:dancingpa on the casinos

And only took Democrat Governor 4 months to renege on his campaign promise to not raise taxes.

 

http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/339644.html

 

 

FRANKFORT --Acknowledging that his casino gambling proposal faces long odds, Gov. Steve Beshear switched course Thursday and proposed a cigarette tax increase that would leverage $800 million over two years to bolster his bare-bones budget.

 

Beshear reversed his previous no-new-taxes position and advocated raising the state's 30-cents-a-pack cigarette tax to $1 a pack.

A Democratic Kentucky governor breaking a promise to not raise taxes!? I am shocked I tell ya, shocked!

 

Don't worry, Beshear currently plans to tax only "the other guy," so feel free to defend this tax hike as unavoidable and for the good of smokers and all Kentuckians.

:dancingpa on the casinos

And only took Democrat Governor 4 months to renege on his campaign promise to not raise taxes.

 

http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/339644.html

 

 

FRANKFORT --Acknowledging that his casino gambling proposal faces long odds, Gov. Steve Beshear switched course Thursday and proposed a cigarette tax increase that would leverage $800 million over two years to bolster his bare-bones budget.

 

Beshear reversed his previous no-new-taxes position and advocated raising the state's 30-cents-a-pack cigarette tax to $1 a pack.

 

To me it seems that the Gov's new "effort" to raise the cigarette tax is nothing other than using leverage to get more of the rural legislators to back his casino bill. "You won't back the casino bill which would result in hundreds of millions of dollar revenue, then I'm going to increase the cigarette tax to raise the revenue. You may want to reconsider your opposition to casinos."

 

While I'm not fan of Beshear, I have to admit that he's one pretty good player of the political system.

It was irresponsible to make the promise in the first place. I am glad we have a leader who will admit a mistake and move forward as opposed to one who will never admit that a mistake was made.

 

I have not seen anyone on this board or anywhere show any ideas of how to generate more revenue.

 

What are your ideas?

It was irresponsible to make the promise in the first place. I am glad we have a leader who will admit a mistake and move forward as opposed to one who will never admit that a mistake was made.

 

I have not seen anyone on this board or anywhere show any ideas of how to generate more revenue.

 

What are your ideas?

Cut spending. Move the governor into an apartment. Park his helicopter and sell it (if this has not already been done). Slash the benefits of state legislators. Look for opportunities to privatize some state services. Merge small counties to reduce the number of state and county bureaucrats to run the government. Put an initiative on the ballot to require a 2/3 vote in both houses to raise taxes to place more pressure on the governor and legislators to spend taxpayer money more responsibly.

I'm not sure why he ever promised not to raise cigarette taxes if he was going to anyways. That sort of bothers me. However, I'm still glad he's our Governor and not Ernie Fletcher! :lol:

It was irresponsible to make the promise in the first place. I am glad we have a leader who will admit a mistake and move forward as opposed to one who will never admit that a mistake was made.

 

I have not seen anyone on this board or anywhere show any ideas of how to generate more revenue.

 

What are your ideas?

 

Cut spending first.

 

Cut the number of state employees.

 

Cut the useless annual legislative sessions that cost tax payers while just providing an annual forum for nothing to be accomplished.

 

Only AFTER there is proof that state waste is gone should any tax increase be discussed.

Cut spending. Move the governor into an apartment. Park his helicopter and sell it (if this has not already been done). Slash the benefits of state legislators. Look for opportunities to privatize some state services. Merge small counties to reduce the number of state and county bureaucrats to run the government. Put an initiative on the ballot to require a 2/3 vote in both houses to raise taxes to place more pressure on the governor and legislators to spend taxpayer money more responsibly.

 

These ideas have my support. I think they are grand and would go a long way towards beefing up the "bare bones budget." He lied about raising taxes but that really doesn't surprise me. He is indeed using it for leverage and I hope our representatives stand their ground.

I never recall him promising not to raise taxes. The fact is that the state's universities were given a mandate to double college graduation in the Commonwealth by 2010. This mandate was made 10 years ago and we had Patton, and Fletcher and the congress not living up to their part of the bargain by giving the universities the money they needed. Now Bashear is threatening to do the same thing. He allowed the bonding issue to be passed (which is good) but we need new revenue. Raise the taxes and be done with it.

It was irresponsible to make the promise in the first place. I am glad we have a leader who will admit a mistake and move forward as opposed to one who will never admit that a mistake was made.

 

 

When did he admit a mistake? He is like every other politician (both republican and democrat) that get into office---he lied. He is threatening to raise taxes in the hopes that the congress will fold and push through the casino deal. He is a player, I will give him that . . . not much else however.

He can Tax cigarettes and dip of existence for all I care . Filthy habits.

He can Tax cigarettes and dip of existence for all I care . Filthy habits.

 

I don't care either. Go ahead ---- knock yourself out!

Cut spending. Move the governor into an apartment. Park his helicopter and sell it (if this has not already been done). Slash the benefits of state legislators. Look for opportunities to privatize some state services. Merge small counties to reduce the number of state and county bureaucrats to run the government. Put an initiative on the ballot to require a 2/3 vote in both houses to raise taxes to place more pressure on the governor and legislators to spend taxpayer money more responsibly.

 

You do understand that it is more expensive to contract with a non-governmental agency for services than it is for the services to be performed by the state? You do understand that all contracts with non-governmental agencies are reviewed by the legislature to reduce the number of them.

 

Why require 2/3 to raise taxes? When it is appropriate it is appropriate.

 

Parking the helicopter will make up an 850 million dollar shortfall?

 

State goverment cannot merge counties and cities or counties. That is local initiative. What work have you been doing to merge your county with a neighboring one. If you think it is a good idea, it has to come from the citizens - state goverment does not have that authority.

Cut spending first.

 

Cut the number of state employees.

 

Cut the useless annual legislative sessions that cost tax payers while just providing an annual forum for nothing to be accomplished.

 

Only AFTER there is proof that state waste is gone should any tax increase be discussed.

 

Somebody will have to do the work of every state employee you cut. Who do you suppose will do it?

 

I agree we need to cut the small session.

The government spending/management model that will never see the light of day but would allow effectiveness in our state.

 

#1 - Kill, destroy and never allow the Legislative Resource (Research) Commission to exist. This one entity has enabled so much growth and created so many unjustified acts.

 

#2 - The executive branch is run by the executive branch, the legislative branch passes the laws, the judicial checks and balances the laws to precedent and constitution. Best serve to return to that. To many committee matters in legislative that was and is supported by LRC.

 

#3 - Allow a payroll system that would create fantastic pay for great managers. Kill the merit system. I would rather have the one or two executives who could deliver services and pay them 100 of thouands vs. the 100 who get tens of thousands.

 

But, in the meantime anything that eliminates smoking I am all for it.