Folks, it is the winter season. Sometimes it even snows...but that is no reason to bend your news judgment and head the newscast with a report that a light snow may be heading our way; making it the "Big Story"...that is after we get the "Breaking News"--half a day old, and a "Developing Story", and maybe even a "Follow Up."
BTW, "dusting" is a word not to be used in any Lexington weather-cast, even when said in jest.
And one more local advertiser has used a fake news report to promote its product. Shame on KIA.
More shame on our station managers who continue to dilute their most important service, local news, by allowing such pseudo-newscasts on their air; as in that fake home security system interview. Years ago, when all 3 stations belonged to the Radio-TV News Directors Association, that group's Code of Conduct forbade using commercials which mimicked newscasts. The Code is gone, so what's next--a pitchman/woman on a news set..."I'm not a reporter but I play one on TV, and I'd like to tell you about this great offer...?"
We're in a ratings period, so we have the Monday Mystery, and various other features designed to get you to watch. I wish stations would spend the time and energy on exploring issues before the legislature: redistricting (has anyone seen a map illustrating this most important issue on local newscasts?), those cold remedies that also support meth labs, the need for extra social workers, why courts in our 120 (!) counties can't talk to each other and alert authorities to the baddies amongst us...or...so many others.
Have you noticed the plethora of ads supporting public charter schools? Enough to float a political campaign; and from groups that just popped up (including one with the intriguing initials: KERA) Who are they? Who funds them? Why this issue now? Surely worth looking into. Shirley.
Finally, since most local news room staffs are young, and lack what J-Schools call "institutional memory", it was no wondner the recent death of former UK First Lady Gloria Singletary didn't get the coverage it deserved. For those of us privileged to know her, she truly deserved her nickname "Glo." She did; the UK projects she championed did; UK and Lexington are much better off because she lived among us.
I'm just sayin'...
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
PENNY WISE---AND PILL FOOLISH
Kentucky's future is "wasting away" because of prescription pill abuse Gov Beshear and a host of public and medical leaders said this week. No argument here.
So surprise!
Kentucky is one of seven states with NO abuse treatment program for people on Medicaid.
This makes no sense; from a medical standpoint or from a human viewpoint.
And even less from a fiscal viewpoint as a story in the Herald-Leader points out. Treatment under Medicaid is estimated to cost payers $2500 on average, but if an adult goes to prison for drug law violations it costs at least $23,000 to treat them.
Even in these times of great budget constraints, this is a good return on investment for citizens. And there are collateral benefits. Get adults off pills and you lower: traffic accidents (including fatalities), robberies and break-ins, child abuse by pill-popping-parents, crimes of all sorts, the list goes on and on and on and all the way to Florida.
Beyond stopping our "wasting away", and lowering crimes of all kinds, setting up such treatment programs within Medicaid, allocating the money now to pay for them is simply, the right thing to do for our fellow Kentuckians who right now can't help themselves...or us.
I'm just sayin'...
So surprise!
Kentucky is one of seven states with NO abuse treatment program for people on Medicaid.
This makes no sense; from a medical standpoint or from a human viewpoint.
And even less from a fiscal viewpoint as a story in the Herald-Leader points out. Treatment under Medicaid is estimated to cost payers $2500 on average, but if an adult goes to prison for drug law violations it costs at least $23,000 to treat them.
Even in these times of great budget constraints, this is a good return on investment for citizens. And there are collateral benefits. Get adults off pills and you lower: traffic accidents (including fatalities), robberies and break-ins, child abuse by pill-popping-parents, crimes of all sorts, the list goes on and on and on and all the way to Florida.
Beyond stopping our "wasting away", and lowering crimes of all kinds, setting up such treatment programs within Medicaid, allocating the money now to pay for them is simply, the right thing to do for our fellow Kentuckians who right now can't help themselves...or us.
I'm just sayin'...
Monday, January 30, 2012
And Now, The Big One!
If you are as unhappy as I am over the illegal shenanigans in Frankfort; where the Democratic House screwed some of its GOP members, all in the name of protecting Democratic incumbents, and the GOP Senate screwed some of its Democratic members, all in the name of politics---take heart.
People are upset. House Republicans have filed a lawsuit; in the Senate Fayette County Senator Kathy Stein, banished to north east Kentucky, may do the same. It's always hard to predict how such suits will turn out, but the state Constitution seems to give both a reasonable chance of success.
Please let your state senators and representatives, regardless of party, know of your displeasure; and that it doesn't have to be this way. Other states use bipartisan commissions to do the redistricting. It works there, and Kentucky should follow suit. A bill to do this may be introduced by Fayette Rep. Bill Farmer, possibly others; it's chance of passage is not good, but there is no chance unless all of us insist a change needs to be made.
But this state skirmish is but a warm-up for the BIG battle coming this fall. Right now you and I do NOT elect the President. "Electors" we vote for do, and the Electoral College constitutes the most corrupt and rotten of all political redistricting. Several times in our history candidates without a majority have become president thanks to this "college."
If you believe, as I do, that one Kentucky vote is just as good as one vote in Tennessee or Nevada, then you must believe that one California vote should be worth one Kentucky vote; no more, an no less. It's either "one person, one vote" or it isn't. There is no middle ground, and there is no super computer in all the world that can make votes equal through an Electoral College.
The "college" should be abolished and all of our votes made equal. There is no other way.
It will take an amendment to do this. Let's get started, before we witness, once again, hanging chads in Florida, incorrectly counted votes in Iowa, or a Supreme Court that wrote its own politics into its decision and made a loser President.
I'm just sayin'...
People are upset. House Republicans have filed a lawsuit; in the Senate Fayette County Senator Kathy Stein, banished to north east Kentucky, may do the same. It's always hard to predict how such suits will turn out, but the state Constitution seems to give both a reasonable chance of success.
Please let your state senators and representatives, regardless of party, know of your displeasure; and that it doesn't have to be this way. Other states use bipartisan commissions to do the redistricting. It works there, and Kentucky should follow suit. A bill to do this may be introduced by Fayette Rep. Bill Farmer, possibly others; it's chance of passage is not good, but there is no chance unless all of us insist a change needs to be made.
But this state skirmish is but a warm-up for the BIG battle coming this fall. Right now you and I do NOT elect the President. "Electors" we vote for do, and the Electoral College constitutes the most corrupt and rotten of all political redistricting. Several times in our history candidates without a majority have become president thanks to this "college."
If you believe, as I do, that one Kentucky vote is just as good as one vote in Tennessee or Nevada, then you must believe that one California vote should be worth one Kentucky vote; no more, an no less. It's either "one person, one vote" or it isn't. There is no middle ground, and there is no super computer in all the world that can make votes equal through an Electoral College.
The "college" should be abolished and all of our votes made equal. There is no other way.
It will take an amendment to do this. Let's get started, before we witness, once again, hanging chads in Florida, incorrectly counted votes in Iowa, or a Supreme Court that wrote its own politics into its decision and made a loser President.
I'm just sayin'...
Monday, January 23, 2012
NO EXCUSES!
There is NO EXCUSE for the dirty, politics at its worse, mean-spirited legislative redistricting bill the Kentucky House recently sent the Senate.
There is NO EXCUSE for the dirty, politics at its worse, mean-spirited legislative redistricting bill the Kentucky Senate recently sent the House.
Both were "incumbent protection bills", with some incumbents, in both chambers, on the outs with their leadership being screwed; they and of course, the citizens they represent. Among the more egregious mistakes, totally planned by Sen. Pres. David Le Terrible, and acquiesced in by Georgetown Sen. Damon Thayer and the majority of the Senate, was giving Fayette County a senator for the rest of this year from 200 miles away in Henderson, while shifting longtime Fayette Senator Kathy Stein to Northeast Kentucky. Neither of the "shiftees" knows the territory they have willy-nilly inherited.
Do you begin to see the enormity of this contradiction of our theory of representative government?
There is NO EXCUSE for any member of the Fayette House and Senate delegation who voted for this bill--and I hope it comes back to haunt them in future elections.
There is NO EXCUSE for Governor Beshear to have signed this monstrosity. He could have vetoed it and he should have. His "excuse" was the need to have districts set by the filing deadline, Jan 31st. Meadow muffins! That deadline itself is another incumbent protection law, designed to force people to file locally long before they know what stands the incumbent takes on major legislation which comes up late in the session.
In fact, the governor was a member of the House when that deadline was in late March; where it should be. And the Jan. 31st deadline may have to be moved anyhow if the legislature can't agree on Congressional districts still not settled.
Since the current bill divides counties unnecessarily, in what appears to be a violation of Section 31 of the state constitution, there is NO EXCUSE for the Attorney-General not to challenge the redistricting law in court. He's supposed to represent all the people (and took an oath to uphold the Constitution), not just the few incumbent people in Frankfort.
There is, also, NO EXCUSE for you and I not to insist this affront of logic, justice, and our democratic traditions never be done again. We need, as other states do, a nonpartisan commission to draw these lines, subject to a straight up-or-down vote; as Congress does now on other hot potatoes.
Let's have no more excuses!
There is NO EXCUSE for the dirty, politics at its worse, mean-spirited legislative redistricting bill the Kentucky Senate recently sent the House.
Both were "incumbent protection bills", with some incumbents, in both chambers, on the outs with their leadership being screwed; they and of course, the citizens they represent. Among the more egregious mistakes, totally planned by Sen. Pres. David Le Terrible, and acquiesced in by Georgetown Sen. Damon Thayer and the majority of the Senate, was giving Fayette County a senator for the rest of this year from 200 miles away in Henderson, while shifting longtime Fayette Senator Kathy Stein to Northeast Kentucky. Neither of the "shiftees" knows the territory they have willy-nilly inherited.
Do you begin to see the enormity of this contradiction of our theory of representative government?
There is NO EXCUSE for any member of the Fayette House and Senate delegation who voted for this bill--and I hope it comes back to haunt them in future elections.
There is NO EXCUSE for Governor Beshear to have signed this monstrosity. He could have vetoed it and he should have. His "excuse" was the need to have districts set by the filing deadline, Jan 31st. Meadow muffins! That deadline itself is another incumbent protection law, designed to force people to file locally long before they know what stands the incumbent takes on major legislation which comes up late in the session.
In fact, the governor was a member of the House when that deadline was in late March; where it should be. And the Jan. 31st deadline may have to be moved anyhow if the legislature can't agree on Congressional districts still not settled.
Since the current bill divides counties unnecessarily, in what appears to be a violation of Section 31 of the state constitution, there is NO EXCUSE for the Attorney-General not to challenge the redistricting law in court. He's supposed to represent all the people (and took an oath to uphold the Constitution), not just the few incumbent people in Frankfort.
There is, also, NO EXCUSE for you and I not to insist this affront of logic, justice, and our democratic traditions never be done again. We need, as other states do, a nonpartisan commission to draw these lines, subject to a straight up-or-down vote; as Congress does now on other hot potatoes.
Let's have no more excuses!
Monday, January 16, 2012
DR. KING'S MESSAGE TODAY
I truly believe that if Dr King had been allowed to live, America would be a different and better place today. I can't tell you how but there is no doubt in my mind that he, and his movement, would have helped all of us, and our country, to be better.
His was the most revolutionary of all messages-love your fellow man--a message spread by one of the most revolutionary men of all times: Jesus. Other prophets of such a message--Gandhi for one--also met an ironic end through violence.
I think Dr. King would have tried, had he lived, to spread his gospel, as Gandhi did, among the nations. Lord knows we need that today; when we have yet to learn the lessons of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and now Afghanistan. Having not learned, warmongers in both parties, are beating the drums,and sometimes not very softly, for a new war with Iran.
Iran hasn't helped matters with bellicose positions on Hormuz and nuclear policy.
But let's put the shoe on the other foot. If Iran had the bomb, and the U-S didn't, could any American leader not have a policy of getting our own bomb as quickly as possible? Why then do we proclaim that a sovereign state like Iran cannot do the same?
Wars in the four cases cited earlier have solved few problems. Why should we think a new war with Iran would? Knowledge is universal; the atomic genie IS out of the bottle and a new war would not put it back in.
If war can't solve our problems, and it can't, just delays them, then diplomacy must. The approach Dr. King urged on us throughout his too short life must be our new foreign policy, as well as our approach to many domestic problems.
"Can't we all get along?"
Dr. King, I think, would say we can and his urging us to observe the brotherhood of all peoples, at home and abroad, can, in time, give us a much better chance at peace than all the sabre rattling by any and all of the nuclear nations---whose numbers, no matter what we do, are just going to increase.
Armageddon can be avoided, and Dr. King has shown us the way.
I'm just sayin'...
His was the most revolutionary of all messages-love your fellow man--a message spread by one of the most revolutionary men of all times: Jesus. Other prophets of such a message--Gandhi for one--also met an ironic end through violence.
I think Dr. King would have tried, had he lived, to spread his gospel, as Gandhi did, among the nations. Lord knows we need that today; when we have yet to learn the lessons of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and now Afghanistan. Having not learned, warmongers in both parties, are beating the drums,and sometimes not very softly, for a new war with Iran.
Iran hasn't helped matters with bellicose positions on Hormuz and nuclear policy.
But let's put the shoe on the other foot. If Iran had the bomb, and the U-S didn't, could any American leader not have a policy of getting our own bomb as quickly as possible? Why then do we proclaim that a sovereign state like Iran cannot do the same?
Wars in the four cases cited earlier have solved few problems. Why should we think a new war with Iran would? Knowledge is universal; the atomic genie IS out of the bottle and a new war would not put it back in.
If war can't solve our problems, and it can't, just delays them, then diplomacy must. The approach Dr. King urged on us throughout his too short life must be our new foreign policy, as well as our approach to many domestic problems.
"Can't we all get along?"
Dr. King, I think, would say we can and his urging us to observe the brotherhood of all peoples, at home and abroad, can, in time, give us a much better chance at peace than all the sabre rattling by any and all of the nuclear nations---whose numbers, no matter what we do, are just going to increase.
Armageddon can be avoided, and Dr. King has shown us the way.
I'm just sayin'...
Monday, January 9, 2012
GATEMOUTH---HAIL AND FAREWELL!
For days my non-media friends have asked me,"why are you paying so much attention to a man who never won an election?"
To us, Gatewood Galbraith, who died suddenly last week, was "good copy." If you asked him for a comment, you got it; short, to the point, and almost always colorful. Not like his fellow lawyers, and certainly not like most of his fellow candidates. That endeared him to reporters, as was his willingness to expound on almost any issue. In my newsroom, he was known, with considerable affection, as Gatemouth.
Unfortunately he was too often linked to his early pro-hemp stand, though his views changed over the years. (Let me add there is a growing movement, even in Kentucky, to support an industrial form of hemp, as a legitimate business.) As a libertarian (whatever that is) he could, and often was, all over the map on issues; conservative on some, liberal on others, and just Gatewood on many more.
Beyond Gatewood, the 7 time candidate for governor and Congress and other offices, was a very able lawyer, and a charming, friendly, gregarious man. He was polite to the point of being courtly, almost always smiling, even as he delivered zingers to his opponents. He laughed a lot, smiled a lot, and always greeted you as if he had known you for years.
He gave money he didn't have to homeless people in downtown Lexington--and a pat on the back to encourage them to get off the streets and back into life. He brought doughnuts to firemen and inspiration to many. You didn't have to agree with him (I didn't very often) to know that here was a man who cared about life, about issues, about improving his state and nation.
Paraphrasing one story I saw, over all those years, Kentuckians couldn't give Gatewood their votes, so they gave him their love.
Hail and Farewell, Gatemouth! We shall not see your like upon this Kentucky stage again.
To us, Gatewood Galbraith, who died suddenly last week, was "good copy." If you asked him for a comment, you got it; short, to the point, and almost always colorful. Not like his fellow lawyers, and certainly not like most of his fellow candidates. That endeared him to reporters, as was his willingness to expound on almost any issue. In my newsroom, he was known, with considerable affection, as Gatemouth.
Unfortunately he was too often linked to his early pro-hemp stand, though his views changed over the years. (Let me add there is a growing movement, even in Kentucky, to support an industrial form of hemp, as a legitimate business.) As a libertarian (whatever that is) he could, and often was, all over the map on issues; conservative on some, liberal on others, and just Gatewood on many more.
Beyond Gatewood, the 7 time candidate for governor and Congress and other offices, was a very able lawyer, and a charming, friendly, gregarious man. He was polite to the point of being courtly, almost always smiling, even as he delivered zingers to his opponents. He laughed a lot, smiled a lot, and always greeted you as if he had known you for years.
He gave money he didn't have to homeless people in downtown Lexington--and a pat on the back to encourage them to get off the streets and back into life. He brought doughnuts to firemen and inspiration to many. You didn't have to agree with him (I didn't very often) to know that here was a man who cared about life, about issues, about improving his state and nation.
Paraphrasing one story I saw, over all those years, Kentuckians couldn't give Gatewood their votes, so they gave him their love.
Hail and Farewell, Gatemouth! We shall not see your like upon this Kentucky stage again.
Monday, January 2, 2012
IOWA---CUM GRANO SALIS!!
My journalistic friends know I put very little faith in polls--and the polling in Iowa demonstrates why.
Assuming each and every poll was accurate (a very large assumption) within their various stated limits, consider:
6 different candidates have led the polls, often 2 within the same week.
At various times there have been swings of 10-15% in a very short period of time.
Some polls did not even give us the Margin of Error (MOE) which I consider essential for any understanding of their accuracy. (CBS aired a poll with a 6% MOE. Ridiculous. This means a very small sample and a very large margin of error, so large it shouldn't have been used.)
In my own thinking a 4% MOE is as large as should be used. Here's why: Come the general election and a close race (and I have seen this in the past) Candidate A has 52%, Candidate B has 48% with a 4% MOE. This means: (1) a possible complete reversal. B could have 52%, A could have 48% and thus a completely UN-trustworthy poll. Thanks; just what we need. (2) and the actual spread is from 44% to 56%. (see sentence just before (2).
Then, Iowans "vote" this week (they really don't, it's a caucus system, very much less accurate than voting at polls, and subject to great pressures), and yet, as many as one-third of Iowans still haven't made up their minds, and about an equal number say they could change their minds between now and the caucus!
That even further imperils the accuracy of the polls so far. If they don't know or that many may change, why should we believe what they are telling the pollsters???
In short, the only poll worth taking is the one taken election day; and I mean in the polling booth--forget exit polls, whose alleged MOE is even worse and much subject to disbelief and inaccuracy.
And having said that election day is the only good poll, don't forget Florida and "hanging chads". Remember?
Oh yes, after Iowa comes New Hampshire and more polls you shouldn't believe in a state that is about as UN-typical as an American state can get. It is a helluva way to elect a president; and don't get me started on the worse feature of all: the inaccurate, UN-democratic, UN-fair but UN-fortunately LEGAL electoral college method of electing presidents.
I'm just sayin'...
Assuming each and every poll was accurate (a very large assumption) within their various stated limits, consider:
6 different candidates have led the polls, often 2 within the same week.
At various times there have been swings of 10-15% in a very short period of time.
Some polls did not even give us the Margin of Error (MOE) which I consider essential for any understanding of their accuracy. (CBS aired a poll with a 6% MOE. Ridiculous. This means a very small sample and a very large margin of error, so large it shouldn't have been used.)
In my own thinking a 4% MOE is as large as should be used. Here's why: Come the general election and a close race (and I have seen this in the past) Candidate A has 52%, Candidate B has 48% with a 4% MOE. This means: (1) a possible complete reversal. B could have 52%, A could have 48% and thus a completely UN-trustworthy poll. Thanks; just what we need. (2) and the actual spread is from 44% to 56%. (see sentence just before (2).
Then, Iowans "vote" this week (they really don't, it's a caucus system, very much less accurate than voting at polls, and subject to great pressures), and yet, as many as one-third of Iowans still haven't made up their minds, and about an equal number say they could change their minds between now and the caucus!
That even further imperils the accuracy of the polls so far. If they don't know or that many may change, why should we believe what they are telling the pollsters???
In short, the only poll worth taking is the one taken election day; and I mean in the polling booth--forget exit polls, whose alleged MOE is even worse and much subject to disbelief and inaccuracy.
And having said that election day is the only good poll, don't forget Florida and "hanging chads". Remember?
Oh yes, after Iowa comes New Hampshire and more polls you shouldn't believe in a state that is about as UN-typical as an American state can get. It is a helluva way to elect a president; and don't get me started on the worse feature of all: the inaccurate, UN-democratic, UN-fair but UN-fortunately LEGAL electoral college method of electing presidents.
I'm just sayin'...
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