In his story about Gov. Steve Beshear urging state workers to carpool and work four-day weeks where possible, Joe Biesk of the Associated Press began the second paragraph:
"Beshear, who often travels Kentucky in a gas-guzzling SUV ... "
Fatherhood seems to have brought out the best in Joe. For being clever enough to point that out to the public, he is awarded the first ever KyKurmudgeon Kudo.
1. State Sen. Ernesto Scorsone's decision to exchange a seat in the Senate for the robes of a Fayette Circuit Court judge is a good move on his part. But giving up her position as House Judiciary Committee chair to replace Scorsone as a member of the minority in a state Senate run by President David Williams doesn't strike me as the wisest move state Rep. Kathy Stein could make. But hey, the verbal exchanges between Stein and Williams on the Senate floor should be entertaining.
2. If the ratio thus far of fund-raising ($1 million) to digging in his own bottomless pockets ($3.5 million) continues for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford's campaign, the multimillionaire businessman would have to write personal checks in excess of $10 million if he hopes to match the $15 million Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has for his re-election campaign. Lunsford has the wherewithal to do just that, and he's proved in two unsuccessful gubernatorial campaigns that he isn't reluctant to spend freely in pursuit of his goal. But what's worrisome about his low fund-raising numbers is that they could create the perception that this is yet another quixotic campaign. If the national Democratic organizations that would dearly love to see McConnell on the receiving end of a Tom Daschle-style retirement don't signal their belief in Lunsford with money, it could dishearten rank-and-file D's in Kentucky.
3. There's nothing wrong with Kentucky offering "In God We Trust" license plates to motorists who want them. And it's far better that the state offer the plates on its own rather than have some private organization benefit from the sale of them. Still, the announcement by Gov. Steve Beshear that he will push for legislative approval of the plates in the next General Assembly has the feel of a governor looking to improve low poll numbers any way he can.
4. Ah, the dream of coal to liquid. Reruns of That 70s Show in Pike County.
1. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's remarks to Commerce Lexington Tuesday made it sound like he is looking forward with relish to the fall campaign against his multimillionaire challenger Bruce Lunsford, a race in which McConnell acknowledges he will be a target for national Democratic organizations. McConnell indicated he would give as good as he gets in the campaign. So, with his famous fund-raising ability and with the Supreme Court decision throwing out the "millionaire's amendment" removing any restraints on Lunsford's ability to reach into his bottomless, political junkies in Kentucky can expect to enjoy a wild ride this fall. But you have to sympathize with the non-junkies for the ordeal they're about to endure.
2. The tax dollars spent on Gov. Steve Beshear's two-day victory lap around Kentucky, hyping passage of the pension reform bill, could have been put to better use. That was all too reminiscent of some of his predecessor's bad habits.
1. "A quick and successful special session can signal the beginning of a new era in Frankfort, one where cooperation on critical public policy is the norm and where politics and partisanship are reserved for campaigns," Gov. Steve Beshear said in his address to a joint session of the General Assembly Monday night.
Uh, NOT! If everyone crosses their fingers and Kentucky gets real lucky this week, lawmakers will pass some significant pension reforms. If that doesn't get done, some of them won't be back next year. And they know it. But don't expect the Kumbaya feeling to last longer than a chorus or two. Next time legislators get together, the R's and D's will go right back to clawing and scratching at each other the way they always do.
2. Kentucky is not the only state where lawmakers are addressing retirement issues in special session this week. West Virginia lawmakers will convene later today. According to the Charleston Gazette, one of the items on their agenda is the appropriation of $25 million to cover the costs of transferring nearly 15,000 teachers from a defined contributions pension plan to a defined benefits plan. Hmm. Guess Senate President David Williams' favorite approach to pension planning hasn't worked out so well for our neighbors to the east.
3. Speaking of Williams, if his lawsuit challenging Beshear's veto of a highway projects bill is unsuccessful, the Senate president's office may wind up on the hook for the governor's court costs. The response filed by Beshear's attorneys Monday asks the court to award such costs. Now, wouldn't that add insult to injury if Williams loses?
Gov. Steve Beshear tentatively plans to address a joint session of the General Assembly Monday night after lawmakers convene in special session to enact pension reform legislation. Beshear's speech will be about 15 minutes in length, according to Communications Director Dick Brown.
House Democrats are expected to get a briefing on the proposed legislation Thursday.
I'm spending much of this week learning about the new software the H-L will be using in the near future. But a couple of items merit quick hits.
1. Possession really isn't nine-tenths of the law, despite the old saying. But sometimes, perception can be nine-tenths of leadership. If everything doesn't fall apart (as it has a habit of doing where the General Assembly is concerned) and a special session produces pension reforms that address the massive unfunded liabilities of Kentucky's public employee retirement systems, everyone involved will deserve credit. But by taking the initiative and calling legislative leaders back together after they failed to get the job done during this year's regular session, Gov. Steve Beshear got ahead of the game instead of letting the game come to him, thus creating the perception of leadership on his part. Smart move.
2. One area where Beshear consistently has shown some strength of leadership has been in his dealings with the Council on Postsecondary Education. He prevailed in a confrontation with the council over the hiring of Brad Cowgill as president when Cowgill resigned. And his recent appointment of former Gov. Paul Patton to the panel suggests Beshear is strongly committed to the principles of the higher education reforms of the 1997. Beshear's other two appointments - former Lexington Mayor Pam Miller and Paducah lawyer Glenn Denton - are quality choices as well. But Patton was the driving force behind the 1997 reforms and knows better than most what course that legislation intended for higher education in Kentucky. It also says something about Beshear that he gave a former governor who built a solid record of accomplishment before being caught in a sex scandal a chance to step into the spotlight again. Some governors, particularly those who have yet to accomplish much, might be reluctant to risk creating a situation that could lead to comparisons that could be unflattering for them. Beshear had the confidence to do just that.
On the spur of the moment, I took a couple of days off last week, which explains the lack of posts Thursday and Friday and the lack of a Sunday column. But now, I have some catching up to do.
1. A couple of weeks ago, Senate President David Williams defended spending money renovating Senate offices while health and social services programs are being cut by saying, "You're talking about people who you couldn't print enough money for. I don't accept the premise that they're cutting anything to the bone." But after Republican senators who are facing challenges this fall started taking heat on the issue, Williams a hold on the $448,997 project, which is also costing the state $400,000 in rent to house the agencies kicked out of the Capitol Annex to make room for the Senate expansion. Surely, I can't be the only cynic who figures this project will regain its priority status along about Wednesday, Nov. 5.
2. Other state and local agencies should look at the feasibility of the flexible four-day work week Secretary of State Trey Grayson is implementing. Grayson's plan not only will help his employees save some money on gas, his offices will be open longer each day to serve the public.
3. By waiting until the race was over to throw his support as a Democratic superdelegate to Sen. Barack Obama, Gov. Steve Beshear made himself look wishy-washy.
4. Here's hoping Beshear and Grayson continue their attempts to one-up each other on government transparency. A contest of that nature can only lead to freer and easier access to public records.
5. Bully for U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth for his Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner remarks on racism. The exit polls during the Kentucky primary proved we still have a long way to go in this state to eliminate what he rightly referred to as "blind hatred."
Catching up on a few items:
1. For the first time in 20 years, there will not be a Bush or a Clinton at the top of a major party's' presidential ticket. The times really are a-changin', as Dylan might say.
2. Former Gov. Paul Patton deserves a seat on the Council on Postsecondary Education. He wrote the book on higher education reform in Kentucky, proposing the legislation enacted during a 1997 special session and using the force of his political will to overcome opposition from some entrenched higher education interests. He would be an excellent addition to a panel that has seen a bit of turmoil lately. His knowledge and insight might be particularly beneficial in evaluating applicants during the search for a new permanent president.
3. Former Gov. Ernie Fletcher added insult to injury when he chose Diversity Day in 2006 to sign an order removing a ban on discrimination due to sexual orientation that Patton had implemented in state government. Gov. Steve Beshear did the right thing Monday when he issued an executive order reinstating anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender state workers. They deserve the same respect afforded to other employees.
4. It's too bad the state can't figure out a way to repo Education Commissioner John Draud's costly ride, the one pimped out with $13,000 worth of extras that he now remembers he did know about. But then, that's small change compared to the $448,997 low bid submitted for the next round of pimping out the Senate's digs. And that doesn't include the $400,000 in rent the state will pay to house the agencies kicked out of the Capitol Annex so none of our senators will have to suffer the indignity of being stuck in that "rather small office" Senate President David Williams mentioned recently.
Sunday's column:
FRANKFORT — This and that as we try to convince ourselves that the governor we saw in action last week is the same governor who seemed so inactive at times during the General Assembly session:
Yes, Kentucky, there is a governor. His name is Steve Beshear, and he’s acting like a leader should.
I know. Some of you may want to qualify that statement with “sorta,” “kinda” or “maybe.” And you could be right. After all, the steps Beshear took in recent days won’t produce great leaps forward for Kentucky.
But let’s give the guy a little credit for doing some positive stuff.
By executive order, he imposed stricter ethical standards on his own administration than required by the laws in effect when he took office. That’s a good thing, despite the sniping response from Senate President David Williams.
Even better, Beshear called legislative leaders together and urged them to pass some pension reforms in a special session tentatively scheduled for June 23, even if other pension issues remain unresolved.
This proactive step showed political smarts. Had he waited for the House and Senate to get their act together and bring a pension agreement to him, the perception of his leadership would have been diminished.
In both instances, Beshear acted because the General Assembly flunked its own leadership test by failing to reach agreement on ethics and pension reform measures before this year’s session ended.
If Beshear keeps demonstrating such leadership, he might raise that 39 percent approval rating a few points.
And if the General Assembly wants to improve its 22 percent approval rating, passing a pension reform bill would be a good way to start.
* * *
Beshear missed some recent opportunities to provide leadership of a different kind, leadership that empathizes with those who will feel the pain from the austere budget that goes into effect July 1 and that champions possible avenues for providing relief.
On May 22, advocates for social services rallied in Frankfort to protest cutbacks to come from that budget.
Wednesday, Ernie Lewis, Kentucky’s chief public defender, sent a letter to judges throughout the state outlining the cuts in legal services for the poor that will be made necessary by the budget.
Each occasion gave Beshear the opportunity to issue an empathetic statement and to speak from his bully pulpit about a 70-cent increase in the cigarette tax or revenue from casino gambling.
But he let both opportunities go by without comment.
* * *
To hear Senate President Williams tell it, there will be no pain felt from the budget.
“I don’t accept the premise that they’re cutting anything to the bone,” he said in defense of spending to renovate Senate offices while services are being cut elsewhere.
Williams, who had a 60-inch plasma-screen TV installed in his office during the last round of renovations, justified the current remodeling by saying, “We have at least one senator who has a rather small office.”
Considering what the next budget will do to other areas of government, that’s a lame excuse for an excuse.
* * *
Majority Whip Rob Wilkey blasted some fellow members of House Democratic leadership when he announced his retirement recently.
House Speaker Jody Richards announced Thursday that he is backing Rep. Joni Jenkins’ challenge of Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark.
And a few other House Democrats have already announced their intentions to seek leadership posts.
BeIf there is a special session and the D’s caucus or the leadership meets, I would love to slip a tape recorder into the room. What entertaining listening that could provide.
In response to New York Gov. David Paterson's decision to have state agencies recognize gay marriages performed where such unions are legal, the Associated Press quoted Richard E. Barnes, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, as saying, "The definition of marriage predates recorded history."
Don't you just love it when know-it-alls say such dumb things?
