No More Mr. Nice Guy

Legislators don’t like the budget.

Hours after weary House and Senate budget negotiators finished a patchwork $19 billion spending plan, other lawmakers began blasting it for what they considered fatal deficiencies: education and health program cuts, paltry teacher raises, and few projects.

The wave of frustration that crested suddenly Tuesday -- especially among House Democrats -- now puts in jeopardy the prospect of passing the two-year state budget, which legislative leaders had hoped to do Wednesday.

The Governor doesn’t like the budget.

“However, I can say I’m disappointed that the proposed budget does not include any plan for additional, recurring revenue so desperately needed by Kentucky.

“As you recall I proposed not one but two plans for recurring revenue -- namely expanded gaming and an increase in the state’s low cigarette tax -- in an effort to move the state forward in the areas of education, health care, public safety and economic development.

Brereton Jones thinks Beshear screwed up handling expanded gambling.

Former Gov. Brereton Jones, who was instrumental in persuading Steve Beshear to run for governor, is criticizing Beshear's handling of a constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling in Kentucky.

Beshear was "in the perfect position of getting it done and he did not," Jones said Tuesday in an interview. He is chairman of the Kentucky Equine Education Project, which pushed casinos.

I think Casinos are a bad idea, but Jones is right, Beshear just didn’t get it done.

So what can Governor Steve Beshear do? Here are a few suggestions.

First, if that mass of Jell-O, the General Assembly, actually passes the budget the Governor should veto it. If the legislature doesn’t pass a budget we move to step two.

Second, the Governor should call the legislature into special session after the May primary election. He should privately threaten to keep calling them into session until the November election unless they pass a reasonable budget. This keeps legislators with contested campaigns from raising money, a real motivator to get something done.

Third, hand Jody Richards and Harry Moberly the budget bill with tax increases and projects. Tell them they can change commas but they can’t change the substance of the bill. Make it clear that if they screw this up then Governor will not be pleased.

Fourth, take David Williams to the wood shed, something long overdue, and hang every painful program cut back on his head. Give Williams a diplomatic way out but make it clear that you, as Governor, will make his life a living hell in every possible way unless he cooperates. Believe me a Governor can do this even to David Williams.

Fifth, drag every waffling member of the legislature, Democrat and Republican, into a one on one session with the Governor and his staff and make it damn clear that screwing with the Governor on this will make their life incredibly unpleasant. Tell then what they are getting, what it’s going to cost them and what they need to say in public.

Sixth, take the message of what government cut backs mean to every citizen to the public forum. The Governor has the bully pulpit. He should use it. The mainstream media is lazy. He can supply them with an endless amount of information on why his plan is good and why David Williams and his toadies are evil.

Bottom line Steve Beshear needs to grow a pair and quit being Mr. Nice Guy.

Striving for Mediocrity

The Herald-Leader has pretty well summed up the Steve Beshear administration so far.

A year ago, amid a competitive Democratic primary for governor, Steve Beshear told a crowd of Hopkins County Democrats that he planned to be the second native of the county to become Kentucky's governor.

It was a bold declaration.

On Saturday night, amid a competitive Democratic primary for president, Beshear had the chance to make another strong political statement in front of his home crowd by endorsing in that race.

Instead, Beshear, who grew up in Dawson Springs, reiterated that he hasn't "quite made up my mind."

I originally thought the Beshear administration would be a care taker administration. But, so far Beshear’s actions and appointments have struggled to reach mediocre.

With the notable exception of pushing for casino’s, a train wreck of political incompetence, this administration has basically done nothing but give a bunch of Frankfort old timers jobs.

Beshear has dropped the ball a bunch of times. His coming late to the idea of raising the tobacco tax and his less than inspiring endorsement of restoring voting rights to former felons are but two examples.

So it’s no surprise his is taking the least politically dangerous route when it comes to supporting a presidential candidate.

If Steve Beshear wanted to make a bold move, or if he could just do math, he would follow Danny Briscoe’s advice.

Briscoe suggested that Beshear should back Obama regardless of how the Kentucky primary turns out because Obama mathematically looks to be the nominee with his lead in delegates.

"In Kentucky, clearly Clinton is going to win 2 to 1, but if the governor steps forward and says he's for Obama in a white, Southern state, that puts him in a position to be remembered by Barack Obama for a long time" if Obama wins the White House, Briscoe said.

Good News, Bad News

This Herald-Leader story sums up the good news and the bad news about the Casino Gambling Amendment.

There will be no casinos in Kentucky anytime soon.

Gov. Steve Beshear conceded on Thursday that his plan to solve the state's budget woes with tax revenue from casino gambling has no chance of passage in the legislative session that ends April 15, killing casinos until at least 2010.

Good News – the bill is dead in this session.

Bad News – We get to do this all over again in 2010. The General Assembly will continue to hope for pain free way of raising revenue. When I say pain free, I mean to pain free in the sense that they won’t have to explain why they raised taxes.

Our honorable leaders will now have another way of avoiding, for years, any meaningful revamping of the taxes in the Commonwealth.

Of course the fun part of this is waiting to see how Brereton Jones and the needy horse farmers will screw up lobbying the legislature next time.

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.

Bada Bing

I once worked for a man, a Republican, at the Department of Financial Institutions that always referred to the payday loan industry as “snakes”. He was right. Yesterday the House tried to round up a few of the snakes.

From the Courier-Journal:

The House passed a bill yesterday to increase oversight of Kentucky's payday loan industry over objections of some lawmakers who argued it might hurt small lenders.

But Rep. Johnny Bell, D-Glasgow, the sponsor of House Bill 500, said it would place minimal restrictions on the flourishing industry that offers high-cost, short-term cash loans to borrowers.

"What I am trying to do is protect the consumers," said Bell, who fended off a last-minute amendment by Rep. Kenneth Upchurch, R-Monticello, to turn the bill into a study of the payday loan business.

Will this bill actually become law?

No, David Williams is going to kill it, again from the Courier-Journal:

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said yesterday he hadn't seen the bill and said the Senate was busy with other matters, including the budget.

"It's getting a little bit late in this session to pass very many House bills," he said.

Bell is trying to protect consumers from payday lenders that play loose with the law but he is also trying to protect consumers from themselves.

Though people aren't supposed to have more than two loans at a time, research shows some have multiple loans from different lenders and fall behind when they can't keep up with the payments, Bell said.

But the state now has no way to track that, and lenders say they rely on the word of their customers that they don't have more than two outstanding loans, he said.

The sad truth here is that regardless of how many limits are placed on this industry it is consumer driven and it will still victimize its’ customers. Whether some guy in a strip shopping center collects the money or two guys with no necks corner you in an alley the financial result is the same.

This is just another example of government cleaning up what is really a crime, making it look pretty and allowing it to take advantage of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

This payday loan industry is just Loan Sharking with a shell of acceptability just like the Lottery is the Numbers Game run by a state contractor.

Regardless of the limits put on this industry, even if it is made illegal in Kentucky, people will still seek out this service either in the shopping center or a back alley.

Of course if casino's are approved in Kentucky we could franchise out a payday loan operation at each location, think of the money the state would make.

I'm sure Davey would have used the service:

As a means of collecting the gambling debt Davey owes them, Tony and Richie Aprile have been overseeing the purchase of merchandise for Davey's sporting goods store -- and then taking the goods for themselves. The good news for Davey is that he will finally be free of Tony and Richie; the bad news is he'll lose the store, his savings and probably his family.

Beshear Opens State Computers to Internet - Sort Of

Here’s a little more detail on the Governor Steve Beshear administration’s opening up state computers to see blog sites like this one.

Some observations:

Beshear has blocked more categories of web sites than former Governor Ernie Fletcher had blocked.

While pushing for casino’s Beshear has blocked all of the games and gambling categories.

Beshear has blocked the illegal drug category, but neither blocked the tobacco or alcohol categories.

Fletcher didn’t want you watch sports and Beshear doesn’t want you to find a date.

First a list of the things Fletcher and Beshear can agree on should be blocked.

Pornography - Includes Web sites containing the depiction and illustration of sexually explicit activities and erotic content unsuitable to persons under the age of 18.

Erotic / Sex - Includes Web sites containing nude photography and erotic material, as can be found ontelevision or obtained free of charge from magazines. Sexually explicit activities are not listed here. Includes erotic collections of celebrities pictures as well.

Swimwear / Lingerie / Nudity - Includes Web sites containing nudity, but with no sexual references. Includes illustration of swimwear and lingerie as well.

Illegal Activities - Includes activities that violate the Human Rights Charta or are illegal according to German and European law, such as instructions for murder, manuals for sabotage such as bomb building, instructions for illegal activity, child pornography, sodomy, slavery, torture etc.

Computer Crime - Includes Web sites containing information about the illegal manipulation of electronic devices, data networks and password encryption, as well as about credit card misuse and other methods of Internet fraud such as dialer scam.

Hate / Discrimination - Includes Web sites from and about extreme right and left wing groups, sexism, racism, religious hate, suppression of minorities, inequitable boycott calls and holocaust revisionism.

Illegal Software (Cracked) - This category contains Web sites with software cracks, license key lists and illegal license key generators, as well as providers of equivocal P2P content and violations of copyright.

Extreme - Includes Web sites containing questionable content or promoting extremism (e.g. violence, militancy).

Music / Web Radio - Includes Web sites for radio, Web radio, soundfiles (MP3, Wav, etc.), audio- streaming, homepages of musicians and bands, record labels and music vendors.

Anonymous Proxies - Includes Web sites that allow users to anonymously view Web sites.

Spyware / Adware - This category contains Web sites making use of or providing malicious applications violating personal or corporate privacy without user's explicit knowledge or consent. Examples of violations are unsolicited data exchange beyond simple user authentication or validation, unrequested installation of software among others.

Phishing - This category contains Web sites providing information about financial fraud through manipulated Web sites and e-mails, also known as Phishing.

Malicious Web sites - This category contains Web sites with malicious source code, such as self- installing Trojans and viruses that exploit security vulnerabilities in browsers or firewalls.

State Black List - Any particular site they feel like blocking.

Second a list of those categories that Fletcher blocked but Beshear opened.

Politics - This category contains Web sites of political parties and those sites that provide information about a particular political party and different political topics (election, democracy, etc.)

Religion - Includes Web sites with religious content, information about the [five] main religions, and religious communities that have emerged out of these religions.

Sects - This category contains Web sites about sects, cults, occultism, satanism and religious fundamentalism.

Newsgroups / Blogs - This category contains Web sites that enable the sharing of information such as on a bulletin board. Includes Web logs (“blogs”) and guest book servers as well.

Sports - This category contains Web sites about resort sports, fan clubs, events (e.g. Olympic Games, World Championships), sports results, clubs, teams, sporting federations, magazines and fan sites.

Third, those categories those were open under Fletcher and are now blocked by Beshear.

Gambling / Lottery - Includes lottery organizations, casinos, betting agencies and other gambling sites with chances of profit.

Computer Games - Includes Web sites with computer games, of computer game producers, cheat sites, online gaming zones, gaming clans and other gaming sites without chances of profit.

Toys - This category contains information about dolls, modelling, model trains/cars, board games, card games, parlor games as well as other non-educational products and offerings for children.

Chat / Instant Messaging - This category contains Web sites that allow users to communicate and to have a direct exchange of information with another user from place to place. Also listed are chatroom providers and offerings about Instant Messaging.

Illegal Drugs - This category contains Web sites about LSD, heroine, cocaine, pot, dope, amphetamines, stimulant drugs, magic mushrooms, doping drugs and the utilities for drug use (e.g. water pipes).

Dating / Relationships - This category contains Web sites that promote interpersonal relationships, escort services and family-related content as weddings and adoption.

Personal Homepages: This category contains Web sites about and from private individuals. Includes personal homepage servers and other sites with personal contents and activities.

Winding Down

Some thoughts on the current legislative session as it winds down.

I don’t know if Governor Steve Beshear was thinking of the good old days when the Governor told the legislature what to do and they did it, or if he was trying to be too much of a nice guy and believing that they would all work together for the benefit of the Commonwealth when he was trying to get his agenda through the legislature.

Maybe a little of both, but this administration has been pretty inept at getting anything done during this legislative session.

Beshear has been consumed with pushing gambling down the throats of the citizens of this state. Let’s be honest there has been no great out cry for “Give Us Casinos” from the citizens of this state. The whole issue is being driven by a small number of horse farmers and casino owners trying to make a buck.

Any meaningful legislation like House Bill 70 to restore voting rights to felons that have served their time has taken a back seat to gambling. Beshear says he supports this legislation, I believe he does, but both restoring voting rights and legalizing gambling require a constitutional amendment.

Steve Beshear is not about to confuse the voters with two amendments on the same ballot, and casinos take precedence.

But the lack of meaningful legislation can’t be laid solely at the feet of Steve Beshear.

I have to think the Democratic House Leadership just doesn’t like Steve Beshear. They appear to have made a concerted effort to screw the Governor. Jody Richards and the House Democratic Caucus have one primary goal, to stay in office.

Why else do they stone wall on tax reform?

Why else do they refuse to raise the tobacco tax to at least the average nationwide?

Why else have they short changed the state retirement systems to fund pork barrel projects?

These guys are good at political infighting and handing out tax money, but when it comes to responsible leadership, they are sadly lacking.

Camel Feed

And now for the Good, the Bad, the Undecided:

Harry Moberly has shown some leadership, something usually missing in the House of Representatives. He is trying an end run around Jim Gooch.

A maverick legislative move by one of the state's most powerful lawmakers will probably force a committee vote Wednesday on a three-year-old bill that would stop coal mine operators from filling valleys and creek beds with potentially toxic excess waste.

Despised by the coal industry and championed by environmentalists, the so-called "stream saver" bill was inserted Tuesday by Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, into a decoy measure that would have given tax breaks for camel feed.

Now if we could just get the House Democratic Leadership to remove the Coal Industry Representative Jim Gooch from being the Chairman of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee and replace him with someone not tied hand and foot to the coal industry.

The replacement doesn’t have to be a total tree hugger, just some one that doesn’t believe the world is flat and the coal industry never does any harm.

Kudos to Governor Steve Beshear for doing the right thing by easing the requirements for restoring voting rights to felons.

Felons who complete their sentences can get their voting rights restored more easily under changes to the pardon process announced Tuesday by Gov. Steve Beshear.

Beshear said he will drop requirements for an essay and three character references, both imposed by previous Gov. Ernie Fletcher. He also will revoke a $2 fee.

Under the "barriers" placed by Fletcher, the number of felons whose voting rights were restored shrank from more than 600 a year to about 250 a year.

"This disenfranchisement makes no sense," Beshear said……….

Beshear said he favors House Bill 70, a proposed constitutional amendment that would automatically restore the right to vote to most felons. But he stopped short of saying he would throw the weight of the governor's office behind it. HB 70 has waited on the House floor for weeks while House leaders debate casino gambling and the budget.

Now if Steve will just take one more step, show a little leadership and actually push House Bill 70, he could bring Kentucky in line with 47 other states on restoring felon rights.

And finally the Herald-Leader has took its’ own head count on the Casino Amendment and found it lacking the votes to pass. Among those undecided are Fayette County Representatives Bill Farmer, Ruth Ann Palumbo, Kathy Stein, and Susan Westrom.

Come on ladies, you know this is a bad bill. I mean really, any one of the three of you have more balls than Bill Farmer. Do you really need to weasel around this issue?

And speaking of weaseling around this issue how about Jesse Crenshaw being coquettish and just not saying where he stands. And, heavy sigh here, Jim Wayne taking the ultimate weasel stance of abstaining. I guess everyone has to go back to work after the silly season ends in Frankfort.

Walking Dead

There are some things that look to be dead or maybe they just smell bad.

Hillary Clinton’s Campaign - Dead
Hopefully for the Democratic Party this dies tonight. Doing the political math, I don’t see any way can Hillary get the nomination?

Bruce Lunsford’s Campaign - Dead
Do not give money to this man. There is no way on God’s Green Earth that this DINO is going to beat Mitch McConnell. If Lunsford thought Ben Chandler was mean to him in the Governor’s race four years ago, then he is going to be stunned when his good buddy Mitch turns the dogs loose in this election.


Casino Gambling Amendment – Near Dead
If the so called Democratic Leadership in House of Representatives manages to get this thing to the Senate it will be a miracle. Put these guys in a paper bag and they would try to walk out the closed end. Assuming the bill gets to the Senate, I don’t see that Republican controlled body letting it go further. And if by some miracle, the amendment actually goes to the voters, I don’t see it passing.

Now I hope it gets to the voters for one simple reason. If this thing isn’t killed by the voters it will be back from the dead next session.


A Workable Budget - Near Dead
There are three things working against a common sense budget. First, the false promise of painless money from the casinos. Second, there is the inability of the legislature to do math and enact sensible tax policy. And third, David Williams, wanting to inflict as much pain on the Beshear administration as possible, will make the budget as lean as possible.


Democratic Party Leadership – Smells Bad
Jennifer Moore, Chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, picking up the lunch tab for twenty or so high rolling lobbyists. The Governor picks the Chairman of the Party. Looks like Beshear has a talent for picking individuals sensitive to the appearance of their actions.

Show Me The Money

Mark Hebert and Al Cross stated a basic truth about the House Democratic Caucus on last week’s Comment on Kentucky.

The House Democratic Caucus has one and only one goal – reelect incumbent Democrats and maintain power in the House of Representatives. Power comes before anything else.

Truthfully, I find it hard to feel a lot of sympathy for Brereton Jones and the gamblers being shaken down by Jody Richards and his crew. After all, Jones is not pushing casinos to pay for education, or pension plans or Medicaid. He and KEEP are pushing casinos so they can line their own pockets.

But I do find it disgusting that the Democrats would do anything possible to keep clowns like Jim Gooch in office.

Below is the exchange on Comment on Kentucky.

Push Poll

I got my first, and hopefully last, push poll call from Let Kentucky Vote last Friday. Being mildly annoyed, it was fun to give all the wrong answers to the child on the other end of the line. My interview lasted two questions before they hung up.

I understand why the horse and gambling industry has formed Let Kentucky Vote to annoy voters over the next couple of months.

Greed, Greed and Greed, well maybe in the case of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 227 and the United Food and Commercial Workers IN-KY Council it’s about jobs but for the rest it’s just plain greed.

But there is one group that has surprised me by their membership in this shill organization for the Casinos. I don’t understand why the Jefferson County Teacher's Association is part of Let Kentucky Vote.

According to their web site their Mission is:

Our mission is to serve as the active voice of our members, to promote quality and equity in public education, expand and protect the rights and interests of the members, and advocate human, civil, and economic rights for all.

Could someone tell me how putting a bunch of Casino’s in Kentucky advocates for human, civil and economic rights for all? How does pumping money in to slots promote quality and equity in public education?

Maybe the teachers are here for the same reason the rest of these groups are shilling for the Casinos --- Greed.

Maybe there is more than a little truth to the saying that only true purpose of the educational establishment is to perpetuate the educational establishment; the rest is just window dressing.

Help For Horse Farms

I always enjoy reading Larry Dale Keeling in the Herald-Leader and I have to agree with his take on Steve Beshear’s paying his debt to the horse and gambling industry.

FRANKFORT --Kentucky's horse industry played a significant role in electing Gov. Steve Beshear. So, Beshear no doubt felt an obligation to propose casino gambling legislation in keeping with the wishes of the industry.

OK. Fine. Beshear's obligation has been met. The industry's bill has been introduced. Now, let's all prepare for the return trip to the real world.

As might be expected from an industry that has never been able to get its act together on expanded gambling -- and please, let's call it gambling, not gaming -- the legislation Beshear unveiled Thursday is unrealistic, over the top, bizarre even.

Perhaps Beshear and the General Assembly could benefit from those with more experience in writing this kind of law. Below is an example from Nevada.

NRS 244.345 Dancing halls, escort services, entertainment by referral services and gambling games or devices; limitation on licensing of houses of prostitution.

1. Every natural person wishing to be employed as an entertainer for an entertainment by referral service and every natural person, firm, association of persons or corporation wishing to engage in the business of conducting a dancing hall, escort service, entertainment by referral service or gambling game or device permitted by law, outside of an incorporated city, must:

(a) Make application to the license board of the county in which the employment or business is to be engaged in, for a county license of the kind desired. The application must be in a form prescribed by the regulations of the license board.

(b) File the application with the required license fee with the county license collector, as provided in chapter 364 of NRS, who shall present the application to the license board at its next regular meeting.

The board, in counties whose population is less than 400,000, may refer the petition to the sheriff, who shall report upon it at the following regular meeting of the board. In counties whose population is 400,000 or more, the board shall refer the petition to the metropolitan police department. The department shall conduct an investigation relating to the petition and report its findings to the board at the next regular meeting of the board. The board shall at that meeting grant or refuse the license prayed for or enter any other order consistent with its regulations. Except in the case of an application for a license to conduct a gambling game or device, the county license collector may grant a temporary permit to an applicant, valid only until the next regular meeting of the board. In unincorporated towns and cities governed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 269 of NRS, the license board has the exclusive power to license and regulate the employment and businesses mentioned in this subsection.

2. The board of county commissioners, and in a county whose population is less than 400,000, the sheriff of that county constitute the license board, and the county clerk or other person designated by the license board is the clerk thereof, in the respective counties of this state.

3. The license board may, without further compensation to the board or its clerk:

(a) Fix, impose and collect license fees upon the employment and businesses mentioned in this section.

(b) Grant or deny applications for licenses and impose conditions, limitations and restrictions upon the licensee.

(c) Adopt, amend and repeal regulations relating to licenses and licensees.

(d) Restrict, revoke or suspend licenses for cause after hearing. In an emergency the board may issue an order for immediate suspension or limitation of a license, but the order must state the reason for suspension or limitation and afford the licensee a hearing.

4. The license board shall hold a hearing before adopting proposed regulations, before adopting amendments to regulations, and before repealing regulations relating to the control or the licensing of the employment or businesses mentioned in this section. Notice of the hearing must be published in a newspaper published and having general circulation in the county at least once a week for 2 weeks before the hearing.

5. Upon adoption of new regulations the board shall designate their effective date, which may not be earlier than 15 days after their adoption. Immediately after adoption a copy of any new regulations must be available for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the county clerk.

6. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 241.0355, a majority of the members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.

7. Any natural person, firm, association of persons or corporation who engages in the employment of any of the businesses mentioned in this section without first having obtained the license and paid the license fee as provided in this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

8. In a county whose population is 400,000 or more, the license board shall not grant any license to a petitioner for the purpose of operating a house of ill fame or repute or any other business employing any person for the purpose of prostitution.

9. As used in this section:

(a) “Entertainer for an entertainment by referral service” means a natural person who is sent or referred for a fee to a hotel or motel room, home or other accommodation by an entertainment by referral service for the purpose of entertaining the person located in the hotel or motel room, home or other accommodation.

(b) “Entertainment by referral service” means a person or group of persons who send or refer another person to a hotel or motel room, home or other accommodation for a fee in response to a telephone or other request for the purpose of entertaining the person located in the hotel or motel room, home or other accommodation.

[1:50:1923; NCL § 2037] + [2:50:1923; NCL § 2038] + [3:50:1923; NCL § 2039] + [4:50:1923; NCL § 2040]—(NRS A 1959, 838; 1961, 364; 1971, 11; 1973, 923; 1975, 562; 1979, 20, 305, 511, 728, 730, 732, 733; 1989, 1899; 1991, 166; 2001, 1124)

If our Kentucky legislators followed this model, think of all the new business and extra income folks at KEEP like Brereton Jones and his Airdrie Stud could generate.

Like ranching in Nevada, this kind of law would bring a whole new meaning to the term Stud Farm in Kentucky.

How to Kill a Casino

Want to know how to kill a Casino?

Let people who have to live next door to the casino vote on whether they want it built on their street. The perfect example was given by Greg Stumbo.

From the Herald-Leader:

(Rep. Greg) Stumbo, for instance, said he opposes allowing Thunder Ridge Racetrack in Prestonsburg to have a casino.

"In an area like Floyd County and surrounding counties in the same situation where many people live right at or below the poverty level, that might lure them to spend their dollars," he said. "So I can't be for it."

Spinmeister

The Herald-Leader has this story on Steve Beshear pushing casino gambling, Beshear has new spin on casinos.

FRANKFORT --
Casino gambling legislation that Gov. Steve Beshear plans to release next week could produce several hundred million dollars in licensing fees that would boost his anemic two-year budget proposal, the governor said Friday.

He declined to provide details, but said "the license fees that can be produced by this are significant."……

Beshear's declaration reverses his prior position against counting on casino money to bolster the budget that takes effect July 1.

"It's not financially responsible for me to do," he told the Herald-Leader on Jan. 13. "I'm going to go ahead and propose my budget based on what these (General Fund revenue) projections really are."

New spin my Aunt Fannie.

This is the same fiscally irresponsible crap dished by the Fletcher administration in a new wrapper.

Beshear acknowledged that the spending of one-time money from license fees could worsen the "structural balance" of the budget.

For several years, lawmakers have been spending more money than the state's General Fund has produced. It's called a structural imbalance -- lawmakers use money that won't be available in the future to pay for programs that will continue to cost money.

Folks this is like having maxed out a dozen credit cards and getting a new one to solve the problem.

What is it going to take for these guys to get some guts and do the right thing?

You cannot provide revenue sources for long term commitments with one time band-aid answers like casino gambling. It doesn’t work. The credit card eventually maxes out and someone has to pay it off.

This is not leadership. Steve Beshear is paying off political debts by providing a simple, easy to understand wrong answer to a complicated problem. Steve Beshear was right the first time, this is irresponsible.

There are practical alternatives:

HB 443 (BR 838) - D. Watkins, M. Marzian, T. Burch, J. Crenshaw, J. Jenkins, R. Meeks, C. Miller, H. Moberly Jr, D. Owens, R. Palumbo, C. Rollins II, K. Stein, J. Wayne, S. Westrom

AN ACT relating to a cigarette surtax and declaring an emergency. Amend various sections of KRS Chapter 138 to create an additional cigarette surtax of 70 cents; increase the tax rates for other tobacco products and snuff; impose a floor stock tax as of July 31, 2008; EMERGENCY.

Feb 1-introduced in House
Feb 4-to Appropriations & Revenue (H)

HB 262/FN (BR 911) - J. Wayne, J. Jenkins, L. Belcher, T. Burch, L. Combs, K. Hall, R. Henderson, M. Marzian, R. Meeks, T. Riner, K. Stein

AN ACT relating to taxation. Amend KRS 141.020 to increase the tax rate on income over $75,000; amend KRS 141.066 to establish a refundable earned income tax credit at 15 percent of the federal credit; amend KRS 140.130 to decouple from the federal estate tax phase-out; amend KRS 139.120, 139.200, and 139.480 to include a list of selected services as subject to sales tax; amend KRS 141.0205 to recognize changes to income tax credits; make income tax provisions effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2008, make estate tax provisions effective for deaths on or after August 1, 2008; make sales tax provisions effective for billings on or after August 1, 2008.

Jan 10-introduced in House
Jan 15-to Appropriations & Revenue (H)


This is a financial management problem Beshear and most of the General Assembly, Republicans and Democrats, refuse to address. This is a financial management problem that will eventually be solved on the backs of Kentucky taxpayers.

The current actions of the Governor and General Assemby are at best irresponsible.

Too Much Bling

From the Herald-Leader:

The Bluegrass Freedom Fund, an independent campaign group, raised $3,150,000, of which 70 percent -- more than $2.2 million -- came from gambling and equine interests, according to tax documents filed just before midnight Thursday.

Who knew that a passion for ethical government sprang from the horse and casino interests? I’m only going down to the $50,000 table because, quite frankly I couldn’t stand to do any more.

Please click the links.


HORSE AND CASINO INTERESTS

• $1 million from William Yung, president of Northern Kentucky-based development company Columbia Sussex, which owns several casinos and hotels, including the embattled Tropicana Hotel and Resort in Atlantic City and the Aztar in Evansville, Ind.

• $250,000 from Churchill Downs Inc., the Louisville racetrack's parent, that is looking for a casino.

• $250,000 from Phoenix Capital, a limited liability company formed in August by Keeneland, the Lexington thoroughbred track.

• $250,000 from EP Acquisitions in Louisville, which is owned by Ronald Geary, who bought Ellis Park in Henderson and also is interested in casinos.

• $125,000 from Turfway Park in Florence, which is co-owned by Keeneland and Harrah's.

• $60,000 from Lexington Trots Breeders Association, which owns The Red Mile harness racing track.

• $50,000 from Hideout of Lincoln County, LLC, of Palm Desert, Calif., owned by R.D. Hubbard, who has apparently recently dropped out of the Sprint Racing Partners seeking a quarter horse racetrack in London, Ky.

• $50,000 from Edward Allred, owner of Los Alamitos Race Course in California, who has also dropped out of Sprint.

(Fast Eddie Allred runs the nation's largest privately held chain of abortion clinics. His Family Planning Associates Medical Group generates $70 million in annual revenue and some $5 million in profit.)

• $50,000 from Will Farish of Versailles, who owns Lane's End Farm.

• $50,000 from Tracy Farmer, the Midway horse farm owner who staunchly backed Gov. Steve Beshear.

The Point of the Exercise

Every time I hear the horse industry moan about how business is bad and we need Casino’s to compete, all I have to see is a picture like the one above to know they are so full of horse sh*t.

The Kentucky Equine Education Project group representing the horse industry urged lawmakers at a House panel to say "Yes" to an eventual proposal allowing casinos in Kentucky as a way to help the breeding and racing industries.

Picture and story from the Herald-Leader:

Instead, we have horses going for millions of dollars, and we have to do better for the buyers of those horses than have them belly up to a vinyl-bumpered bar.....

Touch the leather handrails in the lounge and feel reins. Touch the sculpture and feel irons.

Drink the bourbon at the sleek granite bar and think Derby.

Ah, yes, the point of the exercise.