Some observations:

 

1) The growth in Louisville and the growth in NKY are two totally different animals. NKY has benefitted, in part, from their proximity to Cincinnati. Once spurred, they have generated more money and funded many of their own projects. However, the "destination market" that NKY benefits from is Cincinnati, in terms of things like convention business. In the beginning hotels, et al, were built to capitalize on the overflow from the Cincinnati market. Over time, with revenue generated from that, they've been able to build themselves up, and create their own niche. In Louisville, it began with the state funded KFEC. Then the KICC, then the expansion and renovations of each. But Louisville did not start with the advantage of having a Cincinnati across the river. The created their niche. NOT A KNOCK ON NKY. Just pointing out that the situations are different. Now, Louisville definitely has great independent sources of revenue.

 

2) Why hasn't something been done to develop EKY more as a tourist market? Do the residents not want that area to become a tourist market? I can understand that. But, the reality is, if you want the jobs, and you want the money, then some pain will occur. Some sacrifices will be made. In terms of manufacturing, what can be done to spur that growth? I know relatively little about the politics of EKY. Enlighten me.

 

As for the bolded, better roads providing easier accessibility is #1 on my list. If/when they finish the new KY 15 from the Mountain Parkway to Hazard, it should open up the area. Right now, it's hard to attract any kind of industry that requires shipping or transporting materials because the idea of having to move your materials on curvy, two-lane highways for large stretches just doesn't sound that appealing.

 

I think it would help tremendously to build good roads to connect EKY to the rest of the state...i.e., 4-lane highways (like KY 80, US 23, Mountain Parkway) connecting places like Pikeville, Hazard, etc. to Lexington, I-75, etc...for example, and I keep bringing up this project because it's currently in progress, but the new section of KY 15 would mean you could drive on a 4-lane highway all the way from Cincinnati to Hazard, KY...and onto to Pikeville if you wish.

 

Obviously, it takes more than just good transportation, but without that, it's almost impossible. It would really benefit the area, and the state as a whole, IMO, if the area could be opened up and some real jobs brought in.

 

 

As for the tourist attraction...I suspect our coal mining industry makes that an unlikely option...unless tourists are interested in watching coal being mined and looking at reclaimed mine sites. :lol:

That might be a valid point if we still traveled by horses. With the invention of automobiles and highways, I suspect the high cost of building adequate roads through mountains and hills as opposed to relatively flat land might have played a large role.

 

As compared to high cost of building bridges overs rivers? You have your mountains, we have our rivers. My guess is that in this day and age, it is easier and cheaper, to blow up a mountain to build a road, than to build a bridge, over a major river. Of course this is just MO.

Some of you, not all, go back and read your posts and see how arrogant you sound toward the hardworking people of Eastern Ky. It is just incredible. An are of the state that was neglected (primarily educationally up until 1991) by the rest of the state and an area that had all of its Coal Severance Money go to NKY and Louisvill, until the 1990s when legislation was passed that said most of the money was to return to the area.

 

To begin to suggest NOW that you are getting short shrift is insane. How many tax breaks were given to UPS to expand in Louisville? How many areas in the golden triangle are considered "depressed" economically so small businesses are given tax breaks to set up shop there?

 

The real problem is, well there are a few, but primarily - You cannot keep a citizenry uneducated for a long period of time and then expect an area to draw businesses and that is what the state did to Eastern Ky for over a century. Also, Coal was the economic engine that drove this state for the longest time and the people living in the area where the coal was mined NEVER reaped the benefits, until about 10 years ago. There has been a tobacco buyout for central ky farmers, but has there been a coal buyout for the all of the workers who have lost mining jobs over the years in the east?

 

You whine about money for your schools, goodness gracious, Anchorage, Oldham, Campbell, Kenton, Newport, Ballard, Eastern, Seneca.

 

I will compare those favorable, to Middlesboro, Harlan, Cawood, Clay Co., Pineville, Whitesburg, Berea.

 

You don't get road fund money and you say you are being short-changed. You don't even begin to think about all of the economic development money that you get to keep some of the larger businesses in place. That money can't go to Eastern Ky. until they get a work-force that is educated enough to work in those places and that can't happen overnight and we are just now giving enough money to improve the schools in that area.

 

Middlesboro High School class of 1985

If I were betting, just about every single major public-funded building project over the last, say, 50 years or so in NoKy and L'ville got a significant portion of that project paid for by coal severance tax funds. To hear folks in NoKy and L'ville whine they aren't getting their fair share when both areas are thriving economically is kind of sad, really. Especially when a good chunk of Eastern Ky still gets its tap water from the same creeks where you see straight pipes.

 

Twenty years after the claim of 50% of going back to the county where the coal tax originated, only 7.6% of the coal severance tax money was going back to the counties from where the tax originated.

http://www.kftc.org/our-work/tax-justice/high-road/coal-severance-tax

As compared to high cost of building bridges overs rivers? You have your mountains, we have our rivers. My guess is that in this day and age, it is easier and cheaper, to blow up a mountain to build a road, than to build a bridge, over a major river. Of course this is just MO.

 

Oh...my apologies. I didn't realize that rivers were a feature unique to NKY.

 

These idiots around here in EKY have apparently built hundreds of unnecessary bridges.

Oh...my apologies. I didn't realize that rivers were a feature unique to NKY.

 

These idiots around here in EKY have apparently built hundreds of unnecessary bridges.

 

 

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

That was good. :thumb:

Some of you, not all, go back and read your posts and see how arrogant you sound toward the hardworking people of Eastern Ky. It is just incredible. An are of the state that was neglected (primarily educationally up until 1991) by the rest of the state and an area that had all of its Coal Severance Money go to NKY and Louisvill, until the 1990s when legislation was passed that said most of the money was to return to the area.

A typical EKY biased opinion, but terribly inaccurate.

 

The coal companies came into EKY and took what they wanted at the expense of the hard-working people. NKY and Louisville had nothing to do with it. And to even come close to suggesting that the mountains supported NKY and/or Louisville is nothing more than a joke. We aren't to blame for any lack of education in your area either. The problems in EKY are far more complicated than that.

 

But don't worry, we'll keep building your roads and supporting you as always.

A typical EKY biased opinion, but terribly inaccurate.

 

The coal companies came into EKY and took what they wanted at the expense of the hard-working people. NKY and Louisville had nothing to do with it. And to even come close to suggesting that the mountains supported NKY and/or Louisville is nothing more than a joke. We aren't to blame for any lack of education in your area either. The problems in EKY are far more complicated than that.

 

But don't worry, we'll keep building your roads and supporting you as always.

 

You are absolutely wrong. did you read the article on the Coal Severance Money, or is it easier to cast stones without the real knowledge. I grew up in Eastern Kentucky, went to Centre College in Danville, got a Masters at U of L and now live in Frankfort - I think I understand the problem in Eastern Kentucky and I also understand how things work in the Golden Triangle and I dang sure know where economic development money goes. That is state money. Just b/c you aren't getting your bridge . . . How is Louisville getting a new arena, who started the fair ground, who build the snyder and waterson, who brought toyota to g'town, how did UPS expand - don't say you ain't gettin' money

 

The only thing compicated about what has happened in Eastern Kentucky is that it is tough to get education money there b/c the transportion system is difficult to manueaver, especially in bad weather.

I also understand how things work in the Golden Triangle and I dang sure know where economic development money goes.

Yeah, where it can do some good.

You are absolutely wrong. did you read the article on the Coal Severance Money, or is it easier to cast stones without the real knowledge. I grew up in Eastern Kentucky, went to Centre College in Danville, got a Masters at U of L and now live in Frankfort - I think I understand the problem in Eastern Kentucky and I also understand how things work in the Golden Triangle and I dang sure know where economic development money goes. That is state money. Just b/c you aren't getting your bridge . . . How is Louisville getting a new arena, who started the fair ground, who build the snyder and waterson, who brought toyota to g'town, how did UPS expand - don't say you ain't gettin' money

 

The only thing compicated about what has happened in Eastern Kentucky is that it is tough to get education money there b/c the transportion system is difficult to manueaver, especially in bad weather.

 

Seems that the money being spent in Louisville, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is getting a pretty good return on! Now how about the money that the Federal Goverment has spent, not forgetting what Kentucky has spent in Easten Kentucky. Have they received a fair return on that money? And btw where did the moeny go for NKy? My guess they too have given back far more than they have recieved.

Yeah, where it can do some good.

 

I see. I guess that means, "not in Eastern Kentucky."

 

What, pray tell, would you have those folks do for a living? Maybe another "Hillbilly Highway" migration is in order? Should they come to Ft. Thomas looking for work?

You are absolutely wrong. did you read the article on the Coal Severance Money, or is it easier to cast stones without the real knowledge. I grew up in Eastern Kentucky, went to Centre College in Danville, got a Masters at U of L and now live in Frankfort - I think I understand the problem in Eastern Kentucky and I also understand how things work in the Golden Triangle and I dang sure know where economic development money goes. That is state money. Just b/c you aren't getting your bridge . . . How is Louisville getting a new arena, who started the fair ground, who build the snyder and waterson, who brought toyota to g'town, how did UPS expand - don't say you ain't gettin' money

 

The only thing compicated about what has happened in Eastern Kentucky is that it is tough to get education money there b/c the transportion system is difficult to manueaver, especially in bad weather.

 

So you live in Frankfort, and per your own words, "I dang sure know where economic development money goes", so my guess is you work for the State! So then how about please answering my original question! Where is the $660 million being spent, and on what? Nothing, Nada, zip zero, is being spent in NKy, and it sounds like nothing, Nada, zip, zero, is being spent in Louisville, so where is the money going? Seems that two of the largest money producing parts of the Commonwealth are getting nothing! So as a tax payer, I am just wondering where my money is going and what is it being spent on?

 

Anyone?

I have a solution...someone make EKY into the next Smokey Mountains Resort area! :dancingpa

Not possible the coal companys taking the mountains down for the mineral riches contained therein. Read " Lost Mountain " by Erik Reece .

So you live in Frankfort, and per your own words, "I dang sure know where economic development money goes", so my guess is you work for the State! So then how about please answering my original question! Where is the $660 million being spent, and on what? Nothing, Nada, zip zero, is being spent in NKy, and it sounds like nothing, Nada, zip, zero, is being spent in Louisville, so where is the money going? Seems that two of the largest money producing parts of the Commonwealth are getting nothing! So as a tax payer, I am just wondering where my money is going and what is it being spent on?

 

Anyone?

 

Yes I live in frankfort but I do not work for the state. i did however spend most of last spring reading the articles in the herald leader attacking the state's economic development plan and the comments from Maced - out of Berea - about how little Economic develoment money was going to the mountain regions.

 

i understand though that economic development money cannot go to EKY b/c of the level of education of the workforce. More money, however, needs to go for education. As for the 600 million, some of it is going for the ALLTEC games in Lexington, some of it is restoring items that were vetoed by the former governor, some of it is going to areas that will be cut out b/c of the budget.

Why hasn't something been done to develop EKY more as a tourist market? Do the residents not want that area to become a tourist market? I can understand that. I know relatively little about the politics of EKY. Enlighten me.

 

 

Back in July I was going to address this very issue and discuss some thoughts I had on creating a tourism destination from Eastern Kentucky along with an idea on how to pay for it (without help from Louisville or NKY). However, I made the mistake of opening with a statement about how EKY got in the shape they are in and we never got past that.

http://www.bluegrasspreps.com/showthread.php?t=125424&highlight=Pepper+eastern+kentucky