A missed GOPportunity: Republicans should have held normal convention in South Dakota

As the live-via-video Republican National Convention continues this week, coming on the heels of the similar event held last week by the Socialists of America, perhaps it's appropriate to remind conservative and right-leaning voters of what could have transpired.

Call it "a missed GOPportunity," if you want.

The stories about the altered state of the convention are well-known. The GOP convention was originally scheduled to be held as a traditional event in Charlotte, N.C. However, the Republicans changed their plans after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, wouldn't allow them to hold the event as planned. Something about being scared of a Chinese virus with a mortality rate of 0.04 percent, they said.

So the Republicans decided to relocate the event to Jacksonville, Fla., but a virus outbreak in the Sunshine State alarmed party officials enough to scuttle those plans.

The result is the convention taking place in locations scattered all across the globe -- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed it from Israel -- either by remote live video appearances, or through taped videos. First Lady Melania Trump spoke from the White House last night, as the president is scheduled to do Thursday.

The effect is certainly not the same as a live and in-person convention. Applause lines are nowhere to be found. Speakers who raise their voices, as they would in a speech before a live audience in a packed arena, are criticized and ridiculed. And television coverage, both by the major broadcast networks and the cable news and commentary outlets, has been significantly scaled back. For example, NBC had a talking head discussing mail-in voting shortly after their 10 p.m. coverage commenced Tuesday night while Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron was speaking.

It didn't have to be this way. Republicans blew a great opportunity to hold a normal convention while at the same time recognizing one of the leaders in how this country has responded to the Wuhan Chinese virus.

South Dakota, with GOP Gov. Kristi Noem at the helm, has been a shining star in how to handle the "kung flu." There have been no directed business closures. No mask mandates. No panic or overreaction. She has trusted her state's residents to make their own decisions on how to respond to the disease. Compared to most other states, especially Kentucky, South Dakota is thriving. Isolated outbreaks such as in commercial or industrial settings were dealt with either corporately or locally. There were no statewide edicts or orders.

While annual and one-time big events have been canceled, postponed, or restricted nationwide, South Dakota has pushed on. Two of the biggest national happenings  of the year -- an Independence Day fireworks show at which President Trump spoke, and the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally -- went off without a hitch. If those events could take place, why couldn't a Republican convention have been held in South Dakota?

Moving the RNC to the Mount Rushmore State could have accomplished several goals. South Dakota isn't exactly on the beaten path; it's really too far north to be considered "flyover country." Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, and the Badlands are its best-known features and tourist attractions. Holding the convention there could have shined a spotlight on an often-overlooked state, provided a huge economic boost, and acknowledged and rewarded Gov. Noem for her exemplary conduct during the virus outbreak. Plus, it would have allowed the Republicans to show that they aren't hiding in fear the way the Democrats did in changing their convention. Contrasts between the two parties in how to handle challenges and crises would have been on full display -- the GOP rushes in unafraid to take on the task without hesitation, while Democrats cower in fear and send in videos.

But courage hasn't exactly been in ample supply even among Republicans the last several months. Look at the differences between Noem and Ohio's Mike DeWine. The latter has governed as a liberal Democrat this year, and it's really no surprise that legislators in his own party are pushing for his impeachment.

Republican party officials could have shown confidence and courage, while recognizing and rewarding an outstanding governor, by moving their meetup to South Dakota. The state may not have a city the size of a Charlotte or a Jacksonville, but surely an appropriate venue could have been found in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, or the capital city of Pierre. Parts of the convention could still have been done remotely or virtually, but there was still an opportunity for a decent-sized in-person gathering so enthusiasm could have been generated for this fall's vital election. Trump feeds off live audiences, and they in turn draw motivation and energy from his remarks.

This year's event is a poor substitute for what could have been. As noted above, a missed GOPportunity. Hopefully it won't come back to bite the Republicans as November draws closer.

Asking the wrong questions

A minor kerfuffle sprang up over the weekend when news broke that Gov. Andy Beshear would be dismissing Warren Beeler from his position as head of the Governor's Office for Agricultural Policy.

Beeler is well-known in Kentucky agricultural circles. He's said to be a Democrat who has held both merit (career civil service) and non-merit (political appointment) state government positions, including serving as GOAP director under Republican Gov. Matt Bevin.

As a political appointee, he serves at the pleasure of the governor. And Beshear is certainly well within his rights to replace Beeler with someone of his own choosing. While a number of appointees were replaced shortly after Beshear took office in December, a number of others are continuing to serve in their positions. Some served under Beshear's father and continued that service under Bevin.

While many are questioning Beshear's decision to remove Beeler, they're not asking the right question. Instead of wondering why the governor is replacing the GOAP director, they should be asking why the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy even exists.

The GOAP was created in 1998, during the Paul Patton administration, mainly to distribute proceeds from the tobacco settlement (caution: Wikipedia link, believe what you read there at your own peril). Employees from all across the Executive Branch were temporarily detailed to the project to process claims. I was working for the agency formerly known as the Revenue Cabinet at the time, and my supervisor was sent to an office on the other side of Frankfort for a few months to participate.

Why this task had to be carried out by an entirely new bureaucracy instead of through existing channels is not exactly known. And there definitely was, and is, an agency already established that could very easily handle what the GOAP does.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is unique in that it's the only department whose commissioner is elected as a statewide constitutional officer instead of being politically appointed by the governor. Commissioners of Local Government, Revenue, Highways, etc. -- all are non-merit employees who are appointed to their positions. But not Agriculture. And unlike most of the other constitutional offices that were part of the old "musical chairs" game that politicians used to play when statewide elected officials were limited to four-year terms and unable to succeed themselves, agriculture commissioners never really used the position as a springboard to higher office. (Notable exceptions are the most recent commissioners, Jamie Comer, who's now in Congress after a failed run for governor in 2015; and Richie Farmer, who was David Williams' running mate in their unsuccessful 2011 gubernatorial bid.) Indeed, a look through the list of past commissioners reveals very few familiar names. Outside of Comer and Farmer, the most recognizable name is Alben Barkley II, grandson of the former vice president for whom the lake in western Kentucky is named.

The agriculture commissioner during Patton's term was Billy Ray Smith. Like Patton, he was a Democrat. There were no reports of friction between Patton and Smith the way there were Barkley and Gov. John Y. Brown. So there's never really been a good explanation of why Kentucky established the GOAP instead of letting the Department of Agriculture handle the tobacco settlement claims and grants.

There is, however, tension between Beshear and current Commissioner Ryan Quarles. Quarles is the plaintiff in a lawsuit that challenges Beshear's Wuhan Chinese virus executive orders as they relate to businesses licensed by the agriculture department, and Quarles is also frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2023. That still doesn't explain why Bevin, a Republican like Quarles, kept GOAP intact.

Here lies an opportunity for the state to save some money, particularly if the GOP-controlled General Assembly wants to strike back at Beshear for the way he's handled the virus response. Due to time constraints and uncertain finances, the legislature passed only a one-year budget instead of the normal two-year biennial budget. They're set to address the budget for the upcoming fiscal year when they reconvene this winter. It's being said that due to decreased tax revenues because of Beshear's business shutdowns, substantial cuts will be required. Why shouldn't GOAP be a starting point? As director, Beeler makes $95,000 a year. There are probably lots of other expenditures related to that office as well. Perhaps the legislature should look into dismantling that duplicative office and transferring its duties to the existing Department of Agriculture.

Government has always been inefficiently run. Multiple agencies often have similar roles when the duties could be rolled into one office. Here's a prime chance for something to be done and money saved.

This isn't, and shouldn't be, about Warren Beeler. He's earned praise from agriculture leaders and politicians from both parties. And, as noted, the governor has every right to appoint people of his own choosing to leadership positions. What it should be about is the fact that we have two agencies devoted to agriculture when we could, and should, have only one office, the one that's designated by the state constitution to deal with farming interests.

Don't lament Beeler's dismissal. Instead, lament the fact that for more than two decades, we've wasted money on an office that isn't needed in the first place.

Are we waiting for a day that will never come?

Those of us who are ready for life to get back to normal -- not some bastardized version of a "new normal" where everyone wears masks and everyday activities are severely curtailed or restricted -- have every reason to be pessimistic.

There seems to be no end in sight for government mandates that limit life. Restaurants and bars are restricted in the number of customers they can serve. Executive orders limit the number of people who can attend private gatherings in homes or on private property. Public schools are "encouraged" to be closed, and those whose local governing bodies choose to reopen are threatened with retribution from the state. Some states force you to stay home for two weeks if you travel from certain other states. Only a precious few states, like South Dakota, are actually bastions of freedom in the "land of the free and the home of the brave."

But even if every onerous, overreaching government restriction was lifted tomorrow, is there any path to normal?

Government decrees might disappear, but businesses can and will impose restrictions. For instance, Kentucky's limits on the number of people from one family who can shop at a store have been repealed, but some retailers are still not letting more than a certain number of people inside their businesses at one time. It's not uncommon to have to stand in line outside at the Jackson Walmart, and to be let inside the store only after someone leaves.

And it continues. Some businesses require masks of all customers and they don't even recognize the enumerated exceptions contained in executive orders. Hours of operation are severely curtailed. Walmarts that used to be open 24 hours per day now close at 8:30 p.m. Many sporting events don't allow spectators, with the postponed Kentucky Derby being the latest one to ban fans. Restaurants take your temperature before you're seated. Aisles are marked "one way" and "do not enter." You have to wait in your vehicle before you're called in to see the veterinarian or have your hair cut. Some businesses don't accept cash and require you to pay with a card or an app on your phone. Colleges threaten students who attend parties with punishment, and are planning to limit attendance at football games and prohibit tailgating. Funerals are limited to only the closest relatives. Churches continue to remain closed to in-person worship and instead do online or drive-in services.

This isn't normal. None of it is normal. And it shouldn't be acceptable.

Not during any of the previous pandemics (H1N1 swine flu, ebola, SARS, and the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak that is most often compared to the current situation) were these extreme measures put in place for an extended period of time. How many months are we now into of what was supposed to be "15 days to flatten the curve?"

And what happens the next time we get another severe outbreak of the seasonal flu, when the "experts" get it totally wrong and the annual vaccine proves to be worthless, as it often does? Are we going to have to undergo all of this all over again?

Life isn't without risks. You put yourself in danger every time you leave the house, you get into an automobile, or basically do anything else other than exist in a bubble. Most of us realize that and are willing to accept the risks to live life normally. Those who have fears take outsized precautions to keep themselves safe. They don't go out to eat, or go to the movies, or go to church. Kudos to them. If that's how they want to live; if that's what they want to be normal; then no one is stopping them.

But those of us who truly want to live normally don't have that option. And those who want to earn a living still don't completely have that option. There's no place for a waiter or waitress in a restaurant that only offers carryout service. You can't take tickets or sell popcorn if the sporting venues and theaters are closed.

Are we waiting for a day that will never come? Is society to be forever altered because of the fears of some? It's looking increasingly as if that's going to be the case. As the government keeps extending mandates and telling us we may need to wear masks for the foreseeable future, and as businesses don't relax their voluntary restrictions when the government finally does take its foot off their necks, normal life appears to be slipping farther from our grasp with each passing day.

120 Strong is "120 Wrong:" Not all teachers fall in line with their beliefs

A Kentucky General Assembly interim committee meeting on education drew fire from an unsanctioned, unofficial group of teachers yesterday when it was (falsely) reported that no teachers were invited to address the panel.

Leading the charge of criticism was the group known as 120 Strong or KY 120 United. Remember, this is the same group that called for an illegal sickout so teachers could go to Frankfort to protest proposed pension reforms.

Unsurprisingly, several members of the media jumped into the fray, repeating the lie that no teachers were on the agenda or gave testimony. One supposedly impartial and unbiased newspaper reporter from Louisville even made a value judgment, saying that she was no longer going to tweet one person's remarks because he was not a representative of an established education group.

What's ironic is that in the same thread, that same reporter revealed that the person whose voice she wasn't going to amplify any longer is, indeed, a teacher.

As they say now in popular Twitter terminology, here's the receipt:

 

Dennis Buschman is the JROTC instructor at West Carter High School. Which means, in plain language, he's a teacher. When this was pointed out to members of "120 Wrong," they immediately got defensive and began belittling Buschman's education and experience. They basically called him "not a real teacher" because he teaches a specialized subject, has a different background, and most importantly, has different viewpoints than the 120 minions. Most of them are unabashed supporters of Gov. Andy Beshear and fully support his agenda on dealing with the Wuhan Chinese virus, including keeping businesses and schools closed and mandatory wearing of masks. The "120 Wrong" crowd decided that Buschman's point of view was not worthy of consideration because he opposes mask mandates. In short, his opinion is invalid and he should be canceled because he doesn't agree with their views.

The "120 Wrong" crowd is openly hostile to teachers who have different viewpoints. The Kentucky Education Association gets all the headlines, but the general public probably isn't aware that there's another, less liberal, group called the Kentucky Association of Professional Educators that actually offers more benefits than does KEA. But since "120 Wrong" is basically the radicalized arm of KEA, their loudest voices are very much opposed to KAPE and its leaders and representatives, to the point of personal harassment. 

KEA and "120 Wrong" give teachers a bad name and an undeserved reputation for being overwhelmingly liberal. Fayette and Jefferson counties dominate the landscape, but the truth is there are plenty of conservative Republicans in the education field out in the state. Some of the loudest, most obnoxious "120 Wrong" voices are from Republican counties in rural and small-town Kentucky, which is an obvious indicator that they're not indicative of the majority school of thought -- especially as voter registration trends continue to show Democrats hemorrhaging voters and Republicans rapidly closing the registered voter gap to the point where the GOP will finally take the majority in a few years if the pace continues.

And while it's true that far too many Republican educators believed the lies about their pensions and betrayed their principles and values by voting for Beshear over Matt Bevin, there's also been a great deal of "voter's remorse" the past nine months as they've seen Kentucky descend into an economic abyss and students basically lose two years' worth of schooling with the closing of classrooms in the spring and a delayed start to in-person instruction this summer.

So while the untrue complaint that no teachers were invited to address the legislative committee is false on its face, the gripes about teachers not having a voice are equally hollow. KEA and "120 Wrong" have direct input into every decision this administration makes. It wouldn't be surprising to learn that the leaders (elected for KEA and self-appointed for "120 Wrong") have the personal cell phone numbers of the governor and lieutenant governor. The legislature is not in session, so it's powerless to do anything about any of the executive orders and decrees coming from the governor. All that General Assembly members can do is write or call the governor with their concerns, and he's already shown that he's not interested in hearing what the legislative majority has to say. The educational establishment already has the ear of the executive branch and the Department of Education. Why do they want to appear before a powerless legislative committee except to grandstand?

And this doesn't even address the media's bias and failings in this regard. They gladly downplayed Buschman's testimony and repeated the lie that "no teachers were invited to speak." The Kentucky Freedom Coalition is doing a great job holding the press accountable, as evidenced by their Facebook and Twitter pages. They're turning into Kentucky's version of the Media Research Center and are to be commended for their efforts. Too many reporters and editors have willingly bought in to the "stay home," "mask up," and other edicts and can't be counted on for objective coverage of the issues.

The majorities and the leadership in the House and Senate have been vocal about what the executive branch has been doing. If they can retain their spines and not wilt under pressure, a day of reckoning is coming when the General Assembly convenes after the new year. The governor and Secretary of State Michael Adams are going to face consequences for their actions over the last several months. "120 Wrong" will be fighting them every step of the way. The legislators need to know that the loud, angry, lying voices that purport to represent a majority of teachers actually don't, and that they're more interested in self-promotion and pretending to be important than they are actually solving the state's problems. Liberal Democrats are losing power in the Bluegrass State, and this bunch is desperately trying to stay relevant even as they tie their boat to a sinking pier. And they're not above spreading falsehoods and trying to discredit or cancel anyone who doesn't drink the same flavor of Kool-Aid as they do.

Trump's well-meaning but wrong-headed approach to virus financial relief

With the latest Wuhan Chinese virus financial relief package stalled in Congress -- mainly because as usual, legislators (particularly Democrats) insist on stuffing the bill with unrelated pork and pet causes -- President Trump took it upon himself to try to offer something to Americans who continue to suffer economically as a result of various state reactions to the "kung flu."

Trump issued an executive order suspending the collection of the payroll tax used to fund Social Security and Medicare, along with authorizing an extra $400 in unemployment benefit with the federal government paying three-fourths of it and states kicking in the remaining $100.

The president certainly means well, and has the best interests of Americans at heart since Congress failed to act, but his solution will cause more long-term problems that it will solve in the short term.

For starters, this is only a temporary suspension of payroll tax collection, not a cancellation of the tax. This means that when payroll deductions restart, not only would workers have to start paying the tax again, but they'd be taking home less money, as the postponed collections would have to be made up. Trump has made some noise about making the suspension permanent if he's re-elected, but there's no guarantee that: 1.) he'll be re-elected, and 2.) he has the authority to do so without congressional approval.

But the bigger factor is this: Social Security and Medicare are already on perilous financial standing. Cutting off their sources of revenue endangers the retirement income and health insurance of millions of current and future retirees. This benefits no one.

Trump administration officials are making the case that a temporary suspension of the payroll tax, and the resulting increase in take-home pay, will actually pump more money into workers' bank accounts and the nation's economy than would another round of direct stimulus payments. That's arguable, but what happens when net pay goes down in January when the tax is reinstated with additional withholdings for the deferred payments? It's already painfully obvious that the usual holiday economic boost probably won't happen this year. "Black Friday," so named because it often brings retailers' ledgers out of the red and into the black for the year, will be a sad shell of its usual self. Food prices are continuing to rise, and energy bills will go up as winter descends upon much of the nation. The first quarter of the year is hardly a time for workers to have less money to spend than they did in the same period in the prior year.

The perfect solution would be for Congress to get its act together and pass a narrowly-tailored economic relief bill that addresses only vital concerns. No bailouts for cash-strapped states that have mismanaged their funds due to pension issues (such as Kentucky and Illinois.) No influx of money for the inefficient United States Postal Service. None of the extraneous stuff that members of both parties always insist on sticking in emergency funding measures.

Absent that, Trump's best play would have been to suspend collection of the individual income tax, not the payroll tax. Those revenues go for general governmental purposes, not pensions and insurance coverage for retirees, and there's always plenty of room to cut frivolous federal spending. The annual list Sen. Rand Paul compiles would be a great place to start.

Since it is an election year, there are political considerations, for sure. Some Democrats are making noise about suing to block Trump's executive order. That gives Republicans -- Trump along with Senate and House candidates -- plenty of ammunition to say that Democrats are trying to keep people from getting financial relief, and that Trump stepped in to save the day.

There's a prevailing school of thought in life that doing something is better than doing nothing, even if that's not necessarily the case. In this instance, it looks as if Trump has risen above the congressional stalemate and delivered relief to the American people. But it's certainly not an ideal solution, and not even the best one the president could have chosen. We'd be better off if Trump leaned on Mitch McConnell and the Senate to work with the Democrats on a compromise virus stimulus package that addresses the immediate needs, and postpones other funding decisions until Congress considers spending bills for the new fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. For many wage earners, suspending the payroll tax may be worse than doing nothing at all.

If a deal doesn't happen, and the Senate and House remain at odds, then Trump would be wise to reconsider the payroll tax suspension.  His intentions are honorable, but he's certainly taken a flawed course of action. An income tax suspension that doesn't have to be paid back, vs. a payroll tax suspension that will have to be made up, would be the best way to go.

Post office must adapt to survive

The United States Postal Service occupies a unique place in America. It's one of the few federal governmental expenditures that is explicitly authorized by the Constitution. Roads -- as in "post offices and post roads" -- and national defense are two other legitimate federal expenditures.

But the agency has challenges that make its survival tenuous. Technological advancements and the advent of private parcel carriers have cut into the postal service's revenues. And the USPS continues to waste money at a time when many government functions are consolidating.

Take a drive through Appalachia, particularly West Virginia, on any route linking counties and their seats, and you'll see why. It's hard to travel five miles without seeing a small, rural post office.

Journey from the Danville/Madison, W. Va., area to Beckley on Route 3, and you'll pass post offices for Foster, Peytona, Bloomingrose, Seth, Orgas, Sylvester, Whitesville, Naoma, Dry Creek, Rock Creek, Glen Daniel, Eccles, and Harper. That's 13 post offices along a 74-mile drive, or one every 5.7 miles.

Most of the rural post offices of this type aren't housed in buildings owned by the government. They're often leased from grocery stores or other businesses, which involves monthly payments. There are also postmaster salaries to consider. In many Kentucky communities, small post offices in close proximity to county seats and larger towns have closed when the postmasters retired, but that's not the case everywhere. Despite the presence of these small post offices, all of these areas have rural delivery. Is there really a need for a post office at every wide spot in the road in the mountains?

Even in my county seat hometown, the government doesn't own the post office. I was surprised to learn that the building is owned by a local businessman. The building was built in 1961, the same year I was born. And despite the Postal Service building new, modern post offices with plenty of parking in surrounding towns like Booneville, Campton, Jackson, and Stanton, Beattyville's post office continues to be housed in a downtown location where parking can sometimes be hard to find.

As a young journalist in the mid-1980s, I covered the dedication of a new post office at Lost Creek in Breathitt County. That might not be big news in the big city, but the editor-publisher of The Jackson Times thought the event was worthy of her paper's presence. A short time later, I left for another job, and I had fewer reasons to travel into the mountains toward Hazard. But I was very surprised just a few years later to find that the Lost Creek post office had been abandoned in favor of yet another new facility on the other side of the road. Why change locations so soon? What was cost-efficient about that?

Most government services are a monopoly. Mail delivery is not one of them. Competitors like UPS and FedEx have sprouted up. They often offer more dependable service at cheaper rates. There are even arrangements where the private couriers will deliver packages to post offices, and then the post office will put a notice in your box and you pick up that package at the window if it won't fit in your box. And consider that the number of first-class and bulk mailings has declined with the advent of online bill payment and email.

My Aunt Dorene loved to write letters and send greeting cards. She and her mother, my grandmother, wrote each other back and forth often. Aunt Dorene, who lived near Louisville, frequently wrote my dad, knowing he wasn't going to write her a letter back. It was always a treat to read one of her letters to her brother back in Beattyville. Until she fell into ill health, she'd always send me and my wife a card on birthdays and anniversaries and at Christmas. And we'd get the occasional letter as well. These days, people email and send online greeting cards instead of putting pen to paper. In many places, cursive writing isn't even taught in school anymore.

In recent weeks, changes at the USPS have been in the headlines, as the agency experiences tough financial times. There's a growing drive from those on the left to prop up the revenue-generating agency with tax dollars and relief funds from Wuhan Chinese "kung flu" virus relief appropriations. This despite an increase in the cost of postage stamps. The last time I bought stamps, they were 50 cents each, so what we still call "a book of stamps" cost me $10. I picked up a book last week, and the cost had gone up to $11.

The post office has some room to enact savings before it seeks rate increases or taxpayer bailouts. Closing those small rural post offices is an obvious starting point. Instead of 13 post offices between Danville/Madison and Beckley, why not just three? Keep either Peytona or Bloomingrose, Whitesville, and Glen Daniel, as these are the larger communities along WV 3. Shut down the others. Eliminating one day for mail to be delivered and post offices opened -- preferably a weekday, as those of us who work out of town often pick up packages on Saturday mornings -- would be another thing to look at. Perhaps close post offices and end delivery on Mondays, and give postal workers and contract carriers a full two-day weekend. Government is always inefficient, and there are always ways to cut costs. "We need more money" is always the first thing government thinks about. It's easy to spend someone else's money, especially if you can take it from them without permission. It's much harder to engage in some self-examination and make cuts and improve efficiencies.

The financial woes of the USPS have come under greater scrutiny as the left continues its push for universal vote-by-mail, using the "kung flu" pandemic as justification. The more conspiratorial voices have accused the Trump administration of implementing workplace efficiencies as a means of voter suppression. Of course the whole concept of universal no-excuse mail-in voting is fraught with possibilities for fraud, as anyone who's familiar with election history in eastern Kentucky and the issues with traditional paper absentee ballots can tell you. But that's a subject for another discussion.

The post office is worth saving. After all, it's one of the few specific federal government programs to be found in our Constitution. And it is supported by user fees, unlike a lot of the extra-constitutional programs that rely on tax dollars. I still haven't found justification for a federal Department of Education or any constitutional authorization for spending federal money for public schools. That's strictly a state function. Maybe the Constitution would be better served by eliminating federal programs that aren't authorized by our governing document and focusing those resources on programs that are.

But the USPS needs to look inward for solutions before it looks outward. Congress and the president should demand that the agency become more efficient before more money is pumped into it.

Resistance is in short supply around these parts

Two days ago, I noted that someone needs to take the lead in saying, "enough is enough," and move forward to getting life back to normal. The hope was that the annual Woolly Worm Festival held each October in Beattyville would be a solid first step.

Well, it would seem that the desire to stand up to government overreach is in short supply around these parts. Not 48 hours later, the festival committee decided to cancel this year's event.

We have court cases trying to put a stop to executive dictates that have devastated businesses and individual incomes and livelihoods, although there are indications that the Kentucky Supreme Court is slow-walking a decision on the suits that were filed in state courts -- suits that the freedom and liberty movement won at the circuit court level.

But it's going to take more than that. It's going to take some brave individuals and communities to say, "The government has made recommendations, but we trust the citizenry to make its own decisions about whether or not attendance at events is safe. We're going ahead with our plans, and you do what you feel is right for you."

Sadly, that won't happen in Lee County this year. Resistance is not only futile, it appears to be nonexistent.

This is much like the churches who went ahead with services the past two weekends despite a request from the governor that they not be held. Some complied, and others didn't. There have been instances where folks who were members of churches that didn't reopen when a federal court said they could have moved to churches that did start holding in-person services. And there have also been instances where people who belong to churches that went back to normal chose not to attend. That's freedom for you.

On the other hand, the Jessamine County Board of Education voted to begin classes as usual this fall, at the request of a majority of citizens who attended that school board meeting, but the superintendent unilaterally overrode their decision and decided to postpone in-person instruction. Wonder how long his contract is for, and wonder if he'll still have a job if the school board majority is still in office when his contract is up for renewal?

The facts remain that the Wuhan Chinese "kung flu" virus has a survival rate of 99.96 percent. In Kentucky, fully two-thirds of the deaths have come from nursing home patients, who were already in ill health. It's simple, really. If you fear getting the virus, don't attend large events. If you fear passing the virus along to susceptible members of the population, don't go visit them. If you're in the high-risk category and you don't attend events like these, don't allow people who do to come into close contact with you (close contact being currently defined for tracing purposes as being within six feet of someone for longer than 10 minutes without wearing a mask).

At least one festival is still going to be held as planned. Court Days in Preston, a small community in Bath County near Mt. Sterling, Frenchburg, and Owingsville, always takes place the same weekend as Mt. Sterling's Court Days. The Montgomery County event has been canceled, and Preston is not nearly as big of an affair, but to date it's still on as scheduled.

But a small, relatively unknown event held in a rural crossroads community does not carry the clout of a well-known event in a county seat. So while the folks in Preston deserve kudos, the impact of them carrying on as usual is not nearly as pronounced as what would happen if a bigger event didn't give in to the "panic porn."

I know most of the festival committee members and like them as individuals. None of my comments are meant to be taken personally. I know they had a lot to consider when they made their decision. I had just hoped that they would seize the opportunity to take a stand. Now, that chance will fall to someone else. What will the next group do with their moment? Will they rise to the occasion, or will they follow suit in passing the buck?

Who will take the lead in getting us back to normal?

It's a pretty fair assumption that many people are tired of all the restrictions that surround the government's reaction to the Wuhan Chinese virus.

They're tired of the business limitations. They're tired of being unable to obtain unemployment benefits made necessary because government orders put them out of a job. They're tired of being nagged and scolded to wear masks and being told where not to go on vacation. Of constantly hearing that they are incapable of making their own decisions. Of not being able to celebrate weddings and properly mourn deceased friends and relatives. Of being told they can't worship as they see fit. Of being berated for protesting to have their lives and livelihoods restored while other protesters are celebrated for their passion and dedication to a righteous cause. Of not being allowed to have a certain number of guests at their homes. Of seeing their annual traditions disrupted and being told that things won't get back to normal until a vaccine is rushed to market and everyone will be strongly encouraged to get it as we become a nation full of guinea pigs.

And can you blame them? There are a lot of compliant folks out there who are perfectly happy to robotically smile behind a face covering and do whatever the government tells them without question, but there are a whole lot of others of us who are sick of it all and are ready to get back to living, knowing that freedom is never free and there's always a risk associated with living life.

Disruptions have already made this a year like no other. The state high school basketball tournaments were canceled -- the girls tournament was stopped in between games of a two-game afternoon session. The Kentucky Derby was postponed from May and won't be the first race of the Triple Crown. No fans were allowed at Kentucky Speedway's NASCAR Cup Series race, nor at the abbreviated Keeneland spring meet. The Fancy Farm picnic wasn't held. Kentucky and Louisville won't be playing their annual Governor's Cup football game. The primary election was pushed back a month and conducted mostly by early main-in voting, which probably affected the outcome of the Democrats' U.S. Senate race. School terms ended early and graduates were denied commencement ceremonies. The list goes on.

There's also a plethora of local events that are going by the wayside this year. A number of popular community festivals have been canceled. Among them are Jackson's Honey Festival, Campton's Swift Silver Mine Festival, Stanton's Corn Festival, Irvine's Mountain Mushroom Festival, the World Chicken Festival in London, the NIBROC Festival in Corbin, Hazard's Black Gold Festival, the Apple Festival in Paintsville, Pikeville's Hillbilly Days, and probably the biggest one of them all, Mt. Sterling's Court Days.

With all these communities caving in to fear and overbearing executive edicts, which may very well be ruled unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court, one has to wonder if there's a locale that will finally stand up and say, "We're tired of this nonsense. We're going to have our event and trust people to make up their own minds about whether or not they should attend."

It wouldn't be too surprising if that community is not my own hometown. Beattyville's Woolly Worm Festival is always held in mid- to late-October, the weekend after Mt. Sterling's Court Days. As of now, festival organizers are planning to go ahead with their popular annual event. Some of them have been pretty vocal about their disdain for all the government-ordered closures and restrictions. They might be feeing particularly rebellious, and even more so if the executive mandates continue into fall.

Lee County has already set a precedent for going ahead with something that was discouraged or prohibited elsewhere. At a time when the government was saying yard sales weren't allowed, and many of the well-known corridor sales were called off, local organizers went ahead with the 50-Mile Yard Sale along KY 52 in Breathitt, Lee, and Estill counties in early July. Participation from both shoppers and vendors was down from normal years, but the event still went off without a hitch. There's nothing to suggest that anyone came down with the virus at the yard sale -- Lee County still only has three recorded cases, and all three patients have recovered -- so all the fears that the purveyors of "panic porn" pushed were unfounded.

(It should be noted that the granddaddy of them all, the World's Longest Yard Sale along US 127 through Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and then extending on down beyond 127's terminus in Chattanooga into Alabama, is still planned for this weekend. When asked about the event at a press conference last week, Gov. Andy Beshear said he had never heard of the 127 Yard Sale.)

Still, it would be encouraging to see the resistance start here in my little corner of the world. Someone needs to lead the charge back to some semblance of normal. Not a "new normal" that we hear so much about. Real "normal." The old "normal." A world where people arm themselves with the best available information, make their own decisions, and choose their own destinies. If people want to attend a street festival, they can, and should be free to do so. And if people choose to stay home and not attend, they will get that option as well.

As for me, I'm not a fan of these types of events. I don't like crowds, and I'm not particularly fond of the disruptions they cause for traffic and for businesses. So I typically don't attend. But lots of people love festivals. They love the food and the fellowship and the booths. And many who love them are choosing to forego attendance at such activities this year out of caution. Why not give them that choice? I might even go this year in a small gesture to stick it to "the man."

This is my hometown's chance to stand out and be a leader in the "Reopen Kentucky" movement. Let's hope festival organizers seize the opportunity. Maybe others will follow suit and we can reclaim our lives before 2020 ends.

Doctors of disinformation: Social media vs. medical professionals

A few years ago, I had a debilitating gout attack in my knees. Both times, I was basically immobilized for about 10 days. After the second one, in my right knee, even after I was able to stand up, straighten my leg, and walk, it was very painful for weeks afterwards. My co-workers noted that I appeared to be in misery when I hobbled across the parking lot from my car to the office.

I finally went to the doctor to see what could be done for the lingering pain. He prescribed a round of prednisone to eliminate the residual swelling, then another round to finish it off. He was a bit hesitant to do so because of the steroid's effect on blood sugar levels, but decided that the risk was worth it because of my pain and lack of ease of mobility.

That prescription did the trick. The last of the pain finally went away and I could move around without being in discomfort.

Now, imagine if my doctor had gone public with the details of my treatment. What if he had disclosed that prednisone is an effective treatment for gout that he had successfully employed? And what if the social media overlords basically called him a liar and removed any information he shared about how he'd done away with my problem and gotten me back to health?

That's exactly what's been happening to doctors who come forward with stories about how they've used hydroxychloroquine, either alone or in combination with other therapies, to treat the Wuhan Chinese virus. Facebook and Twitter have labeled this claim as untrue, misinformation, and even dangerous. Donald Trump Jr. found his Twitter account suspended for a few hours after retweeting video of a recent press conference in which several doctors announced their success using HCQ to treat the virus. Anytime some version of the press conference gets shared, it gets taken down with an admonition that the user shared false information.

Something like this, which happened when I shared a video of the America's Frontline Doctors press conference:

What makes social media the absolute arbiter of truth? Why should the judgments of technocrats override the actual experiences of doctors? Who should be trusted to determine what's accurate and what's not, medical professionals or Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg? Would it make any difference if the doctors showed their actual patient records (with names redacted, of course, to comply with privacy laws) to prove their assertions?

Hydroxychloroquine appears to be controversial merely because President Trump has been a proponent of its use. There are conflicting studies on just how effective it is, but the fact remains that doctors have successfully used it. Why do so many not want this information to be made public? Why do they not want to see an effective treatment deployed against a virus that so far has no cure and is said to be so dangerous that we have to crater the economy and drastically alter our way of life to respond to it?

HCQ is a generic medication. The only other drug mentioned as a possible treatment or cure for the virus, Remdesivir, is still under patent. So obviously, there's a financial stake in which solution is used. There's no money to be made by using HCQ; Gilead, the maker of Remdesivir, stands to reap huge profits if it's found to be the preferred way forward in treating the virus.

And, are there political ramifications in play? If the president is right about the effectiveness of HCQ, and if it's successfully deployed and the seriousness of the virus subsides, it benefits him in his re-election campaign. Would his haters seriously risk the health of millions of Americans just to get him out of office? Given the lengths to which they've gone the past three years, put nothing past them.

That's why, when a Democrat state lawmaker from Michigan announced that she'd been successfully treated for the virus with HCQ, her party moved to censure her, using language that basically said politicians belong to their parties, they don't belong to themselves, and aren't free to make their own decisions. It's almost as if they would have preferred that she die instead of taking a medication of which she became aware as a possible virus treatment when the president mentioned it.

Ponder this: What possible motivation could a doctor have to lie about how he or she successfully treated an illness? Why would a patient, especially a Democrat, lie about using a drug that a Republican president had touted? As we've seen with many other current events, there's a price to be paid for bucking the current popular or politically-correct narrative. Say "All Lives Matter" and you might lose your job or have your business vandalized. Say that you think the economy should reopen and people should be free to make their own decisions, and you'll be called a "covidiot." Freedom isn't free, and the truth is often costly.

Social media outlets actively serving as censors or gatekeepers is also contradictory to a position they've long held as they attempt to shield themselves from legal liability. For years, these services have claimed to be "dumb pipes" -- that is, they only serve as a conduit for user-supplied information and make no value judgments on what's presented. That's part of the argument Twitter recently used in defense of a lawsuit filed by California Congressman Devin Nunes over parody accounts. And their terms of service or community standards are extremely arbitrary. Spend any time at all on Facebook, and you'll see examples of content being removed and users suspended or pages banned while much more egregious and offensive posts are allowed to stay online. Indeed, the left clamors for Trump to be ousted from Twitter for his tweets, while they continue to make all sorts of outlandish claims about him that should offend the sensibilities of normal people.

In the case of COVID-19 posts, Facebook links to the World Health Organization in an attempt to correct what it deems to be misinformation. Recall that the United States is leaving the WHO over its failures to address the virus. The WHO is hardly a credible source of truth about the virus.

Like just about everything, there are informed opinions on all sides of the debate. Man-made climate change is not "settled science," as you can find plenty of scientists and experts who dispute that claim. And there's evidence that some of the data has been manipulated or is otherwise fraudulent. Google "East Anglia" for plenty of information on that subject.

So while some doctors and scientists dispute the effectiveness of hydroxycholoroquine and related combination therapies (zinc and the ubiquitous Z-pack), actual doctors have treated actual patients using some regimen of those drugs. They probably could prove it through their medical records. Why would they possibly lie?

And more importantly, what qualifies social media outlets, or the mainstream press for that matter, to say they're lying or challenge their credibility? When the proof is put right in front of them, why do they still continue to insist otherwise?

There's a reason alternatives -- MeWe for Facebook, and especially Parler for Twitter -- are gaining in popularity. They don't silence or censor views that go against the popular narrative. They don't make value judgments on user content. They let all sides be presented so the populace can make its own determination. In short, they trust their users to employ discernment. If a doctor or patient says HCQ was successful, trust them and their experience.

You're just going to have to take my word here that a couple of "pred-packs" eliminated my gout pain and restored my mobility. If I post it to social media, the "experts" there might deem me a liar and remove my post.

The narrative doesn't match the facts in the Breonna Taylor case

Recently, I posted an undisputable truth to my Facebook page: If her boyfriend hadn't shot at police officers serving a warrant, Breonna Taylor would still be alive today.

This prompted a friend who used to live in Kentucky, but now lives out of state, to note that she'd seen no media coverage of the fact that Kenneth Walker shot first, and Taylor was killed only after the police returned fire. Only after I brought it to her attention did she find out what had actually happened.

The case has drawn national attention from media outlets and celebrity activists. And much like the situation with Kentucky's primary election, the facts of the matter don't match the narrative or the agenda.

With the election, it was suppression of votes, especially those of black voters, because a black man was running for the opportunity to challenge Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Similarly, with Taylor's death, she's no longer alive because cops are racist killers.

Some review of the facts of the case are probably in order. The first truth bomb is that Breonna Taylor was not murdered in cold blood by the police. An unfortunate set of circumstances started the process that ultimately led to her death.

What happened was this: Back in March, Louisville police served a warrant on the apartment Taylor and Walker shared. Because the warrant was in connection with a drug investigation, it was what's known as a "no-knock" warrant, meaning the police did not have to announce themselves before entering.

There is some legitimate dispute over whether or not the police went above and beyond what was legally required and actually did announce themselves. Even the New York Times, the "newspaper of record" that's pretty close to being a liberal Bible, reported that the police identified themselves and knocked on the door before forcing it open. The accuracy of that statement will probably go a long way in determining the outcome of the case.

Once police did enter, Walker shot at them, hitting a cop in the leg and causing a wound that required surgery. Police returned fire, as they're trained to do, and their shots killed Taylor.

Walker was originally charged with attempted murder and assault for firing on the police, and was indicted by a grand jury, but those charges were later dropped by Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Thomas Wine. However, the charges were dropped without prejudice, meaning they can be reinstated once the federal and state investigations into Taylor's death are complete.

The popular phrase used on social media is that Breonna Taylor was murdered. This is a blatant falsehood. The police did not go into the apartment with the intent to take her life. That only happened as a result of her boyfriend shooting first. The view from here is that if charges are filed, reckless homicide and wanton endangerment would be the most appropriate ones.

Lots of facts need to be determined as the investigation proceeds. Did the police announce themselves and knock on the door, or not? Did an officer mislead the judge about the apartment being used as a drug delivery location based on information from a postal inspector? Were they seeking a suspect who was already in custody?

The incident has resulted in more scrutiny on the use of no-knock warrants. The Louisville-Jefferson County metro government has prohibited its officers from seeking them. Kentucky's General Assembly is considering legislation for its upcoming session to ban them statewide.

But absent any false statements police may have made to the judge who issued the warrant, police were serving a legally-valid and properly-issued warrant when they were fired upon.

All of these things need to come out in a thorough, methodical investigation. Both state and federal authorities are looking into the matter. And therein lies another problem. The real goal of many of the protesters and agitators seems not to be justice, but revenge. Justice would demand taking as long as necessary for all the facts to come to the surface, not adhering to some artificial timetable.

Last weekend, the leader of a militant group that calls itself the Not F--king Around Coalition led a demonstration in Louisville, then said if the probe wasn't complete in four weeks, they'd be back to "burn this motherf--ker down." And Gov. Andy Beshear (a white Democrat) got involved in the fray, most likely because he's involved in a legal dispute with Attorney General Daniel Cameron (a black Republican) over the legality of Wuhan Chinese virus restrictions. Beshear went on national television to say the investigation is taking entirely too long.

That doesn't hold water. The state's investigation is being run by the Kentucky State Police. At last check, KSP is a part of the executive branch of state government that ultimately answers to the governor, not the attorney general. The interests of justice require that all facts be presented to the prosecutors who will ultimately bring charges and present a case to a grand jury, no matter how long it takes to uncover those facts.

There's a real demand in certain circles for charges to be filed against the officers involved. There's a very real possibility that the facts of the case won't justify charges, and it's even more likely that if charges are filed, they won't include murder. Louisville has already been on edge for weeks, and the city has been devastated economically by the protests and the damage that's been done by rioters, along with the state-mandated virus-related closures. At least two other lives have been lost as a result of the riots, and dozens of injuries have been reported.

The misrepresentation of the facts by the agenda-driven mainstream press and the social media celebrity activists isn't helpful. Yet you won't see Twitter or Facebook flag the misinformation they spread; choosing instead to call doctors who have treated the virus with hydroxychloroquine liars.

This is another case where discernment is vital. People need to look beyond the agendas, seek out the truth that's not always readily available, and don't jump to the politically-correct popular conclusions that satisfy the intellectually uncurious.