Second Crossroads Ad Released

Crossroads GPS is back with a second ad attacking Democratic Senate candidate Jack Conway. You can watch it here.

The ad continues the previous theme of criticizing Conway for supporting the health care overhaul. In the spot, President Barack Obama is shown driving a car with Conway in the passenger seat as they head down a road marked with “wrong way” signs.

A recent poll shows that support and opposition to the legislation is about even, with a slightly higher percentage of the public opposed to the law and support dropping (even though the bulk of the law hasn’t taken effect). However, seven states that are suing over the legislation are taking advantage of certain subsidies. Maybe that’s why the signs in the ad say “wrong way,” but the street Obama and Conway are heading down is drawn as a two-way road.

More On Fischer’s Jobs Plan

Democratic mayoral candidate Greg Fischer released his jobs plan today.

Here is the WFPL story.

Here is the jobs plan:

1. Making Louisville the Long-Term/Aging Care Capital of the World. There are more aging care companies – such as Kindred, Almost Family and Signature Healthcare — headquartered in Louisville than in any other city. Boston is #2.  With the aging of America, this sector has huge growth potential – much like Louisville’s embrace of the logistics sector. In the early 1980s, UPS had fewer than 200 employees in Louisville. Today, because of the city’s logistics strategy, logistics, UPS employs more than 20,000. Greg will ensure the city’s workforce development and economic policies align with the needs of this industry.
2. Reclaiming Louisville’s historic manufacturing economy through new 21st Century clean-energy jobs. Louisville should be known as the world’s leader in manufacturing energy-efficient appliances at GE and fuel-efficient cars at Ford. Greg will work hand-in-hand with the top executives of GE and Ford and other companies to bring more manufacturing jobs to Louisville. As a co-founder of an international manufacturing company, Greg has the experience needed to attract, retain, and grow this sector.
3. Slashing government red tape that hampers local businesses by reducing the time for permitting construction and other projects.  Greg will make Louisville an easy place to do business by implementing a “Make It Happen!” policy in city government – closely monitoring and continuously improving the time it takes businesses, contractors, and residents to receive city approvals. Greg will make Louisville an easy place for entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses.
4. Making Louisville a leader in GREEN — green construction, green buildings, green jobs. Greg will put incentives in place to encourage the construction of green buildings, especially LEED-certified structures (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), in everything from homes to business offices. Greg will also place a renewed emphasis on the revitalization of brownfields, such as the Park Hill corridor, and he’ll use the 100-mile Louisville Loop and the city’s renowned arts, parks and neighborhoods to attract companies and people to Louisville.
5. Building a 21^st Century business park in the Renaissance Zone. The Louisville Regional Airport Authority has hundreds of acres of land south of the airport available for redevelopment. Known as the Renaissance Zone, the area could be Louisville’s next major commerce center, similar to Riverport. Greg will help lead this effort by convening the city and airport leaders with local developers, MSD and state and federal officials to build the necessary infrastructure (roads, sewers, etc) that will attract development and industry.
6. Developing the next generation of logistics in Louisville. One of Louisville’s biggest competitive advantages is our logistics sector and the city’s location in the center of North American commerce. Greg will identify the next generation of logistics. Instead of just shipping products, for example, Louisville should become a leader in adding value for companies. For example, UPS Third Party Logistics center not only ships computers, it repairs them in Louisville.
7. Building the bridges and Museum Plaza for immediate and long-term jobs. Greg will build two new bridges, starting with the East End bridge immediately as planned in the Record of Decision, which will create tens of thousands of construction and other jobs. He will also do everything possible to start construction of Museum Plaza and the new VA Hospital, which also will create thousands of construction and permanent jobs.
8. Growing the local food economy to create jobs and help Louisville feed itself. Create the Urban Agriculture Program to attract people from across the country to live and raise food in urban areas and on vacant lots. Greg will also help develop food processing plants so local growers can process their goods for the market and utilize UPS to ship fresh Louisville produce and products globally.
9. Linking Louisville and Fort Knox and making Southwest Jefferson County a hub for the military/defense sector. Greg will lead an effort to position Louisville-Fort Knox as a civilian military jobs hub by attracting security and defense manufacturing jobs, and transforming Southwest Jefferson County into a thriving business and recreational center between Fort Knox and downtown Louisville. This will be part of a larger military jobs hub that is developing from Indianapolis to Ft. Campbell and includes military defense contractors and military posts.
10. Making Louisville a business-friendly, entrepreneurial “can do” city. Greg will create the Economic Innovation Center to build on the exclusive strengths of Louisville’s economy, from aging care to logistics to the 100-mile Louisville Loop. The office will focus on the business sectors and industries that make Louisville unique and set it apart from other cities – and determine how to grow those sectors. On top of this strategy will be a relentless entrepreneurial focus by Greg, who will infuse city operations with a “can do”, attitude where we use our size as a competitive advantage to be quicker and better than the cities we compete against.

Republican Hal Heiner‘s campaign manager Joe Burgan says this of the plan:

More of the same – typical political platitudes when what we need are real ideas for attracting and keeping companies in Louisville. Hal Heiner is the only candidate with the job attraction experience a mayor needs to win the best jobs for Louisville.

I talked with independent candidate Jackie Green, who says Fischer has a few good ideas in his plan, but others are contradictory. For example, he says building bridges is not in line with point #4–making Louisville a leader in green construction, building and jobs. Further, Green says streamlined development can hurt agriculture in Louisville.

Kids Count Data Book Released

Kentucky Youth Advocates have released the Kids Count data book for the state. The book “focuses on fifteen indicators of economic well-being and gives a glimpse into the effects of the national recession on children and families in the Commonwealth.”

What does it say?

Eight of the book’s ten indicators measuring children’s receipt of work supports showed an increase in participation since 2000, including the following:

• Between 2000 and 2009 the number of children receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) benefits increased by 56 percent (over 100,000 children).
• Participation in the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) increased by 24 percent (over 20,000 children) between 2000 and 2009.
• The percent of children attending public schools eligible for free or reduced-price meals increased from 48 percent to 52 percent between the 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 school years.
• In 2009, an average of 60,778 children were enrolled in the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) each month, up 35 percent from 2000.
• Medicaid enrollment grew by 47 percent (over 123,000 children) from 2000 to 2009.
• The number of children receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits grew by 31 percent (over 6,900 children) between December 2000 and December 2008.

Despite these increases in receipt of benefits, many children and families in Kentucky are still missing out on work supports they are eligible for due to barriers such as lack of information and a confusing and laborious application process. For instance, estimates suggest that between 15 and 25 percent of Kentuckians eligible for the EITC do not claim it when they file their taxes. And while Kentucky’s participation in SNAP is high, a 2009 study of food bank users found that almost half do not receive SNAP. In addition, only 58 percent of eligible children participated in WIC in 2008.

You can see the book here (PDF).

Previously, the national data book ranked Kentucky 40th in the nation in overall child well-being. WFPL’s State of Affairs recently featured a panel discussion on the report.

Man Moves To Louisville, Internet Notices

David Serchuk is a writer and editor who recently moved from Brooklyn to Louisville. On Monday, The Huffington Post published a piece by Serchuk comparing New York and Louisville.

Michelle at Consuming Louisville noticed, and suggested Serchuk explore restaurants beyond Chik-Fil-A.

Serchuk noticed his internet welcome, and responded.

After that, LEO pointed out that Serchuk is right about his public transit comparisons, then welcomed the newcomer to Louisville.

So, yes, welcome to Louisville and the internet.

Abramson On The JCPS Suit, Schools Bill

As Rick Howlett reported on WFPL today, “Louisville attorney Ted Gordon was back in court Monday, filing a motion that asks a judge to reopen Gordon’s suit challenging Jefferson County Public Schools student assignment plan.”

You can read the story here.

Superintendent Sheldon Berman and Mayor Jerry Abramson made a joint appearance today (along with Congressman John Yarmuth) and afterward, they talked about the suit and the neighborhood schools legislation.

Berman and Gordon are quoted in the WFPL story. Here is what the mayor had to say:

(That’s WHAS-11′s Joe Arnold asking some of the questions)

On The Pill Pipeline In Lebanon, Kentucky

The Lebanon Trade Center is like any other shopping center in Kentucky — there’s a cigarette outlet, a chiropractor, a Subway shop, a hair salon, and a cash-only pain clinic, where anybody with $200 can get a prescription for Oxycontin.

-Jim Higdon at Marion County Line, reporting on Lebanon Medical Solutions, LLC. Read the whole story here

Conway Launches TV Ad

Democratic Senate Candidate Jack Conway has launched his first TV ad of the general election. The spot touts Conway’s work as Attorney General, his NRA rating and his support from law enforcement officials. The ad comes after Conway’s Republican opponent Rand Paul defended himself for statements about drug crime in parts of Kentucky, and his stance against federal assistance for fighting drug crime in Kentucky.

You can watch the ad here.

Paul doesn’t have any TV ads on yet, but an outside group is running anti-Conway spots.

Third District Suits Dropped

The story from WFPL is pasted below.*

Lawsuits challenging two candidates for Kentucky’s Third Congressional District have been dropped.

County Republican Party vice-chair Cordell Lawrence had filed suit against Libertarian candidate Ed Martin and independent Michael Hansen. The suits said the candidates did not properly file to run for the seat currently held by Democrat John Yarmuth.

Martin’s campaign said the suits were a desperate attempt to get two candidates off the ballot because they might take votes away from Republican candidate Todd Lally. Lally’s campaign manager Jay Hill said he had nothing to do with the suits.

A hearing was to be held Monday on Martin’s case. But Martin says he and Hansen received calls Friday afternoon saying the suits were dropped. Martin says he was faxed paperwork confirming the suit had been withdrawn.

*As I was bolding the names, it hit me that this story has the highest concentration of names of any story I’ve written. I’ve written stories with more names, but there were more words around them.

American Crossroads Planning More For Kentucky

American Crossroads announced Friday it will spend ten million dollars in eight states ahead of the November elections.

From the Herald-Leader:

The get-out-the vote effort by American Crossroads will benefit his opponent, Republican nominee Rand Paul.

The group will contact Republican and independent voters by mail and by telephone, including during a three-day “blitz” leading up to Election Day, to try to get them to the polls, it said in a news release.

It’s not clear how much of the $10 million pot the group will spend in Kentucky, but it’s likely to be a “significant chunk” given the importance of the race, said a spokesman, Jonathan Collegio.

Crossroads GPS is now in a $500,000 ad buy attacking Jack Conway.

More Water Contaminated By Coal Ash Than Previously Thought

As the EPA plans to regulate coal ash–the substance generated from burning coal–environmental groups have released reports showing that ash has polluted more waterways and wetlands than previously thought.

The Ohio River Radio Consortium has more:

The Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice say they have analyzed soil and water data and found 39 additional coal ash sites in 21 states where nearby groundwater, wetlands, or surface waters are contaminated.  Those sites join the EPA’s list of 70 other sites known to be contaminated, which agency officials say are the justification for new regulation.

The contaminants are heavy metals, such as arsenic and lead, leaching out of the ash, some of which the environmental groups say have been found in drinking water at levels far exceeding health advisories.  The sites include those in states throughout the Ohio River valley.

The problem is often found at older, unlined coal ash ponds, which could become a thing of the past if certain aspects of the EPA’s proposal are adopted.  Liners would be required, and coal ash ponds phased out in favor of landfills and more recycling.

There will be a hearing in Louisville on the new regulations next month.