Posted by Brushfire on 02/02/09

C4L members throughout the 2nd Congressional district and especially in the Warren County area are invited to attend an oganizational meeting at the Warren County Public Library main branch on Sunday, February 15, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central time.  Kentucky C4L state co-coordinator John Riley will update us on C4L activities statewide and we'll plan next steps.  Please join us if you can, and RSVP to Gary Houchens at garyhouch@aol.com.  Hope to see you there!

Posted by Brushfire on 01/14/09

In a game of political brinksmanship, Kentucky Senate Leader David Williams challenges Governor Beshear's alleged concern for public health (via a cigarette tax hike) by calling for a statewide smoking ban.  To which I must say, "What?" 

I appreciate political theater, but government being what it is, this little game could in fact give us a statewide smoking ban, which would be a tremendous blow to private property rights and local government autonomy.

Is this what Republicans have become, or what they always were: a party reluctant to tax a behavior, but more than willing to ban it outright?

Posted 01/15/09 clint4liberty Louiisville, KY

Yes, I believe State Senate Majority Leader David Williams is just showing how ridiculous Governor Beshear & the Kentucky House Democrat Leadership are being on this issue. I do not think Sen. Williams wants to ban smoking in the entire state.

Posted 04/20/09 christineky1988 Coxs Creek, KY

The Courier Journal link is dead.

Posted by Brushfire on 01/10/09
Last updated 01/10/09

Kentucky's new 2nd District Congressman Brett Guthrie has been assigned to the influential Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.  Guthrie says he is "reserving judgment," of course, on the proposed $800 billion (likely to be $1 trillion-plus) "stimulus" package.  I would recommend that Rep. Guthrie take some cues from 1st District Congressman Ed Whitfield, who has thus far opposed all the "bailouts" that have come to the floor of the House.  C4L members in the 2nd district can e-mail Rep. Guthrie and remind him of the free-market principles that used to shape Republican philosophy.

Posted 01/10/09 filosophia Columbus, OH

The American people, or at least most of them, will want a bail out because it's more money in their pockets (even though it'll just be taken out later in taxes) but as a result the "stimulus" package will destroy the economy. I'm hoping it doesn't pass for the sake of the economy, and will take your advice and email my representative about the principles of free-market economy. (please type in "In Defense of Rod Blagojevich" in the search bar and check out my blog, I would like to have as many responses as possible from this. Thank you).

Posted 01/10/09 clint4liberty Louiisville, KY

Yes, I have spoke to newly elected Rep. Brett Guthrie personally and he has told me that he opposed the 850 & 700 Billion dollar financial bailouts. So, in the future I am sure we need to remind him of that personal pledge.

Posted by Brushfire on 01/07/09

Kentucky C4L members should take notice of a bill sponsored by Representatives Bill Farmer of Lexington and David Floyd of Bardstown.  The proposal would eliminate the state's individual and corporate income taxes and lower the state sales tax from six to five percent, but would expand the sales tax to additional services, including commercial real estate rent (grocercies and medicine would still be exempt).  Nine states, including our neighbor Tennessee, don't have state income taxes.

Coverage of the proposal in the Lexington Herald-Leader, unsuprisingly, focuses on potential lost revenues and how the expanded sales tax might (or might not) make up the difference.  C4L members will be more interested in the reduction of the tax burden on Kentucky citizens.  The bill is a long-shot, of course, but definitely worth our interest and support.

Full text of the proposal here.

Posted 01/07/09 clint4liberty Louiisville, KY

I disagree with HB 51 because it imposes taxes on way too many items. Yes, I do want to see the income tax eliminated and the state's sales tax lowered, but added taxes on a variety of other services and including expecting the local merchant to be a tax collector is wrong. So, I oppose the bill. Check out HB 51 on the Take Back Kentucky web site: http://www.takebackkentucky.com/ for a in depth write up.

Posted 01/07/09 Brushfire Bowling Green, KY

I understand the complaint about expanding the sales tax to other areas--this is a weakness in the proposal itself. But in terms of tax fairness, I still think a shift from income to sales taxes is the way to go--with all due respect to the good work of Take Back Kentucky. My question, I guess, would be, "What other tax legislation is in the current General Assembly that we should support?"

Posted 01/12/09 JDColburn Shepherdsville, KY

Our state government needs a way to collect monies to be used for the common good. It seems logical to me to tax the place where we can ‘get the biggest bang for our buck’. In 2002, Americans had an adjusted gross income of $6,033 billion. However, we spent a whopping $7,376 billion. Tax the money, not the labor! I would disagree with those who argue the sales tax is unfair to the poor or the wealthy. A sales tax is the only fair way to tax anyone. It is the only tax where a person can live their life exactly how they want to live it while being in complete control of the tax they pay. A sales tax impedes no man’s progress toward life, liberty or happiness. A rich man will pay more in tax, if he so chooses, because he will buy more items for his luxuries. A poorer man will pay less in taxes, again if he chooses. He will presumably buy only what is needed to provide for his family. As with most sales tax legislation, this proposal excludes most of what is needed to maintain life and liberty. Food, medicine, health care and other essential items are not taxed when they are bought and sold. One more advantage to this legislation is the reduction in fees paid by businesses and individuals to comply with an unfair tax system. How much is each of you going to pay H&R Block to prepare your taxes this year? Citizens should not feel the necessity to pay a third party in order to comply with the laws their government is instituting. How about the people who pay no taxes? Our society tolerates many people who pay no tax at all. They work for cash or are paid ‘under the table’. They file no tax returns or grossly underreport the amount of money earned. Many of these people slide through the system with no repercussions because the system is not designed to catch them. It is designed to catch the people who follow the law. The current income tax makes the law biding citizen afraid of and a servant to the state. Additionally, property taxes are the worst of all taxes. Property taxes dictate we pay rent to the state for property we have purchased. They are an anachronism from the Middle Ages, and relegate us all to simple serfs in an unfair Feudal System. Philosophically, it is simple to argue against a graduated tax rate on our labor. This is the real unfair tax. Taxing a man’s ability to earn a living and provide for his family is against the very tenet of our founding. I say support this legislation and unleash the real potential of our American Dream.

Posted 01/13/09 John Riley Taylorsville, KY

Something not mentioned so far in the discussion is lowering the tax burden overall by reducing the size, scope and reach of government period. Clearly government, both federal and state, have grown far beyond anything our founders would have tolerated. Creating a taxing scheme to cover the cost of government will be short lived and added to without serious discussion and action to lower the cost of and shrinking government. Government, through taxation or through inflating our currency, has grown far beyond what is necessary and is the biggest threat to our free market. With that said, eliminating the Kentucky income tax would be a great step in the right direction. The rest of the discussion must include the above. While certain items such as food, medicine and health care may not be included one must remember that the costs of providing each of these will rise (read "be taxed") because everything they need to provide these will be taxed such as their commercial rent, etc., etc., etc. Those costs will be included in (added to) the products or services they provide. Unless one is proposing to exempt all taxes on products and services that are used to supply such things as food, medicine and health care, some of which would be nearly impossible to sort out and would no doubt require "swarms" of government employees to oversee and police. I say move very carefully on this legislation and look far deeper than the "It'll eliminate the income tax and lower the sales tax from 6 to 5%. It's the expansion of the sales tax to virtually EVERYTHING part without cutting the size and reach of government that becomes very troublesome.