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| Fundraiser at mansion is regrettable Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:27:43 -0500 We applauded Gov. Steve Beshear when he signed an executive order on ethics reform less than a month ago after the legislature failed to act on it, but his plans to hold a political fundraiser at the governor’s mansion appear to run afoul of his order. A fundraiser Tuesday at the governor’s mansion will be to raise money for the state Democratic Party, along with a coinciding golf tournament called the “Beshear Open.” The group of Democrats who will attend is called the Capitol Club. Beshear’s executive order said in part, “No executive branch public servant, by himself or through others, shall knowingly use or attempt to use his official position to secure or create privileges, exemptions, advantages or treatment for himself or others in derogation of the public interest at large, including but not limited to the following: use of state time, equipment, personnel, facilities or other state resources for political campaign purposes.” The mansion is a state facility and although having this fundraiser there doesn’t violate state law, it appears to violate his own executive order and, in general, sends the wrong message across the state. Beshear talked frequently about ethics during the campaign leading up to his election, an appropriate topic considering problems that occurred during past administrations. He appeared to be quite serious about this when he made casino gambling, unfunded pension liability and ethics reform his top legislative priorities. This makes the scheduled fundraiser at the mansion all the more regrettable. While there are differences, the mansion location could revive memories of fat cat contributors being put up in the Lincoln bedroom during the Clinton administration. We urge the governor to take another look at the letter and the spirit of his executive order and find a more appropriate venue for his fundraiser. |
| Kids need families Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:26:33 -0500 WASHINGTON — Barack Obama’s recent call for responsible fatherhood is welcome, overdue - and misleadingly incomplete. That America’s fathers need to embrace their most important role is no secret. Activist fathers have been trying to make the same claim for decades, without much success. Not all fathers are trying to be good dads, it goes without saying. But neither are all absent by choice, as Obama’s message implied. His plea to fathers came on Father’s Day, a time we usually reserve for praising good men. Noting the plague of fatherless homes, he called on fathers who have abandoned their responsibilities to act like men, not boys. Hear, hear. We pause briefly to ponder the kind of response Obama might have received had he decided to criticize negligent moms on Mother’s Day. No one in his right mind would do such a thing, but we’re so accustomed to dissing dads that even a Father’s Day reprimand leaves America’s eyelashes unruffled. Double standards are sometimes allowed for the greater good. We cut Obama slack because his message is so urgent. We also know that the African-American community has been hardest hit by father absence. In Obama’s words: “We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled - doubled - since we were children. We know the statistics - that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.” Obama is right on all of the above, but the stats are even worse. More than 70 percent of black children are born out of wedlock. Since 1960, we’ve tripled the number of American children living in fatherless homes, from 8 million to 24 million. The population as a whole increased just 1.7 times during that period. What Obama fails to mention is that the problem of absent fathers, especially in the black community, is tied in part to well-intentioned social programs such as those the presumptive Democratic nominee intends to expand - domestic violence prevention and child support collections. As I point out in my book, “Save the Males: Why Men Matter; Why Women Should Care,” cracking down on deadbeats is one of those guaranteed applause-getters, but most of the fathers of whom Obama is speaking make less than $10,000 a year - or are unemployed. Throwing them in jail won’t help children much, either financially or psychologically. The truth, meanwhile, seems unwelcome in political circles: Most employed men pay their child support in full and on time, and always did, without government prodding. Similarly furthering the public impression that only men are guilty of domestic violence is counterproductive if the goal is truly to bring fathers home. That’s because as the system is currently set up, men lose all legal rights to home and children if a woman charges assault. The accused is guilty until proven innocent. Clearly, the state has a compelling interest in protecting women and children from abusive men - where they exist. But not all charges are legitimate and the state’s punitive powers, permitted without due process, are mind-boggling to consider. Once the system is engaged and injunctions issued, even innocent fathers are unlikely to see much of their children. Perhaps never. On Mother’s Day, we didn’t hear much about women initiating domestic violence, including child abuse, though some studies show that they do more often than men. That’s not a popular statistic for the good reason that women more often than men suffer grave injury and are killed in physical disputes. Those two dueling facts highlight the lose-lose nature of the domestic violence debate. But if prevention of violence and preservation of the family are indeed our goals, then the solution involves focusing on the causes of family violence, including women’s role, not promising to make things tougher only on fathers. Changing the system won’t be easy, but Obama is uniquely positioned to make a difference in the conversation. He should begin by saying that bringing fathers back into the family means ending the demonization of men and the culture’s trivialization of fatherhood. That would be a change we could believe in. |
| Bush shouldn’t bind his successor on Iraq Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:26:39 -0500 President Bush has basically left to his successor the difficult job of deciding when and how quickly to withdraw the bulk of U.S. troops from Iraq. At the same time, his administration is pressing to complete a controversial agreement some critics fear would commit the U.S. to a long-term presence there, regardless of the November election result. The administration rejects that interpretation, contending the proposal would merely give future administrations the option of keeping troops there, if they wish. The issue has arisen because a United Nations resolution authorizing U.S. troops to be in Iraq expires at the end of 2008. The U.S. seems more eager to complete a follow-up agreement than the Iraqis, who have slowed the discussion by raising questions - including whether it’s time for Iraq to assume greater responsibility for its security. To be sure, there are arguments on both sides of the substance of the proposed pact. As The Washington Post noted Sunday, U.S. ties with Iraq help to counter Iranian efforts in the region. Nevertheless, this hardly seems like the kind of long-term decision a lame-duck administration should make, especially without congressional approval. Adding to the irony, the Iraqi parliament will have a say in whether the agreement goes through; the American Congress won’t. The administration, while possibly open to some consultation with lawmakers, argues that formal action is not required since the proposed pact is like U.S. status-of-forces agreements with other countries where forces are stationed. Yet there are significant differences. Unlike arrangements with such countries as Japan and South Korea, the 150,000 American troops in Iraq are deeply involved in combat to maintain security. And there are major domestic differences over how long to continue that role. Indeed, the future of U.S. troops in Iraq hinges on the November vote to elect Mr. Bush’s successor, though many analysts believe the gap between Barack Obama’s plan for a phased withdrawal and John McCain’s opposition to any pullout schedule may be narrower than their rhetoric suggests. The U.S. is not the only place where there is split opinion over the future of its military role. It has become a major issue in Iraqi elections expected this fall, with some government critics exaggerating the extent to which an agreement would ensure a long-term U.S. presence. But the basic disagreement is over such details as the degree to which the Americans would need Iraqi approval for future military operations. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says the U.S. wants access to 58 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and immunity from prosecution for U.S. troops and private contractors. The Bush administration has retreated on some of that. The debate is further complicated by the growing evidence that things in Iraq, while still not ideal, are getting better, in part due to the increased military operations known as the “surge.” But that progress has its limits. In a recent editorial commending the improvement and warning against “a precipitate withdrawal,” The Economist also said the Iraqi invasion it initially backed and subsequent occupation remains “a debacle.” Iraq’s government, it added, “is still fractious and in many places corrupt” and that life for Iraqis lacks many necessities and remains “under threat of violent death,” as Tuesday’s car bombing in Baghdad showed. The editorial also said continued improvement might make Obama’s phased withdrawal plan “more feasible.” Even some administration backers think the time may be near that Iraq can survive a major troop reduction. In the meantime, however, it might be better for all concerned to negotiate a short-term extension of the U.N. authority and let the next U.S. administration work out a more permanent arrangement. After all, either Barack Obama or John McCain will determine the U.S. end game in Iraq, not Bush. |
| Stumbo's pay lines Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:31:00 EST State Rep. Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, performed a valuable public service last week when he renewed his pitch for legislation to at least temporarily allow slot machines at racetracks. |
| Child obesity Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:32:00 EST I appreciate The C-J editorial board's support regarding Rep. Addia Wuchner's and my efforts to encourage physical activity in schools ("Bring back recess," June 17). Kentucky ranks second from the bottom in the United States. for physical inactivity. |
| Build 'virtual bridges' Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:32:00 EST We have just discovered a solution for the Metro Louisville (new-two) bridge problem that we read about so often in The Courier-Journal. In today's new world of video games, Internet, blogs and Web sites, we propose one, two or even three virtual bridges over the Ohio. |
| The movie that changed your life Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:32:00 EST The IdeaFestival and the Louisville Film Society have teamed for an exciting film series this summer, and they want you to help pick the movies. |
| Affordable donation Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:38:00 EST In response to the June 19 letter by Caleb Howard concerning the donation of Rep. John Yarmuth's congressional salary to charity, I believe that what Mr. Yarmuth does with his personal funds is not an accurate reflection of his performance in Congress. |
| Sprinklers vital in fire safety Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:34:00 EST The No. 1 priority of government at all levels is public safety. Elected and appointed officials often talk about the importance of fire safety, but it's nothing but rhetoric if they don't participate in the development, adoption and enforcement of the model building and fire codes. |
| Lunch With...Bruce Katz Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:40:00 EST About two years ago, some of the members of the board at Brookings said to me, "You've done this work in Louisville. You've done this work in Pennsylvania. You've done work in Missouri and Maine and all these different places. You have your finger on the pulse of how the country is changing geographically, but you now have to translate that for national policy. |
| Who are your your heroes and heroines? Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:15:00 EST Public Editor Pam Platt wants to know who your American heroes and heroines are, for a piece that will be printed and posted on July 6. |
| An end to the newspaper era? Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:33:00 EST And then somebody brought a chicken into the newsroom. A sign affixed to the bird -- a statue of a rooster in full crow -- said: "Brought in by a Santeria priest ... to help save our jobs. Make an offering." |
| The plight of gay refugees Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:35:00 EST Just two years ago, Arash and Javad (not their real names), two young Iranian men were building their future together. Arash was pursuing a successful career in Iran's financial sector and Javad was a university student in Tehran. Now the men live in abject poverty in a remote area of Turkey. |
| READERS' VIEWS Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:06 EDT MEDIA IGNORING KUCINICH'S BRAVE MOVE AGAINST BUSH On June 9, I watched U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, present 35 articles of impeachment regarding President Bush's trashing of the Constitution. Finally, I thought, someone with some power would actually be able to start the proceedings against Bush, who has denigrated our country and destroyed our standing throughout the world. I imagined that the Herald-Leader and major local and national newscasts would be full of this news the next day. Alas, I have yet to read or hear one word from any of the media about Kucinich's brave stand on behalf of millions of Americans who believe that Bush should not be allowed to complete his term of office. During the 1973 impeachment proceedings against Richard M. Nixon, I felt a personal sense of exoneration when people much smarter and more powerful than I determined that Nixon had committed crimes against our country. Bush makes Nixon look like a choir boy. Kucinich presented articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney a year ago, and the House Judiciary Committee has failed to act on that also. |
| United Way trying new way to fight ills Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:06 EDT As a regional community, we must embrace the opportunities and challenges we face together in the coming years with strategic vision for the future. United Way of the Bluegrass has made a commitment to change the way we approach improving the lives of Central Kentuckians through investing in community solutions. We are confident that this new approach, which includes addressing the underlying causes of community issues and engaging more people around them, will pay enormous dividends in the lives of countless families in the years and generations to come. But change -- especially to an organization as old and rooted in the Bluegrass as ours -- can be a challenge. So, we want to explain the shift of strategy and how we think it will benefit everyone. For more than 86 years, United Way of the Bluegrass has been investing your community dollars in worthy causes: sheltering the homeless, caring for children, helping people make it to their next paycheck, etc. We're proud of that work and your commitment to a stronger regional community. But meanwhile, conditions in the community are not getting better fast enough. In Central Kentucky, 353 early-childhood development centers do not participate in the STARS for Kids Now program for quality learning. It is estimated that 7,000 children under age 5 live in poverty. And 65,000 people do not have health insurance, among them 11,000 children and youth. |
| NBC's Russert followed father's advice, did his best Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:06 EDT After hearing and reading so many wonderful tributes and accolades regarding Tim Russert after his death June 13, I thought many times over the weekend about my meeting with him just a year ago. Russert was to speak at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in Louisville, and I had arranged to sit down with him for KET's One to One program. It was late in the afternoon, before his address to chamber members and guests. Bigger than life with a wonderful warm smile spreading across his face, he walked into the interview room at the hotel and immediately began to greet everyone, shaking hands, being more cordial than you can imagine, making all feel comfortable in his presence. After patiently and thoroughly answering questions from the press, he made his way to a couple of comfortable chairs we had set up for the conversation. Russert was the epitome of all the things you've heard colleagues and friends say about him over the last week. And more. |
| Symbolism matters Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:06 EDT When Lee T. Todd Jr. became president of the University of Kentucky in 2001, he took down the fence encircling the president's house and put up banners around campus proclaiming the accomplishments of UK faculty and alumni. He knew that neither would rocket UK to Top 20 status, but that wasn't the point. They were symbolic but important gestures signaling a new era of openness and aspiration. Todd missed the chance this week to make another gesture, one that would have signaled that he's willing to share the economic pain with faculty, staff, students and their families. The UK Board of Trustees awarded Todd, whose base salary is $304,010 annually, a $145,500 bonus Monday. Todd turned back $50,000 of the bonus, asking that it go to various programs on campus, and accepted the rest. We all know the remaining $95,500 isn't enough to roll back a 9 percent tuition increase, to restore the zeroed-out raises or revive the 188 positions that have been cut. |
| Bring KHSAA under control Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:06 EDT Cases detailed by reporter Valerie Honeycutt Spears in Sunday's Herald-Leader left us shaking our heads at the inconsistent, even nonsensical, decisions by the Kentucky High School Athletics Association regarding school transfers by student athletes. A teen who has been living with his mother goes to live with his father in the next county and is ruled ineligible to play football at his new school for one year. Twin sisters transfer as part of a family move from Lexington to Campbellsville, and one is ruled eligible to participate in sports while the other is ruled ineligible. These and other examples documented in Spears' story vividly demonstrate how arbitrary and capricious KHSAA eligibility rulings can be. But nothing in the Sunday article was as mind-boggling as the rulings the KHSAA handed down this week in regard to Dakotah Euton, a basketball player who transferred from Rose Hill Academy in Ashland to Scott County High School. |
| Justice Lambert Retirement Dinner Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:46 EDT |
| Publisher’s Notebook: Board should reconsider director of athletics Even though it has good intentions in mind, the Laurel County Board of Education may not have considered the ramifications of creating a director of athletics job. |
| The show will go on again Despite what you may have heard, Glasgow’s two premier July 4th events will be held as usual. |
| The things you find on eBay Times are tough for most of us. |
| CHEERS and JEERS: While we were asleep, a war continued While we were sleeping in Iraq, a war re-ignited in Afghanistan. |
| Woods cements dominance One would be forgiven if they were to confuse Rocco with Rocky. |
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