The Brass Band Festival is now one of the leading attractions in Central Kentucky and produces hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue for our business communities. I am only returning to both of these operations a small portion of the tax revenues they generate to Kentucky. I assure you The Kentucky Revenue Cabinet is well ahead in dollars in collections on both of these attractions. It is my feeling that more revenue will come to Kentucky by the advancement of both these great attractions. I would rather see existing companies receive community development dollars than always giving it to new companies to enter our state.
I feel we have an obligation to those that have held the course of doing business in Kentucky for years and at expense to their own profits. I have the responsibilty as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health andHuman Services for The Senate Appropriations Committee to formulate the Medicaid Budget for Kentucky. This next year it will exceed four billion dollars. I am a strong advocate for our citizens that are economically challenged. My Father died when I was 16 and my Mother went to work making $2 per hour to support my family in 1966. This year Kentucky will serve over 600,000 individuals that do not have the resources to help themselves with medical needs. I am very proud of the dollars that have been appropriated to this great cause. These are your tax dollars put to good use.
This will be one of the first years we may bring the Medicaid Budget into balance. I realize that Ms. Johnson did not understand the recent legislation that was moving through the House and Senate this year for a precinct vote on a drink license or she would never had brought it into the article. The truth is - The House of Representatives had a bill that would have allowed the entire state to have precinct votes in Historic Properties. This bill passed the House and I amended it to allow only 8 locations in the State to have this vote. My amendment said they must have a full time restaurant and lodging facilities for a certain number of guests. When the bill returned to the House for a final vote- they said it was too narrow and wanted the Senate to expand it to include their original language - I said NO. The bill died. It did not pass due to my arguments. My vote is not for sale. I would suggest that Ms. Johnson find someone else to send her donations . Perhaps to the gentleman in Lincoln.
Senator Tom Buford
Nicholasville
