Monday, 26 October 2009

Surprise - Kelly Appointed Judgeship

Republican Sen Kelley was able to cash in on his position in the state senate today. He was appointed as a judge on the 11th circuit court by Gov Beshear. A job that will pay a pawltry $124,620 a year. I am shocked! Not really. First, Beshear is a one trick pony. This ploy to drain the senate of Republicans by appointing them high paying jobs has worked before. He will continue making appointments until the strategy no longer works. Beshear lacks any creativity in his thinking which makes this move utterly predictable. Secondly, it wasn't difficult to see coming.

Kelly, 59, is a Springfield lawyer and a graduate of the University of Louisville Law School. He was elected five times to the state Senate. He quietly resigned about three weeks ago as majority leader of the Senate when he submitted an application for the judgeship.

Kelly wouldn't have stepped down THREE WEEKS AGO if he didn't already know he was going to be appointed the judgeship. Of course this sets up another special election. The Republicans are in better position for this race since they will likely nominate Republican state Rep. Jimmy Higdon of Lebanon. Having a sitting Representative will provide them with a candidate who already has not only a base of support, but a campaign staff in place to run the campaign. That edge allowed Webb to win a razor thin victory a couple of months ago. The Democrats won't have that advantage this time around.

Posted by brians at 10:05 PM in Kentucky Politics

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War On Kentucky's Energy

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the Obama administration was at war with the coal industry. A move that would severely damage the economic stability of Kentucky. Remember 90+ percent of Kentucky's electricity comes from coal. Any action that will drive up the cost of coal will drive up the cost of electricity. The Obama industry is determined to drive up the cost of coal.

While campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama said his cap-and-trade tax plans would "bankrupt" anyone building a coal-fired power plant. Although those taxes haven't materialized, the Environmental Protection Agency has put the brakes on 79 surface mining permits in four states since he was elected.
The EPA says these permits could violate the Clean Water Act and warrant "enhanced" review. But the agency went even further last week, announcing plans to revoke a permit for the Spruce No. 1 Mine in West Virginia - a move that has caused anxiety among coal-state Democrats about the future of the industry under the Obama administration.
Mr. Obama's opposition to coal has been apparent since January 2008 when he told the San Francisco Chronicle he would clamp down on miners by enacting a cap-and-trade system that would make it too expensive to stay in business. "So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can," he said at the time. "It's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted."

Make no mistake. These games being played by the EPA are going to put a vice on Kentucky's energy production. A move that will lead to two problems for Kentucky. First and fore most, It will continue to put a strain on Kentucky's struggling economy. Higher costs will make recovery more difficult. Secondly, it will be devastating to the Appalachian parts of Kentucky. Not only do they rely on coal for inexpensive electricity, but more importantly they rely on coal for jobs. In the part of the state which struggles to keep up with the rest of the state such a reckless energy policy will be devastating. It is time for Beshear and the rest of the Democratic contingent in Kentucky to join their breathern in West Virginia and tell Obama to stop this foolishness. It is all we can do for the next 3 years until we can elect a grown up president.