Taking liberty on the road: Jim Waters in Bardstown tonight
I will be speaking at a special meeting of the Nelson County Tea Party tonight at 7 p.m. at B.J.’s Restaurant in Bardstown. All are welcome to attend.
Educators tap dance as legislators call the tune
Greater transparency and accountability may have exposed padded student counts Kentucky Department of Education briefers unsuccessfully tried to tap dance today around a firestorm that has blown up over the next school year’s funding for preschools. Their two-step involved one of the most confusing presentations I have ever heard in a state legislative meeting (for…
NEWS ALERT: Institute’s exposé: Legislators’ pensions a modern day ‘gold rush’
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – A new report by the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky’s free-market think tank, holds legislators primarily responsible for the commonwealth’s public-pension crisis, noting that politicians of both parties have demonstrated “flat-out greed and disrespect for the public treasury” by adding benefits for political gain and enriching themselves at taxpayers’ expense. “Defenders of the status quo…
Taking liberty to the airwaves: New BIPPS pension report author Lowell Reese joins Joe Elliott this afternoon
Lowell Reese, author of “Future Shock: Kentucky Politiicans’ Opulent Pensions Have Become a Modern-Day Gold Rush,” a new report by the Bluegrass Institute, will join award winning talk-show host on “The Joe Elliott Show” on 970 WGTK-AM today at 1 p.m. (EDT). “The Joe Elliott Show” is broadcast weekdays from Noon to 3 p.m. EDT.…
Coming Monday! The next installment of ‘Future Shock’
On Monday morning we will be releasing the next installment in our public pension exposé, Future Shock: Kentucky Politician’s Opulent Pensions Have Become A Modern Day Gold Rush. The report will outline how Kentucky’s legislators have voted to increase their own wealth by sweetening their pensions on the backs of Kentucky’s taxpayers. You don’t want…
Pension reform storm brewing?
Reality can only be ignored for so long. It seems that the true story of public pension crises across the nation is finally hitting home. From the AP: Voters in two major California cities overwhelmingly approved cuts to retirement benefits for city workers in what supporters said was a mandate that may lead to similar…
News Alert: Institute supports auditor’s effort to shine the light on special taxing districts operating ‘in the pitch black dark’
Districts responsible for between $500 million and $1.5 billion in taxpayer money (FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The Bluegrass Institute publicly stated support this week for a new fact-finding mission initiated by state Auditor Adam Edelen to shed light on Kentucky’s special taxing districts. “We don’t know how these districts are governed, how they collect…
Auditor Edelen working to bring transparency to special taxing districts
Making strides towards greater transparency is something that all Kentuckians should be excited about. For instance… Kenucky’s Auditor of Public Accounts, Adam Edelen, said in a press release this morning that he plans to shed light on the state’s special taxing districts. These districts account for anywhere between $500 million and $1.5 billion in taxpayer…
VIDEO: Liberty Awards
I just uploaded the video from the Liberty Awards that we did in louisville (05/24/12). I will also post the keynote from Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY). For a recap of the events check out Phil Impellizzeri’s post. Also go check out the pictures at facebook. playlist: 00:00 Jim Waters 10:00 Representative Mike Cherry (D) 16:30…
Planning for Kentucky’s Future
The 2004 publication “Planning for Kentucky’s Future” is now available on FreedomKentucky.org here. This publication asks: What the role of Kentucky’s government should be? What the vision for the state should be ? What are the essential services government must provide? How do we know our government is doing a good job? How much should…