News opinion 2008-07-20 Andanh.com

Great news that DESA jobs returning Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:48:33 -0500
Over the years, Americans have watched as factories in their communities have closed because jobs were outsourced overseas and this has hit many families hard. It is an unfortunate reality, but we are glad that at least one of those factories, DESA LLC, resecured hundreds of those jobs recently that had been outsourced to China. It was announced Tuesday that DESA Heating Operations will move its manufacturing production back to Warren County. What we like about the announcement is that about 400 jobs are coming back to DESA and Warren County. This can only be a good thing for the economy. Officials at the plant said that the expanded operations would create a capital investment of about $6.4 million in the state. The jobs are concentrated in sheet metal fabrication, painting and light assembly in the company’s heating products division. Getting those jobs back to Warren County hasn’t been an easy task. It was the result of months of meetings between the governor’s economic development cabinet and company officials. Those involved in getting these jobs back to Warren County deserve a big pat on the back for their efforts. To accommodate the new workers, a new assembly line will be added and other lines that had been shut down will be restarted as well. One of the reasons for the jobs returning to Bowling Green was rising oil prices and its impact on shipping costs. Freight costs that had been $3,600 last year increased to $5,200 in January. Today, the cost is about $5,400 and may be as much as $5,600 by the end of the month. We wish many other companies across the country would follow the lead of DESA and evaluate if the current economic environment wouldn’t justify bringing jobs back to this country. The DESA announcement is great news not only for the new employees at DESA, but also for our city and the state. Welcome back.

Disrespecting Tony Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:48:11 -0500
The recent death of Tony Snow brought sadness to millions of Americans who admired the man’s public service and optimism about his country. But not everybody felt the need to honor him. Just hours after he died from cancer, the Associated Press released an obituary that has shocked some people and badly damaged the AP’s image, at least in the conservative community. AP reporter Douglass Daniel began the article by listing some of Tony’s accomplishments, but then suddenly veered into ideological territory, writing: “With a quick-from-the-lip repartee, broadcaster’s good looks and a relentlessly bright outlook - if not always a command of the facts - he became a popular figure around the country to the delight of his White House bosses. “Critics suggested that Snow was turning the traditionally informational daily briefing into a personality-driven media event short on facts and long on confrontation.” Now, remember, that was written just hours after the man passed away at age 53. To accuse Snow of factual inaccuracies without citing evidence is itself irresponsible, but to do it in an obit is outrageously inappropriate and an insult to the Snow family. If the Associated Press wants to do an opinion piece about Snow’s public service, fine. But at least wait until after the funeral. The AP’s treatment of Tony was in marked contrast to its sendoff for the late Tim Russert. That obituary was a glowing tribute to the man, as it should have been. Russert had a lot in common with Snow. They both worked for political guys - Russert’s former boss was the late Democratic Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan - and they both hosted Sunday morning network news programs. But while Russert was suitably honored by the AP, Snow came in for some snarky jibes. Of course, this is all about ideology. The Associated Press has no use for President Bush, and that opinion has crept into its hard news coverage. This is a serious situation. The AP is America’s primary news service; its dispatches go out to thousands of media organizations all over the world, many of which simply print whatever the AP sends them. And increasingly the AP is sending them opinion, not fact. The head of the Associated Press, Tom Curley, told my producers he “stands by the obituary,” so we invited him on “The Factor” to defend it. Immediately Curley turned standing into running - as in away. He refused to come on the program or issue a further statement. I think Curley’s treatment of Snow should be included in his own obituary. And furthermore, the Associated Press may now be dead as an objective news organization. How ironic that one obit could so quickly lead to another.

Your issue now Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:14:00 EST
They say the big issue in this year's presidential election is the economy, but for millions of Americans the economic squeeze is most painful when it comes to health care.

1978: The year our times began Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:21:00 EST
Everyone seems to be telling us that if you want to understand 2008, you have to look back 40 years to 1968. "It's the year that changed everything," wrote Newsweek last November. Seen through tie-dye-tinted glasses, Iraq is the new Vietnam, Barack Obama is the new Bobby Kennedy, and bloggers are the new student activists.

RiseUp: a conversation about race Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:17:00 EST
For Janice Ellis, her "eureka" moment came last spring, when she was spending some time at her Missouri farmhouse, picking peas in her garden. She had lost a primary election for Kansas City mayor and was trying to decide what she would do next.

Future leaders beware: Facebook never forgets Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:18:00 EST
Imagine if the current crop of public figures had grown up during the Facebook era. We might have photos of John McCain in Florida slurping body shots off his stripper girlfriend. Barack Obama rolling a joint on a beach in Hawaii.

New Yorker cover exposes the politics of victimization Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:18:00 EST
Most Americans probably never have cracked the cover of The New Yorker, but the liberal magazine's front this week stoked the blast furnaces on the Internet, talk radio and opinion cable.

Here's a blow-by-blow account of real pros going at it Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:11:00 EST
Have you heard about the hot new sport -- chess boxing? According to the Associated Press, at least 1,000 fans showed up recently in Berlin to cheer.

Engaged citizens make a difference Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:08:00 EST
This year marks an important milestone in Kentucky's struggle to create world-class schools -- one that reminds me of the critical role that engaged citizens must play if our state is to move forward.

A checkup on our health Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:06:00 EST
Recently I learned that an acquaintance had passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. He was only 35 years old, and even more disheartening was the fact that he left behind a wife and a newborn daughter. Given the significant new development in his life, I'm left to wonder why he didn't do more to take care of himself (he was a bit obese).

Double-secret donations to Bush Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:09:00 EST
President Bush has a new "don't ask, don't tell" policy. It involves his presidential library. Fundraising for the library is going on -- in secret, we are told, shielded even from the President himself.

Readers respond to AWOL soldier's conviction Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:13:00 EST
I read with sorrow about the conviction and sentencing of Pfc. James Burmeister, who went AWOL rather than face a return to Iraq, where he had been part of a "small kill team" that lured Iraqi civilians into the street and then killed them.

Readers' views Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:08 EDT

farmers market

Move to courthouse plaza

The Lexington Farmers Market has provided a wonderful venue for local farmers to sell produce, homemade goods, flowers and crafts in a relaxed, festive, outdoor setting.

What a sad contrast to see the cheerful vendors and musicians situated in front of the ugly debris created by demolition to make way for the CentrePointe development.

Jackson's sour grapes Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:42 EDT

Often, the most difficult task for a leader is to realize when it is time to step aside. The recent controversy involving the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Sen. Barack Obama illustrates this reality.

During the final 20 years of the last century, Jackson was the most prominent black person in American politics. He came along at a time when blacks were still on the periphery of the political scene and were not seen as dominant figures in national politics.

Jackson resented this notion of black marginalization and wanted black people . and white people . to understand that there is no limit to what they can accomplish in this country.

After all, Jackson, a follower of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, had been preaching for years about .keeping hope alive. for all disenfranchised groups.

Plan doesn't get to root of lending crisis Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:42 EDT

The Federal Reserve announced last Sunday that it would offer more cash to two key lenders to calm investor fears about our nation's growing mortgage-lending crisis.

While the strategy may help some of these folks sleep better in the short term, it doesn't address the root cause of problems that are wreaking havoc in the markets.

With the U.S. Treasury's support, the Fed generously offered to provide more cash to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two institutions that together hold half of the mortgages in America. Investors typically provide the funds that are necessary for the two giant lenders to function.

If the funding offered by the Fed was the carrot, the new regulations for lenders must be the stick.

Justice for all? Not if you're poor Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:42 EDT

The legal profession's image took a beating from the fen-phen travesty. The state budget crunch gives lawyers a chance to lessen that taint.

How? By stepping up and relieving Kentucky's overworked public defenders. Outrageous caseloads and $2.3 million in budget cuts are forcing them to refuse some indigent clients.

The need is most acute in Fayette County, where a public defender juggles, on average, 696 cases a year, according to the Department of Public Advocacy.

Since 2006, the American Bar Association's Rules of Professional Conduct have required defense lawyers to withdraw from cases when heavy workloads interfere with providing competent counsel.

Beshear forgot to pack frugality Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:42 EDT

FRANKFORT . This and that as Gov. Steve Beshear's .Please Help Me My Ratings Have Fallen. tour gets under way:

OK, it's officially the .Beshear About Kentucky. tour. But by whatever name, it will be coming soon to a town near you.

Counting Thursday night's kickoff in Pikeville, Beshear will make 13 stops over the next six weeks to hear what Kentuckians have to say about how the state can do more with less.

My first suggestion would be to stop taking three planes full of aides on the tour.

Energy policy Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:01 EDT

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