The following text is my letter that appeared in the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise discussing my concerns about legislators not living up to their obligation. A similar letter of mine also appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal.

"In the coming weeks, our state legislature will likely take up the issue of amending our state constitution in order to legalize casino gambling. Altering the state constitution is a very serious matter that should not be taken lightly. Yet, the sentiment we are seeing expressed by legislators across the commonwealth with alarming frequency is to absolve themselves of their sworn responsibility by simply passing the decision on to the electorate. This is a breach of the solemn trust we have committed to them.

Our elected representatives do have a responsibility to express the will of the people by voting in a manner that reflects the views and desires of their constituents. But there also exists another, greater responsibility, one that appears to be completely overlooked in this instance. Legislators have the responsibility to function as a barrier against impulsive legislation that is in conflict with the common good of society. Normally these duel responsibilities coexist in harmony. But occasionally they are in direct opposition. It is such times that test the leadership and courage of our elected representatives.

I’m calling on all state legislators to fulfill the responsibility the electorate has entrusted them with. Whether you are in favor of casino gambling or opposed to it, vote in accordance with your judgment on what the lasting effect such a constitutional amendment will have. Don’t simply pass the buck. Do what we’ve sent you to Frankfort to do, lead."

Some additional comments regarding my position and the basis of my opinion...

While researching for this letter I recalled a passage that appears in Federalist 71. In it Hamilton writes...

"When occasions present themselves, in which the interests of the people are at variance with their inclinations, it is the duty of the persons whom they have appointed to be the guardians of those interests, to withstand the temporary delusion, in order to give them time and opportunity for more cool and sedate reflection. Instances might be cited in which a conduct of this kind has saved the people from very fatal consequences of their own mistakes, and has procured lasting monuments of their gratitude to the men who had courage and magnanimity enough to serve them at the peril of their displeasure.”

This is truly a timeless passage that is as applicable today as it was in 1788, perhaps more so. Far too many legislators conduct their business in such a manner that leads one to believe that many of these elected officials haven't even heard of the Federalist Papers, let alone read them. That is truly a travesty.

 

 

The following text is a letter published in the Meade County Messenger expressing my displeasure with the 2007 Special Session...

Instead, I want to address the piece of legislation that seems to be the genesis of the recent turmoil, the “energy” bill. In reality, calling what likely will be passed as an “energy” bill is a gross mischaracterization. The current “energy” bill is nothing more than a tax incentive package intended to persuade a single company, Peabody Energy, to build a coal gasification facility in Kentucky. Actually, that isn’t quite accurate either. If the latest media reports are correct, in exchange for passage of a $300 million incentive package, Peabody will recommend to its equity group that the group should focus exclusively on Kentucky for a $30-50 million feasibility study. That’s the crux of what we are discussing here. It is premature and irresponsible to be discussing a multi-billion dollar facility and hundreds of jobs at this juncture. The photo-op depicting smiling politicians with rolled-up sleeves, tie, and hardhat, hands firmly gripping shiny new shovels, breaking ground on the new facility will likely take place long after Gov. Fletcher and Speaker Richards have left office, if such a picture is ever taken.

Looking back through all the material published in the Courier Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader in recent months regarding this issue, one can’t help but be left wondering what exactly it is we Kentuckians are wanting Peabody to build. The proposed facility had been described as everything from a $4 billion coal liquefaction plant to a $2 billion coal gasification facility and just about everything in between. The most recent incarnation is a $3 billion coal-to-natural gas operation but please don’t quote me on that as I suspect the description will change again. I only mention this to point out that if such a big deal is going to be made of this proposed plant, we need to know exactly what it is we are agreeing to subsidize before committing $300 million dollars of tax-payer money.

Looking beyond all of this, my primary concern is that, based on the public statements of the leaders in Frankfort, passage of the incentive package is all but a done deal. I want to offer some words of caution, let’s not blindly rush to pass an incentive package without first fully investigating and considering the ramifications and consequences of such a plant operating in Kentucky. And if we feel compelled to have a special session to address energy, let’s pass an energy bill worthy of the title, a piece of legislation that addresses the most salient issues concerning energy in Kentucky.

Unanswered questions remain regarding what to do with the carbon emissions inherent to the gasification process. As the Kentucky Resources Council director, Tom FitzGerald points out in the July 26 Courier-Journal, the issue of dealing with the carbon dioxide such a plant will produce must be addressed. Especially once one takes into consideration that the federal government, in all likelihood, is going to impose stricter limits on carbon emissions in the not too distant future. Such a move will have broader ramifications for Kentucky beyond the effects such a measure will have on a proposed coal gasification plant. Over 90 percent of the electricity generated in the state originates from coal-fired generation facilities. These are real plants in operation today that will be immediately impacted, as will our utility bills. Any responsible action taken by the legislature must address the issue of carbon emissions.

Mr. FitzGerald is quoted as saying “I would hope that when legislators do come together in early August it’s to look at a broader spectrum of energy-related issues, rather than just put together a discrete energy package for a particular company.” I couldn’t agree more. If we tax-payers are expected to bear the financial burden of a legislative special session along with the expenses associated with any legislation passed, it is imperative that we demand of our legislators that these tax dollars not be spent in vain. Any legislation passed that falls short of a comprehensive and forward thinking energy plan will be woefully inadequate and truly a waste of our tax dollars."

I was formerly a blogger on the now defunct, Meade County Web and having lost that venue to share my thoughts I've luckily happened upon this medium. My first order of business is to post some of my material that has previously appeared on other websites and in the news media. The purpose of this is twofold, it provides me the opportunity to save these works for posterity and also provides the reader with some insight into my political views.