Louisville Gun and Military Show This Weekend

The Louisville Gun and Military Show is happening this weekend, with hundreds of booths loaded with just about everything you would want to see.

Some organizations like National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) will be there to discuss the tactics being used to take away our Second Amendment rights. 

One thing for sure, this will overall be a gun-friendly crowd, and will provide encouragement, camaraderie, and wide array of guns, ammo, and ancillary products to feast on.

Below are the details of the show.


DATE - March 2 - March 3, 2013

DIRECTIONS  - 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209

DESCRIPTION

The Louisville Gun and Military Show will be held on March 2nd and 3rd, 2013.

Location:

-Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, Kentucky
(937 Phillips Lane Louisville, KY 40209)

Show Times:

-Saturday: 9:00am-5:00pm
-Sunday: 9:00am-3:00pm

Please contact for more information:

-(513) 523-3574

For more information about this event, see below. 

WEBSITE http://www.nationalgunday.com 
EMAIL ron-dickson@nationalgunday.com 
PHONE 513-523-3574 

New Coal Breakthrough Could Make it Cleanest Energy Source

(photo credit: Jo McCulty/Ohio State University)

A new technological breakthrough could make coal the cleanest energy source available to man. If it becomes a reality, the amount of coal in Kentucky, and other parts of the world, would make it an astounding advance which would have long-term implications in many areas.

What is the secret to this amazing discovery? According to Liang-Shih Fan, a chemical engineer and director of Ohio State University’s Clean Coal Research Laboratory, the lab has "found a way to release the heat from coal without burning it." He added that "This could be applicable for many industries.”

There is already talk of the possibility of a coal-powered car that would be so clean there would be virtually no emissions that would cause pollution.

How it works is iron-oxide pellets are used as an oxygen source, where the reaction is contained in a tiny chamber where the pollutants are unable to escape. There would be no release of greenhouse gases, with the only waste product being solid coal ash and water. Additionally, the metal from the iron-oxide would be able to be recycled.

As for coal being used to power cars, that has already been introduced in South Africa in the form of liquefied coal. It's more of a hybrid than that of the type of coal use we're talking about in the article.

The next general step for the new coal technology is to test it in a larger environment. To that end it is being taken to a larger facility in Alabama.

Fan believes within five to ten years the technology can be commercialized, assuming no major, unknown obstacles emerge in the process.

Test in regard to generating power have resulted in 25 kilowatts of thermal energy. In the Alabama facility it would be able to generate 250 kilowatts.

While there are sceptics concerning the new technology, the federal Department of Energy sees a lot of potential, and believes by 2020 the technology could produce 20 megawatts to 50 megawatts of power.

Any new technology has its uncertainties, but this appears to be the real thing. While projections are usually overly ambitious in the short term, in the long term they can be understated. It appears it's only a matter of when, not if, this new coal technology will be a great benefit to America and other nations, as well as to coal-rich Kentucky.

With projections of under ten years for significant power generation, it's not unreasonable to see this being a benefit fairly soon. That's good news for everyone in the coal business, as well as it being a new energy source for numerous products and services. That means more good-paying jobs, and Kentucky and America would be at the center of it.

Kentucky House Panel Democrats Vote for Death Again

Democrats in Kentucky should hold their heads in shame as the Democrat-dominated House panel voted against requirements that women seeking abortions would have to to view an ultrasound, while another bill was rejected by the Democrats which would have required a face-to-face consultation with a doctor or medical representative before having an abortion.

When you look at the most vulnerable citizens of Kentucky, living babies in the womb of their mothers, and the fact that the Democratic Party of Kentucky refuses to allow women to receive more information to make such a life-ending decision, it's among the worst forms of child abuse; and worse that it's state-sanctioned child abuse and murder.

As Rep. Robert Benvenuti, R-Lexington, said, even if you're a proponent of abortion, the idea of not allowing women to receive the most accurate information available to them is ludicrous. He also notes that abortion is the only so-called medical procedure in Kentucky that doesn't involve informed consent.

Here's how the House Democrats voted against all attempts to limit abortion. They voted against House Bill 23, which would prohibit insurance plans on the health benefit exchange to pay for abortions. Also defeated was House Bill 251, which would require doctors who work in abortion clinics to have local hospital privileges and be board certified; House Bill 132, which would prohibit abortions if a fetal heart beat is detected; and House Bill 412, which would ban abortions earlier than 20 weeks, among other related issues.

Especially troubling is the Obama tactics being implemented by Kentucky Democrats concerning House Bill 23. Governor Beshear has stated that the health benefit exchange would not cover abortions. For these Democrats to vote for the exchange to pay for abortions is a revelation of their hatred of life and inability to be trusted. I wonder what Beshear will say about this?

It also gives a glimpse into the horror that is Ashley Judd, who makes many of these Democrats look like staunch conservatives.

Kentucky residents need to start voting the untrustworthy Democrats out until they start respecting life and the values of the majority of Kentucky residents.

Elizabethtown Infant Dead from Shaken Baby Syndrome

The father of an Elizabethtown infant is in jail after being accused of shaking his infant daughter, leading to injuries that eventually resulted in her death.

At this time charges against Barry Williams Jr. are for first degree assault. The case will be brought before a grand jury to decide whether or not Williams will be charged with murder. Police say the charges will likely be upgraded against Williams.

According to doctors at Kosair Children's Hospital, the infant, named Aleyah, who was 6-months-old, was experiencing severe bleeding of the brain, which is associated with shaken baby syndrome.

While she fought for her life her father was already in jail for the alleged crime.

Doctors have already stated that this is an obvious case of abuse.

The little girl struggled from the time of her birth, which, according some of her aunts, she was born at only two pounds.

When the mother, who is only 17-years-old, stopped by at Williams' home, she kissed the infant only to find she was unresponsive.
 
At that time the mother took the infant to her parent's house where they called emergency medical services.

Oddly enough, the aunts who say they loved the little girl, are now fighting to clear the name of Williams, who admitted to police he had dropped the child, and also kept changing his story when being questioned.

As of now the investigation is still open say the police. Williams had no prior record before this incident.

Kentucky Mine Shut Down after Surprise Federal Inspections

A mine in eastern Kentucky was closed for a week after a surprise inspection from Federal inspectors resulted in five orders and 54 citations.

The mine in question was the No. 1 Mine of Rain Coal Company, which received the inspection on January 15. Reportedly an anonymous complaint led to the notification of Federal officials.

Rain Coal said the mine was no longer producing coal as of February 11.

The main concern was the failure of Rain Coal to comply with control the dust in the mine via a required ventilation plan. Too much dust in a mine can result in the mine igniting.

According to the MSHA, it has been inspecting mines in 9 states in January, which resulted in 245 citations and 13 orders.

Larue County Snow and Ice Priority Map

Heading into Friday, Larue County could experience some tough driving conditions, with possible ice and snow hitting the region.

To that end the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has a map people living in Larue County, Kentucky, or traveling to Larue County, can access. The map displays the priority crews will take in dealing with ice and snow conditions in the county.

For those readers living in other counties, you can go here to get a similar map of those respective counties, detailing the priorities ice and snow crews will take when making roads more drivable.

If you're doing some traveling in the state, you can look at several county maps if you're driving through them to reach a specific destination in order to find the routes that will be cleared and the most safe to drive on.

Obsessive Ashley Judd Continues Pushing Herself on Kentucky Democrats

There's no doubt the majority of Kentucky Democrats wish that extreme liberal Ashley Judd will just shut up and stay in Tennessee where she lives, rather than continue to hound them about a run against Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

No other term describes Judd best, because she does not have deep community ties in Kentucky, outside of being born here, as a carpetbagger. To even run for office she would be required to re-establish a residence in the state.

Democrats in Kentucky are trying to run for cover as Judd forces herself upon the party, as they know if McConnell soundly defeats her, as he undoubtedly will if she runs for the Senate seat he holds, she could drag down any Democrat outside the safe confines of the few liberal strongholds that exist in Kentucky.

Only the Democrats living in these safe districts are willing to support a Judd run. The others know they will be painted with the politically extreme Judd, and could get hammered as a result.

It appears the reason no Democrat has risen to challenge McConnell is because they are apparently waiting for a Judd decision. To me this is a big mistake. Someone should step forward and steal her thunder and make a statement that they want her to remain in Tennessee, rather than come to Kentucky and destroy much of the gains the more conservative arm of the Democratic Party have made.

Democrats are stupidly starstruck, and if they base decisions on the reporting of the national mainstream news media, they'll be in for a shock when Kentuckians overwhelmingly vote for McConnell against this Hollywood liberal elitist.

W. Kentucky School Districts Seek Counsel on $60 Million Deficit

After the announcement by the Kentucky School Board Insurance Trust, which had been the provider of low-cost insurance for over twenty years for coverage like property insurance and workers' compensation, announced it was disbanding, school districts across Kentucky have scrambled to deal with the $60 million deficit owed by the Trust.

Some western Kentucky school districts are now seeking legal advice on whether or not they are required to help pay off the $60 million.

The West Kentucky Education Cooperative and the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative have agreed to pay half each of the $7,000 it'll cost to have an attorney review the contract between the Trust and the districts.

In January the Kentucky School Board Insurance Trust announced it was shutting down, resulting in the responsibility being passed to the state districts. Or at least that's the assumption at this time.

Bowling Green attorney Michael Owsley will be investigating whether or not that is the case and if these school districts are liable for part of the $60 million owed.

Ashland Voters Approve Sunday Alcohol Sales

Voters in Ashland, Kentucky gave their approval to a proposal supported by restaurants in the city to sell alcohol on Sundays.

Two precincts in the city participated in the voting. Here's how the votes came in:

* Moore - 64 yes, 21 no

* Central - 95 yes, 29 no

To change the results, someone would have to request a county election, which would require approximately 4,000 signatures to go forward.

Boyd County Clerk Debbie Jones said it would be an enormous undertaking to secure that many signatures, as 4,000 represents about 25 percent of those voting in the last presidential election.

The vote was in reference to restaurants alone, but according to Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles, city Commissioners could include package stores as part of the yes vote.

Whether readers agree with the decision or not, it sounds a little fishy to have only two precincts vote, and then make it extremely difficult to challenge it on a county-wide basis. That and the mayor already hinting the places being able to sell liquor could be extended beyond restaurants, show this was all pre-planned before hand.

If there is a county election to challenge the vote, it could cost taxpayers as much as $80,000.

Two Kentucky Pension Bills Pass in House

A press release from the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission said the two bills aimed at solving the pension problem in Kentucky - Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 416 - were both passed by the House.

The next step is for the Kentucky Senate to take them up.

Unfunded liabilities for the pensions of over-compensated state workers has soared to approximately $30 billion, and that may be an underestimate of the underfunded pension.

Per the two bills, the state or local government workers would be required to pay the actuarial required contribution to the public pension systems administered by the Kentucky Retirement Systems, starting in fiscal 2014.

The annual cost to the state of Kentucky will be $100 million a year.

Funding for the pension would come from instant racing games offered at racetracks and newly instituted Keno lottery games.
 
Lawmakers expect it to take anywhere from about 5 to 10 years for the funding to mature, and from there it'll take care of itself.

This is just another kicking of the can down the road, as the number of state employees entering retirement will continue to rise, and it's likely to face a bigger crisis several years from now.

Politicians refuse to do the right thing, which would be to make state workers pay more into their own pensions.

Pro, Fake Kentucky Beggar Makes $100,000 a Year in Lexington

Don't give to con Gary Thompson - photo credit: www.lex18.com

What should you do if you want to make $100,000 a year in Kentucky? If you're Gary Thompson of  Lexington, you learn to be a good actor, get in a wheelchair, and beg people to the tune of a six-figure income annually.

Playing on the sympathies of those wanting to help the less fortunate, Thompson straps himself in a wheelchair and poses as a handicap person in need. What Thompson does is pretend he has a mental disorder, as well as difficulty talking, in order to cause people to want to give him money.

Unfortunately, Thompsons' scam is making victims out of people who don't have a lot of money themselves, and have given sacrificially believing he's in worse shape than them. It's a crime really, and while Thompson gets arrested occasionally for panhandling, he is let out to go about his dark deed soon afterwards.

This con shouldn't be hurting in any way, as he was in a car crash 20 years ago where he received a settlement of $2.5 million, which he says is long gone.

Now that he has so arrogantly boasted of his misdeeds, he should be arrested for theft, as his lie surely hurts people who give to him, especially those that are hurting financially themselves.

Kentucky Tea Party Says No to Ashley Judd, Racist Supporters

A racist attack on the wife of Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has liberal extremist Ashley Judd reeling and offering condemnations of a group that strongly supports her running against McConnell in the next election.

The very idea by mainstream media dinosaurs in Kentucky that the Kentucky Tea Party are becoming allies of a Judd run are not only ludicrous, but outright fabrications.

There is no such alliance, and as much as Mitch McConnell has resisted siding on some important issues of the Tea Party, he looks more like Ron Paul when compared with Ashley Judd, who stands for almost everything the people of Kentucky reject.

What people are missing is while the media have partially demonized McConnell on the national level, that is far from translating to the state level, where the clueless media have little understanding of the conservative and libertarian-leaning populace.

As much as there is a general dislike for McConnell, it isn't near the level of disgust at Ashley Judd, who is nothing more than a Hollywood liberal outsider attempting to use her celebrity to buy an election. That's of course assuming she decides to run, which it looks like there is a good chance of happening.

Democrats in the state are extremely nervous because of the fact they can easily be painted with the extremist liberal brand Judd represents, which could result in a number of them being ousted from their positions. Most have already strongly suggested that they don't want Judd to run.

As for the racist Progress Kentucky, there is nothing the Tea Party and what they represent have in common, other than attempting to use the national media-induced hatred of McConnell as a rallying point. The problem is if all they can come up with is a negative, they are completely useless, as it's not enough to go against someone, there must be a viable alternative. With Judd that's not even close to being a true alternative for Kentucky, and so it leaves them with a negative message, colored with such hatred (not opposition) to McConnell, that it'll even suggest his Asian wife is a stronger supporter of China (she is actually from Taiwan) than she is of America because of her racial background.

What Progressive Kentucky is attempting to do is provide what appears to be a legitimate Tea Party alternative to McConnell, such as Matt Bevin, knowing if somehow they can knock off McConnell, they'll then throw their full support behind Judd.

Even in that scenario Judd could be beaten, but the odds of becoming a Senator from Kentucky improves.

But the liberal, Democrat-backing Progressive Kentucky shows the type of person we would get in the Obama clone Ashley Judd. The Kentucky Tea Party and Republicans have no interest in the attempt to be taken over by dictators like them who couldn't legitimately represent our interests.

After all, look at the strong-arm tactics used by Democrats against Democrats to force Obamacare on us all.

Kentucky Hemp Bill Gets No Decision from House Committee

The Kentucky House committee refused to make any decision on a bill that the Republican-led Kentucky Senate easily passed.

Interestingly, there is absolutely nothing in the way that should stop the bill from going forward, other than a weak argument that because industrial hemp looks similar to marijuana, it would be more difficult to differentiate between the two by law enforcement.

But that's really irrelevant, as all law enforcement needs to do some testing involving crimes, so that's not really an issue at all.

Committee Chairman Tom McKee, D-Cynthiana, for some odd reason, wants to tie this into a federal permit, which would give permission for experimental hemp production in Kentucky.

There's no need for any type of experiment, Kentucky farmers decades ago learned how to grow industrial hemp, and all that is needed is a go ahead to proceed. There is no reason whatsoever to tie this into the federal government.

When a motion to take a vote was put forward, McKee ruled the motion as being out of order.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, who has pushed for passage of a hemp bill in Kentucky, said this:

"This issue symbolizes what's wrong with the Kentucky General Assembly. The majority of the legislators want to do good things, they want to create jobs, they want to help farmers, but it gets bogged down in the political bickering."

Comer pointed to the fact that not only would Kentucky farmers get a new cash crop to grow, but it would result in the creation of processing jobs in the state.

As for the alleged use of hemp fields to grow marijuana, that's not even going to happen, as it is widely known in the industry that cross-pollination between hemp and marijuana created an inferior marijuana plant that would weaken the potency of the plant, rendering it pretty much useless to those seeking a high. It would be similar to watering down beer and thinking the product wouldn't decrease in demand.

So when all is said and done, industrial hemp needs to quickly be approved of so Kentucky farmers can grow it and new processing jobs created. There are no reasons whatsoever to deny this, as you can easily see.

LaRue County Sheriff Bobby Shoffner Announces Retirement

After serving Larue County for over a decade, Sheriff Bobby Shoffner announced he is going to retire.

While confirming Shoffner's decision to retire, Chief Deputy Russell McCoy declined to make any further comment.

At the same time, Judge-Executive Tommy Turner said there has been no official notice of retirement that has come to him concerning the reported resignation by the sheriff.

According to Kentucky law, a county can appoint the Sheriff's replacement when he decides to retire before he serves his full term.

So far there has been no reason proffered for Shoffner retiring early.

Pembroke, Ky. Cemetary Headstones Vandalized

Headstones at a cemetery in Pembroke were found to be vandalized, when a employee of the Hopkinsville Monument Company was visiting Rosedale Cemetery and made the discovery.

There were a total of 40 headstones found to be vandalized at the cemetary.

According to cemetery caretaker Jason Hancock, the vandalism happened sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.

Hancock said some of the damage was on older stones which dated back to the 1800s. He isn't sure the older ones will be able to be repaired.

Christian County Sheriff's Office has launched an investigation into the incident.

Mitch McConnell and Wife Receive Racist Attacks from Nutty ProgressKentucky

Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao, the former secretary of labor under the Bush administration, has received despicable racist attacks from the socialist, so-called progressive group called Progress Kentucky.

In a series of Tweets (on Twitter), the group alleged that because Chao is Chinese, McConnell is being influenced in his decision making to favor China.

The bizarre character of the charge is based upon a long-dead conspiracy theory that Chao is some type of secret agent for China. The purpose of these evil Tweets by Progress Kentucky is to attempt to revive the silly theory and then place it on McConnell. It backfired, and those on the right and the left have rebuked the irresponsible organization for its racist comments.

Here's one of the many Tweets put up by Progress Kentucky on Twitter:

This woman has the ear of @mcconnellpress — she’s his #wife.May explain why your job moved to #China! rense.com/general77/raci…

Kentucky public radio station WFPL reported this about the story:

In a Feb. 14 Twitter message, Progress says: “This woman has the ear of (Sen. McConnell)—she’s his wife. May explain why your job moved to China!”

The Tweet links to a website run by conspiracy theorist and radio host Jeff Rense, alleging Chao, who was born in Taiwan, discriminated against American workers during her tenure.
…

Other messages from Progress’s social networking account about Chao have run for the past several days, saying her “Chinese (money)” is buying state elections. According to campaign finance records, members of Chao’s family donated $80,000 to the Kentucky GOP last year.

It's despicable, and shows the lengths psychotic people will go to ascend to political power. This group is so hateful of McConnell, they are darkened and blinded to such a degree they can't even see that they are the racists they are.

Progress Kentucky is isn't representative of anything good, they are just a regressive, racist group trying to manipulate the people of Kentucky into believing it's in their best interests to unseat McConnell. Their problem is they have absolutely no alternative, and their attempt to woo over the Tea Party and Republicans to their cause is a subtle lie that should be dismissed out of hand.

Their goal is to defeat McConnell and get a anti-Kentucky progressive to take his place.

Kentucky Counties Could Eliminate Constable Positions

Under a bill approved by the House Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs, counties could get rid of constable offices if they choose to.

What the proposal would do was amend Kentucky's constitution, which founded the position of constable in 1850.

The major concern for constables, which have the same powers as sheriffs do, is there have been abuses in the past because of lack of training to prepare them for the jobs. That has resulted in some constables abusing their powers.

Of course the rebuttal to that is many so-called trained law enforcement officers do the same, so that may or may not be the real issue. It's usually the person that has the powers that determines whether or not there is abuse, not the lack of training.

Nonetheless, knowing how to properly handle a situation does lend itself to better conduct, and in general it appears the higher percentage of constables abusing their powers could be from lack of training, or possibly from lack of vetting those in the position.

The Kentucky Constable Association has and does oppose this move, saying rather then get rid of the office the constables should receive more training.

But the costs would be prohibitive, as there simply isn't the money available to do so.

There is also the fact that constables only account for a quarter of 1 percent of law enforcement actions in the state, according to the 2012 state report commissioned by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

The report added that 16 other states have already eliminated the position from their law enforcement roles.

Next the House will take up the bill.

Snake Handler Jamie Coots Pleads Guilty

Jamie Coots, a so-called snake-handling Kentucky preacher, has pleaded guilty to illegally having poison snakes in Tennessee.

Per the plea, Coots will be able to keep the boxes he transported the snakes in, while receiving a one-year unsupervised probation. Coots had requested the return of the boxes after he was arrested because they had sentimental value to him.

Coots acquired the snakes in Alabama and was transporting them back to his Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name Church in Middlesboro, Kentucky, when he was stopped for having windows with too dark of a tint.

The snakes Coots was transporting, three rattlesnakes and two copperheads, have yet to find a permanent home. At this time they're at a zoo in Sevierville, Tennessee. It appears the zoo will have the first choice of whether to keep them or not, although they could be placed at a different, permitted facility, said TWRA Agent Joe Durnin.

Premium, Kentucky Residents File Lawsuit Against Coal Company

Close to 40 residents of the eastern Kentucky town of Premium, in Letcher County, have filed a lawsuit against United Coal Company for allegedly contaminating the water supply of the city.

The particular mines in question are Sapphire Mining's UZ No. 1 and UZ No. 2 mines.

Sandra Napier, one of those suing the company, said this, "We had wonderful water, clear, crystal clear, soft water, good drinking water, bath water, and all of a sudden it just turned really bad. Until the state ruled Sapphire was at fault, we had to drive to Neon every day and haul drinking water and all of our water because there wasn't any water here."

According to Kentucky Department for Natural Resources spokesman Dick Brown, drinking water has been supplied by the company to the residents claiming theirs has been contaminated.

"Forcing Sapphire into expensive and protracted litigation while the company awaits word of possible public funding for a permanent water supply solution, a project that should be underway soon, is counter-productive, in the department's opinion," Brown said.

United Coal Company said it had no comment.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Severs China Farm Ties

After a tough 2012 when Kentucky Fried Chicken and its parent Yum! Brands got hammered after a report that Chinese farms that had been supplying chickens to the restaurant chain had high levels of antibiotics in the chickens, resulted in the shares of the company plummeting by 6 percent almost immediately.

While there is apparently no way of identifying the exact source of the safety issue, Yum! Brands said they have decided to stop using the suppliers they have identified as probable risks. Over 1,000 Chinese farms will be dropped as suppliers as a result.

“It will always be our top priority to provide customers with the safest chicken with the best quality,” Yum China’s chief executive officer, Sam Su, said, according to AFP. “We have seen some safety problems from the incident. … We aim to address the issue.”

Kentucky Homeowners Get $55.5 Million in Mortgage Settlement

As part of the national mortgage foreclosure settlement, Kentucky homeowners will receive over $55.5 million to assuage the struggles they had as a result.

Banks paying out as a result of the settlement include Bank of America (BAC), Citi (C), Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), GMAC and Ally.

An average of $35,534 was paid to 1,562 borrowers, according to a statement.

According to Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, another $2 million in claims are being processed by mortgage servicers.

This is part of the $25 billion settlement the five largest banks in America reached with 49 state attorneys general.

Kentucky State Workers: Pay More of Your Own Benefits

The lack of will by lawmakers to deal with the out-of-control benefits and pensions for Kentucky state workers shows a lack of leadership and ultimate in denial concerning the obvious thing that must be done to solve the problem.

How hard is it to follow what has wonderfully worked in Wisconsin when the bold Scott Walker made the government workers pay more for their own benefits. That's the only answer to the problem, and looking to gambling as the way to generate money to pay for the bloated government worker benefits is ridiculous.

The next scheme is to attempt to create new lottery games in order to generate approximately $25 million a year to pay for the pensions of workers the state can't afford.

Proposed legislation would also target Instant Racing machines for taxation, which would be for the sole purpose of paying the already too-high pensions of Kentucky state workers.

Some lawmakers think this would eventually raise about $100 million annually for government pensions.

What about paying their own way don't lawmakers in Kentucky understand? The pensions are unsustainably high, and so let the rest of the state workers and the retirees raise the amount they pay into it. Period.

Just because there would be some whining is irrelevant. Kentucky state pensions are promises that were made that can't be kept. Now if the state workers want those types of benefits, they are the ones that need to start paying for them; not the people of Kentucky in the private sector.

Mitch McConnell Attacked for Supporting Guns

In probably one of the stupidest and biggest waste of money I've ever seen in attacking Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is that from gun control fanatics and Second Amendment trashers - The Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

Politico reported the group has spent over $100,000 attacking McConnell on gun control ... in Kentucky. Not only are they incredibly ignorant, but they have actually strengthened McConnell, who will defiantly, and to his benefit, wear it as a badge of honor.

Here's what the midget co-founder of this obscure group said, “Mitch McConnell is fundamentally out of step with voters back home and we will hammer him over and over again until he stops obstructing progress. Let the political world be clear: If Mitch McConnell from the red state of Kentucky is not immune on the gun issue, no Republican politician is immune.”

McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton responded, saying this in a statement:

“Senator McConnell is committed to protecting the Constitutional Rights of every single Kentuckian,” McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton said in a statement. “Far-left George Soros funded groups are dead-set on eroding our rights and have put a big target on his back, but they will not weaken Leader McConnell’s commitment to principle.”

Maybe they should have waited for the recent vote of the Kentucky senate which nullified any federal gun laws, orders, rules or regulations enacted by government officials.

What these quacks are doing is using the term "assault" and "weapon" in the same phrase, as if the words have anything at all to do with semi-automatic or automatic rifles.

The truth is under 400 people a year in the entire United States, as of 2009, were murdered using a rifle of any kind. That's out of over 9,000 deaths coming from guns. There isn't really any such thing as an assault weapon in the hands of all the law-abiding American citizens, and even the criminals use them seldom to murder people.

All politics are in truth becoming local. There is no doubt Mitch McConnell has just got a boost in the minds of the people of Kentucky in supporting the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms and protect our families.

Kentucky Senate Says No to Federal Gun Control Laws

Kentucky is the latest state to pass a bill that forbids the enforcement of federal gun control laws, if they're actually passed.

By a vote of 34-3, the Kentucky Senate agreed the Commonwealth wouldn't take heed to the trashing of the Second Amendment.

The three voting against the bill were of course Democrats. From Louisville were Gerald Neal and Morgan McGarvey, and from Lexington was Kathy Stein. Remember them in the next election.

Sponsoring the bill was Berea Republican Sen. Jared Carpenter, who says the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution only applies to Congress when it is in operates within the powers afforded it. Restrictions on guns aren't deemed as within that authority, according to Carpenter, and he's of course right.

Included in the bill are semiautomatic firearms and magazines, and says federally required registration and restrictions on gun ownership aren't enforceable.

Per the bill, any federal orders, rules or regulations won't be attempted to be enforced in Kentucky.

Sequester, Hodgenville, Larue County, and Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site

The historic Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, right outside the city limits of Hodgenville, Kentucky, could be adversely affected by what is being called sequestration, as approximately $85 billion in spending cuts will automatically be put into motion if a deal isn't struck in a few short days.

Much of this is largely political posturing though, as the cut, as they're called, really aren't cuts, but are rather a decrease in the budget increases. In other words, the government increased its future budget, and what this is doing is lowering the actual increase, not cutting from prior or existing spending.

What would probably hurt Kentucky the worst is cuts related to the military, which could result in over 21,000 jobs lost in the Commonwealth.

Nonetheless, Washington must rein in spending, and the idea that these are devastating "cuts" isn't really telling the truth of the situation, as already mentioned.

That's not to say there won't be some pain by some Kentucky workers though, as it will have an impact of some sort.

At this time part of the problem in specifically identifying where the cuts could hurt is because there aren't really any targeted programs we know of for sure because many federal government agencies have yet to reveal their plans.

Jennifer Lawrence Gets Thumbs Up from Mitch McConnell

Photo credit: Getty Images

Kentucky native and Academy Award winner for Best Actress, Jennifer Lawrence, received congratulations from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in her big win for her starring role in “Silver Linings Playbook.”

On his website, McConnell said this:

Today, I join Kentuckians in congratulating Jennifer Lawrence on winning the Academy Award for Best Actress. Jennifer is a Louisville native, and I’m sure that Kentuckians were rooting for her the most of all last night. At 22 years old, she is only the third Kentuckian to win an Oscar for acting,” McConnell said in a statement on his website.

On behalf of the Commonwealth, I want to wish her all the best, and say we are looking forward to Jennifer Lawrence having a long and successful career.

Some of her roles include Winter's Bone, X-Men First Class, and The Hunger Games. Some of Jennifer Lawrence's projects going forward include Serena, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Man Charged in Ronnie King's Murder

photo credit: Kentuckymugshots.org


 

A grizzly scene awaited police when the found the body of the former mayor of Evarts, Kentucky, in Harlan County.

The body of King was found in his burning house, which after his remains were examined, it was found he had died of a single gunshot wound to the head.

Charged in the murder is Shelby L. Shell, 29, of Berea, who was arrested at his home no Monday a little before 1:00pm, according to a release.

Shell was charged with murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, first-degree arson and tampering with physical evidence.

He is being held in the the Harlan County Detention Center.

The photo to the right is one of when Shell was arrested in 2004 for robbery, burglary and theft.

1,000 Kentuckians Show up in Florence for Day of Resistance Rally

photo credit: Dave Malaska

Thousands of gun and freedom supporters across America attended rallies to show their support for the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. Florence, Kentucky was well represented, as an estimated 1,000 people gathered in the city to express their solidarity and support of the issue.

Kentucky citizens, as well as a majority of American citizens, oppose the outrageous dictates of Obama, where he has attempted to implement 23 executive orders which could devastate law-abiding citizens and their ownership of guns.

Congressman Thomas Massie spoke at the rally. Massie is an ally of gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment, working to get rid of the outrageous gun free school zones.

Massie said, “I decided you could do something possibly with legislation to prevent another shooting like that – you could take a law off the books that creates vulnerable populations.”

There is no doubt the answer to protecting people in public places and limiting fatalities is to have armed and trained people ready to take on the lunatics.

Administrators, teachers, or others working in schools should be ready to defend and protect at a moments notice. The only way to do that is to have them armed.

A Visit to the Creation Museum by Larue County Children

Keely Hamilton, Levi Gaddie, Rachael Fantasia, and Ali Massie

A group of children from a local Hodgenville church took a trip to the Creation Museum over the weekend, a state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot facility which "brings the pages of the Bible to life," according to the museum website. The museum is located in Petersburg, Kentucky.

Here's how the website of the Museum describes itself:

The state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot museum brings the pages of the Bible to life, casting its characters and animals in dynamic form and placing them in familiar settings. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden. Children play and dinosaurs roam near Eden’s Rivers. The serpent coils cunningly in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Majestic murals, great masterpieces brimming with pulsating colors and details, provide a backdrop for many of the settings.


Included in the 160 exhibits at the Museum are the Garden of Eden, which visitors can walk through. Below is a photo Adam and Eve as they're portrayed in the exhibit. You also get a glimpse and feel of Noah's ark as you traverse the learning center.

Photo credit: Rachael Fantasia

Also scattered throughout the tour is some awesome dinosaurs, including T. Rex, and Triceratops, which two of the visitors are having fun sitting on.

Rachael Fantasia and Keely Hamilton

For those who enjoy a visual theater experience, there is a terrific Special Effects Theater, which includes mists appearing to rise from the ground and fun, rumbling seats. You can see stories of the six days of creation and The Last Adam, among others. 

Visitors can also participate in the Stargazers Planetarium, where they can view an amazing visual of an extraordinary spaceflight.

Other attractions include a rain forest garden, bog garden, over 6,000 plants in a lake, representing 500 varieties. There is also a petting zoo, among numerous other exhibits and activities to partake in.

Below is a depiction of Cane being confronted by God over the slaying of his brother Abel.

Photo Credit: Rachael Fantasia

With the way the media attempts to manipulate and smother Christianity and the bible, places like the creation museum are terrific learning centers and tools for anyone to visit and learn from, while being entertained.

Moses and the Ten Commandments at Creation Museum

Eight Children Injured in Kentucky Bus Accident

Eight students were injured Monday morning after a city bus in Louisville struck a school bus with 43 children on it.

The school bus was taking children to Camp Taylor Elementary School when the Louisville city bus struck the school bus. Afterwards eight children complained of injuries and were taken to the hospital for observation, according to Jefferson County Public School spokesman Ben Jackey.

Bus number 0856 was the school bus transporting the children down Hill Street toward Preston Street when it was hit.

The school bus itself received minor damage.

What Sequestration Would Cost Kentucky

The cuts mandated by the Obama Administration, called sequestration, will go into effect on March 1 if a budget deal isn't reached by Congress. If implemented, the mandatory cuts would remain in effect through September. Here's a look at how the cuts could affect Kentucky.

Kentucky Defense

Since Kentucky has a strong and large military presence in it, let's look at that first. Figures show that approximately 11,000 civilian U.S. Department of Defense employees would be furloughed in in Kentucky. That means a loss in overall pay of close to $54.4 million.

As for operations to run the Army bases, that funding would be slashed by $122 million. According to the Army, about 15,000 job in the state could be impacted by the cuts.

Kentucky Education 
 
Figures released show that education in Kentucky would be strained from the cuts, with close to $11.8 million in funding for primary and secondary education removed. Estimates are around 160 teacher and aide jobs could be put at risk.

As a result, approximately 21,000 students in Kentucky would no long be served, including children with disabilities and low income students.

Broken down, that would mean 1,710 low-income students would no longer receive aid for college, and close to 470 students would no long be able to use work-study jobs to help pay for their college educations.

Concerning disabilities, an estimated $7.7 million would be lost, resulting in about 90 teacher, teacher aid, and other staff losing funding.

Kentucky Health

Funds for emergency health threats would be cut to the tune of $414,000, which would include dealing with natural disasters, infectious diseases, and other similar events.

As for substance abuse aid, close to $1 million in grants would no longer be available to treat patients, which is estimated to cause about 1,200 less people being admitted into programs. That last figure is listed as admissions, so it may be less than 1,200 people, but may include the same people being admitted more than once.

Kentucky Law enforcement

For law enforcement, where Justice Assistance Grants are used for courts, corrections, education, crime prevention, and other services, about $171,000 would be cut. 

Kentucky Environment
 
Approximately $2.1 million in aid for cleaner water and air would be lost. Fish and wildlife protection may lose about $774,000.

Two Somerset Brothers Die of Gunshot Wounds - Alcohol Suspected

In a somewhat mysterious and largely unexplained tragedy, two brothers from Somerset, Kentucky died, apparently the first accidently, and the second from turning the gun on himself when he realized he had killed his brother.

Kyle Thacker and Kody Thacker had evidently been drinking at a friends house on Slate Branch Spur in the Slate Branch community of Pulaski County.

The narrative says that Kyle Thacker, 24, had fallen asleep on a recliner when his brother Kody, 19, picked up a 12-gauge shotgun, which it appears accidentally went off and hit brother Kyle in the head, killing him instantly.

At that time, seeing he had shot his brother, Kody then shot himself in what was described as grief from the incident.

According to Lt. Detective Brett Whitaker, alcohol appears to have been involved in the deaths.

There will be no comment because of the tragedy, but there are definitely too many missing pieces for this to be the entire story. For example, how does a gun accidentally go off when someone picks it up? Why was it pointed right at the head of Kyle, etc.?

The impression is they may have been in a drunken stupor when the gun when off.

Either way it is a terrible tragedy, one that the entirety of the whole story will never be known or told. If it was an accident, which it appears at this time to be, maybe that's better for the family overall.

Bodies of Missing Kentucky Couple Found

photo credit: examiner.com

The bodies of a man and a woman were found on a Kentucky property, which are presumed to be those of Larry and Sandra Blanton, a couple who have been missing for over 6 months. The property the bodies were found on was that of the Blantons.

According to authorities, the bodies had been found buried approximately four feet underground in the same hole.

A tip led the police to check the property of the couple, and a Blood Hound Search and Rescue team got a couple of hits from the dogs, one of them near the barn where the bodies of the man and woman were found.

The location of the property was off of Pigeon Creek in Oil Springs.

While the Johnson County Sheriff Department believes the bodies found are those of Larry and Sandra, confirmation of that probability will have to wait after medical examiner makes a determination on the identities of the two bodies found.

That's because the condition of the bodies found was that of being significantly decomposed.

Persons of interest in the case since the disappearance of the couple have been their son Willie and his girlfriend Amanda Fannin.

Ashley Judd for Comic Relief 2014

Since political radical Ashley Judd, who represents everything the vast majority of the people of Kentucky oppose, is a celebrity, she is commanding silly and ridiculous attention to what will probably be a run against Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell.

Her latest publicity stunt was to meet with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to make her appear to be a "serious' candidate to represent the people of Kentucky. It's largely a joke, and one that will be exposed if she does decide to run.

She also had dinner with prominent Democrats from Kentucky, who are extremely nervous about the strong possibility Judd could bring the Democrat party in Kentucky crashing down around her. It's very likely she could and will.

Unfortunately, her celebrity status has pushed Kentucky Democrats into a corner, although some have and should resist showing support for this extreme potential candidate.

I hope Judd does enter the raise, as it'll be hilarious to see her and the Kentucky Democrats attempt to make her look legitimate in the eyes of the people of the Commonwealth.

At the same time it'll be entertaining to see the other Democrats who don't believe at all in what she represents distance themselves from her.

While national Democrats think they have a great candidate, they obviously don't understand Kentucky and its people in any way. Ashley Judd could cause more damage to the Democratic Party in Kentucky than any other force seen in a long time.

In other words, this is going to be a hoot and much comic relief for what would otherwise an election that would be a repetition of past elections.

Republicans will love this while Democrats will be chewing their fingernails. I don't care what dishonest and corrupt pollsters say, Judd has went to political bed with Obama, and if she tries to use the "outsider" card as the way to battle against McConnell, how hard is it to paint her with the fact she hasn't lived in Kentucky for years, and is among the most extreme liberals that could be put in a political race in one of the most conservative states.

Like I said. This is going to be a lot of fun and entertainment, but in the end I don't think the Democrats will be happy if she decides to run, no matter how hard the media tries to make her their darling.

Kentucky Farm Committed to Animal Rescue and Healing

Photo by Boo Hardy

With the stated mission of rescuing and rehabilitating native wildlife, Karen Bailey of Summer Wind Farm in Kentucky, works about 20 hours a day in a volunteer capacity to help heal the animals. She wouldn't have it any other way.

A secondary aspect of the goal of Bailey is to "improve the welfare of wildlife through education.”

...Bailey is perhaps the most devoted, sensitive, intelligent, entertaining, and determined animal lover you will ever meet. She has turned her Kentucky home into a bustling, respected wildlife rehabilitation center that last year took in about 500 injured or orphaned animals and, as she does every year, eventually releases nearly every one. They include raccoons, possums, pigs, skunks, deer, groundhogs, foxes, coyotes, beavers, and otters. Most were babies who lost their mothers, but some were beaten by humans, struck by cars, or mauled by other animals. And they come not only from individuals, vets, and animal shelters but also from some of the most prestigious farms, including Ashford, Taylor Made, Spendthrift, and Lane’s End.

 

Look out her dining-room windows, and you see an otter pond and a field of pigs, and beyond them the grassy fields and four-plank fences of a first-rate horse farm. Bailey’s home and her Kentucky Wildlife Center sit on Summer Wind Farm near Lexington − “a little boutique of usually pretty well-bred yearlings,” Bailey says.

 

Bailey’s parents, Jane and Frank Lyon Jr., started Summer Wind in 1995 after operating an agricultural farm in Little Rock, Ark. It was Bailey’s mother’s dream to have a horse farm in the Bluegrass.

According to Bailey, she says this prayer for every animal that comes into the center: “Dear Father, here and bless thy beast and singing birds and guard with tenderness the small things that have no words.”

I think a few people are saying prayers for Bailey as well.

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Bailey's website: kywildlife.org

Ky. Sheriff's Family Can Pursue Civil Suit Against His Murderer and Rival

An appellate panel has ruled that the family of a slain eastern Kentucky sheriff Paul L. Browning Jr. can pursue a civil suit against the former deputy who was convicted of killing him, as well as a political rival.

The appellate panel ruled that former Harlan County Sheriff Steve Duff and now-imprisoned deputy Roger Dean Hall were not immune from being sued by the family of 57-year-old Paul L. Browning Jr., who was killed as he sought re-election in 2002.

Judge Jeff S. Taylor, writing for a three-judge panel, concluded that Hall wasn't entitled to immunity from being sued and Duff wasn't immune from being sued for Hall's actions in arranging Browning's slaying. Taylor found that the concept of sovereign immunity — which generally prevents government officials from being sued for acts taken as part of their official duties — didn't apply to Duff because the sheriff is liable for the acts of his deputies.

Taylor also found that Hall couldn't be sued for any actions he took as a sheriff's deputy, but could be held liable for things he did that went beyond that role.

In what could be the foundation of a Hollywood film, Browning himself had been arrested while he served as sheriff in 1981 for the suspicion of plotting to kill a magistrate and the school board chairman of the county.

Browning actually ran for sheriff from his jail cell at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville.

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Jellico, Tenn. Woman Charged with Bomb Threat

Photo by John L. Ross

Investigators of a bomb threat called in to the Williamsburg Plastic Factory say they have charged a Jellico, Tennessee woman with calling in the threat.

The police were able to trace the phone used to make the call, and found the call was made by Amanda Johnson from Jellico.

According to Whitley County Sheriff Colan Harrell, the call was made about 9:00 am Thursday. Since then Johnson has been arrested.

About 100 employees at the factory were evacuated after a call while a bomb squad was called in, including sniffing dogs. Nothing was found.

She has been charged with Terroristic Threatening 2nd degree.

Pulaski County Mom Charged in Sexting, Alcohol Scandal

photo credit: wkyt

A mother in Pulaski County, Kentucky has been charged with unlawful transaction with a minor 3rd degree and distribution of obscene matter to minors 1st offense.

Ann Marie Alexander, 39, has been accused of sending an inappropriate picture to a male friend of her daughter, as well as providing alcohol to the underage teen, who is 17-years-old.

“The lady who has been charged, Miss Ann Marie Alexander, knew the juvenile. He was a classmate with her daughter,” said Detective John Hutchinson with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.

Alexander reportedly told the boy to delete the messages she had sent him, but when the mom of the underage boy called the authorities, it confirms he didn't do it. The fact that she asked the boy to delete the text messages suggests the boy's mother discovered them and confronted Alexander. It's not for sure, but it appears that's the scenario leading to the charges.

The picture sent to the boy was one of a man, which at this time there hasn't been an explanation as to why that was the case.

Alexander will appear in court on March 6th.

University Hospital Receives Stroke Designation

University Hospital is the first facility in the state, and the 20th in the nation, to earn an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center designation.

Kentucky is considered part of the “stroke belt,” an area in the Southeast with a high rate of stroke mortality. The state had the 11th-highest stroke-mortality rate nationally in 2009, with 2,064 deaths from stroke that year.

University of Louisville President James Ramsey said University Hospital’s stroke service, which treats about 1,000 patients annually, is essential, given such statistics in Kentucky.

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Kentucky Senate Bills Would Stop Governor from Implementing Obamacare

The highly unpopular Obamacare is receiving strong resistance from Republican members of the Kentucky Senate, as they introduced two bills which would keep Governor Steve Beshear from simply moving ahead with the process of implementing the controversial and expensive plan.

What one bill would do, Senate Bill 39, would be to remove the power from Beshear to give the go ahead to add approximately 400,000 more Kentucky residents to Medicaid under the terms of Obamacare. Instead, that authority would go to the General Assembly.

Senate Republican Leader Damon Thayer, of Georgetown, said that “this incredible growth of government we are seeing out of the current presidential administration in Washington, D.C., which this state — and the voters of this state — have rejected in two straight presidential elections in landslides.”

The other bill, SB 40, would transfer to the legislature the power to determine whether or not Kentucky should have a state-operated health care exchange.

Beshear has already declared the state will go ahead with the health care exchange, while he hasn't made a decision yet concerning expanding Medicaid in the Commonwealth.

The Senate passed both bills and they aer now headed to the House.

Slusher Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Scheme

An elaborate scheme to pawn stolen motorcycles off as "kit bikes" has resulted in a plea agreement from Bell County businessman John Slusher, 60, who pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

How it worked was the bikes were stolen from various areas of the country and disassembled and then reassembled and sold as retail.

 

The plea agreement states Slusher operated a pawn shop in Pineville and received 20 of the stolen bikes disassembled and sold them and held them for sale after reassembling. The bikes were sold to "innocent" purchasers for value.

The plea agreement states Slusher, along with others, removed the parts of the stolen motorcycle that identified the vehicle identification number (VIN). They would replace each of the parts or mill out the numbers and replace them with aftermarket parts and/or replacement part numbers.

The motorcycles would then be registered in West Virginia and Kentucky as "kit bikes" or "assembled bikes" to further conceal the fact they were stolen, according to the plea agreement.

According to the plea agreement, Slusher's involvement included 20 Harley Davidson motorcycles valued at approximately $386,000 and later sold 16 motorcycles to purchasers for a value of approximately $188,423.

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Fort Knox Civilian Workers Get 20 Percent Pay Cut

Approximately 7,000 civilian workers at Fort Knox, Kentucky could have their pay cut by about 20 percent and furloughed a day each week for as many as 22 weeks. This will happen if sequestration occurs, where about 80,000 Federal civilian workers across America will experience being furloughed.

There is no doubt if this does happen that it will impact the region economically, as people will cut back on discretionary spending in response to the situation.

According to officials from the Defense Department, there will be a 30 days' notice given to employees before furloughs begin. The latter part of April is the time it is expected to begin, although that's not 100 percent sure.

The average wage of a civilian worker at Fort Knox is close to $53,000.

Fort Knox Murder/Suicide Claims Lives of Soldier and Wife

Fort Knox experienced its first murder since 1993, as what appears to be a murder/suicide claimed the lives of a Fort Knox Soldier and his wife. There were two children at home at the time of the double shooting, although they weren't physically hurt in the incident.

Early assumptions are it was a domestic dispute which resulted in the deaths, although that remains to be confirmed.

Four military police officers heard gunshots coming from inside of the house as they arrived on the scene. A 911 call had been made from within the home, resulting in the response of the officers, according to authorities.

Upon entering the home, military police found the two victims, one was already dead and the second victim dies not long after the arrival of the police.

The policy is that the names of the victims won't be released until 24 hours after the notification of family.

As for the two children, they are now in custody of the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services.

Update:

The Fort Knox couple who died in the  murder/suicide have been identified as Spc. Christopher and Krista Meeks.

Kentucky School Safety Bill Focuses on Mental Health, Safety Drills

The majority of House Bill 354, which deals with the issue of school safety, targets the streamlining of existing practices, including the improvement of drills and safety plans, security as part of the architecture of the school buildings, and better communication with the police.

Also very important is the inclusion of mental illness being a big part of school safety. To that end the bill would mandate that the Kentucky Department of Education work on being able to better communicate with school concerning the past behavior of students, and for them and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to work on empowering school employees to recognize and give aid to those students with mental health problems.

Unfortunately, the defense of last resort - armed and trained school personnel - wasn't mentioned in the bill, as that is what would really save lives if someone is able to enter school grounds or buildings with murder as their intent.

That should be squarely faced because there is no way for the majority of Kentucky schools to have trained law enforcement officers on hand. Less than 20 percent of the schools in Kentucky have on staff as of this writing.

The bill received unanimous approval, and now goes to the House to be taken under consideration.

Kentucky State Workers Should Pay More into Their Own Pensions

We keep on hearing how difficult it is to find funding from the pensions of state workers, but as Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin knows, all you have to do is have the workers themselves increase contributions and the problems is largely solved.

Kentucky lawmakers and Governor Steve Beshear don't have the courage to take the right steps, so they continue to flounder about to add some spare change to a situation that needs a full-blown adjustment.

For example, today we hear that a sales tax on lottery tickets will be used to pay down yearly retirement contributions.

As usual, Democrats like House Speaker Greg Stumbo, can only think of taxes as the way to solve things, rather than, as mentioned, state workers themselves being made to pay their fair share of their own benefits and pensions. There's your funding source, not the taxpayers of Kentucky.

Thankfully, Kentucky Republicans in the Senate are fighting against higher taxes.

Kentucky Child Abuse Panel Set Up in Bill

A bill has been passed by 96-0 by the Kentucky House to set up a permanent panel that will perform a review of all deaths of children, or children that have come close to death, through neglect or abuse.

Under the terms of the bill, those on the panel would be allowed access to information from child protective services which haven't been altered in any way. Other access would be granted to medical personnel or police, or any one that has been involved in a case.

The panel, per the bill, will be made up of law enforcement officials, social workers, and medical representatives.

What the bill was passed for is to result in making improvements in the overall child protective system.

Members of the panel have also been given leeway to speak publicly on specific issued deemed necessary for the public to hear. Even so, they will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Rep. Robert Benvenuti, a Lexington Republican, rightly notes that child protective services has operated far too long in secrecy, and adding transparency will "force change" in the way cases and people are handled.

I've been involved in this reality, as I've had foster children of my own, and have watched as others have been devastated by internal battles and turf wars, which because of disagreements, have ended with some people even being thrown in jail or paying huge legal fees to defend themselves.

There have also been wrongly diagnosed children who are placed in families not trained to properly deal with issues they are over their heads in.

Whatever it is, transparency is one of the most important things need in an agency that has almost as much unaccountable power over people to the point they can fail children and people trying to help them.

Is Matthew Bevin a Ky. Tea Party Pretender?

Residents of Kentucky need to look hard at anyone laying claim to a Tea Party label, as many pretenders have emerged, which has undermined the vibrancy of the movement and resulted in watering down the message, as it has been blended with other elements not representative of what those of the Tea Party believe.

That's the way we must approach Louisville businessman Matthew Bevin, who is being touted as a Tea Party alternative to incumbent Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

The term Tea Party is being too loosely used at this time, and embracing the label does nothing to prove a person embraces the core beliefs of the movement.

We must realize the media in big cities in Kentucky are liberal, as they mostly are in all big cities of America. So when they anoint someone as a viable candidate representing the Tea Party, we must be resistant to the assertion and examine carefully the beliefs and character of the individual they're trying to foist on us.

For Bevin, he may or may not be a legitimate Tea Party candidate, but the liberal media outlets want so badly to rid Kentucky of McConnell, they'll do just about anything to disrupt the process and if they can, divide the Republican Party.

The Democrats are also attempting to do the same thing, disingenuously offering financial support for a Tea Party challenger to McConnell. Again, this is a way to attempt to divide the loyalties of the Republican Party so the terrible and ultra liberal Ashley Judd has a chance to become a Senator from Kentucky.

While I'm not a particular fan of Mitch McConnell, give me ten of him before an Ashley Judd, who would vote against and misrepresent the vast majority of Kentucky citizens. She's aggressively and unashamedly back Obama, and there is very little those of us in Kentucky agree with concerning the policies and ideology of this president. Judd is just as bad or worse.

In regard to Bevin, concerns have already been raised over his use of state funds in Connecticut to rebuild a factory he owned that burnt in a fire last year.

United Kentucky Tea Party’s John Kemper asked the question, “Would this business owner taking taxpayer money to rebuild his business after a fire be considered to support limited government, free-markets, fiscal responsibility? What happened to his business insurance coverage?” 

That's not to say Bevin's couldn't emerge as a strong candidate, just that we all must weigh whether he really embraces Tea Party and Kentucky values, or he's a Trojan Horse propped up to fall if he were to dislodge McConnell, but be trounced by an anti-Kentuckian liberal like Ashley Judd.

This doesn't just relate to Bevin, but to any potentially strong Tea Party candidate that emerges.

We need to hear a lot more than a label being attached to someone before we consider them someone who truly represents our values and beliefs.

Liberal, Fading New York Times Selling Boston Globe

For those that don't think liberalism is dying, all you have to do is look towards the liberal America's paper - the New York Times - to see that to be a fact.

The dying newspaper has sold the paper it owned in Florida, along with its share of the Boston Red Sox, and now it has put up the Boston Globe for sell, suggesting its prime time has now long passed, and only the slow, painful death of an increasingly irrelevant news outlet remains.

As usual, the Times attempted to cover up and confuse those reading the story, but it can't be hidden that in the end, they're desperate to unload the Boston Globe after failing to find a buyer in 2009. The only positive thing is the Times received concessions from the unions, but other than that, the Globe is as bad as the New York Times is; both in quality and economically.

In order to draw attention away from the terrible business and paper the Boston Globe is, the Times has for several years tried to make it look like the Globe was doing okay. It's obviously not.

What is all of this about? The New York Times is dying. The reason they're offloading assets is to extend its life as long as it can. That's creates the illusion everything is okay in Times land, when it is entering stage four cancer.

Why this is great for those who aren't liberals, is much of their political influence comes from their control of the local papers. The slow death of these large papers and their smaller counterparts is terrific news for those looking to end the evil of progressive, liberals, and when they lose this leg of their influence, we'll see a positive result for America.

One of the other legs they stand on is education, but that is being undermined as well, not only with home and private schools, but with the outrageous benefit packages that accompany the profession. We'll see all of that start to weaken as well.

Print media is dying in general, but the liberal papers in particular are struggling more than their counterparts. The days of media control is fading from the grasp of the arrogant and elite, and that will make America and other nations better in the long run. May it swiftly happen to the Times.

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Rand Paul Changing Tea Party Brand

It's interesting to read columns like that from Juan Williams of Fox News, where he starts it off with "Surprise," in reference to Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul and his being considered the probable new leader of the Tea Party.

Williams actually shows a flawed understanding of the spontaneous formation of the Tea Party though, as he points to what he calls former "leaders" of the movement, such as Sarah Palin, Dick Armey and Jim DeMint having faded from the scene.

What I mean by that is those three actually rode the popularity of the Tea Party movement, standing on the shoulders of the work that Rand Paul's father Ron Paul built over several decades.

People didn't know the source of why they felt like they did in response to the outrageous overreach by the government in general, and Barack Obama in particular, but there is no doubt that it was Ron Paul, who through his philosophy, backed up by practice in real life, laid the foundation for the Tea Party to emerge.

As a matter of fact, most that know the influence of Ron Paul have pointed out that those such as Palin, Armey and DeMint, really never represented the Tea Party but temporarily rode its popularity. This is why when people are polled about the Tea Party, the most recent being a poll by the AP, it was found that only 22 percent support it. That's because it is viewed more as a neo-con political force, rather than the conservative/libertarian force it really is.

Even though the GOP is courting Marco Rubio as their man going forward, other than those allegedly in the Tea Party that backed those like Palin and the others, the real Tea Party isn't that impressed with Rubio, who really doesn't represent the foundation it was birthed from.

The only other person associated with the Tea Party of note at this time is Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, who has a feisty demeanor and isn't afraid to fight, he still I think doesn't have the economic and government chops to understand what it is that motivates the Tea Party adherents.

While Rand Paul has drifted some to the neo-con side on some issues, he is still tempered by the influence of his father, as well as real core beliefs he espouses. Contrary to his dad, Rand is trying to push forward for the purpose of actually attaining the presidency. Ron Paul on the other hand, always used his runs for the purpose of marketing his message and extending it to a larger audience.

Oddly enough, the strong victory of Obama brings Williams to conclude that it has forced the Tea Party leaders to the sidelines, presumably because in his eyes they're the reason for the big defeat. In reality, if that's his thinking, he's totally wrong. The big defeat came for the opposite reason, which was the choice of another candidate that represent the establishment Republican Party, when people wanted a real option to Obama. Romney was just Obama light, and maybe even a cloned Obama, as far as his policies go.

Rand Paul smartly understands that the underpinnings of the Tea Party are strong and more numerous than mainstream media and commentators report. So he is riding a fine line between not appearing extreme in some areas, while also maintaining an independent streak that will appeal to Tea Party voters and the Republican base, which is fed up with the types of candidates emerging from the Party.

He is strong enough on social conservative issues that he should appeal to Evangelicals, and also on libertarian views related to the economy and limited government. The one area where libertarians would consider him weak on would be in foreign policy and interventionism, where he isn't as solid as his dad is.

Even so, he's still much more prone to focus on defense at home rather than funding the military to operate as the world's policeman. The problem is Evangelicals have so over-responded to anti-military sentiment in the past, that they are blinded by the fact we have gone far beyond the mandate of the military, and need to instead focus on our national defense at home, as should all countries.

If he can convince Evangelicals in that area, and reaffirm his goal of the military being strong, but being strong at home, he could have a powerful base that could result in him winning the presidency.

As for being the leader of the Tea Party, as Williams suggests, I think Williams needs to define what he means by the Tea Party, as it's not a reference to the neo-con Republicans that have dominated the Republican Party for decades, which he apparently believes it is, minus a few tweaks.

Rand Paul looks like he will be a powerful force on the national stage for a long time, and if he decides to stay in the game, could be the man the real Tea Party is looking for.

Many wish Rand was like his dad Ron, but that's not who he is, but he's close enough that he is far better than any other politician I've been able to find, now that his dad has retired.

Ky.s Telco Credit Union Sees Boost in Car Loans

In what may be good economic news for Kentucky, Richard Reese, the president and CEO of Kentucky Telco Federal Credit Union, says he sees an increase in the number of people seeking loans for new cars.

Pointing to 2012, Reese said its new loan portfolio soared by almost 20 percent, believing it's probably record year-to-year growth performance by the company.

He said that has continued on into 2013, with the amount of car loan business growing at a higher rate than he has ever remembered for the winter season.

“After sitting on the sidelines for four or five years, there are people who need to make a purchase of a car,” he said, adding that it's the belief that the economy is growing that has probably triggered the boost in car loans.

Also important to the strong car loan performance in Kentucky by the credit union is the fact the Credit Union decided to focus on that particular segment of the market, moving away from the mortgage lending market.

Per its filing with the National Credit Union Administration, Telco shows it has generated $68 million in new car loans last year, which accounted for about 38 percent of its overall loans.

Kentucky Woman Talks Guns and Protection

Guns are a big part of Kentucky life and culture, and along with using guns for hunting and recreational shooting, it's also the final protection against the threat of an intruder in the home.

Yahoo conducted some interviews recently with a focus on gun owners, and an unnamed Kentucky woman was among those chosen to express their views.

She said this: 

 

As a mother, I have a maternal instinct to keep my baby safe. I don't think that taking my families' guns away is helping the cause. As a gun owner, I believe it is important to be aware of guns, how to use guns, and the safety measures to owning a firearm. As a citizen, I question if our government is truly trying to keep us safe, if they are just looking in the wrong direction for a solution, or if there is something more sinister behind some of the gun laws.

 

My husband purchased a pistol several years ago. Shooting is a hobby for us, but it was also purchased for protection. Plan B, as I call it. Plan A is to lock my doors and mind my own business. If that fails, well, I have Plan B.

She goes on to say that all of the members of her family usually carry firearms on them, and they practice several times throughout the year to keep themselves sharp.