Ideas to Improve Kentucky

Like most native Kentuckians, I love our Commonwealth.

I grew up in its second largest city, have lived and worked in Lexington and Louisville and enjoy my summer weekends on Lake Cumberland. Over the course of my career, I have traveled from Ashland to Murray and from Covington to London/Corbin and to Bowling Green. The natural beauty of Kentucky’s varied geography and its friendly people make it a great place.

Having said all of that, we clearly have opportunities to improve the quality of life of all of our citizens. We rank near the bottom of all states in key areas like educational achievement, health status and per-capita family income. All of this is well documented.

And, yet there seems to be very little public discussion around how to solve these problems. Generally, all I see and hear is political posturing. The solutions to our problems are difficult and require sacrifice by many. As a result, elected leaders are reluctant to propose bold ideas for fear of being labeled as liberal, or worse. The only way we are going to bring about any new ideas, is to generate them from people like us.

So. let’s get started. The following paragraphs present some ideas that might improve the quality of life for our citizens. Take a look and add your thoughts, pro or con. Feel free to add some ideas. Here we go:

1. Restructure government in a material and meaningful way. We have a constitution that was adopted  in 1792 and last updated in 1891. James Naismith was busy in 1891 inventing basketball. Back then, you moved the ball by passing it, there was no dribbling. Things have changed in the game of basketball over the last 118 years and yet we still have the same constitution.

I haven’t completely thought this through, but it would seem to me that while challenging the current constitution, we should also challenge the disparate counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions within the state. Do we really need 120 counties? One hundred twenty county judges, county clerks, property valuation administrators, and on and on.

2. Modernize the tax system. Almost every interest group agrees on the need to modernize our tax system. Chambers of commerce and business interests are on the record on this issue, advocating for the abolishment of corporate income taxes as an example. Human interest and social services leaders also find this issue of interest pointing out the regressive nature of the state sales tax. Just about everyone recognizes the need for more revenue to provide basic services.

OK, we all know why this isn’t discussed. So, why not get some good minds together to think this through without any self-imposed limits. In other words, it’s okay to either cut or raise revenue. It would be an interesting discussion at the very least.

3. Invest in our youth. Now that I am a grandfather, and have gained the perspective that fifty plus years can provide, I am more and more concerned about the impact we boomers are going to have on our kids and grandkids. So, while we are looking at the tax system, let’s also set some priorities for our funds. How about allocating significant funds for early childhood education, “traditional” schools for all children and adolescents, mandatory physical and health education, protection from abuse, etc. Instead of continually cutting these programs (failing to invest equates to cutting), let’s spend wisely and stick to it.

4. Lead on health care. I promised not to get bogged down on this topic in this blog, but it’s clear that we have the opportunity to change our health care system as the federal government makes demonstration projects available to states. We shouldn’t squander the opportunity for innovation.

5. Consolidate higher education. We have about 4 million residents in Kentucky and nine public universities. California has nearly 40 million residents and has two public University System (University of California and California State University). While the Council on Post Secondary Education attempts to coordinate the activities of these Universities, there is still much duplication of effort. What would be the pros and cons around consolidating the Commonwealth’s Institutions of Higher Learning? I wonder if we could pull that off without hurting out basketball programs?

Airport Security Scam

This really has nothing to do with Kentucky, except perhaps your experience with commercial air travel from the Cincinnati, Lexington or Louisville airports, however, this has been a pet peeve of mine since 9/11.

The budget of the Transportation Security Administration has grown to $7 billion and yet, we are no safer on an airplane today that we were on 9/11. Read this article from the Atlantic Monthly by Jeffrey Goldberg.

I sure feel secure.

My New Blog

A friend of mine wrote the “about the author page” which provides a nice introduction of me. I am reminded of a friend of mine, Buddy McElwain, M.D., who used to say after a nice introduction that his mother would be proud and his father would wonder who it was the speaker was talking about.

In any event, my aim with this blog is to offer an outlet to express some ideas and opinions about our fine Commonwealth and what could be done to make it a better place for our children and grandchildren. While this blog may be at a minimum therapeutic for me, I also hope that it might become a place where folks with a common purpose (improving our Commonwealth) and varying ideas and points of view, could have a dialogue about that common purpose.

I also publish another blog focused on the health care industry. My intent is to confine commentary about health care to that site; however, from time to time discussion of public policy may need some consideration of the health care system. Anyway, I’ll look forward to the dialogue with those who follow the site, even in small numbers over the coming weeks, months and, god willing, years.

In the meantime, happy holidays to all.

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