.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Today's Opinions

  • The $1,000,000,000 question facing Kentucky

    Late last month, Gov. Steve Beshear announced he will call the General Assembly back into session to tackle what is one of the most underappreciated stories in several years.

    While George Bush and Barack Obama were handing out billions and billions of dollars in bank bailouts and economic stimulus packages, somewhere along the way we apparently lost track of exactly how much money we are talking about.

    Kentucky is facing a nearly $1 billion shortfall for the next fiscal year.

    It’s almost an unfathomable amount of money.

    Click here to read more...
  • Make sure to keep your name in the book

    Today, as we begin to look toward the year 2010 and the May Primary Election, it is clear we must continue to improve the management of voter registrations. The State Board of Elections has reported that they have mailed 441,000 voter postcards in the state of Kentucky, and 142,000 were returned as undeliverable. In most situations, the correct address of the voter is not available. These postcards have been returned to the State Board of Elections and the board, in return has mailed the cards to the County Clerk’s Office in the county where the voter was last registered.

    Click here to read more...
  • Georgia: On my mind

    “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

    William Faulkner wrote that. I’m not sure I know what the line means. Faulkner’s mind was complex and his words nuanced and layered. But he was born in Mississippi in 1897 where the Civil War could break loose at the turn of a prepositional phrase over supper most any night of the week. And I was born in Owen County, Kentucky, where we identify the names of fields on our farm by the names of men a century dead.

    Click here to read more...
  • Take a moment to remember

    For the most part, I have been one of those people who sees the main significance of  Memorial Day as being the start of summer.

    For me and a lot of others, whether or not they would admit it publicly, Memorial Day has been little more than a nice three-day weekend – a good time to sleep in late, get outdoors, grill some brats and maybe have a family reunion or go for a swim.

    I know the history of Memorial Day.  Somewhere, squirreled back in the file cabinet of my brain, I recall hearing people call it Decoration Day. 

    Click here to read more...
  • Letters to the editor: Most litter can be prevented with just a little thought

    As I was driving to Frankfort one Sunday afternoon, May 17, I saw two groups of dedicated people picking up trash on the side of the road.

    I would like to say a huge thank-you to those people for caring enough to take the time to help make our country a better place for everyone. I’m sure that they were not the ones who put the trash there, but yet they took the time to clean it up.

    Click here to read more...
  • Letter to the editor: Karate isn’t the only martial art offered in the community

    I think it is great that Mr. and Mrs. Runion have started this karate program here in our community. It does give the kids who don’t want to play sports like football or baseball another thing to do.

    But I don’t think it was fair that they act like they are the only martial arts program in Owen County.

    I have had several students of the Owen County Judo team come to me today and ask why the Runions act like the judo club doesn’t exist.

    Click here to read more...
  • Georgia: On my mind

    My book club was planning to read Barbara Kingsolver’s new book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” – the one about eating locally grown foods exclusively and only those in season – and so the discussion leader turns to me, and says, “And so Georgia, why don’t you make Kingsolver’s ‘Month of May’ recipe for Rhubarb Crisp on page 89 for our refreshments next month.”

    Click here to read more...
  • There should be a penalty for changing sides

    Where do you stand on officeholders who switch parties?

    For me, these people should be forced to sit out a year.

    When a 19-year-old college basketball player decides it would help his career to transfer to another school, there are all sorts of penalties including the possibility of sitting out a year.

    But if a politician decides it will advance (or continue) a career, they are allowed to turn their backs on the voters who put them in office and the party platform they agreed to support.

    Click here to read more...