1. After losing to challenger Brandon Smith in the 2000 84th District House race, former Rep. Scott Alexander tried three times to get back to the General Assembly. On the third try, he succeeded (if only temporarily), winning back his old House seat in a March 18 special election to fill the vacancy created by Smith’s election to the Senate’s 30th District seat in an earlier special election. But a couple of days after being sworn in, Alexander took off on a trip to Costa Rica, acting as a chaperone for his daughter’s (and Smith’s son’s) high school Spanish, which caused him to miss most of this session’s closing days and crucial votes on such issues as the budget. This is the guy Gov. Steve Beshear chose to back in a losing cause in that 30th District Senate race. Geez, talk about throwing away all your momentum and political capital for nothing. (By the way, since both chambers of the General Assembly routinely excuse absent members, Alexander was drawing his normal legislative pay every day he was on the trip, including weekends. He was also receiving his normal expenses for legislative sessions.)
2. During this session, Senate Republicans proposed that the Kentucky Lottery Corp. return more of its profits to the General Fund and that the prison population be reduced by putting some non-violent in rehabilitation programs or on house arrest. That led some wags to opine that the Senate R’s wanted to balance the budget by relying on expanded gambling and putting convicts back on the street. The joke is a gross oversimplification, but there is a certain irony to this year’s proposals by a party that has long been tough on crime and opposed to expanded gambling.
3. We all know who’s behind the FBI investigation into Transportation Cabinet activities during former Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s administration. It has to be that partisan rogue Attorney General Greg Stumbo conducting another political witch hunt. But wait, Stumbo is back in his old House seat. And even if he were still AG, the FBI answers to the Justice Department, now run by appointees of a Republican president. So if this investigation turns up evidence of misdeeds, how are the Fletcher apologists going to explain it away?
Larry Dale Keeling, a columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader, has spent most of his 35-plus years in journalism reporting on or writing editorials and columns about Kentucky’s politics and political issues. He now brings his experience and expertise on those topics to the KyKurmudgeon blog.
The better question on #3 is: If all this hoopla comes to naught, how are Steve Beshear and Joe Prather and their buddies in the media going to play the fact that the investigation was all a farce?
Hey Larry, what if long time Democrats are charged? What the hell will you say?
Larry, you’re a bitter old man who knows nothing about what really goes on in Frankfort. There is so much waste and inefficiency it’s almost comical except it’s my tax dollars wasted. Bare bones budget my ass!