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Opinion

  • FROM OUR READERS - Pension reform...

    I am deeply concerned about the pension reform framework recently made public.

    These proposals challenge the contract rights of members, lower the standard of living of employees now and in retirement, and will worsen the cash-flow crisis in the state employee pension plan.

  • Explore and enjoy Kentucky

    “If these United States can be called a body, then Kentucky can be called its heart.” - Jesse Stuart.

    As fall break ended this weekend, hundreds of folks from our community made the long trek home from the beach or some other far-away vacation land after a nice break from the routine.

  • Keeping the promise

    “Keeping the Promise,” our plan to save Kentucky’s pension systems, keeps the promise made to Kentucky’s current employees while also meeting the legal and moral obligations we owe to those who have already retired. Promises made are promises kept.

    Make no mistake: there will be no changes, clawbacks or reductions to the paychecks of current retirees, and there will be protections for healthcare benefits. That is a promise you can literally take to the bank.

  • Key points of reform
  • FROM OUR READERS - Celebrate...

    What does it mean to be a retired teacher? If people were polled individually, the answer would be as varied as people’s interest. No matter what it means to you personally, collectively, the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association (KTRA) celebrates Retired Educators Week, October 15-21.

    Retired teachers continue to render valuable services in diverse leadership roles in their communities.

  • Obey burn laws

    The wildfires in California continued to rage this week. They are destroying homes, property and have claimed over 40 lives and scores more are still missing.

    It should be a good reminder for us that fire is dangerous, unpredictable and can easily spread out of control. While we tend to think of wildfires being confined to the west, it’s important to remember that flames do not read maps. Fires can just as easily get out of control in your backyard and pose a threat to you and your neighbors.

  • Girls in the Boy Scouts?

    Last week’s announcement that the Boys Scouts of America would begin opening up their dens and troops to girls, came as no real surprise, although as an Eagle Scout and someone whose fondest childhood memories involve Scouting, it was disappointing.

    There was no shock because BSA officials have been cowering to the pressures of progressives for a couple of decades now. Despite a code that vows to teach young men to be strong, courageous and loyal, the corporate heads of BSA have shown a propensity to be scared, weak and quick to compromise on its core values.

  • Insanity and Kentucky’s pension...
  • FROM OUR READERS - County needs to...

    I have empathy for the residents of Watkins Glen subdivision who spoke to Fiscal Court about having an unpaved section of their road completed, as promised by the developer.  In my opinion, the county made a promise to the residents when they approved the subdivision and road bond.  I’m surprised the county allowed the bond to lapse.

  • FROM OUR READERS - Budget cuts and...

    To the Editor,

    As stated in the Preamble to the Constitution, two of the primary reasons our government exists are to “establish Justice” and “insure domestic Tranquility.” In order to achieve those goals, we must have a robust and fair criminal justice system with adequate funding for both prosecutors and public defenders.

  • Take aim at right to assemble

    When tragedy like the one earlier this month in Las Vegas strikes America, many Americans feel the overwhelming desire to strike out against our liberties, even if it means violating the U.S. Constitution.

    Yes, mass shootings are horrendous, senseless tragedies. When 59 Americans are gunned down by a sniper we understandably want to ask who, how and why?  But we should resist the temptation to take scissors to the founding documents our Founding Fathers carefully crafted to protect our freedoms.

  • FROM OUR READERS - Push to allow...

    Are you an Independent voter?

    Are you tired of being refused the opportunity to vote in Kentucky primary elections?

    Openprimaries.org is a national organization working to make open primaries available in all fifty states and you should take up the challenge to make them a reality here.

    Kentucky is one of only seventeen states which does not permit open primaries and recent national polls have found that as much as 43% of the electorate considers itself as Independent.  More and more young voters are listing themselves as Independent.

  • There’s no guarantee of safety

    “Be careful.”

    How many times did our mothers utter those two words as we walked out of the door growing up. Regardless of whether we were headed off to school, over to a friend’s house, or just stepping out to the backyard to play, those words were often the last thing we heard before the slamming of the screen door behind us.

  • ‘Medicare for all’ is good for none

    Recently, Senator Bernie Sanders unveiled a single-payer healthcare plan called “Medicare for All.” Sanders titled his approach for nationalizing one-sixth of the American economy as “Medicare for All” in order to offer a template for his vision of the U.S. healthcare system. Unfortunately, using Medicare as the template for the nation’s healthcare system is a little like using the production model for the Lada, the “people’s car” of the former Soviet Union, as the blue-print for the U.S. auto industry.

  • Know the mechanisms of domestic...

    When Ellen heard her husband come through the door, she knew this would be a bad night. Quickly sending her kids to their room, she turned the music up so they wouldn’t hear what was coming. After last night’s beating, Ellen had made sure to do all he’d asked of her today: cooked his food, cleaned the house, washed and folded his clothes, and dressed exactly the way he wanted. Still, it was never enough. As he walked toward her, Ellen wondered just what she’d done wrong this time.

  • FROM OUR READERS - Puerto Rico...

    Many decades ago, my master’s thesis entitled  “Prejudice And the Poor” ended with what I discovered was the idea that a nation’s morality can be determined by the way it treats it’s most vulnerable citizens.   

  • FROM OUR READERS - NFL Hypocrisy

    Roger Goodell complains that President Trump shows a lack of respect for the NFL by criticizing the black players who refuse to honor our U.S. flag.  Goodell should be shown no respect because Goodell and the NFL has shown no respect for their own players.

    Goodell and the NFL has worked to suppress the scientific evidence that the head banging in a football game has led to permanent brain damage in players.  A recent PBS program went into the suppression by the NFL in great detail.

  • Athletic Complex long overdue

    The Spencer County Board of Education Monday night approved a $5.28 million project that will greatly improve the athletic facilities at the high school. The improvements are welcome and long overdue.

    Spencer County schools have seen a sharp increase in test scores over the years and the new reputation is spreading far and wide. Real estate professionals now tell us that our local schools are now helping attract people to the community, where before, they sometimes worked as a liability.

  • In defense of our Flag

    Political correctness is not just silly, it’s dangerous. The NFL is about to find out how costly it can be now that it has firmly sided with players who have made the decision to dishonor America, the flag and those who have served, by kneeling for the National Anthem.

    The initial response to those who support the players is that they are honoring our country by exercising their freedoms. That’s like honoring your mom’s unconditional, forgiving love by slapping her on Mother’s Day.

  • Bevin’s call for universities to...

    Leaders at the University of Louisville are reacting to comments made by Gov. Matt Bevin recently, in which he called for the university presidents and governing boards to focus their resources on programs delivering graduates to high-demand jobs “that matter” and consider eliminating programs that fail to do so.