Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Institute wants prevailing-wage policy added to special session's agenda

State leaders and fiscal watchdogs Monday criticized the commonwealth’s antiquated and costly system for paying for public construction projects as a special session of the Legislature convened to address the budget shortfall.

Click here to read entire news release.

1 comment:

Hempy said...

Trying to eliminate the prevailing wage provision is just another feudalistic anti-capitalistic scam that promises more adverse effects. Adam Smith, the father of capitalism, wrote in Wealth of Nations, Book IV, Chapter 7:

The high wages of labor encourage population…. What encourages the progress of population and improvement encourages that of real wealth and greatness.

Being the feudalists that you are, it's easy to see why you oppose wages. You're more interested in increasing the wealth of the lords of the manor.

Kentucky has a solution for its tax problem if they'd just implement it:

The war on drugs is an abysmal failure. In the New York Times, Sunday, 6/14/09, Nicholas Kristof wrote, in an article entitled, “Drugs Won the War”:

“Moving forward, we need to be less ideological and more empirical in figuring out what works in combating America’s drug problem. One approach would be for a state or two to experiment with legalization of marijuana, allowing it to be sold by licensed pharmacists, while measuring the impact on usage and crime.” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14kristof.html

Because of Kentucky’s financial bind, Kentucky politicians should take the initiative and legalize marijuana as well as all things hemp. Following are strong economic reasons for Kentucky to take such action:

A 1998 University of Kentucky study (Economic Impact of Industrial Hemp in Kentucky, 1998 – Dr. Eric C. Thompson, Dr. Mark C. Berger, Steven N. Allen, University of Kentucky for Business and Economic Research) reported that if only 1/4th of Kentucky’s 90 agricultural counties grew hemp, 17,300+ jobs would be created and result in $396 MILLION annually in new state worker earnings. http://www.industrialhemp.net/pdf/hempstudy.pdf

The same report indicated that worldwide demand for industrial hemp skyrocketed 233% from 1996 through 1998. This year (6/12/09), the demand is simply staggering!

Additionally, it is estimated that with industrial hemp seed production alone, a NEW BILLION DOLLAR+ per year industry could be grown by the Kentucky farmer.

In 2007 Kentucky was ranked 2nd in total domestic marijuana production with most of this production going out of state. http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/state_factsheets/kentucky.html

It is estimated (2006 Statistics, US Drug Enforcement Administration, Lexington Herald Leader, November 25, 2006 that 1,114,552 pounds of marijuana are grown in Kentucky each year. http://www.mpp.org/states/kentucky/news/after-20-years-war-on-marijuan.html

If the state received $100 per ounce in tax revenue, the NEW ANNUAL INCOME to the Commonwealth would be $1,783,283,200 BILLION! (These funds ARE available for this year’s crop!!)
(This figure is arrived at by: ((1,114,552 lbs. times $100 per oz) times 16 oz.)

It is estimated that the use of legal medical marijuana would save over $500 MILLION in health care costs. (The TRUTH can be found at: http://www.k4mm.org/

With decriminalization, savings to our court system, prisons, and jails would exceed $100 MILLION!!

If Kentucky were the first state east of the Mississippi to decriminalize, tax, and regulate, TOURISM would EXPLODE $3 to $5 BILLION ANNUALLY.

NEW FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT POLICY MAKES THIS REVENUE POSSIBLE NOW IF YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO TAKE ACTION NOW!!

In the 1930’s prior to federal anti-marijuana and hemp legislation, 40% to 60% of all medications produced worldwide used marijuana.

Educate yourself and STOP believing anti-hemp and marijuana propaganda produced by the pharmaceutical and petrochemical conglomerates!