SOP in Frankfort

So, once again we see SOP in Frankfort. And I'm not talking about Standard Operating Procedure. No, it's the Same Old Politics on both sides of the aisle -- and this time, there are multiple casualties.

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Frankfort Haiku

Medicaid big hole,
Frankfort talk and talk and talk;
In end, nothing change.

The 2011 General Assembly ended with parliamentary jujitsu, as the House pulled a fast one on the Senate by approving the Senate budget (thus eliminating the need for conference) and sending it on to the Gov, where he can line-item-veto everything he doesn't like with no fear that the House will vote to override. Where does that leave us? Right where we started.

We have a big Medicaid deficit. The Gov proposed borrowing from next year's budget, with "promises" to pay the money back through cost-savings. (If you can achieve that much in cost savings, why not do it now?) David Williams, never one to let a crisis go to waste if he can use it to score political points, led the Senate to cut everything in sight in response. (David keeps a copy of Shock Doctrine on his bed-side stand.)

Now, with this latest maneuver, the Gov gets to borrow his money, veto the spending cuts, and promise to pay them back later. Williams gets to say he tried, the House gets to say they saved the day, and everyone gets to go home. And we, dear citizens, get stuck with a budget crisis that's just delayed, not actually dealt with.

Kicking the Can Down the Road

The Gov announced yesterday that he wants the Leg to move $166 million from next year's Medicaid budget to this year's, so the state can get more money in Federal matching funds this year. And as much as David Williams wants to use this to score political points, the bill is a good idea and should pass. Why would we want to take 70% matching funds when we can get 80%?

Here's the larger problem, though --

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Your Sad Senior Senator

Poor Mitch -- stuck with Rand Paul as his Senate nominee for the fall. Wonder what he's thinking now? I bet we can tell from the look on his face ...

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Fixing Kentucky's Tax System

If you were listing characteristics of a well-designed tax system, what would you include? In today's Courier-Journal, Rep. Jim Wayne gives his list, and I think it's a good starting point:

Fairness. The tax code should promote justice, with every Kentuckian paying their fair share, including the wealthiest.

Adequacy. The revenue stream should be stable enough to support schools, social services, prisons, law enforcement, environmental protection and other programs and services people depend on.

Elasticity. Revenue should grow as the economy changes. If a certain section of our economy is expanding, as our service-based sector is, tax revenues should reflect that.

Simplicity. The system shouldn't be too complicated to understand. Taxes should be as low as possible — with everyone paying their fair share — and the tax base should be broad.

I've been yelling for months about the lack of leadership in Frankfort. Why? Because all the people in Frankfort know that our tax system fails ALL of these tests, and has for years -- and yet they have done nothing.

Here's what the cowardice in Frankfort has gotten us:

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When "Common Sense" Doesn't Equal Great Legislation

Ever heard this line about some bill or another? "It's just common sense -- why can't these idiots in (Washington / Frankfort / Metro Council / the PTA board) see that?"

I bet you've not only heard it, you've probably said it. Me too. But here's the problem: ideas that seem so easy, so common-sense when said to a friend, sometimes become very difficult to write into a good law.

From Jake over at Page One, here's the latest example -- an example that the Family Foundation says is "just common sense":

Strippers should have at least something on.

Make the jump to learn why legislating pasties is a bad idea.

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Does Anyone in Frankfort Have ANY Damn Guts?

With leaders like these, who needs enemies?

First it was Steve Beshear presenting a budget that relied on a non-existent revenue source to make up the shortfall. Now it's state House leaders trying to get around hard choices by using another non-existent revenue source: a possible Federal stimulus to Medicaid that wouldn't happen until next year.

House leaders are proposing a daring budget maneuver that would strip $227 million in General Fund money from the state’s Medicaid program for the next budget year in hopes that the federal government will approve additional stimulus funds for the program starting in 2011.

So now we're reduced to playing Russian roulette with the budget, and the poor are the ones with the gun to their head.

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Your Legislators At Work: the 21st Century Bill of Idiots

Saw this on PageOne, and couldn't believe it. "House Bill 253 -- A 21st Century Bill of Rights." Clicked the link to see if it was a joke, and guess what: it's a real, filed, this-could-actually-become-law bill.

Here's what these idiot legislators are proposing:

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Wayne's Bill == YES; Farmer's Bill == AYKM?!?

(Hat tip to Page One, that had the story and the PDF)

Two tax-reform bills were presented in Frankfort last week. The bill by Jim Wayne improves some of the inequity in our current tax system, AND improves the revenue picture. It gets a big YES from me, and should get a Yes from anyone who cares about both fiscal responsibility and an equitable tax system.

The bill by Bill Farmer, OTOH, deserves only this response: Are You Kidding Me?!?

Make the jump to see why ...

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KY Budget Shortfall -- Some Research

After reading a story over at Page One about the upcoming special session and the $1 billion shortfall, I decided to do some research. Make the jump to see what I found (with charts, real numbers, and a few not-yet-real numbers) --

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