Focus on Kentucky Elections: Kentucky House of Representatives and Senate

Representative
Palumbo

In this election we as Kentuckians are placing too much emphasis on the presidential election when we stand to lose some of Kentucky's greatest lawmakers to Tea Party Republicans. The Commonwealth has more impact on your daily lives that the U.S. government. The Commonwealth is responsible for our criminal codes, housing laws, drug laws, regulation of utilities, regulation of education, republication of public assistance, regulation of marriage, etc. and this is only a small list. As a sovereign State, the Commonwealth shares parallel, joint authority with the U.S. government with neither having direct authority over the other; as Kentuckians, we need to focus our attention to our own lawmakers in Frankfort.

With over a decade of being in politics as an activist, new candidates frequently use the word "change" with no idea who how to implement "change" as an incoming "junior" Representative and they fail miserably to adequately articulate how they plan to accomplish the co-called "change" they loosely use as a rallying cry to get people's attention simply because we as Kentuckians do not follow Kentucky politics close enough. Our incumbents are best qualified to move our Commonwealth forward. Before we can begin to worry about our entire Union, we must focus our attention here at home, as Kentuckians.

Representative
Burch

It is truly sad that Governor's, along with their Secretaries of Commerce, State Representatives, and State Senators are traveling to China to do what the U.S. Congress will not do, close to trade gap which is costing U.S. states tens of thousands of jobs each year. Overall, the trade gap has cost States more than 2.7 million jobs, 76.9 percent of which were in manufacturing, according to the Economic Policy Institute report from August, 2012.

Governor Beshear's foreign trips opening new Kentucky Trade Offices in foreign countries have been successful in bringing new jobs to the Commonwealth. However, my primary concern is with our lawmakers in Frankfort. The Tea Party, an institution created for financial change is dipping into social issues, and these Tea Party people are Republicans.  The Chief of State, Chief of Government, and Commander-in-Chief of your State (called "Governor" in most States) has as much control over the economy as any U.S. President.

As citizens of this Commonwealth we need to maintain perspective and realize that Representative Ruth Ann Palumbo, Representative Susan Westrom, Representative Thomas "Tom" J. Burch, and so many others have fought hard in Frankfort.

Representative
Westrom

Any attempt to measure the successes of Representative Burch, Chair of the House Committee on Health and Welfare is futile, the same is true for Representative Ruth Ann Palumbo, Chair of the House Committee on Economic Development, and Co-Chair of the House Task Force on Economic Development, and Representative Susan Westrom, Chair of the House Committee on Enrollment, and Vice Chair of the House Committee on Licensing & Occupations.

Their accomplishments include:

1. Blocking legislation to give the IRS Kentucky Police Powers.
2. Enhancing legislation to improve education for Kentucky's children.
3. Lowering prescription drug costs for seniors.
4. Increasing Kentucky Health Department Services for the uninsured and needy.
5. Enhancing legislation for programs to benefit missing or exploited children, foster care, and adoption.
6. Using the global positioning monitoring system including monitoring-related restrictions and sanctions in domestic violence cases.
7. Enhancing the Commonwealth's Domestic Violence Laws, enhanced suicide prevention training at the Cabinet for Health and Human Services.
8. Extended the Kentucky Rural Economic Development Act.
9. Kept Bluegrass Station open and appropriated funds for it.
10. Created the Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority.
11. Outlawed text messages while driving.
12. Attempted to lower taxes for citizens who make less than $75,000.00 per year.
13. Attempted to increase the authority of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights.
14. Attempted to give an additional tax credit for the people who mold the minds of Kentucky's future, our school teachers.

It is also interesting to note that Representative Ruth Ann Palumbo attempted to pass legislation in Kentucky for Mortgage reform as far back as 2008, prior to the collapse of Wall Street and Main Street.  Perhaps in the next election, it should be Governor Palumbo!  I find it sad the the Commonwealth has only had one (1) female Commander-in-Chief.  

The platform the people are using to try to unseat three of the most successful people in Kentucky Government is without any merit or details of actionable plans.

As Kentuckians we cannot afford to lose Representative Burch, Representative Palumbo, or Representative Westrom and replace them with new, junior representatives who will have no political power because they will not be assigned to leadership or more important, leadership in House Committees.