Sales Tax

Restoring the $17.5 million Kentucky River lock and dam improvement project that Gov. Ernie Fletcher vetoed last spring is Rep. Bob Damron's "number-one goal" for the 2007 legislative session that kicked off Tuesday. "I think of all the projects that we had in the budget (last year), that was the most important," he said. "Nothing works if we don't have water. " The funding passed both the Senate and House of Representatives during the 2006 session, but the governor vetoed it and other capital projects because he said they could threaten the state's credit rating and finances.

Kentucky's legislative and gubernatorial approach to the current budget crisis is disturbing. Their own arguments for raising the cigarette tax contradict themselves. Because of an apparent $456 million budget shortfall, the governor and many members of the legislature are trumpeting the arrival of the long awaited increased cigarette tax as the solution to all of our problems. We need to make clear that this budget shortfall does not mean that the state is out of money. If you sat down and worked out a budget as though you earned $150,000 per year, while actually earning $75,000 per year, you would have a budget shortfall too. You'd have a budget that includes too much spending.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Moffett called for comprehensive tax reforms and a large-scale overhaul to Kentucky’s education system during a stop in Winchester this week. The visit was one of several in the region as Moffett, a partner in a Louisville-based telecommunications firm, seeks to build more name recognition and harness tea party support ahead of the 2011 primary. “A lot of my platform is about personal responsibility and governmental responsibility in being a smaller government and a more efficient government,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

Two of Kentucky's state representatives are sponsoring a bill for the upcoming General Assembly that would abolish the state's income tax and lower the sales tax from 6 percent to 5 percent. Rep. Bill Farmer, R-Lexington, and Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington, filed a bill to amend KRS 139.010 to eliminate the tax on income for all Kentucky workers, a practice that has been adopted in nine other states - Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

It's hard to imagine Kentucky without Louie Nunn. The former governor, who died Thursday night at his Woodford County home, had been a leading political figure in the state for 50 years. An underdog from the beginning in a Democrat-dominated state, the Kentucky Encyclopedia notes that Nunn was first elected to office in 1953 as the county judge of Barren County, "although he was a Republican. " And that phrase from the Encyclopedia pretty much sums up the career of the colorful, combative and, ultimately, effective leader who had the distinction of being the only Republican governor of the second half of the 20th Century.

Boyle County Board of Education voted Thursday to complete the renovation of six public and two private restrooms at Junction City Elementary School. The projects were not part of the school's renovation completed earlier this year, but Superintendent Pam Rogers said the repairs are needed. "This has been a priority for us," she said. "It is our hope we can begin this project near Christmas. " The plans call for the district to purchase many of the construction materials, saving money by avoiding sales tax. Rogers said much of the work will be performed by either subcontractors or school personnel, saving additional money.

Can someone tell me how our state legislature can meet in special session, cost taxpayer's more than half a million dollars, and accomplish nothing? They did zero to improve the tax climate, and now they announce a few weeks later that we have a $55 million hole in the budget. Senseless. The truth is the special session was a useless ruse. Gov. Beshear wanted to get slot machines at horse tracks. I understand that goal. But they knew going in that they couldn't achieve it. The votes weren't there.

Tending to priorities is the first rule of leadership. No where has this been so powerfully demonstrated recently than last week's embarrassing, failed groveling of the Obama administration to the International Olympic Committee. The president's first priority should be the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (any national security matters should always top the list) followed closely by the economy. Instead, Obama and Congress are jamming expensive legislation down our throats while still trying to convince us that a $1 trillion stimulus package that went largely to cronyism and pork are somehow bringing our suffering economy back from the brink.

Tending to priorities is the first rule of leadership. No where has this been so powerfully demonstrated recently than last week's embarrassing failed groveling of the Obama administration to the International Olympic Committee. The president's first priority should be the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (any national security matters should always top the list) followed closely by the economy. Instead, Obama and Congress are jamming expensive legislation down our throats while still trying to convince us that a $1 trillion stimulus package that went largely to cronyism and pork are somehow bringing our suffering economy back from the brink.

Can someone tell me how our state legislature can meet in special session, cost tax payer's over half a million dollars, and accomplish nothing? It did zero to improve the tax climate and now it announces a few weeks later that we have a $55 million hole in the budget. Senseless. The truth is the special session was a useless ruse. Gov. Steve Beshear wanted to get slot machines at horse tracks. I understand that goal. But they knew going in that they couldn't achieve it. The votes weren't there.