I Was Wrong!

In a recent blog I said something about we needed to thank Gov. Bevin one last time. His ill-fated attempt to challenge his close election cast a light on our really bad election recount laws, and it looked as if the General Assembly might take a long overdue crack at modernizing them.  Then, our departing guv issued a whole series of pardons and commutations, almost all of which have aroused great controversy. Thanks again, sir, for casting light on our antiquated laws here, with the hope we may see improvements.

And yet---allow me to point out, that not all of these were truly bad. In one case he commuted the life sentence of a man convicted of murder in Northern Ky. years ago.  It was a death case, and all the good lawyers of the area refused to take his case (Ky. Bar are you listening?)  He was assigned a young public defender who had never tried a death case, and a second local lawyer who had no office, no phone and who got business passing out his cards in local taverns. Surprise! The guy was convicted. I do not know if he was guilty or not, but I know he did not get a fair trial. This commutation was definitely in order---which is why we have the system.  Let it be noted the attorney's office that got the conviction (for you and me) still insists it was a fair trial!!!

As to pardons, the entire national system needs overhauling, not just because Trump is threatening to make a mockery of it, but because ever since Ford pardoned Nixon (without a trial!)--and lost his re-election, lawyers have complained about the system, and done NOTHING.

Item 2:

The annual list of top US firms who paid NO federal taxes in 2018 is out, and it should make your blood boil. Some in Congress  (and Democratic candidates in the debates) complain about this..but there haven't been changes in years. Among those on this list of great public sinners are:

Gannett (owns the Courier-Journal, awaiting editorial here. Yeah.)
DowDuPont
Duke Energy
Prudential Financial
Eli Lilly
Goodyear
Chevron
Delta
Netflix
General Motors
MGM
American Electric Power
Starbucks
Amazon
McKesson (of oxycontin fame)

Please ask your Congressional candidates  where they  stand on this issue in the election next year.

Item 3:

All I want for Christmas is some radio station in Central Kentucky to play classical music at least part of the day and night.  Are you listening my friends at WUKY-FM???

I'm just sayin'...