50% of Kentucky Republicans Support Corruption
Kentucky just held their primary election for Governor. The results (see here) mean currently indicted Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher will face off against Democrat Steve Beshear in November's general election. Democrat Beshear has been a reformer, pushing for a referendum reforming the Kentucky Judicial System and working as a consumer advocate. By contrast, Ernie Fletcher is currently indicted on charges of conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination. And yet Republicans elected Fletcher in the primary with just over 50% of the vote. Once again, the Republican Party shows itself to be accepting of corruption.
I have written about Fletcher before. Last year he ranked as the 5th least popular governor in the nation (Republican governors of Ohio and Missouri, also heavily involved in corruption, were the two LEAST popular governors in America). Fletcher's administration is suspected of violating the state's merit system laws and using politics as the basis for hiring or firing government employees. In essence, they are going back to the time of the so-called “spoils system†where government firing and hiring was a rewards system for political allies. This was considered unacceptable more than 100 years ago and was ended on the Federal level by the Civil Service Act of 1883 which made it illegal to fill various federal offices by the spoils system. Kentucky also has a “Merit Law†that outlaws the corrupt spoils system. Yet Repub Gov. Fletcher wants to go back to and older time, where corruption was accepted as normal. Nine current or former members of Fletcher's administration have been indicted on a series of misdemeanor charges alleging violations of the Merit System personnel law. And Republicans in Kentucky agree with him about good old fashioned corruption. And almost universally this is seen as guarnateeing a big win for Steve Beshear come November.
It really is a sad, sad time for the Republican Party. I don't revel in their collapse into crime and corruption. Rather I wish we once again had two viable, reasonable parties rather than see the Republican party become the party of extremism, corruption and fiscal irresponsibility. I recently wrote an article on how Bush will be the death of the Republican Party (one of our most read articles in recent months). That article wasn't strictly accurate, upon reflection. Bush and corrupt Republicans like Doolittle, DeLay, Frist, the Blunts of Missouri, a whole huge list of others...and Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky are all contributing to the death of the Republican Party. Bush couldn't do it alone. But with the likes of the DeLay, Frist, Blunt and Fletcher, the Republican Party is in severe decline.
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Corruption | Republican corruption | Barking Crazy Right Wingers | Kentucky | Republicans
Some details
Submitted by mole333 on 25 May 2007 - 10:06am.
Beshear addresses some of this on his website.
Some excerpts follow.
From this page on economic development in general: (lots more on the page, but this seems to indcate a broader focus than you imply)
* Focusing Economic Development Strategies on Industries with the Greatest Opportunity for Growth in Kentucky. In recent years, Kentucky has focused on maintaining manufacturing jobs. Although the preservation of our manufacturing base is an important economic strategy, we shouldn’t focus so heavily on manufacturing that we ignore the potential for growth in other areas. To be competitive in today’s economy, Kentucky must pursue economic development strategies that build off our economic strengths and have the best potential for growth in the future. While we should continue to pursue growth strategies to attract and sustain manufacturing jobs, we also should focus on industries, such as small businesses, energy, agriculture, adventure tourism, data warehousing, and value-added products that also provide future growth potential. As Governor, I will review each region of the state to determine their economic strengths, and then link those strengths with the needs of industries that have the best possibility to expand in the future.
From here on jobs and workforce development:
In my Kentucky First plan, I outlined a number of industries that build on our economic strengths and provide us the greatest potential for growth such as: energy, manufacturing, agriculture, adventure tourism, shipping and distribution, as well as data warehousing. I have recommended ways to invest in Kentucky business to create more jobs and improve our economy. Now I want to discuss another component of creating more jobs: investing in human capital.
My plan for putting Kentucky Workers First will:
* Focus workforce development on industries that represent our future
* Increase education and training opportunities
* Modernize our approach to developing a skilled workforce
[details then follow]
And from this page is an area where I have been saying for YEARS we can create far more American jobs--ENERGY:
n my Businesses First plan, I explained that one of the keys to growing the Kentucky economy will be to better target state efforts at businesses here in Kentucky using Kentucky know-how and Kentucky talent to expand and become more profitable. I described my detailed strategy of how I will make Kentucky’s businesses my top economic priority as Governor.
My Fueling Kentucky First plan applies both of these economic development strategies to a critical part of the Kentucky economy – our energy sector. What energy we use to power our homes, businesses, industries, and vehicles and how efficiently we use it affects the competitiveness of our businesses, our family budgets and the environment we cherish.
Fueling Kentucky First is my plan to achieve energy independence, build new industries, create jobs and promote our national security. My Administration will make the creation of new clean coal, alternative fuels and other “Clean Technology†jobs a top priority.
Not surprisingly, he emphasizes "clean" coal and natural gas more than I would personally like, but those ARE local energy resources for Kentucky. I hope he also looks into other, cleaner resources as well and with an equal emphasis and not just pander to the coal industry. But politically and practically, I suspect "clean" coal has to be part of an energy independence plan for a state like Kentucky.
Here's one Kentuckian who is
Here's one Kentuckian who is happy to think of Fletcher as political roadkill. But the advent of Beshear does not get me dancing sambas. The big policy idea he is running on is to invite casinos into my state. Apparently he believes that the path to state solvency is through the encouragement of gambling. He hasn't named any productive industries he shall lure into the state, but the gambling vampires have sure found their way into his Rolodex.