.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Opinion

  • Battle lies ahead for U.S. Senate...

    Change may come slowly to Kentucky, but things are definitely changing when it comes to public opinion about issues including smoking, gay marriage, medical marijuana, minimum wage and who should be the state's next U.S. senator.

    Those were among issues Kentuckians were asked about in the latest Bluegrass Poll, conducted by Survey USA in an expanded effort that for the first time brought together four major news organizations, including The Courier-Journal, WHAS-TV, the Lexington Herald-Leader and WKYT-TV in Lexington.

  • Campbellsville doesn't need...

    Should Campbellsville residents be limited when it comes to having yard sales? We don't think so.

    While the Campbellsville City Council has been discussing the issue, we can't help but wonder where the real problem lies.

    Council members have discussed potential traffic problems, but it seems having police officers ticket those who create the traffic problem would be a better alternative than patrolling yard sales and possibly citing someone over a permit.

  • Farmer sentencing was the right call

    Former Secretary of Agriculture Richie Farmer betrayed the public's trust through his illegal actions while in office, and we feel he received the appropriate sentence.

  • Eminent domain should not apply...

    Oklahoma-based Williams Co. and Texas-based Boardwalk Pipeline Partners want to build a pipeline to pump natural gas liquids across the commonwealth. The partnership expects it will not be able to negotiate sales with 2 percent of landowners along the route.

    Although the proposed Bluegrass Pipeline's exact path is unknown, it will enter Kentucky in Bracken County and run through many central Kentucky counties to link up with an existing pipeline in Breckinridge County.

  • Find a way to help others this...

    Find a way to help others this holiday season

     

    'Tis the season for so many things: decorations, presents, Santa, ice, snow, the flu.

    There are likely a hundred different things on your mind or your "to do" list at this very moment. Chances are, not all of them are pleasant. Actually, some of them probably incite worry.

  • Shop local this holiday season

    The National Federation of Independent Businesses estimated that Small Business Saturday generated $5.5 billion in sales for America’s locally owned shops in 2012. It’s too early to know if the promotion for independent retailers matched or surpassed that mark this year. But judging from the recent buzz for supporting local economies, we’d say the odds are that 2013 will be a good one for small stores.

  • Don't support retailers on...

    Thanksgiving is the most straightforward of holidays, unencumbered by the expectations of Christmas or the letdown that often accompanies New Year's Eve. This Thursday's holiday has little buildup and virtually no fanfare: a big meal, some football and perhaps a nap.

  • Charity starts at your house, not...

    In the Nov. 14 issue of the Central Kentucky News-Journal, you might have read a story about Taylor County's magistrates being approached for money by several local groups.

    At its Nov. 12 meeting, Taylor County Fiscal Court had several items on its agenda that involved local groups and organizations asking for financial contributions. While this is in no way a statement against those organizations or their importance, it is one intended to address the information many people might not have about the operation of a governmental body such as the fiscal court.

  • Why Kentucky needs a Farm Bill now

    This fall, Congress has an important opportunity to create jobs and grow the economy by passing a long-term, comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill. The Farm Bill impacts every American, every day, by providing a wide range of programs that strengthen our nation.

  • Kentucky's GED test needs to...

    Employers, colleges and vocational schools have long recognized the GED test as a high school equivalency degree. It was developed in the 1940s so American soldiers returning from World War II could use the GI Bill to advance to college. Many had left for the military without finishing high school.

  • State failing in education spending

    In Fiscal Year 2008, Kentucky spent $21.7 million buying textbooks for students in the state's public school system.

    Today, free textbooks in K-12 public schools have gone the way of the dinosaur and the dodo bird. They became the extinct victims of substantial cuts in state spending on education in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

    While avoiding free textbooks' fate of complete eradication, other important K-12 programs took significant post-recession hits as well.

  • Obamacare battles put Congress on...

    Most Americans, even those who are wary of Obamacare, do not support shutting down the federal government as a means to block funding for the health care law. In fact, polls taken in the past couple of weeks show that the majority believes this tactic makes little sense and puts partisan motives ahead of the country's financial security.

    Unfortunately, it is harder every day to make sense of Congress.

  • Gregory thinks new state...

     

    The Kentucky General Assembly met during the past week in special session to address the difficult issue of redistricting. The process of redistricting takes place every decade following the census to realign legislative districts based on population changes. This requirement is to ensure that each district contains a similar number of people and preserve the principle of "one person, one vote."

    Without redistricting, some legislators would be representing far more people than others, and the impact of individual voters would be diluted. 

  • Racial slurs taken seriously by...

    You hear it in today's music and movies. It's used by musicians, professional athletes and even kids in our schools. It's what we typically refer to as the "N" word.

    The word is used to express hatred and it's commonly thought of as the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in the English language, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

  • Repairs for aging roads a concern...

    As we look for ways to increase Kentucky's competitiveness, we are also looking for ways to reduce excessive spending and keep taxpayers from being unduly burdened. 

    Last Thursday, the Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation heard how other states are using Public Private Partnerships as a cost-effective strategy to repair aging infrastructure.

    According to a policy expert with the National Conference of State Legislatures, 33 states and Puerto Rico have laws enabling PPPs for highways and bridges.

  • New features come to CKNJ website

    Change is sometimes good, and we believe we are making some good changes to our website.

    The Central Kentucky News-Journal's site, www.cknj.com, has always featured news, sports, advertising and other aspects of our printed edition. Now, we want to give even more to our website visitors.

    You will notice a new format on our homepage, which includes some of our top stories when you arrive at our site. Before, one main story and a photo appeared on the homepage. Now, you'll see a larger photo, which will rotate and highlight a few of our main stories.

  • Jobs, energy big issues for...

    The past couple of weeks have been busy in and around Frankfort with joint committee meetings on a wide range of issues, including the DOD's planned forced brigade reduction at Ft. Knox, the possible ways to help SNAP recipients better balance their food budgets and the impact of impending federal regulations on coal.

  • Regardless of the verdict, our...

    While we realize the weekend verdict finding George Zimmerman not guilty of the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin is a lot more important than winning a sporting event, there do seem to be some similarities.

    Fans, and aren't we all one of those, back the coach as long as the team comes out on top. It's like the old saying, "Coach, we're behind you, win or win" when it used to be "Coach, we're behind you win, lose or draw."

    Coaches, like game officials, never win; they only lose.

  • Lawmakers strengthen 'pill...

    Talk about your classic good news/bad news.

    The good news is it appears the "pill mill" legislation passed by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2012 and tweaked in 2013 has made it harder to obtain pills.

    The bad news is, as law enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges recently told State Journal reporter Lindsey Erdody, some drug users are simply switching to heroin.

    Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate has been on the bench 14 years, during which time he said he had seen fewer heroin cases than you could count on one hand.

  • Don't ignore all costs of...

    Dr. Stephanie Mayfield, who is Kentucky's health commissioner, recently told a legislative committee that a typical smoker in the state spent $2,237 last year on cigarettes.

    Reporting to the Program Review and Investigations Committee in Frankfort, the commissioner also said 450 million packs of cigarettes were sold to about 962,000 Kentuckians age 18 and older, while children, who cannot legally buy cigarettes, are continuing to pick up the habit.