804. A Facebook exchange on Governor Bevin's posts about economic activity in the Commonwealth.

This was Governor Bevin's picture, along with the following comment, posted yesterday:

2017 was an INCREDIBLE year for economic development in Kentucky, with each district in the Commonwealth seeing significant business investment.

My response to the governor's post was: 

Then why the massive cuts in revenue to the state? Shouldn't there be increases? You've been in office since 2015. Unemployment in Kentucky is currently up? Explain.

A Mr. Donald Meagher responded to my comment earlier this evening with: 

Jeff Noble why does government have to take and spend more just because there is potential for increased revenue? A smart person would pay down debt or save for a rainy day not commit the potential revenue out to new real debt. An heck if government ends up with a real sizable surplus why not let taxpayers of KY keep more of their pay?

I replied to Mr. Meagher with this:

Mr. Meagher, good question - deserves an answer. And you've misinterpreted my post. Did I mention spending more? You've implied that I have. Tell me where. I said that with the governor touting these good economic tidings, one would expect increases in our revenues, not cuts in our budgets. Again, tell me exactly where I called for increased spending? I didn't. You made that up. But let's address what you said that is important and not fabricated. Yes, we should pay down our debt. Our credit rating has been imperiled since the Pension Crisis began in 2001, which is the same year that the Democrats lost control of the Senate and had to start compromising to pass a budget. I do not know if that is a coincidence or not. It would be nice to have a "real sizable surplus" someday and maybe someday we will. But we also have needs - not extravagant needs, but simple basic needs. Let's take infrastructure, something the president talks about a lot but has done nothing to address. The governor's own Transportation Cabinet has declared that 4000 miles of Kentucky roadway need repairs, that there are 1000 Kentucky projects on the books that need finishing. The Federal Department of Transportation last year ranked 1100 of our Kentucky bridges, bridges that carry you and me and grandmothers to the grocery and grandchildren on buses to schools as "structurally deficient. We pay one of the lowest gas taxes around, currently below 26 cents a gallon. Ohio, a Republican ran state pays 28 cents; Indiana, another Republican ran state pays almost 42 cents. We're woefully underfunding our futures and our safety, and this is just in the area of transportation. You can up and down the line see the need for both more revenue and more spending. The governor knows this although I'm not sure the legislature does. I hope someday we can do just what you say - save some money, have both a good rainy day fund and a surplus - get our credit rating up there with Virginia's - ran by Democrats I might add - their's is AAA, our's is A+. I am hopeful that all these projects the governor keeps telling us about at some point are reflected in the Kentucky budget as increases in our revenues. As of yet they haven't been and that's what my post was about. Here's a prediction for you. I sincerely believe the governor wants to solve the pension crisis. He knows it cannot honestly be done without a tax increase. He also knows that the legislature won't raise taxes on anything. I think once we get past the filing deadline (January 30), you'll see the governor come out swinging for both the framework for pension reform, and after this November's elections a strong push for tax increases to begin the long process of funding the pensions. Remember where you heard this. If you're close to the governor, ask him.

It was a good night.