297. Pi Day and the Ides of March

Some housekeeping first. I sent an email to Dr. Jacob Payne of www.PageOneKentucky.com thanking him for linking my essay on the Metro Club Senatorial Debate and their "last night in Okolona" to his blog. Joe Sonka at www.barefootandprogressive.com linked to it as well, and Ben Carter at www.bluegrassroots.org followed suit. I've had my best two days of hits since signing on back on January 4, 2007. Thanks to all of them and to those of you who are reading my little place of thoughts here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. I may even have to increase my five faithful number up to six if the barrage of hits continues - barrage being a relative term. My average prior to yesterday was about 34. Yesterday I had 86, today in the high fifties, with some time left. But, enough of that self-gratification stuff.

*****

Today, March 14, is Pi Day, that is today is 3/14, the mathematical pi term representing the 3.14 more or less [3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510 is actually a closer approximation, but an approximation nonetheless] which equates out to the circumference of a circle divided by its diameter. I first learned that in some 8th grade Algebra classes, which along with some 9th and 10th grade (especially 10th grade) science classes, specifically chemistry and biology, were the cause of my less-than-perfect high school GPA at "Dear Old Durrett High School." Those reasons, along with simply having gone to high school in the late 70s, when nothing was really fashionable and every one was more-or-less laid back, usually due to some stimulant or intoxication or both, and some more than others, prefaced what has for me been a rather laid-back attitude toward a number of things in life. Or it may have been those lines, copied here before from James Whitcomb Riley's poem My Philosophy, counselling readers to "just do your best for praise or blame." While I haven't always done my best, I have at least tried to. The late monk Thomas Merton, for whom Louisville's Metro Council want to christen a downtown intersection at 4th and Ali as a means of diverting attention from their failure to adequately provide for a library system -- wait, I digressed way far from base there.

A Kentucky Historical Marker already commemorates Merton's revelation at S. Fourth Street and W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard in downtown Louisville.

There is a prayer attributed to the late monk Thomas Merton which hangs on one of my kitchen cabinet doors. Part of it reads (and I read it every day) that while I may not know if what I am doing in this life is actually pleasing to God, the fact that I believe that I am trying to do so, does in fact do so. That is what I ask of myself and tell others is acceptable. In one's life, trying to do your best, even if you do not always achieve success, is, in and of itself, a personal success. Of course, I am not the Maker they will Meet upon their earthly demise granting them eternal bliss or damnation, so they may or may not want to follow my recommendations.

Nonetheless, if anyone ever says to me that it is important to "Beware the Ides of March," which is tomorrow (3/15), as was written by The Bard to be said by a soothsayer to Julius Caesar in Act I, Scene II of the play named for the 1st Century BCE Roman military leader, I would more or less dismiss them. Well, at least I think I would. While I know there are outside forces at work intermingling the lives of all of us [think Six Degrees of Separation, or of the film noir Magnolia], I am content that each of us determine our own fates to the point that some Supreme Being grants us the personal free will to do so, rough-hewing them as we do.

Ain't life grand.

296. Last night in Okolona.

First, it being such a nice Morning in America today [that line has a ring to it], I thought I'd use some vacation time and go in late.

Last night in Okolona, the UAW Union Hall played host to the Metro Democratic Club's 2008 United States Senate Debate between the three candidates who reside in the Louisville Metro area. Except only two of them showed up, Dr. Michael Cassaro of Prospect and Mr. Greg Fischer of Louisville. The other Metro area candidate was not in the Metro area last night, but he did send a number of his staffers and supporters including my friend Taylor Coots. Cassaro and Fischer had their folks there as well - Dr. Ted Schlecter who serves as Cassaro's PR guy sat with several others from their camp. Fischer's presence was strong both from staffers and in the crowd, estimated by moderator Mark Hebert, at 200. Ben Basil, Dannie Gregoire, and Kyle Gott, among others were there from Fischer's office, as well as his campaign director, Mr. A. J. Carrillo. A number of "just regular folks" were sporting Fischer stickers on their lapels, many of whom would have been sporting Horne stickers had the retired Lieutenant Colonel been in this race. A number of local activists types, along with a handful of bloggers, hung around in the back. One of bloggers was Republican Jefferson Poole. Poole hasn't posted yet this morning but I'm sure he will make use of some perceived bloopers, one in particular, and I suspect if he caught them on film that Senator McConnell's campaign office is already making them into a commercial for this fall. But, there were only two by my count, and for an hour of very loose give-and-take, I thought both candidates made a good accounting of themselves. Cassaro offered some rather technical discussions here and there and some of his answers were somewhat more to the left than I had anticipated, which was a pleasant surprise. Fischer seemed to have taken a more middle ground, a more more cautious approach on issues, which also caught my attention. Hebert's closing question was sort of expected, but in my opinion not a proper one. He asked the two candidates who they would like at the top of ticket with them. Neither answered clearly, although Cassaro indicated he thought Obama was in tune with many of his concerns. Fischer did not offer a direct answer. In my opinion, neither of them should have. Such a question divides supporters, since I am sure both Cassaro and Fischer each have supporters of both of the two leading candidates. I am glad neither of them gave Hebert a direct answer.

Looking at the crowd, many members of the club attended as well as the requisite number of candidates seeking local office. But I was surprised that some of the Jefferson County Party leadership failed to show. A number of the County Executive Committee were not there, except for some who are also member of the club. Nor did I see our County Party Chair. On the other hand, the Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Jennifer Moore was there and was introduced to the crowd. Also in attendance was Heather Ryan, the Paducah woman who is seeking to unseat Florida-resident and Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield. We wish her well. Another U. S. Senate candidate, Kenneth Stepp, made his way to the Hall from Manchester, Kentucky down in the east. Both Stepp and Ryan were introduced to a round of applause.

All in all, it was a good night and I am hopeful there are more of these back-and-forth sessions between the candidates. And hopefully, there can be fuller participation. The Metro Club debate was intentionally only for those candidates from Jefferson County. There will be others in the state, as well as the usual KET show, so stay tuned.

On a different note, last night was the last night the Metro Club was to meet in the UAW Hall. Starting next month, the club will be meeting in the upstairs meeting hall of the American Legion Highland Post #201 on Bardstown Road, four blocks north of the Watterson near Assumption High School.

295. There he goes again.

United States Senator Barack Obama won another state - Mississippi. Remember the "follow the bouncing ball" rendition in the cartoons from a-hundred years ago. "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. It used to be so hard to spell, but now it makes me cry!" Senator Clinton must be trying to respell her way through this winter. It hasn't be easy on her. She may be crying at this point. And we've now six weeks of back-and-forth volleys between the two Democrats before voting commences in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania while Senator John McCain, Republican-nominee presumptive, makes his way between the two or three or four right wings of his Party, some more right than others, but none too much to the left, and all of whom will sooner or later make their way into McCain's Straight Talk camp.

Back on our side of the aisle, will it all be over before it is time for it all to be over come August in Denver? I doubt it, and that is beginning to look unfortunate. One Louisville blogger lamented earlier in the day that he was already sick of the Democratic Primary. Some wondered what took him so long. Will this long and winding road rend our Party into pieces - white and black, young and old, progressive, traditional liberal, and less-liberal, and J. R. Gray-type moderates? Will such a division delay or deny the Democratic Party the full ascension it began with the elections in November, 2006, elections which because of Kentucky's earliest poll-closing hour in the nation began right here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 with the election of John Yarmuth to the 110th Congress? (Across the river polls close at the same time as Kentucky but because part of Congressman Baron Hill's district is in the Central Time Zone, he had to wait an extra hour before his race was called. The only other place which closes simultaneous with most of Kentucky and part of Indiana (at 6:00 pm ET) is the United States Virgin Islands). But, I digress.

I've written elsewhere that both camps have followed an incomplete game plan and the result has been both are claiming some predominance which is honestly unfounded. Obama likes to point out he has won more votes and more states than Clinton. The former is probably a legitimate claim to a point; the latter clearly is not. Many of the states Obama was won are "caucus" states where a small percentage of the voting population determines that state's delegates for a large number of voters who didn't bother to show. And because caucusses are not like Primaries, where one is usually in and out in twenty minutes, many folks simply don't participate due to time constraints. Caucusses do not yield the best picture of how a state's Party-registrants feel - rather it is a very good picture of a few truly focussed and committed activists on both sides. Clinton's campaign seems to ignored them altogether, losing nearly all of them, and after an Obama sweep in the upper Midwest firing the campaign manager, although that wasn't the reason given for her departure.

Then there is the complaint of the Obama people that Clinton is going to steal the election by the votes of Superdelegates. If she does, it is only because her campaign realized from the start that this group of people were part of the process, just as they have been for most of Senator Obama's life. She's played to the big-state Primaries as well as the Superdelegates, who like those who participate in a caucus, have more power than they probably deserve - but not more today than they've ever had in the past, just today (and for all of the tomorrows until we get to Denver) they really mean something.

But neither the caucusses or the Superdelegates are new. Both have been part and parcel of the process for a generation and neither Clinton nor Obama have given all three parts appropriate attention. And the result is nightly bickering for everyone to see on their TVs, PCs, HDTVs, Podcasts, or whatever other means they have. And it is isn't pretty. And it isn't going to get any prettier between now and Denver.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the season.

April 22, Pennsylvania Primary, 188 delegates.
May 3, Guam Caucus, 9 delegates.
May 6, Indiana Primary, 84 delegates.
May 6, North Carolina Primary, 134 delegates.
May 13, West Virginia Primary, 39 delegates.
May 20, Kentucky Primary, 55 delegates. *-See note
May 20, Oregon Primary, 65 delegates.
June 1, Puerto Rico Primary, 63 delegates.
June 3, Montana Primary, 24 delegates.
June 3, South Dakota Primary, 23 delegates.

Kentucky's delegation, according to the Democratic National Committee website, will be made up of 31 Congressional District Level delegates, 10 At-Large Delegates, 6 Party Leader and Elected Official Delegates, and 8 Unpledged Delegates. Then there are those 9 Superdelegates. There will also be 8 Alternates. This number has changed over time, some of that change attributable to recalculations based on the reallocation of Michigan's and Florida's delegates, which may, in the end, be back in play. There is a process to become a national delegate, the first step of which is to make a filing with the State Party by May 15. Go to the www.kydemocrat.com for more information.

Hold on tight to your dreams. (That's ELO talk for those of you as old as me).

P.S. I've been to South Dakota once in my life with my grandfather many years ago. Not much happens there. That's likely to change come late-May and early-June. I would think that if one went to South Dakota on purpose, which I don't suppose many folks do, late-May or early June would be one of the best times of year to do so. Just a thought.

294. The Streets are Clear. Thanks Be To God.

I had to laugh at the preposterous statement in the paper. His Honor the Mayor of Louisville - Jefferson County Metro congratulated the City work forces for their quick clearing of the city's roads of snow and ice. He didn't mention the rising of the sun as well as the temperature as playing any role, divine or otherwise. But, I am sure if someone points that out to him, he will take credit for that too.

He seems to gotten himself mixed up with some other leader.

293. Not Much to Say

2-9-3 is one of those combinations of numbers which have a meaning for me. My birthday is 9-2-3 - mark it down for later reference. But, there is nothing of significance to write about today. I could write about the Kentucky highway bearing the number 293. I have driven parts of it - it runs from just north of Slover Creek in Webster County southwest through a wing of Hopkins County, then continuing southwest to Princeton, the Caldwell County seat where it wraps around the old Court House and follows south out Jefferson Street, under a railroad viaduct, and where for a few blocks it is co-signed with KY 139, about a 1/2 mile west of Eddy Creek, then at KY 903 bending to more of a due-west direction as it crosses over into Lyon County, where it comes to an end after intersecting with Interstate 24 at KY93, it so-called parent route. I've only driven on it twice, and then on different parts. But why bore the five faithful with such trivia?

292. Blizzards, Daylight Savings, and . . . . .

The blizzard is over. Just over nine inches officially registered at the National Weather Service. Some parts of the county reported up to twelve. Outside my back door, I measured eleven inches. All of those streets which were impassable this morning eventually became passable with the sun arising as well as the temperature. The sun is now setting over the west end of Market Street where the New Albany Power Plant stacks mark the end of civilization as we know it.

In protest to the early end of the blizzard, we will shave an hour tonight off our clocks. Daylight Savings Time, which gives Hoosiers something to talk about, begins at 2:00 am. According to police records, the hour from 2:00am to 3:00am on the Second Sunday in March records the least number of accidents on America's highways, mostly because it doesn't exist, except in Hawaii and formerly in some parts of Indiana.

Since I used the expression "something to talk about" in this essay, I am moving Sanjaya Malakar's picture up in the sidebar litany of photos. He gave us much to talk about up to just under a year ago. Where have you gone, Sanjaya?

291. Doctor My Eyes, the Snow is so Bright

The picture at right, taken earlier yesterday, is of headstones in Zachary National National Cemetery on Brownsboro Road.



I should begin this entry with my decision last night, whilst dining with a friend at Carly Rae's at 1st and Oak streets not to do something I really wanted to do, not doing it because I am apparently getting old and was afraid "how the roads would be" later on when the event ended. This morning I regret being a scaredy-cat.

It has been a long time since Louisville has seen a multi-day - multi-inch snowfall. A few hours ago, using a Ken Herndon for Council Magnet/Ruler, I attempted to measure the depth of the snow which has so far fallen, now nearing its fourteenth hour. But the magnet is only six inches long and the snow, at least here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606, was more like 7 and 1/2. And it continues to fall and is scheduled to do so throughout the day, with forecasters predicting another 2 or 3 inches, depending upon how much coffee they've already had this morning.

I walked around my block about 6:15 am, coursing through the white stuff along S. Campbell, E. Madison, S. Shelby, and E. Muhammad Ali. Only Ali had been plowed. Of course, that block of Shelby is a residential pedestrian mall, so it doesn't count. Later on, not too long ago, I drove out and about downtown Louisville, where only Broadway, Ali, and Jefferson appear to be adequately cleared. But, they won't remain so as the snow is falling faster than the plowers can clear the streets. And since we now plow far more streets than in the past (in the past being before Merger) with the same amount of equipment, it takes longer, or in some cases, some things just don't get done like they used to, despite the fact that those receiving less services still pay two property tax bills while those receiving more services still only pay one. But, I digress.

Looking at the bright-white sights and sites in the city can be hard on the eyes. But it is all rather enchanting. There is nothing for me that brings back childhood memories any more than snowfall. In the neighborhood where I grew up, in southern Jefferson County off South Park Road between Fairdale and Okolona, there were probably 30 kids between the ages of 6 and 16 in the late 60s and 70s. Boys and girls, with last names like Priddy and Payton, Breed and Bowen, Jansing, Gutermuth, Kesler, Shumate, Vining, Woehrle, Mills, and me and my brother adding Noble. On snow days, we would sled on the very small hill right in front of my house, a hill that is otherwise ignored as a bump in the road until snow or ice make a grand mountain out of it. For big snows, we would walked down South Park toward the road that led up to the old Preston Street Road Water Company Tower, up on South Park Hill, the highest point in Jefferson County, rising to 902 feet, which is some 450 feet higher than the elevation of the Court House downtown on Jefferson Street. From the point at the top of the hill, you had three of four choices of which way to sled back down. Of course, all but one of those (the one being the way you came) led to a much longer walk back home. At the time, the Jefferson Freeway (later renamed the Snyder Freeway) wasn't there. One path led down into the property of the Trinity Pentecostal Tabernacle. Another would go over toward Granger Road in Coral Ridge. The best path led down toward Silver Lake at the South Park Country Club. This was the path we often took. After sledding back down, we'd walk back up the other South Park Road, the one that runs along side of the L&N Railroad and make a stop at the little market where the two South Parks split. This shorter road is now a dead end and has been renamed South Park Court. At the market, more often than not, we'd "borrow" the phone and call my grandmother, the one woman who didn't mind driving in the snow and had a big enough car to haul all of us kids back around South Park Hill and home to hot chocolate and other goodies. Such a sled ride took about three hours from beginning to end and was (I guess) well worth it as we did it every chance we could. It seems like there were more chances back then than there are now.

Back then, it would have never occurred to me not to do something simply because of the snow. Last night, I did not do something simply because of the snow. My very favorite singer was in Louisville for a concert. I had planned to go for weeks. Jackson Browne, who I've heard before in concert, when both he and I were much younger, has been my favorite singer since 9th or 10th grade. He played in Louisville last night and I didn't go. Damn. All because of a little snow.

290. Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful !

First, a comment on the number of today's entry. My number system has been off since entry #126. Wednesday's entry made the system two numbers off. That error is today corrected. Also, the accompanying picture of the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro snowplow was lifted directly from Jacob Payne's blog PageOneKentucky.com. I think that is the intersection of Payne Street (appropriate enough for Dr. Payne) and Baxter Avenue.

As I look out the window from where I sit here in the 1800 block of Brownsboro Road, about a mile and a half upriver from the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606, the snow has tempered down somewhat from the earlier blizzard conditions which thus far have dropped a little over two inches since the white stuff started to fall right at 7:00 this morning. Through the day there have been predictions for up to thirteen inches of snowfall, although that number has (presently) been edged back to five to seven. Whatever the measure, we'll take it. Tonight's forecast calls for temperatures down in the low 20s and some additional accumulation into tomorrow - a weekend wonderland.

There is little else to write about. The legislature is in session but thus far haven't proven very productive. There have been exactly four bills signed into law by our governor during this legislative session so far. HB 168 concerns the drivers licenses of our Kentucky soldiers sent in harm's way to Iraq and other places by the McCain/Bush/Cheney junta, licenses which expired while they were on their tour of duty. It allows them 90 days of leniency in a traffic stop, giving them time to do what many of us stateside take for granted, renewing our licenses in a timely manner. They deserve this extra time. HB 284 is another measure for the military among us, aimed at reducing paperwork for those who are 100% disabled due to their military service. Another good piece of legislation. HB 366 has to do with storage units and making it illegal for people to "set up housekeeping" therein. The only instance I've read of this was that guy from Ashland, Kentucky who several years back won the PowerBall, proceeded to spend his way through his winnings, and ended up living in a rented storage space in Boca Raton, Florida. If I ever hit the PowerBall, one of my first calls will be to Don McNay in Richmond for advice. Finally, HCR 112 made February 12, 2008 the official kickoff of the two-year long Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, who would have been 200 on February 12 of next year. These are the four pieces of legislation out of 1031 which have been introduced, which have found their way to the governor's office for inking.

Maybe snow on a Friday is a good thing. The legislature adjourned early.

Two notes - the snow has begun to pick back up while I've been typing. The Great Blizzard of 2008 is upon us.

287. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Convention

Yesterday was supposed to be the day a member of United States Senate pulled far enough away from his closest competitor to declare the Primary race over. Well, it did happen, but not to Barack Obama. It happened to John McCain, who with his wins last night in all four contests (Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont) secured the necessary pledged delegates to win the Republican Party's nomination for the office of President of the United States.

Across the aisle, where Sunlight apparently breeds division, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton remain about as far apart after the four contests as they were before, which is to say not very far, and certainly not far enough for either of them to declare a victory. Neither of them can mathematically win enough delegates between now and the convention to do that.


So, what does that mean here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606? Most likely that our May 20th Primary, considered late in the season, is suddenly a possible stop for both Obama and Clinton on their way to Denver. Both of them have been here before and I was honored on those occasions to have met them (and I want to insert here my thanks to Jerry Lundergan, John Yarmuth, and Jon Hurst for making those things happen. The three of them are also collectively responsible for my close-up meeting with former President William Jefferson Clinton during his visit in Louisville).

Imagine what it will be like come the First Saturday in May, a special day in Kentucky. It will be the Saturday before the Indiana primary, immediately across the river and fifteen days before Kentucky's. It is possible we'll see Obama and Clinton here in town for the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. It's going to be an interesting next eight to ten weeks. Stay tuned.

An Historic Day

I know - all eyes are on Texas and Ohio and Rhode Island and Vermont. This may be the last day of the Primary season and the first day of the General season. More importantly, if that is the case, it would also mean that it is a great turning point in the history of our Republic, the day it became apparent that a mixed-race 46 year old black man from Hawaii becomes the first of his race (and of his state) to run as the nominee of a major political party for President of the United States.

March 4, 2008. Will it go down in history? I've said more than once on this blog that I thought his opponent would not only be the nominee but also the President. I've said this while being at times a supporter of hers, a supporter of his, and a supporter of Chris Dodd's, who last week endorsed tonight's would-be history-maker. And tonight, I am beginning to think I could very well be wrong.

March 4th used to be the day presidents took office. Only in the mid-20th century was that date changed to January 20th. Seventy-five years ago today, America embarked on another historic journey, one that would last fifteen years in its genesis, with social and economic programs and progress which continued for nearly fifty years, through Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson (especially Johnson), Nixon, and to an extent Ford, until their dismantling by one of America's most charismatic yet least qualified men ever to hold the office of president, Ronald Reagan. Reagan not only ended The Cold War (a good thing), he also ended once and for all The New Deal, begun in the first 100 days of the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt who took office 75 years ago today. Ending the New Deal was not a good thing.

Most of us know at least one line from Roosevelt's first inaugural, one where he took on the economic woes of the country and the bank owners of the day by proclaiming "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." His addressing "fear" had nothing to do with foreign powers, terrorists, or outside invasion. It had to do with the leading economic forces of America, forces which had brought the American economy to its lowest point ever. If only George W. Bush were half the man Franklin D. Roosevelt was, perhaps we could hope for hope sooner than it will democratically arrive next year on January 20th. Hope Springs Eternal.

Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

Fleetwood Mac's song was the campaign theme for the Clinton/Gore campaign O those many years ago.

I am sure the song has entered the mind of Senator Hillary Clinton as she heads into tomorrow's Primaries/Caucuses in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Last Night's Dinner - Steak and Potatoes; Today's Dessert - Sour Grapes

A good time was had by all.

Last night, the Louisville - Jefferson County Democratic Party held its Wendell H. Ford Dinner at the Executive West on Phillips Lane in Louisville, returning to the venerable hotel after a several-year absence based on a labor dispute grudge against the hotel's late owner Al J. Schneider. Mr. Schneider has gone on to his Eternal Reward so the local Party returned to its old haunt for this year's dinner. The crowd was estimated between 450 and 600 people, who enjoyed a large piece of thinly sliced steak, with some veggies, and a slice of Chess Pie, served with your choice of beverage (mine was coffee). A cocktail hour began the evening with libations available poolside before the crowd was directed into the cavernous and well decorated hall for the event. The Louisville Metro Police Color Guard presented the colors followed by an invocation (invoking only the Father's name, but not the Son), followed by the singing of the National Anthem by Jefferson County PVA Tony Lindauer, who has become our regular crooner at Jefferson County events. Years past have seen those duties fall to Anne Elizabeth Delahanty, Lisa Tanner, and Heather French Henry.

Among the 450 to 600 attendees were several Louisville Metro Council members and candidates (David Tandy, Ken Herndon, Tom Owen, Tina Ward-Pugh (boasting a "Meet Me in Ohio" Hillary Clinton t-shirt), Council President Jim King, Rick Blackwell, Vicki Aubrey Welch, Kungu Njuguna, and Brent Ackerson). Legislators in attendance included Senators Denise Harper Angel, Tim Shaughnessy, Gerald Neal, and Perry Clark, all of whom are running for reelection. From the House were Joni Jenkins, Tom Riner, Mary Lou Marzian, and Dennis Horlander. The evening was especially poignant for Horlander who accepted a posthumous Memorial Award on behalf on his aunt Nelle Horlander, one of the local Party's dearest and most supportive members who passed away a few weeks ago. Nelle was precinct captain for many years of the old B-49, which was later renumbered as Q-122 voting at Hartstern School on Fern Valley Road. She was one of the few political friends I knew through my Noble side of the family, as opposed to the Hockensmith side where they were all political one way or another. Several awards were delivered - to Nicole Candler, Kungu Njuguna, Dottie Winfield, and someone else whose name (and speech) escapes lo these twenty-four hours later. The John W. Crimmins Democrat of the Year Award was presented to Jefferson County Attorney Irv Maze, who was first elected to the Jefferson County Committee in 1980. Speeches were delivered by Maze, Congressman John Yarmuth, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Mongiardo (who was standing in for the governor, whose father-in-law had fallen ill). The lieutenant governor addressed this crowd of Louisvillians with a speech about new building and construction in Lexington and something else about rabbit hunting - not that it mattered - Jefferson County has always been good to Daniel Mongiardo at election time, last year being no exception thanks in large part to the efforts of the aforementioned Jefferson County Attorney. That was last night, and as I said a good time was had by all.

Today a meeting of the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Executive Committee was held at the Wendell H. Ford Democratic Party Headquarters on Democrat Drive in Frankfort. After addresses by United States Senate candidates Greg Fischer, Michael Cassaro, and Bruce Lunsford (all of which were taped by Jim Pence of the Ditch Mitch and Hillbilly Democrat blogs), the Party got down to business. We discussed a number of things, which if you had been in attendance, you would know about given that all meetings of the Party are open to all registered Democrats in Kentucky. The meeting devolved into several parliamentary motions including two to adjourn so as to avoid the discussion at hand, both of which failed.

This is where the Sour Grapes come in - on my part. I've been working for sometime - somewhat erratically since 2006 - to change parts of the By-Laws pertaining to Jefferson County - and Fayette County as well. I've sent notices to many different folks outlining these changes but had received no first-hand opposition in return. Today I was handed my oppostion on a large platter - much bigger than last night's steak - by one member from Jefferson County, and second by another member from Fayette County, neither one of which had ever expressed any opposition in the past. Truthfully, this was my fault. I guess I hadn't communicated all this as well as I had thought. And, after the vote, I took the floor and took issue with another member's words on the matter. At that point I said something that I believed at the time was right, but came home and looked up and now know it wasn't. What I said was wrong; something I'll need to correct and will in an email later this evening. I've been operating under the erroneous idea that the nomination of a legislative candidate in Jefferson Counmty in 2006 was not done according to the By-Laws, even though I supported the person nominated. I WAS WRONG. I should not have been so upset after the vote and I don't like the taste of the Sour Grapes in my mouth. So, I wanted, with this second part of tonight's entry to set the record straight, admit my error, and apologise.

One more thing - it is good to have Chad Aull back on the Committee.

283. Wendell Ford Dinner in Louisville tomorrow

Back on February 18, 1971, I wrapped up a week of being a legislative page in the Kentucky Senate, working for State Senators Tom Mobley of Louisville and Carroll Hubbard of Murray. I was 10 years old. It was my second time paging, the first time much earlier for State Representative Tommy Riddle, who at the time was a Democrat but has since switched parties because he thought the Democrats were big spenders. I wonder how he feels about big borrowers. Maybe he is ready to switch again. But, I digress.

On that February 18, which was a Thursday, later in the day my grandmother took me down to the Lieutenant Governor's Office, then held by Wendell Ford. Later that year, Ford would move around the hallway to the Big Office by defeating Tom Emberton of Metcalfe County. Emberton had been a part of the Louie B. Nunn administration as a bureaucrat in the Public Service Commission, while Ford served those four years as Lieutenant Governor. Emberton would later be appointed as a judge by Wallace Wilkinson, one of my favorite characters from Kentucky's political past, and someone who was a friend. Ford, on the other hand, went on to the United States Senate, taking office in 1974 by defeating former Jefferson County Judge Marlow Cook. Cook was the incumbent Senator and did something that would be unheard of today. Cook, a Republican, resigned a month early, to allow Ford, a Democrat, to take office early and get a jump on seniority. It was a grand and noble gesture on Senator Cook's part.

Ford went on to serve longer in that office than any other person, although if Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. gets re-elected this fall, he will best Ford's record. The only person, to my knowledge, to serve longer in Kentucky politics was for Lieutenant Governor (and former several-other-things) Thelma L. Stovall, originally from Munfordsville, but mostly a resident of Louisville.

Anyway, the point I was heading toward was an announcement. Every year the Louisville-Jefferson County Democratic Party has as its chief fundraiser a Dinner in honor of the former State Senator - Lieutenant Governor - Governor - and United States Senator Wendell Hampton Ford. That dinner is tomorrow night, the 29th of February, at the Executive Inn on Phillips Lane at the Airport in Louisville. Tickets are $125.00 at the door. We have already sold a total of about 50 tables according to the Party Secretary Joyce Compton, who has done more work than should be allowed for a number of years on this event. This year's speakers are Governor Steve Beshear and Congressman John Yarmuth.

A good time should be had by all.

282. Thoughts on a Snowy Tuesday night in February

First, some inside stuff to Moderate Man -- To spend capital, one must first have it. Your comment is ironic to say the least - commenting on the Louisville Urban Services District's lack of capital by calling on His Honor to spend some of his own to raise it. If there is any left, after nineteen years of spending very little if any, he may have fallen prone to a problem my forty-seven year old erstwhile muscles have - if you don't use them, you lose them. Lack of any expension of capital over the years has in and of itself depleted any available should the need arise - as is has now.

But, while that is a problem you and I must live through, at least until 2011 and more likely until 2015, it is not one we can solve with just words. There is a line in the play My Fair Lady, in a song, "Words, words, words, I'm so sick of words." Hillary Clinton used part of the line this week, saying that doing things, as she claims to have done 35 years more of than her opponent, is more important than saying them, even if in a grand oratorical style with thousands looking on. And although set in London, England, the song in the play leads to the Missouri saying of "Show me!" We have had a great deal of words and wordplay serving - or disgusied - as government for many years here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. It is not by words, but by works that we will succeed. John of Patmos wrote in the Bible in the Book of Revelation at Chapter 2, Verse 19, "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last [to be] more than the first."

To the work then.

On a different note, I have just a few minutes ago came in from driving through downtown Louisville. There is a light snow - a rather magical snow, a little heavier than mist, through which the city's glimmers are shining. It is quite easy to look at. The temperature is 30 degrees, which is near perfect for snowfall. The roads don't freeze until it is below 28 because of the brining, and the snow wont quite stick. Earlier in the day, I complained (much to my own surprise) of the cold weather we can't seem to shake. What was I thinking?

281. Good News

First, State Representative Harry Moberly, a Democrat from Richmond who is the Democratic point man on budget matters, gets it. Good news. He is proposing tax increases here and there. One is a cigarette tax; another is an increase in corporate taxes; thirdly, some revenue enhancements in the indivudual tax code. Mr. Speaker Jody Richards says Moberly's plan is doable - at least in the House.

There are lots of ways for Moberly to go. They've been cutting taxes and exempting classes of folks for thirty years. Finally, at least there is acknowledgment that change is needed. Of couse the Senate end of the building is controlled by people who live in the fantasy land that "no government is good government," led by State Senator David Williams of P. O. Box 666 in Burkesville in Cumberland County (while his wife lives over in Russell County, which is not a part of his senate district). Senator Williams will direct the Republicans in the Senate (and probably a few of the Democrats) to vote against any of the proposals sent down by the House.

It is the intention of the Republicans to get people used to idea that Democrats are "tax and spend" types - as opposed to Republicans who are "borrow and spend" types. And, unfortunately, in the short run, he will probably succeed, which will eventually lead to the shutdowns of various parts of state government. I'm not sure when that will happen, but when it does, I am hopeful the KDP will buy some TV time and show pictures of when the Federal government was shut down under the Republican controlled United States House of Representatives, replete with pictures of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich being morphed into the current State Senate President David Williams. It is going to be a long and winding process and it will not be without some suffering on the parts of most every Kentuckian. And while Senator Williams and his Republicans (along with some Democrats) will be largely responsible, anyone who calls upon their legislators to "cut taxes" is also part of the problem.

Onto some better news. Here in Louisville, two items have crossed the newswires of interest to immigrants and those who believe that America should heed the words carved on the base of the Statue of Liberty about taking in those in need.

First, a storefront church in the Iroquois Manor Shopping Center on S. 3rd Street is offering free meals in this area which is heavily populated by immigrants from as many as 27 different countries. The Iglesia Cristiana He Visto La Luz , which translated means I Have Seen The Light Christian Church, serves the meals on Fridays from 12 noon to 2:00 pm. This is what is meant by doing God's work; not all the face-time a lot of politicians put in because they are giving away your tax dollars on their pet projects.

The other good news came from the Muhammad Ali Center yesterday where 195 formely non-Americans became Americans, including one, Jose Valdez, who has already served two tours of duty for what is now his country. Anyone who ever has the chance to witness one of these Swearing-Ins will never again take for granted the importance of being an American.

Thanks Be To God.

280. Random plans for a Trip

I trekked [mapped] out on Google-Maps today the path I would take driving to Denver, Colorado if I am to go later this summer for the Democratic National Convention. Not as a delegate is my plan; rather I am angling to do some sort of staffing work if at all possible. Others of course will take to the friendly skies, but I prefer the open roads. Besides, I've never really driven much to the West at all - Fancy Farm, while a long ways off, really doesn't count. All of my driving travels outside the confines of the Commonwealth have generally been to the east, northeast, and southeast.

For such a trip west, I'd like to go by way of Springfield, Illinois on the way to revisit the Old State House, where both Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama launched their presidential campaigns, albeit several years apart.

I'd also like to go ot Omaha, Nebraska, where last year the University of Louisville Baseball team played in a collegiate world series of sorts. Both are along the way. On the return trip, I've got Wichita, Kansas on the journey, mostly because I've never been there. Another Springfield, this one in Missouri, is also scheduled. I have Hockensmith cousins there I've not seen in over twenty years, the children of my grandfather's younger brother William B. Hockensmith, of that city.

Saint Louis is a point both going and coming. I've been there many times and always like a return visit. And, unlike Louisville-Jefferson County Metro, they still have a City and a County, and the legislators in their city are called Aldermen, an office I wish we still had here in the Urban Services District of Louisville, along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606.

*****

I'm listening to Barack and Hillary. It sounds like another love-fest so far. Outside, we had ice earlier. Now we have "a wintry mix" whatever that means. Tomorrow comes the rain.

279. A little more Castro. Also, a little more a little closer to home.

My Cuban friend mentioned in the previous entry isn't all that enthused about Raoul Castro's ascension to power in his native state. He feels Raoul's military background under his older brother's regime will prove to be just as brutal if not moreso than Fidel's. He doesn't feel any change is anywhere near on the horizon just yet. That's a shame, but he would know more about it than me.

Closer to home, the political landscape is getting a little more interesting. I've written more than once than I felt Senator Hillary Clinton would ont only be the nominee but also the next president. The Junior Senator from Illinois is making that harder than anticipated. I've written before that I was for Clinton before I was for Obama before I was for Chris Dodd, who is no longer running. On one of the window sills in my office is a "Don't Tell Mama I'm For Obama" sticker. I suggested to one of my coworkers that one week it is up for everyone to view, while the next it is laying down. I'm still undecided although I do have a bumber sticker on my car for the current favored son of Hawai'i. There has to be something special about a candidate who draws the support of both former Congressman Romano L. Mazzoli and current Congressman John Yarmuth. They do not inhabit the same territory within the Party although both are from the idealist side of the Party. And the opinion of each of them makes an impression on me.

Even closer to home, there has been much consternation about Andrew Horne's aborted candidacy for the United Senate. A whole lot of people are upset about it including some in some very high places of power, at least here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. I am admittedly not one of those upset. But neither have I cast my lot with either of the two serious challengers, Bruce Lunsford or Greg Fischer, both millionaires from Louisville. And I am even more undecided in this race than I am in the one between Clinton and Obama. And again, the opinions expressed by several of my friends from the Yarmuth campaign are pushing in one direction rather than another. There is the old saw about "some of my friends are for you and some of my friends are against you and I am for my friends." Ah, the joys of loyalty.

Finally, our Kentucky General Assembly, a collection of 138 lawmakers now assembled at Frankfort are busy introducing legislation, making attempts to amend said legislation, but doing very little passing of same. Actually, they have passed exactly zero pieces of legislation, which, frankly, is probably better than it seems. Introductions: 769. Amendments: 190. Enactments: 0. [Acknowledgements to www.kentuckyvotes.org, a service of the Bluegrass Instutute, a copyright of USA Votes, Inc. for these statistics]. The session is more than half over. At some point, legislation will start getting passed and that is when we Kentuckians should start paying closer attention. One recalls the old joke that we might be better off if the General Assembly met for two days every sixty years rather than sixty days every two years. Unfortunately, due to one of those constitutional amendments I habitually vote against, they now meet every year, making Frankfort a most dangerous place not just biennially but annually. If nothing else, it makes for interesting entertainment for the school children making field trips to the Commonwealth's seat of government. I know I always enjoyed it.

That's all for now.

278. Castro

When I was in 7th grade, in Room 120 at Durrett High School, one of the first "big" papers I had to write was on Latin America. I wrote for pages and pages on the various governments up and down the land we call America, including a special section on Cuba. This was in 1972 or 1973, not so far removed from Castro's takeover of the government there just shortly before I was born 12 years earlier. Little did I know that many of the governments on which I had written were merely puppets of either the United States or the Soviet Union, or both.

Long-time readers will know that I've mentioned Cuba in previous posts, asking questions about the whereabouts of a statue of Jose Marti, a former leader of the island nation, whose statue once stood in Shively Park, but is there no more.

For the past 12 years, I have had the pleasure of a friendship with a Cuban refugee, one who I met shortly after his arrival here in the states aboard a raft, upon which he and two others had left the Castro regime. Put on a plane by the Catholic Refugee Services in southern Florida, he ended up in Louisville - loo-ese vee-ye - as he pronounced it at the time, thinking he was in Saint Louis, or sahn-loo-eee.

Since 1999, he has rented a little four room cottage from me, one in Camp Taylor in which I had lived for the previous twelve years, and there he remains today, through two or three girlfriends, one wife, three or four jobs, and a slew of friends.

He had often spoken of his Homeland, one he has not seen for over thirteen years, where his brothers and sisters, mother and grandmother, and his daughter, now a young lady of about 17 years old, remain, all hopeful that someday their family may be reunited.

My friend and his family are just one of many, many families in a like situation, all awaiting for the day that relations between Cuba and the United States are once again warm and friendly, as they were in the very beginning of Castro's reign of now fifty years.

The first step, a very small one, came in 2006 when Fidel Castro yielded over some of his power to his younger brother Raul, who is said to be just as ruthless at times as his older sibling. Another much larger step was taken today when Fidel announced, via the internet, he was stepping aside, ending his fifty year rule.

It will take many many more changes before relations between here and there will ever be anything close to normal. But, as with all journeys of a thousand miles, there is always that first important step.

For the sake of my friend and his family, and those of all the Cubans I've come to know, and all those I will never know, I am hopeful Castro's stepping down is the first step in the right direction.

Cuba Libre.

Here is a quote from Jose Marti, the former leader.

"One revolution is still necessary: the one that will not end with the rule of its leader. It will be the revolution against revolutions, the uprising of all peaceable individuals, who will become soldiers for once so that neither they nor anyone else will ever have to be a soldier again."

Another Trip to Frankfort, and a tale about The Standing Ovation

I was in Frankfort this past Thursday for some legislative business. As most of my five faithful readers know, Frankfort is one of my favorite little cities. Louisville, of course, is my favorite really-big-town, but that is fodder for a different feeding. Thursday while there I made two stops off my schedule of historic interest, but probably to no one but me, just to take a look around our Capital and our Commonwealth.

First, I parked for a moment in the Riverview Park, established in 1997, along Wilkinson Boulevard and looked westward across the Kentucky River to the eddy formed by the mouth of Benson Creek. It was at this point, this juncture of land and water, that the Virginia legislature and governor, Thomas Jefferson, chose to divide Kentucky County, Virginia into its three original divisions, Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties. From my vantage point, I could look out to the northwest, up the Bald Knob Pike past Bellepoint, and let my eyes wander out into what was originally a part of Jefferson County, Virginia. Looking westward and southwestward, the view is blocked by Buttimer's Hill, the rock of a mountain just west of the city above the old Taylor Avenue and divided from what is now called Louisville Hill by the foot of Devil's Hollow Road, which itself formed the original path out of the capital city to what would become in time Kentucky largest really-big-twon, Louisville. That vista made up a part of Lincoln County, Virginia. If I were to look back over my shoulder toward South Frankfort and the New Capital, that too was a part of the original Lincoln County. The point where I was standing, on the Right Bank of the Kentucky River near Milepost 66, was a part of Fayette County, Virginia, which at that point in time was the most populous county of the three, with a census of about 2500 people in all of the area from Frankfort southeast to Pineville, east to Ashland, and north to Carrollton and Covington. That was one of my stops, viewing the origins of our state, which over in what was once a part of Lincoln County, was currently hosting our House and Senate in General Assembly.

My second view was made from on top of the Capitol Parking Garage, the one with the loops on either end, where the floors are numbered from bottom to top in ascending order so that the highest numbered floor is the lowest in elevation. Don't ever drive the loops within 30 minutes of having dinner in the Annex Cafeteria. You will not make it out of the City Limits. But, I digress.

Looking eastward from this point, the vista is of a broad plain below and then up the side of the hill toward Georgetown - "out East Main" as they would say in Frankfort. A look to the northeast is Frankfort Cemetery, the subject of one of the first entries of this blog. Looking below, of course, is the Kentucky River, which on Thursaday was a murky thick brown color, like coffee with cream, which is not the way I like my coffee, or my rivers. The river was up too, though not in any flooding territories as I have seen it now and then over time, most extraordinarily in 1978 when I was a freshman at the University of Kentucky. Much of the view of the old city to the north is obstructed from here by the Governor's Mansion and Grounds. Turning around one could look between the Capital and the Annex and up Lafayette Drive toward Louisville.

I always enjoy my trips to Frankfort, whether they are for business or pleasure. In the past, I am sure many legislators would have made this same comment. I have heard so many over time, though, comment that it is not what it used to be. I first became acquainted with the Capital through my grandmother, who had reason to be there from time to time. Later on, in Junior High School, which today is called Middle School, I made trips to the KYA conventions sponsored by the State YMCA, which was then headed by a Mr. Journey, who is long-since gone. In those Jr-KYA and later in High School in Sr-KYA conventions, I learned the legislative process and became enamored with the entire community around it. Having lots and lots of family in the Capital city was certainly a plus. Still later, as a freshman in college, I served as an advisor for some Jr-KYA students from what was then called Morton Junior High, on Tates Creek Pike in Lexington. The now-Morton Middle School is one of the prettiest buildings in Lexington in my opinion. I served in that role under a math teacher there, Sheila Becker (later Sheila Vice). I had a great time.

But, as I said, the environment is different now, the habits are different now, and of course, the fiscal underpinning of state government, as well as all other levels of government, is not there. We are at the bottom of the barrel with no real help in sight, only band-aids. While I was visiting at the Capital Annex Cafeteria, I called State Representative Jim Wayne, a Democrat of Jefferwon County's 35th District, over to my lunch table, which I was sharing with Assistant Jefferson County Attorneys E. Patrick Mulvihill (who is a candidate for Distict Judge in the upcoming elections) and John (J. P.) Ward, a part-time prosecutor who is learning the legislative ropes. Jim told us of his latest adventure in Taxing Matters, a proposal he is pushing to establish an Alternative Minimum Tax structure for the state along the lines of that established by the IRS for the Republic as a whole. His plan would remove many lower-income tax payers from the system while simultaneously shifting the burden to those in higher tax brackets, especially those making $250,000.00 or more. It is a noble goal. And even though adoption of Representative Wayne's plan would be a step in the right direction, it is not nearly enough. Proposals like Representative Wayne's must be introduced and passed at all levels of government, bringing needed resources for the country as a whole out of the pockets of multi-national corporations and their respective CEOs and CFOs and into the General Funds in Washington, Frankfort, and really-big-towns like Louisville.

At a different level, last Wednesday night the Mayor of Louisville-Jefferson County Metro gave a speech at the Metro Democratic Club, an update of his previously-given State of the City address, an annual event at the Downtown Rotary Club. In his update, he talked about the financial crises the City is in as being attributable to the general downturn of the economy as a whole. I have had discussions with others who laid part of the blame at the feet of a City financial planner whose numbers were skewed by a one-time payment into the City's coffers which was accounted as recurring income. Another person has informed me it is her opinion, based on some reputable knowledge she has (and she is in a position to have such knowledge) that the City's budget shortfall isn't nearly as big as is being reported. What the Mayor never alluded to in his speech were any new costs of running the merged City and County governments as one, without any equalisation of the propety tax structure for those people outside the old City who receive only one tax bill a year, unlike those in the old City who still receive two. As more and more services are being extended outside the Louisville Urban Service District without a like increase in taxes outside the Louisville Urban Service District, it becomes obvious that more revenue should be coming in from those receiving these new services, receiving them without paying for them. Since the adoption of Merger, there has never been an External or Internal Auditting presented to the Metro Council which would show these discrepancies. Nor is there any current plan of the Mayor or of the Council to correct this flagrant oversight in the merged government. At the end of his speech, the Mayor received a standing ovation from many (61) of the 64 people in the room. Based on his failure to communicate anything on the tax-fairness question, I was one of the three who did not rise in the ovation. I didn't make a scene; I didn't do anything other than some appropriate applause given the stature of the office.

While at the Capital on Thursday, the threesome of Mulvihill, Ward, and myself, happened around a corner in the Annex and encountered the Mayor and a few of his aides-de-camp, one of whom pointed out to the Mayor that out of the 64 people present in the room, at least one did not make the Standing-O. The Mayor asked me to affirm this which I did, offering that I was busy doing something else. What I was busy doing was trying to figure out why this tax-fairness question is not being addressed given the fiscal shortcomings the Mayor and the City are facing.

The problem isn't original with the Mayor. It is endemic to politicians who are unwilling to say to a populace which wants services that someone has to pay for them. If a politician says they want to raise taxes, many of the folks whose taxes are not likely to be affected, as they are at the lower end of the economic spectrum, are usually those who shout the loudest. They are only hurting themselves and the politicans who give in to them should be held accountable for the dismal state of economics affairs in all levels of the government.

Will this ever happen? Yes, I believe it will. Maybe not this year or next year, but soon. And it will take a fifteen to thirty year cycle to get us back where we were, but it will be worth the wait for the generations to follow beyond that thirty year mark. And we should all be working in that direction.

276. Let It Snow. It is still winter.

You will recall my last entry ended with the weather-prognosticators proposing to their listeners that the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 was in for some snow and ice. And this time they got it right. We are accustomed to hearing that the snow went "just to the north, along a line from Paoli to Salem to Madison," or "just to the south, hitting Brandenburg [which gets all the weather], Elizabethtown, and Bardstown." This time the snow dropped from the skies onto our little burg along the river, stacking up to between four and six inches. That was Monday night. Early Tuesday morning brought an inch of ice on top of the snow which made the 210' walk to the bus-stop interesting, as most of it was on top of the ice which was on top of the snow. [As an aside, I wrote several entries back about the proposal to remove my bus-stop. That proposal was dropped after some private-citizen agitation to both the TARC office and to City Hall. I appreciate the help of my councilmember, David Tandy, in that episode.] Later yesterday, as the temperatures edged above freezing, some of the ice and snow melted which made for a slush-filled afternoon. But then temperatures dipped back down into the 20s, where they remain today, so no melting is occurring. There is some fresh snow blowing about, but no additional accumulation is expected.

I like the snow. I always have. I remember the big snows of 1978 and 1994 - 16 or 17 inches worth. The one in 1994 closed down the city, the interstates, even UPS and the airport. Governor Jones took it on the chin for the conditions of Kentucky's various highways. Both snowfalls remind of me my brother, as they both fell on his birthday, respectively his 16th and 32nd. We were both still teenagers when the first one hit. The second time was a Sunday night/Monday night and my brother had "stopped by to visit" at my then-home in Camp Taylor. As I recall, he stayed aobut six weeks. The 1994 snow was complicated by an even heavier snow just a few days later, one of 22 inches, Louisville's deepest snow fall.

There were big snows when I was younger, but maybe they weren't as big as I recall because I was a lot smaller. I remember (barely) November, 1967 as a big snow. There was also a big snow in April, 1986 on Good Friday, if memory serves me. It didn't last, though. By the day after Easter that year, all traces were gone. I've seen it snow on Hallowe'en, and on Derby Day and Breeders' Cup Day. But it seems it doesn't snow nearly as much as it used to. Maybe that's the Global Warming lots of people talk about but no one wants to admit it is affecting the Ohio Valley's snow patterns. Or maybe I just like snow and wish we'd have more of it.

My mother says it is nice to look at as long as she doesn't have to get out in it. I still like getting out in it.

Unrelated, today is my Aunt Judy's birthday. She is the widow of my father's older brother, Uncle Don, who passed away in 2005. I called her this morning and wished her well. We talked politics for a minute, which isn't a big surprise.

Happy Birthday Aunt Judy.

275. Four Legs Good, Two Legs Better

Based on some emails I’ve received over the weekend, more than a few of my Democratic friends and all of my Republican friends are well to the right of me on the issue of new taxes, just as I know they are on immigration, and based on what a few of them said, maybe even the separation of church and state. The emails abovementioned all complained about my several entries recently calling for a rise in taxes, a rise to offset the thirty years of lowering them here and exempting folks from them there, although none of my correspondents mentioned the thirty year thing. A few mentioned that some of the slack in lower taxes which has led to social cuts have effectively been taken up by religious concerns, which then led to an exchange between us of whether or not those religious concerns were also on the government dole, taking monies for so-called faith-based initiatives, something I oppose. One even ventured to call me a Socialist. I responded to that one that a review of my political affiliation in the Secretary of State’s office would reveal that I am a Democrat. Deeper review in the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office would reveal that I’ve been a Democrat since I first registered to vote when I was 17 years old and I have not changed from that initial affiliation. But, I digress.

To make sure I got the message, a state legislator I was with last night at a social function, also complained to me about taxes being too high, explaining that he could not move to the neighborhood he desired because he couldn’t afford the property taxes. I just shrugged and took another sip of my sasparilla. And from there I went home and re-read the former Eric Blair’s little novella, Animal Farm, to reassure myself that while Socialism may be utopian and perhaps unattainable [Snowball], too many times other forms of government, whether Republics or Democracies on the one hand [Pilkington], and dictators and totalitarians on the other [Napoleon], are too often willing to play at being nice with each other for financial gain while simultaneously each offering to the other their own Ace of Spades, as if a deck of 52 cards would have more than one. And then I went to sleep with the intention of dreaming about Sugarcandy Mountain.

Unrelated, the Kroger Full Employment Support Group, aka the local television meteorologists, are calling for 2 to 4, or 4 to 6, or 6 to 12 inches of the white stuff sometime tonight and tomorrow here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606.

Thanks be to God.

274. Inattention to blogs; inattention to government

A month and a week have already passed in the new year - when did that happen and where did it go? Anyone who has been paying attention here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 is aware I've been lax and inattentive in posting entries and adding new photos. Sooner or later I'll get caught up. But right now, it looks like later is the more likely timeframe for doing so.

I have been a little too busy for my own comfort. I haven't made but one or two trips out into our Commonwealth or over into southern Indiana, which is one short mile away from my home. Even trips to Frankfort, which are typically frequent, have been few, one for a funeral, the other for a party, both of which I've written of in the last few weeks. I know I'll be back up there a few more times in the next few weeks, including on the 1st of March for a meeting of the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Executive Committee, where I will be proposing to the membership some changes in our State Party By-Laws as they affect Fayette and Jefferson counties. Other By-Law changes will be proposed by the By-Laws Committee affecting the other 118 counties in the Commonwealth. All of these changes have to do with the selection process for Democratic nominees in Special Elections. We've had several in the last few months and at least one more is on the horizon as State Representative Brandon Smith, the recent Republican victor in the 30th Senate race, will be vacating his House seat for a move to the other end of the Capital. The State Committee has been notified of these proposals, and again, they will be discussed at the March 1 meeting.

The night before that meeting, on Leap Year Day, will be the Wendell H. Ford Dinner of the Louisville-Jefferson County Democratic Party, an annual fundraiser for the local Party. The crowd is expected to be addressed by both our Congressman John Yarmuth as well as our Governor Steve Beshear. The messages will probably be a mixed bag - things seem to be improving in the Congress, while back in Kentucky, a downward slide budget-wise is the center of attention, especially in the General Assembly. As I've said in previous entries, until and unless we have across the board tax increases, we will be having fiscal problems for years to come.

Another political event coming up much sooner, this coming Wednesday night, will be an address by the Mayor of Louisville-Jefferson County Metro to the Metro Democratic Club - a repeat and perhaps update to the State of the City address he gave earlier this month. Several things have changed since the initial address, not the least of which is the fiscal standing of our local government. That meeting will be held at 6:30 Wednesday at the UAW Hall on Fern Valley Road in Okolona. Last Thursday night, Metro Council President Jim King addressed the All Wool and a Yard Wide Democratic Club on the Council's Budget Committee discussions, with the Council asking pointed questions about the $9,000,000.00 shortfall the administration has announced the Metro is facing. Councilman King is a successful CPA and banker and fortunately has greater insight into these matters than most of his colleagues and having him there to ask the hard questions and helping to find the honest and needed answers is a good thing.

As you can see, budget shortfalls are the common denominator tying together all levels of government. These shortfalls can be directly attributable to legislators on both sides of the aisle at all levels of governing during the last thirty years who have fallen prey to putting their respective reelections ahead of fiscal responsiblity. Grover Norquist and his minions are winning - they are shrinking the government down to nothing. They are true anarchists. Yet legislators continue to give tax breaks to any number of entities, and many politicians continue to call for tax cuts. We are well past the time when it should have ended - we are now in the transition period from a caring and succesful government of laws, not individuals, to one which is failing at every level - a failing Republic, failing states, and failing local governments. If people want new roads and highways, they are forced to have tolls. If people want better schools, they are forced to have bake sales and car washes. If people want anything, the responsibility has shifted to exactly where the right has wanted it all along - the individual. We have devolved into a government of individuals, where the common ties which bind us are overcome by individual greed, individual wants, and individual control. There is no connect between the ones among us and the many we once were. We are getting the government we wish to pay for and the the government we deserve for our selfish actions over time.

Some day - not soon - maybe twenty or thirty years from now, one of the New York Times Bestseller listed books will be The Rise and Fall of the American Republic. We have been writing the chapters for several decades - all that is left are the closing paragraphs. You need not wait to see the movie - if one of the things you demand in your elected officials is a pledge and delivery of No New Taxes, then you are one of the central characters of the story.

273. Errors, Omissions, and a whole lot more

Let me start with the “whole lot more” part of the entry, the weather, a favorite subject here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. Last night’s wasn’t good, neither here nor elsewhere in the Commonwealth and throughout the South. [A note here: Louisville doesn’t really claim to be in the South except during the Kentucky Derby Festival weeks in April and early May. We’ve carved out a niche in some fantasy-land, somewhere between the South and the Midwest, the delineating line being somewhere around the Watterson Expressway]. But, I digress.

Seven lives are known to have been lost here in Kentucky, in Muhlenberg and Allen counties, both south of Louisville - Allen down on the Tennessee state line. Elsewhere, in other states including our neighbors in Tennessee and Missouri, an additional fifteen lives were taken by a series of storms and tornadoes which passed through during the evening hours yesterday and into the early morning hours today. As I sat and listened to the Tornado Sirens for nearly an hour last night, the temperature rose from the mid-60s to right at 70 degrees, with the warm southerly winds intermingling in a deadly dance with the cooler Midwestern winds. It wasn’t as bad in Louisville last night as it was a week ago, but it was obvious damage was being done here and there. Some local schools are closed from lack of power; also, many roads in Jefferson and the surrounding counties are closed from downed trees and power lines. As those families who lost members last night begin to pick up the pieces today, it is well to keep them in our thoughts and in our prayers.

Weather wasn’t the only thing blowing Change into America last night. We had elections, 24 of them if you count American Samoa, which was won by Hillary Clinton.

Ok, now for the E&O part of the essay. I blew the call on Super Dooper Tuesday with my proclamation that by the end of the night United States Senator Hillary Clinton could begin her Fall campaign against United States Senator John McCain in her quest to become the 44th Commander-In-Chief of our Republic. It seems the race is still on, although she currently holds a slight lead in the delegate count, but neither she nor United States Senator Barack Obama are anywhere near the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. Obama’s wins in the South, probably somewhat based on race, along with others in the Midwest and the Mountains, with those based on old-fashioned populism, are keeping him well in the race with his chief rival, who won the big states by winning the more traditional voters. As my five faithful readers know, like lots of Americans I’ve wavered back and forth, and at times away from, these two contenders, either one of whom I will gladly support this Fall, and both of whom have the tools necessary to defeat whoever emerges on the other side.

I haven’t said much about the Republican race, but it is clear that John McCain is rather certain to be the nominee for the GOP. Many in the GOP are unhappy with his ascension, but I believe come Election Day, they will come around to his side of the equation. And, after last night’s performance, it is clear that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, another populist, may have clinched a nomination of his own, but not one he was seeking or will admit to winning, that of the #2 spot on the GOP ticket this fall. I still think Hillary will be the Democratic nominee although that seems a little further from reach today moreso than yesterday. But again, it is my belief that on January 20, 2009, the day the Junta currently in control of the Nation’s Residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, is forced to vacate, it will be a family of Democrats who move in.

Political winds were shaking last night here in the Commonwealth as well, as three Special Elections were held, two of which went to the Democrats, both in the already-Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. But in the Republican Senate, where we really needed a win, we didn’t get it. The 30th Senate District, recently vacant due to the election of former Senator Dan Mongiardo as Lieutenant Governor, should have been a win for the Democrats. The selection of a candidate was mired in undue controversy, controversy mostly based upon objections filed by the person who didn’t get the nomination. But the nomination process was made According to Hoyle, following all the rules, including an appeal to the State Party, an appeal I was a part of. The eventual Democratic candidate was strongly supported by both the governor and the lieutenant governor (who formerly served the area), but to no avail. Brandon Smith, a Republican member of the House of Representatives won the seat, giving the GOP a 22-15-1 lead in the State Seante, and will vacate his House seat, maybe sometime today when the Secretary of State certifies the votes. The only good news in the scenario is that no Republican filed to claim Smith’s current seat in the House. There will however be yet another Special Election for that seat, to serve out the present term which runs through the end of this year, and it is one we need to preserve between now and then.

Finally, I spent the greater part of last night 55 miles up the road, ending up at a Grand Fete sponsored by the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government (as well as several Louisville-area corporate citizens) honoring with grand offers of food and libations the members of the General Assembly, currently in session in Frankfort. The event was held at the Thomas Clark Kentucky History Center on Broadway in downtown Frankfort. Before arriving there, I had visited some friends over in the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, which makes its home in the Transportation Cabinet building, Kentucky’s homage to glass and metal set against the Fort Hill side of the city. Leaving the KOHS, I wandered over to one of my favorite Frankfort haunts, the Kentucky Coffeehouse where Eric the barista sold me a cup of strong hot coffee and I made my way toward the back of the coffee shop, whose walls are lined with old books and tomes offered for reading and for sale. The coffee shop is connected to the Poor Richard’s Bookstore, a Carmichael’s type of place on the south side of Broadway. I’ve written about both of these before. The section of books toward the back, where I usually take my seat, are Civil War histories, along with other older books, many out of print for many years.

I joined Assistant Jefferson County Attorney Patrick Mulvihill for the grand fete, a block to the east. Any thing you could have wanted to eat or drink was available – it was a very well catered event. I especially liked the crab ragoons, the roast beef, the seven kinds of dessert, the shrimp (big and a little spiced) – lots of stuff. I had one or two (or three or five) of most everything, all paid for by my local tax dollars at work. The room was addressed by the Chief Magistrates of the governments of both Louisville-Jefferson County Metro and the Commonwealth, each lavishing praise upon the other for their work, but each also acknowledging the budget shortfalls of their respective governments. The Mayor had earlier in the day announced an additional $9,000,000.00 shortfall locally, closing public swimming pools and taking away some city-owned car driving priveleges. Deleting the cars is minor – closing public pools is a major blow. Pools and the parks they are usually in are special places for Louisville’s teen and younger population in the Summer. The pools the mayor chose to close tend to be in minority areas of the City, minorities who otherwise often do not have the luxury of even a three foot above ground pool when the temperatures rise in July, August, and September.

In each of their speeches, the two leaders said we will make it through these crises and on to better days ahead. Each promised to do so within of the confines of their respective current revenue streams. Neither wants to be labeled as a tax-raiser. It is my opinion that neither is being entirely realistic.

This is the hard part of governing. Eventually there comes a time when one has to make the very hard decision to raise taxes. Eventually one has to decide if one wishes to be fiscally responsible or fiscally conservative. Some people believe those two phrases mean the same thing. In times of surpluses, they might. In times of deficits, they may. And then there are times they are totally unrelated. We are living in these latter times.

Being fiscally responsible when the cupboard is bare means to be fiscally responsive, taking actions which infuse the revenue stream with real dollars, not dollars offset here by reductions there. For thirty years, since the adoption on June 6, 1978 of Proposition 13 by the voters of California, our governments have slowly but certainly been whittling away, one tax cut at a time, one tax exemption at a time, one set of lay-offs at a time, one set of attrition deleting positions at a time, one set of building delays at a time, one set of job hiring freezes at a time, one set of summer swimming pool closings at a time. And all those incremental abatements of revenues are finally taking a real toll. We are at the end of the era where we can continue to lower taxes, to shrink government, to reduce spending. The latest example in Kentucky is a $17,000,000.00 proposal by Christian County Democratic Senator Joey Pendleton, a friend and good man, who represents among others the military folks at Fort Campbell, both active and retired. This is a proposal which is very well meant, very noble, and very honorable. It would exempt servicemembers from certain state tax obligations. In a time of surplus, this would be a no-brainer. Even in a time of tight budgets, this is something which should somehow – someway be worked into the process. But at a time when the state is $600,000,000.00 or so in debt just this year, with another $400,000,000.00 of debt expected in the next biennial, an additional $17,000,000.00 of debt is something which unfortunately we should not be able to afford. But, I fully expect Senator Pendleton’s measure to pass. And I do not dislike the purposes of the proposal. But, where does the spending stop? When do we spend only what we have? When do we become fiscally responsible?

You will hear conservatives, and some others, say we need to reduce taxes and spending, but they never say exactly where – exactly who it is they want to cut out of the government’s alleged largesse. The scapegoats these days are illegal immigrants (perhaps justly so), the latest in a series of wedge issues, but one which resonates better than many of the others. But, illegal immigrants are said to be about 12,000,000 in number (some of whom are paying taxes, social security, and medicare payments under a stolen or false social security number which they will never get back (and shouldn’t)); 12,000,000 out of the current estimated population of the country of 303,382,716, as of early this morning. That’s a little under 4% of the total, which if totally cut out is not enough to overcome the current federal debt of $9,222,200,545,365.53, again an estimate as of this morning. The current state debt is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The mayor spoke yesterday of local debt of over $9,000,000.00.

The folks who want to say that all of that is caused by payments to illegals are fooling themselves and their pocketbooks. They are looking for an easy out. When your country is $9 Trillion in debt, there is no easy out, and whatever is placed upon the backs of those here illegally is a mere drop in the proverbial bucket. Getting out of debt requires cutting spending, ending borrowing (and its cousin bonding), and raising taxes.

Doing anything less is being fiscally irresponsible. What politician would want to run on a ticket of fiscal irresponsibility?

272. Sorry, I've been busy

Happy Ground Hog Day. If any of Punxsutawney Phil's Kentucky cousins came out of their holes here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 this morning, we should brace ourselves for six more weeks of something. I hesitate to say Winter because we haven't had much of that. We have had some scattered snow flurries, a few very cold nights, and a tornado or two (out of season), but we haven't had Winter. We haven't even had a good frost or heavy fog. It is beautiful and sunny here today with a temperature of 29 degrees, very close to Louisville's average temperature for this time of year.

I haven't been posting because, frankly, I've just been busy. I've had a few too many balls up in the air, many more than I can comfortably and effectively handle, which is usually about 1, or maybe 2. So the blog has taken a back seat to some other priorities for the moment, and probably will for a few days.

This being busy has meant I missed out on the Chris Theinemann news, the governor's budget address, the recent maturity and friendliness shown between Obama and Clinton, and McCain's apparent path toward clinching the Republican nomination, something which I think helps out whoever our eventual Democratic nominee is given that a number of Republicans dislike McCain, who, like Romney, has been here and there and everywhere on a number of issues over time, and has repeatedly been antoagonistic towards the Republican Party leadership. He is sort of like a Liebermann, except he is their Leibermann, not ours.

Expect light posting for a few more days, although I am sure that Super Tuesday will at least get me thinking about posting something. I expect Tuesday will bring most of the 2008 presidential campaign to an end, or rather a beginning, as I believe both parties will have a clear picture of who their nominees will be sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday, nominees I expect to be Clinton and McCain. I am sure if I am wrong, some one will let me know in no uncertain terms.

I will say this about the process. This presidential election has already been way too damn long, and the actual balloting is still nine months hence. I recently wrote about supporting SB3 moving Kentucky's primary date to later in the season, along with its filing date. I still strongly support that, along with its provision to do away with the gubernatiorial run-off. But, I understand an amendment has been added to the bill which would move Kentucky's presidential primary to the First Tuesday in February, Super-Dooper-Stupor Tuesday. This I oppose. All of the states that do not already have an early Primary should band together and set their date sometime later in the season, so as to have an impact. Moving Kentucky in amongst 22 other states and territories, including New York, California, and Illinois, makes no sense. We will become one of the "other states" which also had elections of that day. Adding this provision to that bill strongly lessens my support of it.

But, as they say, the legislative process is akin to making sausages, something I am told ain't pretty.

Tuesday is also Mardi Gras Day. Enjoy.