Politics

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Reggie Meeks, a Democratic state representative from Louisville, has an infectious love of politics, so intense that he sometimes goes overboard. (Remember that case about his free fried chicken for poll workers?) But his intensity often helps him cut to the chase, as he did to begin his most recent legislative update to constituents. As the legislative session crashed to an early close over yet another budget impasse last week, Meeks began his report: “We have arrived at a pivotal moment in the race for governor.

Hollerwood II, written by local playwright Elizabeth Orndorff, a humorous play about a fictitious small town's characters and politics, is featured at the West T. Hill theatre during the next three weekends. Earlier this summer, in response to an editorial I wrote about small town politics, Elizabeth responded by extending me a front row invitation to attend this play she had written. I have heard that some people feel that this play could have been written about our own local city politics.

Dear Editor, I recall the conditions of the Great Depression when Herbert Hover was in office at the time that Wall Street stocks collapsed. Many people who lost everything they had were jumping out of 10-story buildings and off bridges, and any other means to end their misery. I remember we used to watch the draggers on the river that ran through town, looking for bodies. We can thank God that is not the norm today. One of the first things President Roosevelt did was call for a “Bank Holiday” where he shut down all the banks in the country to prevent a run on them.

I have known Paul Smiley since I began my career in the Danville schools. He was always supportive and took the time to stop by and see what we were doing.   I have always found him to be honest and sincere about the decisions he makes and am impressed by his dedication to our youth and community. I have also known Paige Stevens since she was the principal at Bate Middle School and during her tenure as a highly skilled educator for the state, supporting schools by providing the help they need for our students to be successful.

The Chamber of Commerce’s recent public statement on the situation at city hall ought to be a wake-up call for a few newly-elected officials and their strident supporters. Unfortunately, it probably isn’t. Such public acknowledgement of self-inflicted city government turmoil is a big deal. Further, the Economic Development Partnership’s CEO recently placed local unemployment at more than 11 percent. Given this environment, it seems fair to ask the power brokers a few questions.

Most teenagers probably don’t have a firm notion of what they want to do when they become adults. But 17-year-old Jordan Shewmaker has a pretty good idea. There’s better than an even chance this young man’s future will look a lot like his past and that of many of his family members. Politics and government are in his blood. “I have always been interested in politics and government service,” says the recent Boyle County High School graduate, one of two sons of John and Cortney Shewmaker of Quarry Road.

For many election cycles, Americans have made a horrible mistake. We tend to educate ourselves on the positions and ideology of the national candidates in a nominal and general way, and we vote for our local officials based on family name or simply name recognition. When I ran for city commission a few years ago, I knocked on hundreds of doors. Many people smiled, took my literature and then closed the door and went back to their lives. Honestly, it became a boring routine — not unlike being a receptionist for a large company and answering the phone with the same greeting over and over.

Some are calling this the "new year of the woman. " We have already seen one woman, for the first time, occupy the Speaker's chair during a State of the Union address and another emerge as the frontrunner for her party's presidential nomination. Indeed, for women leaders in U.S. politics, things have been looking up in the last decade. We've seen an increase in the number of women governors and the second woman to serve as secretary of state. Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice have given us new inspiration to think about what the world might be if women were in charge.

For the record, no one ever told me that my car - which I bought just a few months ago - had an internal car alarm. So I want to apologize to the lines of voters inside the Ecton Wades Mill voting precinct who listened to the deafening sound of my car honking like a sick goose and flashing its lights in distress for several minutes as I flailed about half-helpless. It was news to me that I even had such a device, let alone how to turn it off. How this happened was irrelevant, really.

There is a good chance that three political issues will soon become legal issues. Look for courts to decide the constitutionality of state legislative redistricting, if Rand Paul can be on the 2016 ballot for both President and Senator, and whether the statutory contract between Kentucky and its pensioners really is “inviolable.” There must be new state legislative districts before the 2014 elections. The current ones are way out of balance because of population changes since the last redistricting more than a decade ago. As a result, some parts of Kentucky are getting more representation than they should and others far less.

Something rather amazing happened while we were sleeping Tuesday night.  Kentucky's legislature actually got some work done, albeit in breathless last-minute fashion.  We were holding out slim hope lawmakers might vote on the much-debated hemp bill. They not only passed that legislation, but more importantly, hammered out a $100 million measure to shore up the state's depleted pension fund. It is hard to congratulate a group of people for fulfilling their basic responsibilities and fixing problems of their own making.

Being Kentucky's “taxpayer watchdog” is a role State Auditor Adam Edelen said he is glad to fulfill, saying he is happy to uncover wasteful spending and mismanagement on a daily basis. Edelen was one of two featured speakers Monday hosted by the Democratic Woman's Club of Clark County. Edelen told the group there are two challenges that have held Kentucky back. “The first is that we're a poor state. We don't always have the resources to invest in our people,” Edelen said.

State Sen. R.J. Palmer, D-Winchester, presented a new U.S. flag to the Clark County Public Library at the Democratic Executive Committee  meeting Monday night. The flag will replace the one that hangs in the meeting room at the front of the library. Palmer also spoke to the committee on recent business in Frankfort. He discussed pension issues, House Bill 1, which deals with special districts, and redistricting, which was a bill filed by the House yesterday. “It's when no incumbent can be placed in another incumbent's district,” Palmer said.

Though Jordan Shewmaker grew up in Perryville, he never imagined becoming a key part of the Centre College community. Shewmaker, 20, is a junior majoring in government. Though he has always worked hard, largely due to the example set by his late great-grandmother Imogene Reynolds, he never imagined being accepted to Centre College let alone becoming deeply involved in local, state and even national politics. While he and other Centre students were a key part of the October vice-presidential debate held on campus, Shewmaker has used what some have called an “old soul” to take advantage of many other opportunities beyond his wildest dreams.

In looking back over the stories published by The Advocate-Messenger in 2012, it was apparent the year started out slowly in terms of big news. But the headlines got bigger as May rolled around and stayed that way throughout the rest of the year. As with any year, there were stories to celebrate and stories that caused despair in 2012. Danville hired its first black police chief, who was quickly besieged by an uptick in violent crime, including three murders. Candidates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan and the world came to town and liked what they saw. A year of acrimonious politics at Danville city hall ended with voters choosing new faces in November.

President Obama is in a pickle. But it's a pickle of his own making. Obama has made it known he wants United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice to replace the departing Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Rice has been a long-time supporter and faithful foot soldier for Obama. Rice also has been under fire, as she should be, for being the face of the false and specious narrative coming from the White House about the Libya murders.  There are one of two reasons why Rice, and whoever is behind her, stood by her deceptive and misleading story for so long.

I have known Paul Smiley since I began my career in the Danville schools. He was always supportive and took the time to stop by and see what we were doing.   I have always found him to be honest and sincere about the decisions he makes and am impressed by his dedication to our youth and community. I have also known Paige Stevens since she was the principal at Bate Middle School and during her tenure as a highly skilled educator for the state, supporting schools by providing the help they need for our students to be successful.

Candidates for the district three school board seat, circuit court clerk, district two magistrate seat and Stanford City Council took turns answering questions posed by moderator Mark Thompson, pastor at Stanford Christian Church. The forum was sponsored by the Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce and Stanford-based radio station WPBK 102.9, which broadcast the candidates' responses live. District 3 school board Candidates for the District 3 school board seat led off the night, discussing where the school district has been and where it is headed.