News opinion 2008-07-27 Andanh.com

Director is needed for our downtown Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:23:33 -0500
Downtown redevelopment efforts are undoubtedly difficult and time consuming and this is all the more reason that we support an idea to have a full-time professional director to oversee the project. Plans were made to begin a search for the director at a meeting Tuesday of the redevelopment group. This search should be done very carefully and the Warren County Downtown Economic Development Authority needs to take its time to find the individual who is a good fit for this position. Given the scope and importance of this project, it is vital that we get the best man or woman for the job. One of the most important considerations in choosing this person is that he or she should be free of any conflict of interest in downtown redevelopment. Former or current board members or others who have helped spearhead the project shouldn’t be eligible for the position. For example, a person who is a property owner in the redevelopment district or someone who stands to gain profits from the redevelopment shouldn’t be chosen. Given the fact that downtown redevelopment has been controversial with citizens, absence of even the appearance of conflict is vital. It might be a good idea for the board to look outside Bowling Green or out of state to find this person. A draft job description says that candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in finance, business or related field, with seven years in project management, including at least five as an executive. The director would oversee all financial matters, including the state money counted on to repay most of the bonds; work with developers and property owners; make sure deadlines are met and have daily oversight of all projects. Mary Cohron, chairwoman of the board, made a good point when she said volunteer board members simply don’t have the time or the experience to keep up with all the financial and legal negotiations of a protracted project. This is all the more reason to begin this search and hire the person who can best manage and help with our downtown redevelopment efforts.

A cash transaction Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:23:12 -0500
If Sen. Obama becomes President Obama, my taxes will go up, way up. But I know neither Argentina nor anyone else will cry for me, because I am the rich guy Al Gore warned you about, the one who got all those tax cuts from the evil Bush administration. Yes, I am part of the 1 percent of Americans that paid an astounding 40 percent of all federal income tax in 2006. According to recently released IRS figures, about 50 percent of my fellow Americans paid no federal income tax at all that year. My fellow 1-percenters and I covered for them. But for some it is still not enough. Obama believes in “income redistribution,” a concept practiced by Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. Like Robin, Obama wants to take from the rich and give to the not so rich. He wants to raise taxes big time on those making $250,000 or more. That means that if you live in New York and earn a quarter of a million bucks, you could be paying close to half of your income in taxes. Even Robin Hood might find that somewhat extreme. And then there’s the accountability factor. Without being forced by the federal government, I give plenty of cash to folks who need a hand. But I check out the charities before the check goes in the mail. I make sure my donations go directly to people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in difficult circumstances. Will Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid do that when the massive income-redistribution train gets ready to roll? No, they will not. President Obama and a Democratic congress will likely dole out entitlements like free health care, child care and cash payments to anyone who falls under a certain income level, no matter what their circumstances. That means that people who drink gin all day long will be getting some of my hard-earned money. Folks who dropped out of school, who are too lazy to hold a job, who smoke reefer 24/7 all will get some goodies in the mail from Uncle Barack and Aunt Nancy, funded by me and other rich folks. There will be no drug testing, no background checks, no accountability for those receiving the government’s largesse. If you’re an American citizen (or even an illegal alien) who doesn’t make much money, you’ll get stuff. There is something unsettling about that. Under the Republican Bush administration, tax money presently pays for abortions, Viagra, condoms, sugar-laden food, dangerous housing in blighted neighborhoods and prescription drugs that will send you to the land of Oz. But if you complain about any of this, you’re an uncharitable greedhead. Well, I am complaining. I don’t want my money supporting some layabout who wants to get high all day long. Robin Hood wouldn’t give those people money. The feds shouldn’t either.

Good news, maybe Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST
Economic development must operate in two directions. The first is tactical -- taking care of the businesses that we have and recruiting new ones. The second is strategic -- developing the intellectual capital that's essential to success in the economy of the future.

An unfinished dream Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST
Sixty years ago today, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which desegregated the U.S. armed services and promised equal opportunity and treatment for all. "This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible," Truman wrote.

Forum flashes: good moves bad moves Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST

Meeting of the Louisville Arena Authority Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:12:00 EST

Former Gov. Louie Nunn remembered Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:22:00 EST
The editorial of July 17, which astonishingly (though quite correctly) approvingly invoked the late Gov. Louie Nunn as a governor who would not tolerate personal failings among his appointees, brought to mind two stories from my days of service as Nunn's legal counsel.

'Debtor nation' Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST
It's long past time to face the facts. We are a debtor nation with a weakening currency.

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:19 EDT

Project won't bringa lot of business to quaint Midway

A weird thing has happened in Midway. Some residents have decided that developer Dennis Anderson will be putting the kinds of businesses in Midway Station that he put in Townley Center. This is hard to understand. There is no proof.

Townley Center has, compared to Midway, a high-density traffic count. Even with an added 1,400 people in the new development, Midway will remain a small town with traffic passing by to other destinations, such as Louisville, Frankfort and Lexington.

Anderson never promised to bring in the dream list: drugstore, supermarket, hardware store and similar businesses.

Crackdown on reptile trafficking deserves praise Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:19 EDT

The arrest of a snake-handling church's preacher in Middlesboro for trafficking in reptiles made news worldwide.

(Yep, more good publicity for Kentucky.)

But the arrest had nothing to do with religion and everything to do with biology.

Commercializing wildlife is the first step on the road to extinction. That's why it's illegal to buy and sell wild animals and plants except under certain permitted conditions.

U.S. economy Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:28 EDT

Times has role to serve
A regret of my past tenure in the publisher’s chair was that I didn’t write a regular column. Life sometimes blesses you with second chances. Now that I have the privilege of being back in this office, I intend to use this space to ensure the Daily Times stays connected to you, our readers.

Our stars are rising again
On page 8 of today’s paper, you can find a nomination form for our upcoming Rising Star program.This will be the second year we’ve recognized members of our community who are rising to the top. They are men and women who represent the best of what we have to offer in brain power, desire to succeed and ability to influence the future of our community.If you know someone who fits the above profile, then by all means, nominate them.

Beshear bumbles along
Two years ago, when Kentucky Democrats wondered who would be their 2007 candidate for governor, political insider, lobbyist and party activist Terry McBrayer said, “The next governor will be someone with white hair or gray hair, who has the experience to understand how Frankfort works.”

Reams of paper greet school days
Way back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and I was in elementary, then junior high, then high school, getting ready to go back to school seemed fairly simple.

Biscuits are Wilson favorites
I never learned to make biscuits.

Obamafest Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:27:00 EST
Critics who dismiss Sen. Barack Obama's visit to Europe as sugary rhetoric with no substance need to get their hearing checked.

Protecting speculators Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:27:00 EST
What a fraud Mitch McConnell is, when it comes to the ruinous gasoline price hikes that have hit consumers across Kentucky, and America.

In the Atlanta skyline, the shape of a new South Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:31:00 EST
This past January, Sen. Barack Obama delivered a speech on Martin Luther King Day at Ebenezer Baptist Church here. The symbolism was obvious. Appearing in King's home church just a few weeks after winning the Iowa caucuses, Obama was a visible embodiment of the boldest aspirations of the civil rights movement. When he returned to the Atlanta metro area earlier this month to speak and raise money for his campaign, the moment was less symbolic but possibly even more significant: The first African American with a reasonable chance of becoming president is fighting for the "New South." And he could win it.

Financier makes case for Democrats Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:31:00 EST
In addition to the usual personal fireworks between candidates of opposing parties, next Saturday's speeches at the fabled Fancy Farm picnic should include an amplified attack by Democrats on President Bush's economic policies.

Listening: It's crucial for success Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:29:00 EST
On the latest stop of his "listening tour," Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear told his audience, "If we don't have the people behind us in what we do, we're not going to get very far."

Michelle Obama, meritocracy and me Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:30:00 EST
I last visited my alma mater, Princeton University, two years ago to speak on an alumni panel about the future of Iraq. Inside stately McCosh Hall, where I'd taken Constitutional Law more than a decade earlier, I spoke to a mostly white crowd about my experiences as a special Iraq correspondent in 2003, sharing the stage with an impressive bunch of alums, including a soldier who had served several tours in the Middle East and a former CIA station chief.

Putting The Bee on gifts given to a public university Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST
Earlier this month, The Fresno Bee published what could be its last major piece about the matching gifts scandal at its local university.

Become a Forum Fellow Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:26:00 EST
Do you ever wonder what those crazed editorial writers actually talk about when their conversation turns to the presidential race, the Iraq war or Kentucky's budgetary woes? Now is your chance to find out.

McConnell: Increase domestic oil production Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST
The Courier-Journal editorial board believes Kentuckians ought to pay higher gasoline taxes. You've held that position for a long time, and aggressively promote it every chance you get. And on this issue, you're in total agreement with my opponent.

Cutting idling, cost Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:28:00 EST
A recent letter commented on the fact that Metro Louisville may be planning to fine motorists for needlessly idling their vehicles, while emergency vehicles often have their engines idling for lengthy periods of time.

Centrepointe Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:04 EDT

Lack of leadership, imagination

CentrePointe: The very name and spelling conjure pretentiousness.

There have been some wonderful columns and articles and letters in the Herald-Leader about this controversial development since it first came to public light in March. Of our city fathers, it seems that only Vice Mayor Jim Gray is showing any creativity and enthusiasm in the matter.

Doesn't Susan Smith-Durisek's excellent article on the widely acclaimed 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville raise more questions and reservations about CentrePointe?

Strengthen protections for disabled Americans Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:04 EDT

Eighteen years ago, President George H.W. Bush signed into law one of the most consequential pieces of civil rights legislation in recent memory.

In the ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, he said: .With today's signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence and freedom..

And in large measure, he was right. Those doors have come open. Tens of millions of Americans with disabilities now enjoy rights the rest of us have long taken for granted: the right to use the same streets, theaters, restrooms or offices, and the right to prove themselves in the workplace and succeed on their talent and drive alone.

We all understand why there are curb cuts at every street corner, kneeling buses on our city streets, ramps at movie theaters and accessible restrooms and handicapped parking almost everywhere. By now they've become part of our lives' fabric. And we wouldn't have it any other way because each one is the sign of a pledge: the promise of an America that excludes none of its people from our shared life.

Racing starting to clean up its act Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:04 EDT

Someone who is not involved in horse racing asked me recently whether the sport had ever .straightened out its problems.. With that jewel of summertime racing, Saratoga, now up and running this seems a good time to take stock.

Since Kentucky Derby day, May 3, we have heard renewed outcries against the use of jockeys' whips, of steroids, of questionable shoeing, of the Thoroughbred breed manipulated to produce speed over soundness, of racing fillies against colts and of that one controversy that never goes away, the racing of 2-year-olds.

People of the 19th century debated the racing of 2-year-olds. Racehorses received drugs and potions back then, just as they do now. In 1900, a racing magazine decried the practice of .hopping. horses and reported that even the major stables were giving their horses dope. Sound familiar?

Many now believe that racing will be unable to clean up its act because it lacks a national office or czar. The Jockey Club, which outsiders mistakenly believe runs the sport, was stripped of its last ounce of real power during the 1950s by a court judgment brought by a gambler after The Jockey Club denied him a racing license in New York.

Inconvenient truth about gas prices Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:04 EDT

It's said that people get the elected leaders they deserve.

But surely Kentuckians deserve better than what we're getting from our two candidates for U.S. Senate.

Energy has been Topic No. 1 for both Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford in recent days.

Each is using high gasoline prices to bash the other. And they have laid out energy plans that are similar (drill here, drill there, drill almost everywhere, and, oh yeah, throw in some conservation and renewable resources).

Governor's trip not all bad Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:04 EDT

This and that as the taste buds salivate for the fresh veggies at Saturday's 128th Annual Fancy Farm Picnic:

Having busted Gov. Steve Beshear's chops for taking three planes to Pikeville for the first stop of his listening tour of the state, I now will give him a bit of credit.

Sometimes, a .listening. tour means the audience spends a lot of time listening to the person on the tour.

But after brief opening remarks at a stop in Winchester on Thursday night, the governor and first lady Jane Beshear fielded questions and comments for more than an hour. And the crowd of about 200 at George Rogers Clark High School seemed genuinely appreciative that Beshear (and his staff) came to them to hear their concerns.

Gas prices Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:43 EDT

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