Some Thoughts On Kentucky Politics

This blog was stimulated by a recent story in USA Today, under the headline “Ultra-wealthy dominate funding for Super PACS”(political action commitees) And while the #1 donor ($19.5M is a Republican, the #2 is a Dem at $15.7M.) Together the top 10 donors to both parties gave them 20% of their budgets. So heavy cash to influence elections is a bi-partisan affair.

 

And don’t think this cash doesn’t count. One wealthy GOP donor’s money may well have swung the US from a long held policy and changed our view towards the capital of Israel; (the long held view is that this should be decided by the 2 parties involved, a bargaining chip if you will, now given away by the Master of the Deal, and contrary to almost every view of Middle East experts here and abroad.)

 

But don’t also think this is limited to national issues and only federal elections. Tain’t so.

 

This cash is now going more and more to influence the election of state office holders---which gives Kentucky a chance to get involved. Why shouldn’t we have a law that whoever gives a political contribution over a certain amount MUST also provide info on who it was, where the $$ comes from, and if an organization, info on the group. Voters need this “transparency” to judge the candidates and their stands on issues.

 

The importance of money on the local level was best illustrated by a famous quote, from the Master of the California legislature for many years, Jesse “Big Daddy” Unruh: “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.”

 

While on the state level, I am appalled by the recent political change of heart by the current governor of my home state, West Virginia. Jim Justice was elected as a Democrat, but shortly after taking office switched to the GOP. I think when this happens, that office should be vacated, and a special election held, with the previous winner allowed to run again, but under his new party designation. We should not allow voters to be hornswoggled by such deceptions. This won’t solve the problem, but it will make the election process fairer.

 

And speaking of fair elections - our legislature needs to set up NOW a non-partisan commission to prepare for redrawing all election district lines following the 2020 census. It is not too soon. 16 other states have such a group. In almost every case on this topic taken to the courts, very, very partisan lines drawn (usually by new GOP majorities in state legislatures---are you listening Ky GOP?) have been tossed out.

 

Do it right. Get geographers, population experts, college professors and others involved. (The Herald-Leader has demonstrated many times this can be done, coming up with districts far more even and equal than any proposed by politically inclined legislators, which once had a Louisville candidate representing a district many miles away in rural Southern Kentucky - or have we forgotten?)

 

And always remember the Golden Rule of Politics: “He who has the Gold makes the Rules.”

 

I'm just sayin'...

It Must Be Great Comfort

To the grieving families of Parkland, Florida to know the murderer who killed their kids had bought his assault weapon LEGALLY!

 

Or that the FBI twice failed to follow up on tips as to who he was some months before this tragedy,

 

Or the state agency responsible for children checked the confessed killer several times and decided he was not a “risk.”

 

Or that the county sheriff’s office had checked his new home 20 times without informing any other agency of his possible risk.

 

Or that once again, a “mental health case” (as in Virginia, Sandy Hook, Aurora,Col., Benton, Ky., Riverside, Cal—and most likely several other cases) was involved—with their records never reaching the correct agency that might have stopped him.

 

Gun Rights advocates will tell us; "See, if the laws on the books were properly enforced we would have nailed this guy sooner.”

 

I beg to differ.

 

The government agencies involved—whether federal or state—have had these laws on the books for years, and still this happens, and happens etc.  Some plead “it slipped thru the cracks”—as in the Air Force’s failure to list that Texas church shooter was ineligible to buy such weapons;  many states plead insufficient funds to staff their agencies responsible (also heard on the federal level)—and we in Kentucky know about that retort; some just don’t agree, especially in the mental health field where privacy and the right treatment might be set back by registering these unfortunate people.

 

Enough already!!!

 

The last I heard even the NRA agreed that some “mental health cases” should not be allowed to buy guns.  But, have you seen the NRA lobbying on the state or federal level for more funds, more staff for these agencies?

 

Look, I support the 2nd Amendment, although my reading of it is not the same as the Supreme Court. I believe in rifle clubs, (I joined one in college—at a Quaker school!), shooting competitions, hunting, home protection, etc...but when did sportsmen need an AK47 to take down squirrels, deer, even bears???

 

There are things that can, and should be done, which will NOT risk bringing up arguments over the 2nd Amendment and polls show a majority (even within the NRA membership) support these general approaches:

 

Universal background checks for buying certain guns, and that includes ending the gun show loophole (totally illogical and I believe favors large chain sales firms over local gun stores.)

 

A uniform federal reporting form to report mental health cases and others unsuited to buy weapons, and stiffer requirements for states to make these reports, with fines for inaction.

 

Those on the “No fly” list should not be allowed to buy weapons, BUT an appeals process MUST be instituted here. (Remember Sen. Ted Kennedy was once on such a list!)

 

More and better classes on gun safety in schools or thru other local agencies. Here the NRA can contribute much.

 

I would like to add ending the sales of “bump stops,” a device that makes a machine gun out of merely a fast firing rifle; lower magazine capacities (30 rounds to get a deer?) and other restrictions of assault rifle sales  (these actually were in place once, after White house press secretary Jim Brady got shot but were allowed to expire, ) but these raise 2nd Amendment rights arguments in some minds; not mine.

 

So let us concentrate on things I suspect most of us agree on, and which the NRA might be forced to grudgingly support. (as it continues to give out MILLION$ to some senators: $6 and $7 millions to two senators who lead the list. Think they will be concerned about the needless deaths in Parkland??)

 

Til that day when the “better angels” of our nature are truly ready to grapple with this issue, let these common sense approaches prevail; knowing that even with these small steps another Las Vegas or Columbine WILL happen and there will be more grieving families as there are today in Parkland.

 

I'm just sayin'...

Those We Disagree With Have Rights: Ours!

More examples of political correctness run amok; and fundamental American liberties being lost in the process:

 

1---KEN HAM  is the driving force behind the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter in Northern Kentucky. Among other things he believes dinosaurs and man lived at the same time. I do not. His evidence included a fossil section showing dino tracks and human footprints together. He believes these were done at the same time; I think they were eons apart, and there could be more than one explanation.  Since neither of us were there, we continue to have our separate beliefs.

 

But Ken Ham was denied a chance to speak about his beliefs at The University of Central Oklahoma, after an LGBT (and sometimes Q) group objected because Ham also believes marriage is between a man and a woman only. This is madness. LGBT (and sometimes Q) has used, correctly, the free speach rights of the First Amendment to advance its cause for years, and we journalists have covered their protests, public events, legislative approaches for years. Without using their First Amendment rights it is dubious the “gay marriage” program would have succeeded. For them to turn around and seek to deny those rights to others is absurd, and UN-American.

 

2---Donald Trump, and more specifically his former top aide, Rob Porter, are being criticized because it is alleged Porter abused his 2 ex-wives. Apparently their divorces were “sealed” (kept secret from the rest of us who paid for the court system, by the court—something the elite get away with, but that’s a topic for another time.) Porter has resigned, amid considerable praise from the President, and that unleashed a fire storm of criticism, especially after he asked “What ever happened to Due Process?” What indeed? Those inclined to always take one side in the matter cited a picture of a black eye one of the women released to the media. Obviously, the ONLY cause of the black eye was Porter’s abusive behavior.  (see dino tracks comments above)  Divorce is a touchy subject, cops get killed trying to handle domestic cases and “the truth” is seldom just on one side. There could be many causes for the black eye.

 

IF  he was an abuser, let charges be made, take the case to court where it belongs—not to be tried and adjudicated in and by the media---NOT our function.

 

(What bothers me even more is that Porter was handling highly secret information for the President, WITHOUT security clearance after a year on the job!  And that there are 20-30 similar White House staffers. including Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, doing the same thing, also without such clearance—which is against the law.)

 

The President is dead right (no pun intended) to ask why we seem to have given up our traditional reliance on Due Process, and the courts as the proper arbiter of such issues, but all that pales in comparison to our failure to grant to others the rights we claim for ourselves.

 

I'm just sayin'...

Making the US a Banana Republic!

Once again BOTH parties have made the US look stupid in the eyes of the world. There is NO excuse for ever shutting down the government. Not only do too many of us, and our “lives” depend on its services; which we have paid for, but it is the total abdication of what our elected representatives have pledged to do.

 

Much of this can be attributed to the arcane rules of Congress, and how it works. A “CR”-- continuing resolution—is never the way to adopt a budget (some of which traditionally—if not legally--- have not been adopted for years.)

 

The rest can be attributed to, surprise(!) politics.

 

Each party hopes to sell the people that it was NOT responsible for the shutdown. But BOTH are, and I suggest “the people” are saying “A pox on both of you.”  I am. And to “sell” the people the other party was responsible means many, many dollars in PR funds, tv ads, debates, etc—all UNnecessary.

 

I told various representatives of the party I am registered with (and must be under state law to have a vote in the more important of the elections, the primary) to knock it off. Yes, I support its general approach on the particular legislative item causing the bottleneck, but NOT at the expense of a shutdown.

 

In a shutdown, many people get hurt, needlessly. Yes, Congress wised up after the first shutdown and exempted certain “essential” services, but would we all agree what are ALL of those “essential services?”  (aid to a struggling rural hospital in East Jesus, Ky. for example, or having a National Park open for a foreign family which has spent a lot of money on its annual vacation, or, well you know.)

 

This has got to stop, or we will, once again, be the laughing stock of the world.

 

Tom Jefferson, George and Abe, must be spinning in their graves.

 

I'm just sayin'...