The Northern Kentucky Tea PartyNorthern Kentucky
27
Jan
2013
CVG Needs Competition to Lower Fares
by Legate Damar
During the deregulation movement in the airline industry in the late 1970’s Delta primarily served the South, but wanted to expand into the Midwest. United Airlines and American Airlines both had bases in Chicago. Continental Airlines already had a strong presence in Cleveland, and struggling Northwest was building a hub in Detroit, having run out of room in Minneapolis. Cincinnati’s airport, known as CVG in the airline industry, offered many benefits to Delta in support of creating a hub here. Cincinnati had numerous Fortune 500 companies, the airline had strong historical ties to Cincinnati, the weather was decent, there was plenty of runway space and airport officials were willing to accommodate them. (Why CVG lost half of all flights, 2010). Although it may have seemed like it was a good economic decision at the time, airport officials were making a Faustian bargain with the airline by allowing Delta to become a monopoly at CVG.
27
Jan
2013
Let’s Do Away with “Stumbo Days”
by Legate Damar
After his election as House speaker in January 2009, Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives Greg Stumbo decided to allow lawmakers to be paid for up to two extra days of work at the Capitol each month during the periods between legislative sessions — even if they did not have committee meetings those days. As a result, House members were paid more than $100,000 in salary and expenses for the new work days during the first five months the policy was in effect, according to a Courier-Journal review of legislative pay records obtained through Kentucky’s open-records act (Greg Stumbo Grants House Members Extra Pay Days, 2009).
23
Jan
2013
Alternatives to Tolling to Fund the Brent Spence Bridge?
by Legate Damar
It is incontrovertible that the Brent Spence Bridge needs to be upgraded. The 49-year-old Brent Spence Bridge on Interstates 71/75 is "functionally obsolete" because of its narrow lanes, lack of emergency shoulders and limited visibility on the lower deck. The Kentucky-owned bridge, part of the nation's busiest freight corridor, carries double its intended traffic capacity (Brent Spence Bridge coalition names new chairmen, 2013). The question is how to finance a new bridge due to the absence of federal funding for a replacement. Unfortunately tolling has surfaced as the main source of funding for bridge and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have said tolls are the only way the project will get built. Tolls are the centerpiece of the states’ financing study, which is being conducted by HNTB, a leading engineering firm on multibillion-dollar tolling projects (Brent Spence toll estimate on horizon, 2013). The 125-member Build Our New Bridge Now coalition has raised around $2 million for a lobbying and public-education campaign. The coalition is lobbying Kentucky lawmakers to pass legislation during the current session that will allow for the $2.5 billion bridge project to be built through a public-private partnership. The Kentucky legislature would have to approve a finance plan for the project, and Northern Kentucky state lawmakers remain opposed to charging tolls on the bridge (Brent Spence toll estimate on horizon, 2013). Northern Kentucky state lawmakers are resistant to public-private partnership legislation, concerned it will open the door for tolls to be used to finance the project (Brent Spence Bridge coalition names new chairmen, 2013).
23
Jan
2013
Norm Davis
by Bryan H. Miller
It is with great sadness that I tell you that Mr. Norm Davis, a true "Patriot" passed away on Monday January 21, 2013.
Norman Davis was one of the Presidents of “Kentuckians for the Right to Bear Arms”, Moderator for “Take Back Kentucky”, 2009 National Award winner of the “Freedom’s Heroes Award” and the winner of the 2010 “Minuteman Patriots Award.”
He had worked tirelessly with our Kentucky Legislature as well as our Federal officials for nearly 20 years on behalf of Conservative Causes for all Kentuckians.
For those who didn’t know Norm, click on the link below and within seconds you will see the passion that he had for freedom and the love of his country. He will be a great loss to our fight. May he stand and smile down on us as we continue our battle to “Take Back Kentucky” and these United States of America. All those who knew him will miss him...
23
Jan
2013
The Tolling Battle Continues with New Players
by Legate Damar
The 49-year-old Brent Spence Bridge on Interstates 71/75 is “functionally obsolete” because of its narrow lanes, lack of emergency shoulders and limited visibility on the lower deck. The bridge carries double its intended traffic capacity, and transportation officials say congestion is only going to get worse (Brent Spence toll estimate on the horizon, 2013). The federal government won’t allocate $2.4 billion for the bridge or raise the federal gas tax to do it, proponents of private financing stated during a pitch Tuesday to Northern Kentucky leaders to allow for private financing to fund the Brent Spence Bridge. Leaders with the Build Our New Bridge Now Coalition and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet told a crowd at the Northern Kentucky Chamber’s Eggs ‘N Issues breakfast in Erlanger that if we don’t allow for private funds to pay for the bridge the bridge traffic in the region will fill area highways with gridlock, said Johnna Reeder, vice president of community relations and economic development with Duke Energy and chairwoman of the Build Our New Bridge Now Coalition (Brent Spence Bridge idea tossed around, 2013). More than 120 businesses in Greater Cincinnati have joined the coalition to push for a financing plan for the bridge (Do You Do Business with Tolling Supporters?, 2012). The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has pushed for legislation in the Kentucky General Assembly for a public-private partnership to fund the $2.4 billion bridge project. But no legislator has come forward to sponsor such a bill, and many have said they oppose private financing that could lead to tolls (Brent Spence Bridge idea tossed around, 2013).