When you can’t compete, bash the other guy!

According to a recent Washington Post article, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is beginning a television ad campaign this weekend to point out that messages sent via snail-mail are not susceptible to computer viruses and can't be erased with a simple click of a button. This is an attempt to generate some business as the USPS is set to announce historic losses.


Don't get me wrong, there is an advantage to sending some messages via the traditional parcel service BUT let's be honest about what is really happening here. In its current form, the Postal Service simply cannot compete with emerging technology. Rather than pointing out the rather small number of downsides of your competitor, why not try to adapt the organization to better serve a changing communications environment.
An ad campaign trying to sell an out-of-date model just seems like a waste.

Video: BIPPS' Jim Waters on Kentucky Tonight's debt discussion

Jim Waters of the Bluegrass Institute took part in a panel discussion about United States' debt problems on Monday night's 'Kentucky Tonight'.

You can watch the full discussion here.

BIPPS on 'Kentucky Tonight' ... tonight!

Jim Waters, vice president of policy and communications for the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky's free-market think tank, addresses the debt-ceiling controversy tonight on KET's Kentucky Tonight at 8 p.m. (EDT)

Click here to watch last week's show on the issue. Panelists included Kathy Gornik, chairman of the Bluegrass Institute board of directors.

Waters will be joined by WKU economics professor Brian Strow, Kentucky AFL-CIO president Bill Londrigan and UK economics professor Ken Troske.

Bill Goodman hosts the hour-long, award-winning public affairs program, which is replayed at 2 a.m. on Wednesdays.

During the live Monday broadcast, viewers with questions and comments may participate by calling 1-800-494-7605 or by e-mail at kytonight@ket.org or use the message form at www.ket.org/kytonight.

'Kentucky Tonight': More on the debt-ceiling debate

Jim Waters, vice president of policy and communications for the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky's free-market think tank, addresses the debt-ceiling controversy Monday on KET's Kentucky Tonight at 8 p.m. (EDT)

Click here to watch last week's show on the issue. Panelists included Kathy Gornik, chairman of the Bluegrass Institute board of directors.

Waters will be joined by WKU economics professor Brian Strow, Kentucky AFL-CIO president Bill Londrigan and UK economics professor Ken Troske.

Bill Goodman hosts the hour-long, award-winning public affairs program, which is replayed at 2 a.m. on Wednesdays.

During the live Monday broadcast, viewers with questions and comments may participate by calling 1-800-494-7605 or by e-mail at kytonight@ket.org or use the message form at www.ket.org/kytonight.

$2 Trillion

You think it's hard to cut spending in Frankfort? This short video I produced with Austin Bragg helps explain the trouble with the federal government's "multi-year budget cuts." They're just not very credible projections.




Here's a Jim Waters op-ed on the challenge of cutting spending from the Herald-Leader.

Should the U.S. declare bankruptcy?

A recent CNNMoney article says that Congressman Ron Paul thinks the United States should declare bankruptcy. You can read the article here.

Paul cites Greece as an example that the United States should watch carefully. What do you think - is the best option for the United States to default?

$6.1 million in congressional staffer bonuses

If you are job hunting in the midst of our nation's financial downturn, consider this: there is an organization that, even when rumored it would experience a shutdown, is still handing out taxpayer money in bonuses!

Care to take a guess at who that might be? Yup, you guessed it.

This is exactly why transparency is so important. It is the first step toward keeping our government accountable.

"We've got to live within our means."

"We've gotta be just like the private sector in government. We must be responsible. We've got to live within our means."

-Jim Gray - Lexington's mayor regarding recent budget discussions

Trust me, disc golf is not an essential service

I wrote yesterday about the "Frisbee-golf" spending in the recently proposed Lexington city budget. Brenna Angel from WUKY is reporting that the city council has accepted that budget however there were some dissenting votes.

Council member Dianne Lawless voted against the senseless spending additions in the budget and was quoted as saying:

"There are many things in here that are not essential services. And that's where we are right now."

According to the article, mayor Jim Gray plans to use his line item veto power with regards to the budget.

I commend those who can make tough budget decisions in tough times.

 

Dr. John Garen on the state budget

Given recent budget shortfalls, pension crises and out-of-control spending, it is worth considering this discussion by Dr. John Garen, professor of economics at the University of Kentucky. In this video, Dr. Garen talks about reductions in spending as a responsible way to relieve budget tensions.

Hey, we could really use that $11 million!

Today the governor announced that he is directing the Kentucky Department of Transportation to spend $13.6 million of contingency funds to make emergency repairs to highways damaged in winter storms. $13.6 million from contingency funds.

A better idea to help fund these emergency repairs would be to not allocate $11 million for highway enhancements and tax incentives for theme parks. 

That $11 million would be a good chunk of the 13.6 needed.

Cutting wasteful defense earmarks could keep nation safer

You know Washington's budget process is broken when both Democrats and Republicans agree that an earmark isn't needed, but it's still being considered for future funding.

Read Jim Waters' recent column that appeared in Friday's Business First (Louisville) on one such earmark -- D.C.'s latest "bridge-to-nowhere" type project here.

Quote of the day: Bring your 'chicken in every pot' idea to the next Tea Party

"You know, come on down to a Tea Party, bring your Huey Long rhetoric- a chicken in every pot, a windmill in every … backyard. Bring it on down to the Tea Party; let’s have a discussion. Let’s bring it to the American public. The Tea Party’s been lectured about spending; who among you has voted against an appropriations bill?" --Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, in a fiery speech on the floor of the United States Senate, April 14, 2011.

Wasting money to argue about money

Frankfort is a mess right now.

The General Assembly's "special" session carries a price tag of $63,000 each day.

Governor Steve Beshear is traveling the state by plane to defend his plan to borrow $166 million from next year's budget to cover this year's Medicaid budget shortfall. Traveling by plane is not cheap.

Kentucky's citizens, taxpayers, are tired of politicians spending more and more money to argue about money. The first place the Governor and General Assembly should look for funds to fill the Medicaid gap is the money they are wasting in special session and the travel, security, and staff costs associated with flying all over the state.

What is more frustrating is that the governor believes he is doing his duty by traveling around. When asked to defend his state sponsored travels, the governor replied:

"The government is paying for the governor of this commonwealth to do his duty to go out in this state and inform the citizens of this state on what the state senate is attempting to do to the children of this state and the folks who need health care in this state"

I don't remember reading anything about going out in the state to barnstorm in the state constitution. In a time when citizens are required to tighten their belts, so should the government.

Can we even call them 'special' sessions anymore?

Currently the Kentucky General Assembly is burning through a little over $60,000 of taxpayer money each day because it couldn't accomplish its job in a timely manner. This extra time is most often referred to as a "special session."

We should change that terminology.

Are these sessions really "special"?  There have been "special" sessions in eight of the past 10 years. That is not special, that is a demonstrated lack of ability to get the job done and a show of disrespect to the citizens of Kentucky.

Just how much is $61 billion?

The House GOP has proposed $61 billion in spending cuts to the federal government.  Is that a lot? May sound like it but, in the scheme of things, is it?

Specials sessions are not free of charge

So, once again, because our elected officials in the Kentucky General were not able to do their jobs in the time allotted to them by the Kentucky Constitution, governor Steve Beshear is ordering them into a special session to come to terms on a solution to the state's Medicaid problem.

Once again, the taxpayers foot the bill at $60,000 each day of the special session.

That price tag sure isn't helping Kentucky's budget problems, is it?

Contact your legislator and tell them to be responsible with Kentucky's money.

NPR, I beg to differ...

This morning NPR interviewed economist Dean Baker.  He claimed that there is too much focus on the budget deficit in recent months and that if anything the federal government needs to be spending MORE money.  He believes that job creation should be focus of discussion and even went as far as to say that there is no difference between the private sector spending money to create jobs and the government spending money to create jobs.

I beg to differ.  The difference is that a business can be forced to close it's doors.  The government will just continue to borrow money and raise taxes. 

There is a big difference, Mr. Baker.

How much does your state representative make during a session?

The Kentucky Legislative Research Commission has added a new feature to their site that allows Kentuckians to search the expenditures of the Kentucky General Assembly. Interested in the travel reimbursements your state senator receives? How much do you think your representative is compensated throughout the regular session? You can find out here!

This is an example of a returned search result

The search engine allow for searches of legislators, full-time employees (the site actually calls them 'permanent' - think about that for a second...), and part-time employees (I guess you could say 'transient'...)

This new feature combined with other recent additions to the site are an encouraging step toward making Kentucky's government transparent.

Of course this doesn't mean that we will stop our hard work providing resources for Kentucky's citizens through our own transparency site with articles like this one.

Forget jobs and the economy, let's focus on search engine results

While most in the nation are concerned about rising unemployment and out of control debt, the current administration in Washington is working on...search engine optimization?

That's right.  The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is apparently using taxpayer money for paid search engine results at Google.   Is HHS working to market legislation that most Americans did not want? Legislation should be a reflection of the will of the people, not a product that has to be sold to constituents.

At a time when Americans are tightening their belts, it seems distasteful and a waste to spend taxpayer money on search engine optimization for a bill that was shrouded in secrecy and did not accurately reflect the will of American citizens.

Find more information about health care reform in Kentucky here.