Hillbilly Report

Kentucky Tea Party. James Pence Video And Photos

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April 15, 2009 Elizabethtown, Kentucky
A Tea Party protest, with over 400 protesters, was held on the Hardin County Courthouse Square April 15 2009, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

The News Enterprise
Organizer Debra Tennison said she does not think current representatives are speaking for the will of the people. Specifically, she mentioned President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan — actually calling it a “non-stimulus” — bailout spending and the proposed federal budget.
“We’re just not in agreement with what is going on,” she said.

State Rep. Tim Moore, R-Elizabethtown, and Republican Lisa Williams, who ran for the State House last year spoke at the event.
I didn't see any Democratic officials there.
Click here and here to view photos of the event.
If you watch the video you will hear, comments about, activist judges, gun control. abortion, and yes the government spending and the debt was mentioned at the protest, but it seemed to me that this event was created to fire up the Republican base and from what I could tell it worked.
I was confused by some of the signs that said no more taxes, when in fact taxes have been cut for most Americans. While shooting video and photos I just couldn't help but think, where were these folks when George Bush was running up the national debt, where were these folks when George Bush took us to war in Iraq, where were these folks when George Bush was listening to our phone calls and monitoring our emails, where were these folks when George Bush was water boarding prisoners?
I took the time to capture this event, not because I believe in what the event stood for, but because I felt it was necessary to show the Kentucky Democratic Party what's going on in the rural areas of the state and sometimes video and photos speak louder than words.
The Republican Party is gearing up for the 2010 election and we had better be ready for the fight of our lives, because these folks are serious.

Dave Adkisson Give Me A Break!

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Dave Adkisson, President Kentucky Chamber of Commerce had a letter published in the Hardin County News Enterprise, click here to see it or read it at the bottom of this post. David Adkisson thanked Brett Guthrie (KY-2) for standing up to the The Employee Free Choice Act and called it dangerous legislation. In his letter he says " Because unions would know who had and had not signed a card, workers would be exposed to unrelenting pressure and coercion.  Exposing workers to this harassment may seem unfair, but the goal of this legislation isn’t fairness – it’s getting workers to sign cards and begin paying union dues".
Dave Adkisson seems to indicate he's worried about the American worker when in reality, I feel, he, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the United States Chamber of Commerce want cheap labor for those they represent. I understand that, but when Dave Adkisson seems to indicate he's standing up for the American worker I feel he's being deceptive to say the least. It seems to me they Dave Adkisson, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the United States Chamber of Commerce want to instill fear of labor Unions into the hearts of the American worker, when in fact there is know reason to fear them at all. This is the same tired old fear tactic used by the GOP to keep us occupied with fear while their pals on Wall Street were stealing us blind.
So what does the Chamber of Commerce really stand for?

• According to this author they stand for cheap foreign labor.
• They remain the staunchest advocate of the benefits of the NAFTA! Might I ask benefits for for who?
• They gave us 15 reasons to support DR-CAFTA. 
• The Kentucky Chamber opposes state and local wage mandates that go beyond
  federal requirements. When state or local governments attempt to mandate wage
  and benefit thresholds, safety regulations or additional standards that go beyond
  what is necessary to provide basic, uniform protections, the added cost
  of doing business — and the lack of focus on the real issues that could make a
  difference – decreases Kentucky’s overall competitiveness, particularly with our
  border and peer states.
• The Kentucky Chamber supports legislation that repeals the employer mandate to withhold union dues from an employee’s salary.
• The Kentucky Chamber is firmly opposed to any local or statewide expansion of public employee collective bargaining. The expansion of public employee collective bargaining can lead to inefficient administration of public duties, increased costs to taxpayers and an increased likelihood of interruptions of essential government services.
• They campaign against Democratic candidates and use excerpts from news papers like the Paducah Sun to promote their view. Click here to see the video they used against Bruce Lunsford, click here to see their union fear tactic ad and click here to see their youtube channel.

I suggest the video below is really what the Chamber of Commerce believes in and the American worker will never be able to work cheap enough or hard enough to suit them.

Read the Dave Adkisson letter to the Editor after the hump.

Same Old Stuff Here In Rural Kentucky

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The Hardin County News Enterprise was there when Jim Bunning was speaking here in Elizabethtown, Kentucky Saturday February 21, 2009. The event made The Hardin County News Enterprise front page Monday February 23, 2009 and there was no mention of Jim Bunning's remarks concerning Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Senator Bunnings apology to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg or the fact that Bunning's office misspelled Ginsburg's last name.

From NBC's Ken Strickland and Mark Murray
In a written statement today, Kentucky GOP Sen. Jim Bunning apologized for remarks he made about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in which he predicted that she would pass away in nine months.

"I apologize if my comments offended Justice Ginsberg," Bunning said. "That certainly was not my intent. It is great to see her back at the Supreme Court today and I hope she recovers quickly. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family."
Note: Bunning's office misspelled Ginsburg's last name.

I don't know if the The Hardin County News Enterprise just didn't hear what Bunning had to say about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, they just didn't think it was news worthy or they didn't want to offend any of the Republicans attending the event, but what Bunning said made national news and we blogged it here the next day.
Below is the News Enterprise front page article published February 23, 2009. Two days after the event. It's a shame that bloggers are aware of what is and what isn't news and the so called professional media aren't.

The Hardin County News Enterprise
ELIZABETHTOWN – As Kentucky has gotten out the word that Abraham Lincoln is a native son, the GOP on Friday claimed the 16th president as one of its own.

Sen. Jim Bunning, the keynote speaker at the annual Lincoln Day Dinner, called him: “the father of our Republican party.”

Bunning represented Kentucky on the national Bicentennial Commission. Lincoln’s 200th birthday was Feb. 12.

Also during the Historic State Theater event, a Lincoln look-alike to much applause said: “Mr. Obama, you are no Abraham Lincoln.” The president has fostered his own similarities to the other congressman from Illinois.

The president and several lawmakers in Congress have forgotten things Lincoln believed in, Bunning said. The senator, who mentioned qualities such as personal initiative, said the stimulus package aimed at easing the recession has removed welfare reforms that make recipients get jobs.

Bunning said the only good aspects of the stimulus are Republican amendments giving tax breaks to home buyers. And the best suggestion from the Obama administration has been to help struggling homeowners, he said.

Strings will be attached with the legislation. “That’s is why this stimulus package isn’t going to help us,” Bunning said. In fact, the president of JPMorgan Chase wants to give money back to the government because of that.

Bunning also said the situation is not going to get better soon. “So if you’ve got seatbelts on your chairs,” he told the audience, “put them on, because it’s going to be a rough ride.”

He also said he wants people to have confidence in the federal government, which — and he included the Bush administration — has failed them.

Besides talking about the stimulus, Bunning asked local Republicans for money.

The 77-year-old said he plans to run again in 2010. Also running is Democratic Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo, who lost by a slim margin to Bunning in 2004.

The Associated Press has called Bunning’s campaign finance situation “lackluster.”

And the Republican Senatorial Committee is not helping him or the Senate’s three other most conservative members, Bunning said.

Bryce Shumate And Me

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While shooting video of Governor Steve Beshear's visit and taking photos at the Pritchard Community Center Sunday Feb.1. 2009 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky a man approached me in regular clothes with a gun strapped to his waist in plain view and, in what I perceived as a very arrogant attitude, asked me why I took his photo and why I didn't ask for his permission. I explained to him this was a public event in a public place and I didn't need his permission and then he proceeded to tell me who he was. He told me he was Bryce Shumate from the Radcliff Police Department and I asked him, facetiously, if I was under arrest and then, in my opinion, he really got bossy and even more arrogant and intimidating. Maybe Mr.Shumate was having a bad day, but I've been all over the state of Kentucky in too many cities and counties to count, shooting video and taking photos of folks like President Barack Obama, Fist Lady Michelle Obama, Senator Mitch McConnell, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Ex Governor Ernie Fletcher, Congressman Ben Chandler, Congressman John Yarmuth. Ex Congress Woman Anne Northup and many others. I also shot photos and videotaped President Barack Obama when he announced his candidacy for President of the United States of America in Springfield,Ill. While shooting video and taking photos at these events I've had to interface with the Capitol Police, The Secret Service, the State Police and the local Police and I have to say with all honesty they were all great and very respectful. I really do wish I could say the same For Bryce Shumate, But I can't. I realize that some may question why I took the time to blog this and here my answer. I don't care what Bryce Shumate thinks of me, nor does he frighten or intimidate me, I just want to put it on the record how I felt Mr. Shumate treated me and if this happens to some one else down the line, there will be a record of it and just for the record Virgil Willoughby of the Elizabethtown, Kentucky Police Department was very professional, respecful and helpful.

Three Challengers For Seats On The Elizabethtown City Council Will Testify In Frankfort.

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Three challengers for seats on the Elizabethtown City Council will testify at a hearing regarding city classification legislation at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort on Wednesday, September 24th, 2008.
City Council candidates Steve Atcher, Bill Bennett and Matt Wyatt will participate in a discussion regarding the need to fix city classification legislation that was written by the General Assembly in 1994.  That legislation said the General Assembly would create a new classification system to replace the population-based city classification system originally created in the Kentucky Constitution. The General Assembly has never done so, leaving the original population-based classification system as the only existing classification system in the state of Kentucky.

This situation figured prominently in the battle over a restaurant tax ordinance passed by current city council members Tony Bishop, Marty Fulkerson, Kenny Lewis and Mayor David Willmoth, Jr. in 2007.  Elizabethtown still classifies itself as a fourth-class city, making it technically eligible for a restaurant tax.  According to the population-based city class system, a fourth-class city has a population of less than 8,000.   Opponents of the restaurant tax point out that Elizabethtown’s population exceeded 20,000 in 1997, and had a population of 22,452 in the 2000 U.S. Census.  Cities with a population of 20,000 to 99,999 are second-class cities per the population-based class system.  Second-class cities are not authorized by Kentucky law to enact a restaurant tax.  Elizabethtown’s population is now well over 24,000.

"Ax The Food Tax" Rally, Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

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Friday August 14, 2008 Steve Atcher, Bill Bennett and Matt Wyatt, all candidates for Elizabethtown City Council,  sponsored the "Ax The Food Tax" rally, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Bob Hack, a candidate for Elizabethtown city council was also in attendance. All four candidates have pledged to get rid of the restaurant tax and reclassify the city of Elizabethtown to a 2nd class city.
I took a few photos, click here to view them.
I also shot video of the event. I kept the video short so that those that couldn't make it to the rally could get a flavor of what went on and to put the current members of the Elizabethtown city council on notice that folks are serious about kicking them out of office.
It was really nice to attend a meeting like this and shoot video. Much different than Mayor David Willmoth, Jr. not allowing me to shoot video when Steve Atcher and Bill Bennett were presenting their case to the Elizabethtown city council.
When I left the meeting I couldn't help but think that Marty Fulkerson, Tony Bishop and Kenny Lewis are going to have a whole lot of explaining to do and then I thought, it's about time.

Sherry Murphy Needs Help? Why?

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Glendale, Kentucky
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So Elizabethtown is hiring: “City seeks sports and sales director.” I don't want to sound cynical here, but I can see it now. Sherry Murphy will hire a friend of the "family" (City Government Representative) to fill this position to do her job. Then the new friend of the "family" sports and sales director will hire a consultant to do his or her job.
Sherry Murphy,  the new friend of the "family" sports and sales director and the new consultant will approach the city to increase the restaurant tax so they can hire someone that will actually work.
Is it asking too much for Sherry Murphy to do like the rest of us and work a little harder and smarter, or is this out of the question for those that work at the Elizabethtown Tourism & Convention Bureau? I suggest the Elizabethtown Tourism & Convention Bureau doesn't need to hire a sports and sales director, but rather an Executive Director that's willing to work and can and will multitask.
Furthermore, those elected in the November election may rescind the fourth-class restaurant tax on first class citizens, rammed through by second-class city representatives.
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