Thursday, 2 July 2009

Final Tidbits From The Special Session

The End For Horse Racing?

All the time leading up to the session and throughout the session we were inundated with pleas to save the horse industry. If we didn't pass slots then the racetracks would just disappear from Kentucky. In fact, the situation was so dire that Ellis Park owner Rob Geary said that he have to shut down his track at the end of the year. Since slots didn't pass I guess Ellis Park will be closing at the end of the year. Well, not so fast.
Ellis Park owner Ron Geary left open the possibility Wednesday that the western Kentucky track could remain open for racing in 2010, although he called it a "longshot."
At first there was no way it could survive, and now it may not close after all. It must be a miracle. Either that or a case of chicken little. I am going to vote for the latter.


Beshear on Winning Friends and Influencing People

After losing his slots initiative in the special session, one would think that Beshear would try to reach out and find some common ground to work with to try and reach some kind of compromise. Especially if the horse industry is really in dire trouble he claims. Here is the framework for how he plans on working with Republicans in the Senate.
We’ve got to do one of two things, and I’ll take either one of them. We’ve either got to change some of the senators’ minds, or we’ve got to change some of the senators.” - Gov. Beshear.
Wow, Beshear is magnanimous and a true bipartisan. Either the Replicans in the senate must agree with him or he is going to work to see them beaten. Nothing like an ultimatum to win himself friends in the Republican controlled senate. With Beshear's attitude, I doubt he will find a very friendly Senate come January's session.


Kathy Stein Wants Kentuckians To Salute Barbaric Baby Killer

Kathy Stein isn't my favorite senator. She is by far the most liberal senator in Kentucky. But their is no excuse for her resolution to adjourn the senate.

The one Senate resolution, whose chief sponsor was Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, that wasn't approved would have adjourned the Senate “in loving memory and honor of Dr. George Tiller.”

Tiller was the abortion doctor who was shot and killed May 31 in Wichita, Kansas, as he was guiding people to their seats at the Reformation Lutheran Church.

How despicable is it to get the Kentucky legislator to honor the life work of abortionist Dr. Tiller? While I don't think the doctor should have been murdered, I don't think Kentucky  should be honoring someone whose sole occupation was the eradication of the unborn. This resolution is sick and I am glad to see it was defeated.

Posted by brians at 9:52 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Wednesday, 1 July 2009

Another Brilliant Government Idea

I think Budweiser should make a real men of genius commercial about the members of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission. They deserve it for coming up with a by-the-mile road tax.
The year is 2020 and the gasoline tax is history. In its place you get a monthly tax bill based on each mile you drove — tracked by a Global Positioning System device in your car and uploaded to a billing center.....

Besides the technological advances making such a tax possible, the idea is getting a hard push from a growing number of transportation experts and officials. That is because the traditional by-the-gallon fuel tax, struggling to keep up with road building and maintenance demands, could fall even farther behind as vehicles' gas mileage rises and more alternative-fuel vehicles come on line.

The idea of shifting to a by-the-mile tax has been discussed for years, but it now appears to be getting more serious attention. A federal commission, after a two-year study, concluded earlier this year that the road tax was the "best path forward" to keep revenues flowing to highway and transportation projects, and could be an important new tool to help manage traffic and relieve congestion.
This idea is stupid on many many many levels. First off, liberals always tell us how greedy corporations are. Well, it looks like government can be just as greedy if not more so.  What? They can't handle the fact that the gasoline tax isn't bringing enough "revenue". They can't take in less money. Heaven forbid. No they have to continue finding new ways to tax the living crap out of people.

Secondly, the tax would be horribly repressive to those in rural America. Those not living in a metropolitan environment don't have the luxury of not driving like their city brethren. They are going to be paying an inordinately unfair amount of the taxes from this scheme. If the roads are going to be used by everyone then everyone should pay an equal amount to use them.

Third and most importantly, who in the hell in their right mind would allow the federal government to put a GPS system in their car. Especially one  that the government has access to? It would essentially provide the government with the ability to track you at all times. Personally I find the concept a bit frightening. Especially if you care anything at all about privacy. Not much privacy when the government can check to see where you drove to last weekend.

The best quote from these real men of genius.
"If you're committed to the system being improved then it was a no-brainer," he said.
How about no. Why don't we just scrap the system of taxation and come up with a new one. One that doesn't destroy the privacy of all Americans. This is the U.S. and not an Orwellian animal farm .

Posted by brians at 9:56 PM in Political Issues
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The Effects of Artificially Raising Wages

I remember when the plea was made to raise the minimum wage. Those on the other side of the political spectrum wailed about how devastating it was for the minimum wage to be so low. They claimed that no one would be able to live off the wage. At the time, I said it was a horrible idea that will limit employment opportunities and cause stores to cut back.

Well we enter year 2 of the plan and the minimum wage is set to increase to $7.25 an hour today.  In case anyone noticed, the economy is in a recession which means the problems associated with artificial wage inflation will be exacerbated. Case in point.

Nikki Duvall can't work up a lot of enthusiasm about the prospect of Kentucky's minimum wage increasing to $7.25 an hour Wednesday.

She's among the 10 percent in Jefferson County who want a job, but can't find one, so, "Right now I'd settle for anything," said Duvall, 26, who lacks a high school diploma and recently applied for four different jobs at Louisville fast-food restaurants. She lost her most recent job three months ago at Meijer.

Here is someone who needs a minimum wage job. It's amazing how quick she realized that the rate increase will further hurt her chances of finding a job.  And for those that do have the jobs, they will likely see a decreases in the number of hours they work.
At Long John Silver's fast-food restaurants, the higher wage probably will be offset partly by working employees fewer hours, said Whayne Hougland, executive director of a group that represents the chain's franchisees. . Hougland said there aren't many other options, and raising menu prices would be impossible while competitors are already discounting heavily.
It is simple economics. A company can only afford to spend so much money on wages. The amount is fairly fixed. Thus when the costs of wages are artificially inflated the company must do something. They really only have three options. They can increase their sales, increase prices, or cut back on employees. In a down economy, neither the increased sales nor increasing prices are viable. Therefore the only thing to do is cut back on employees. This will take the form of lay-offs or cutting back on available hours for current employees. That means less money for employees. The exact opposite of what the wage increase was supposed to bring. On top of that, the wage increase is chocking off the availability of these low wage jobs. Making it harder for people who desperately need a job to find one.

It's a shame the legislators who voted for these increases didn't understand the basic economics of their scheme. Now many will suffer the ill effects of their willful ignorance. It really is sad.

Posted by brians at 4:04 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009

My Problem With Legalizing Gambling

I could personally care less about gambling. If people want to waste their money on gambling, that doesn't really bother me. In fact if we legalized gambling in this state, it would affect me very little. I would go to the casino about as often as I do know. About once every five years. I just don't have money laying around that I can take and throw away at a casino.

But at the end of the day, it should be up to the people to decide. Our state constitution is very clear on gaming. Anything other than a lottery and that includes slots are unconstitutional. Thus the sham of a bill they tried to pass in the last session would not have survived a legal challenge in the courts. (Another reason the session was a waste) At the same time, I opposed what Williams was trying to do. The Governor didn't put his plan on the agenda so it should never have been addressed. Passing it would have been just as unconstitutional as the slots bill.

Hopefully in January they can come together to find better ways to help the ailing horse industry. And if they still want to pursue slots and gambling then pass a resolution to amend the constitution and put it before the people. Any other sleight of hand method would be clearly unconstitutional.

Now let's turn to my bigger problem with the whole push for gambling. I have some concerns over making gambling constitutional. I think that proponents of gambling overestimate the possible "revenues" and underestimate the costs associated with legalized gambling. Just look at the results of the lottery. Has it been the panacea that it was promoted to be? If it was then we wouldn't be talking about expanded gambling today. I think there have been negative costs associated with the lottery that were downplayed at the time. How many times have you been to a convenient store and see some person who doesn't look like they have much money plopping down $40 or more on lottery tickets? Are we really helping these people by providing them an avenue of false hope in which to pour their money ?

Legalized gambling will just bring more of the same.

At the same time I am believer in freedom. While I might disagree with people throwing their money away seeking nirvana, it is their right to do such a thing. Which is why if the people want gambling then I have no problem with it being legalized. Heck I would actively promote the cause if it wasn't for my biggest concern. The true reason Democrats want to legalize gambling. They are not doing it because of some fundamental right. No. They want to realize a windfall for government. It provides them with an opportunity to enhance money flowing into the state's coffers. Money which will allow them to further enlarge the size of and scope of government. A move that would inevitably encroach and restrict me freedoms.

It is for that reason, that I hope legalized gambling continues to fail in the legislature. If they want my support then they must a) pass an amendment to the constitution and b) make sure it doesn't  create a windfall for government. Until that point, I will actively work for its defeat.

Posted by brians at 6:25 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Monday, 29 June 2009

The Lost Session

The legislative session ended last week and it was a complete waste of time and money. What did they accomplish? They passed a bill allowing Beshear to cut the budget. Something he already had the authority to do. They also passed a bill that provided a whole bunch of tax breaks. Turns out we couldn't even afford those tax breaks.
State officials are still trying to determine how much the state must cut from its budget because lawmakers approved a host of tax breaks included in a bill that was signed into law on Friday by Gov. Steve Beshear.

The measure includes tax breaks for active-duty military personnel, those who buy new cars and for people who buy newly built homes. Beshear signed the bill, which also included an overhaul of the state’s economic incentive programs that Beshear pushed, despite misgivings about the the impact the tax breaks added by lawmakers will have on the state’s shaky finances.
Normally, I don't have a problem with tax breaks, but did they have to be passed right now? Couldn't they have waited until the January session. It's not like the state is rolling in money. We didn't need a special session to spend money that we don't have. We can do that just as effectively in a normal session.

But then again the special session wasn't for budget cuts or tax breaks. No. The special session was all about an unconstitutional slots gaming bill. One that had no chance of passing from the onset. They had to put all kinds of goodies into the measure just to get it out of the house. And as expected it died in the Senate on a 10-5 vote by the budget committee. Is anyone really shocked that it died in committee? Especially when Sen Williams predicted as such months in advance.

At the end of the day, the session was pointless. An exercise in futility. A waste of taxpayer money. A waste of legislators time. A waste of a lot of things. It was a lost session.




Posted by brians at 9:53 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Out Last Week

The lack of blogging last week was brought to you by Lyme Disease. At this point I would have to say that I don't recommend contracting it. Not fun. Sigh.

Apparently I missed the end of the session and a number of other fun stories. I'll be wrapping up last week news stories tomorrow and then will begin normal blogging on Tuesday.
Posted by brians at 2:37 AM in Announcements
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Saturday, 20 June 2009

How Much Do 52 Votes In KY House Cost?

If anyone wondered how much money it takes to garner 52 votes in the Kentucky House, the question can finally be answered. The cost is a princely $1.3 Billion. That is the amount of money the "slots for tracks" bill will spend on school and university construction projects. If you doubt votes were bought, read Will Coursey of Benton's explanation of his vote.
Democrat Will Coursey of Benton said his vote for the bill was difficult, but in the end he couldn't turn down $40million in new schools for his district.

"I've visited with a number of school superintendents and school board members and folks I wouldn't have imagined would have supported the legislation and they're in favor of it," he said. "So it was just a vote for my district, and I'm prepared to support it."

He added, "My district won't see a single video lottery terminal."
It is obvious reading these remarks that the only reason he supports "slots at tracks" was the money for schools in his district. I imagine he wasn't the only representative swayed by the huge sums of money. The whole legislative process has been turned into a sham by these legal bribes. Fortunately, it doesn't look like the Senate can be so easily bought.
Posted by brians at 12:30 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Iranians Rally For Freedom

It has been amazing to watch the Iranian people demonstrate the last few days in massive numbers. Standing up as one against their oppressive regime. As I write this many of these protesters are being beaten, gassed, and shot by the various police forces. It saddens me to see people be bludgeoned so violently for just voicing their yearnings for simple human freedoms. Freedoms we take for granted here in the U.S.

It makes you realize how fortunate we are to be enjoying the freedoms we have. It brings to the forefront of our consciousness how important liberty truly is. More importantly how difficult it is to achieve. I only hope that we don't let those freedoms slip through our fingers to the hands of an ever expanding government.

Regardless, my prayers and thoughts today  go out  the Iranians who are struggling to earn their freedom. May they succeed in their struggle.
Posted by brians at 12:05 PM in Political Issues
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Thursday, 18 June 2009

Let's Spend The Money Before We Get It!

Stumbo's Slots for Tracks bill was in deep deep trouble. How do we know this? Because he attached 1.3 Billion in funding for schools to the legislation. He is already spending the money the slots will bring in based upon predictions of the revenue it will generate. A few questions. What happens if the slots don't bring in predicted revenue? What will happen to the funding for schools? Isn't Kentucky in financial trouble? Shouldn't we be saving this money until times get better?

I am sure Stumbo doesn't want to answer any of these questions. In fact, he just wants to ignore them. Why? So he can buy off votes of the other legislators. I mean what legislator wouldn't want to pump more money into education? This just provides them with a convenient excuse to vote for the bill they would normally oppose.

Personally, I find the whole thing a bit sureal. This is a replay of the original lottery debate. Remember how the lottery was going to save our educational system? Within a few years of the creation of the lottery,  most of the money generated was de-linked from education and placed into the general fund. Any bets that slots legislation will end up with the same fate?

Another thing I find amusing is the amount of money that Stumbo is trying to wring out of the tracks.

Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark, D-Louisville, predicted that tracks will complain about the higher taxes and fees but said their new slots construction may be eligible for tourism incentives as well.

The higher taxes and fees should not result in the tracks building smaller facilities because of the increased costs, Stumbo said.

Turfway Park President Bob Elliston, whose Florence track would have the highest license fee and likely would be in the upper tax bracket beginning in year six, said the new fees and tax are at the "upper limits of what we think is bankable, but we believe we can, in a tough way, make this happen."

Wasn't this legislation about helping the tracks? I thought saving the horse industry was the most important reason for the slots. If Turfway is going to have to struggle to make it work. How is it we are helping the horse industry with this legislation?

No, the fact that they are soaking the tracks for as much money as possible gets to the heart of the slots legislation. It was always about one thing. Giving the people in Frankfort more money to spend on stuff. Everything else is just a "reason" for them to take more money. Once you take a minute to delve past the surface it becomes obvious. The transparency of the whole scheme is pathetic. Fortunately, it doesn't look like they are going to get away with it.
Posted by brians at 8:37 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Wednesday, 17 June 2009

KY Democrat Informercial for Slots at Tracks

[Black Screen]
Announcer: This is a paid advertisement by the Democratic Party in Kentucky

[Fade into shot of Beshear behind his desk]

Beshear: As you all know, our state is facing difficult financial times. But it doesn't have to be that way. Government can be living the life of Reilly. It is possible with this amazing new system called "Slots at Tracks". "Slots at Tracks" is our specially designed new program where we will seek out people who can't do math and tell them they can win big money if they just shovel money into these bright and shiny machines called slots. It has worked elsewhere and it can work here! We believe their are enough gullible people in this great state to make all of government's dreams a reality. All you have to do is act now.

Announcer: But wait.. there is more!

[Cut to pictures of horses frolicking in a green field]

Beshear:  If you act now, not only will you save government but you will be able to save Kentucky's horse industry from disappearing.  That's right! "Slots At Tracks" will keep these beautiful animals from leaving our state forerver. Without "Slots At Tracks", these noble creatures will be gone by the end of the year! Acting today will keep these majestic horses in our state. So pick up the phone and dial your legislator right now and tell them you want "Slots at Tracks"!

[horn sounds]
Announcer: But wait... there is more!

[Cut to Stumbo on the house floor]

Stumbo: Not only will government get everything it needs to expand. Not only will we save the horse industry. But we will throw in an additional $700 million in free schools! That's right. $700 million in new schools. No more old and delapidated schools. No more schools that are older than 30 years. All you have to do is act now! Pick up your phone and call today!

[horn sounds]
Announcer: But wait... there is more!

Stumbo: That's right, not only will you get an expanding  government, horses in Kentucky, and $700 million in new schools, but if you call in the next 30 minutes we will even throw in a $130 million dollar science building for UK.  All of it will be yours as long as you order "Slots at Tracks" today. So what are you waiting for! Give us a call today!

Announcer: Pick up the phone right now and call your legislator and tell them you want "Slots at Tracks" today. Only you can save our great state! So call today and tell them you want "Slots at Tracks"!

[Faid to black with the following small print at the bottom of the screen]
The Democratic party and its members are not responsible for the results of "Slots at Tracks" nor do they guarantee any of the money that will be raised from the product. All results are based upon wild ass guesses pulled from thin air.


Posted by brians at 4:20 PM in Kentucky Politics
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