everything wrong, unfortunately the results will be quoted as if it came from God.

From the Family Foundation:

Please enter a number (1 through 7) for your rating of the following issues: 1 for your most important issue, 2 for next most important, etc. and 7 for least important.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Most of the problems in America today started with and are caused by: the taking of prayer /the Ten Commandments/ Creation Science out of our schools. We need congressmen who will stop the censorship.

SPECIAL RIGHTS: Marriage should be only between one man and one woman and we need Congressmen who will take this vital issue out of the hands of the liberal activist judges.

ABORTION: God cannot and will not bless America as long as we legalize the shedding of innocent blood through abortion. We need Congressmen who will stop abortion.

NATIONAL DEFENSE: There is only one way to have peace and that is to have “Peace Through Strength.”

TAXES: We need to reduce the government bureaucracy, balance the budget and stimulate the economy by lowering taxes.

OPEN BORDERS: The most important issue is to secure our borders.

JOBS: We need more good jobs for Americans. Foreign governments should not be allowed to bribe US companies with tax rebates to relocate US plants overseas and cancel American jobs. We must also stop all plans to increase the number of H-1B and student visas which are specifically designed to take engineering and computer jobs away from Americans and give them to foreigners.

Rank values must be between 1 and 7

Here is the book you need to read to understand the results of surveys like this.

Poltical Theater

From Mark Hebert’s Blog:

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Nearly 200 people rallied in Frankfort Monday, calling on lawmakers to ban domestic partner benefits at public universities. It comes as lawmakers adjourn a special session.

“Simply stand for what we believe in, and that’s the sanctity of marriage,” said Kent Ostrander of the Family Foundation.

“When I heard about what the University of Louisville wanted to do and then what he University of Kentucky wanted to do, it just struck me as odd as what kind of lesson would they be teaching our young children about marriage?” asked Rep. Stan Lee.

Why doesn’t Stan Lee, Kent Ostrander and rest of the good citizens so concerned with what goes on in other people’s bedrooms address this issue to the people that actually made the decisions?
The decision makers were the Trustees of the Universities.

A look at who is on the Board of Trustees of the University of Kentucky and The University of Louisville might explain why these folks are not being picketed by the Family Foundation.

For instance at Louisville we have Ron Butt who has contributed over $2,000.00 to Ernie Fletcher. We also have Ulysses Bridgeman who gave Ernie Fletcher a $1,000.00 on 07/31/2003 but Mr. Bridgeman in an effort to be fair gave Ben Chandler a $1,000.00 on 08/12/2003.

Of course when it comes to being fair, Mr. Bridgeman is surpassed by Jonathan Blue. Mr. Blue, between December 4, 2006 to April 5, 2006, gave Ernie Fletcher $1000.00, Jonathan Miller $1000.00, Anne Northup $500.00, Bruce Lunsford $1000.00 and Steve Henry $500.00. You have to appreciate a man the covers his bases.

On the UK board we have Myra Ball, wife of Don Ball, of Ball Homes. Don Ball has given, according to the Board of Election Finance, $104,246.00 to political candidates. That is a lot of spare change for politicians.

So back to the original question why don’t Stan Lee and the Family Foundation go after the Trustee’s? Maybe because it’s easier to demonize a group than it is to hold rich powerful people accountable for their actions, particularly when they might give you a contribution.

When I see Stan Lee lead a Family Foundation rally in front of Ball Homes then I’ll believe they have the courage of their convictions, otherwise it's just self-serving political theater.