Southern Kentucky Young Republicans: SoKYYR

July Meeting Has Been Rescheduled

2010-07-01T09:46:00.000-05:00

The July Meeting has been pushed back to July 15 because of the upcoming holiday. At that time there will be elections for new officers. The open positions are listed below:

Chairman
The primary role of the Chairman is to provide a vision for each of the other officers and to provide any assistance needed to help achieve the goals agreed upon by the entire organization. This person chairs all meetings of the Young Republicans, appoints special positions, shares responsibility of the fiscal management with the Treasurer, and is responsible for renewing the Young Republican charter. Other duties include facilitating monthly meetings and communicating with the state/local GOP and the State YR's. The Chairman is also the Youth Chair for the Warren County Executive Committee.

Vice Chairman
In case of resignation of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman assumes all duties and responsibilities of the Chairman. The Vice Chairman is responsible for the overlooked duties of the Chairman and provides assistance to the Chairman. The Vice Chairman is responsible for meeting room reservations.

Treasurer
The Treasurer manages the bank account, pays bills and collects annual dues. Monthly finance reports should be provided at each meeting.

Membership & Recruitment Chair
Position is responsible for informing members of new and existing events. Other duties include recruiting new members, renewing memberships of current members and maintaining up-to-date membership records.

Events Chair
Position is responsible for organizing social and fundraising events. Other duties include publicizing events and planning non-meeting events.

Officers shall be elected to serve for one year (July-June) or until their successors are elected.

2010 Officer Elections in July

2010-06-01T00:06:00.000-05:00

The officer elections will be at the July meeting. At the June meeting, the various positions open for election will be discussed. Information on each position will be posted after this meeting.

Today is the Primary, Please Vote!

2010-05-18T01:58:00.001-05:00

Please take a few minutes out of your day to vote in the primary. Votes will be cast for U.S. Senate, State Senate and depending on your location, possibly a magistrate as well. Wondering what the ballot looks like? You can view it online here before you head to the poll. Polling locations can be found here if you don't know where to go.

Remember, less than 30% statewide will vote today in the primary. Let's get this number up!

Know the Candidates

2010-05-17T08:28:00.005-05:00

The Bowling Green Daily News interviewed the three political candidates running for the 32nd District Seat of the Kentucky Senate. Check out all three articles below:

Mike Wilson

Regina Webb

Ed Mills

Remember to get out and Vote on Tuesday, May 18th!

Leave a comment on who you think is the best candidate for the job.

State Sentate Debate at WKU

2010-04-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

The WKU College Republicans and the Political Engagement Project at Western Kentucky University are hosting a State Senate Debate.

The Debate features Republican candidates Ed Mills, Regina Webb and Mike Wilson who are running for the Republican nomination for State Senate seat KY 32.

Thursday, April 29th, 2010
4:30 p.m.
Downing University Center, Room 340

Work the Polls in May

2010-04-19T21:19:00.000-05:00

The Warren County Clerk's office is looking for volunteers to work the poll booths on Tuesday, May 18. Workers do get paid, $150 for the day for being at the polls. Visit http://www.warrencounty.state.ky.us or call (270) 843-5306 for more information.

Recap of U.S. Senate Forum

2010-04-16T10:46:00.002-05:00

In case you missed the forum, Insight Communications will replay it daily from May 1-17 at the following times on channel 5:

Mondays at 6am & 1pm
Tuesdays at 5pm & 11pm
Wednesdays at 10am & 6pm
Thursdays at 8am & 12pm
Fridays at 4pm & 9pm
Saturdays at 11am & 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:30pm & 10pm

Bunning endorses Paul in U.S. Senate race

2010-04-15T11:20:00.000-05:00

In a move that has surprised some, current U.S. senator Jim Bunning has endorsed Rand Paul in the race to replace Bunning after his retirement.

“In the United States Senate, Kentuckians need a strong, principled conservative to stand up to the liberals and establishment politicians that run Washington,” Bunning said in a statement released by his office. “In 2010, there is only one such conservative running for the United States Senate — Dr. Rand Paul.”

While Trey Grayson is said to be the political protege of Jim Bunning, Bunning has increasingly been with odds with Republican leadership over the past year. Much of this stems from the leadership allegedly making fundraising difficult for Bunning, forcing him to retire. U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell has not officially endorsed a candidate in the race, but has provided fundraising help to Grayson.

With McConnell backing Grayson, it was only a matter of time before Bunning came out in support of Paul, against McConnell's wishes.

A little over a month remains before the May primary. In the most recent Courier-Journal/WHAS11 Bluegrass Poll, conducted April 9-11, Paul had a 15-point lead over Grayson, exactly the same margin in the poll last month.

Kentucky Bill Announces Exploratory Committee for Gubernatorial Election

2010-04-15T01:06:00.001-05:00

Last week, Bill Johnson announced he would form an exploratory committee to raise money for a possible gubernatorial run. You may remember Bill from the January Young Republican meeting. At that time he was still in the race for U.S. Senate. Since then he has decided to stop running for U.S. Senate, but it appears we have not heard the last of Kentucky Bill. According to the facebook group: “We Support Bill Johnson for Kentucky Governor 2011″, Bill will form an exploratory committee to raise money for a run for Governor if he can get 1500 active and dedicated KY supporters on that facebook fan page.

Keep an eye on Bill as we get closer to 2011.

U.S. Senate Race Candidate Forum on Tuesday

2010-04-08T19:33:00.000-05:00

A forum for Republican US Senate candidates will be held in Bowling Green next Tuesday. It starts at 7 pm on April 13 and will be at Bowling Green Junior High. This is your best chance to see Rand Paul, Trey Grayson and others in person before the May primary.

Don't worry, if you can't make the date, it will be aired on Insight Channel 5 and WBKO-FOX on tape delay.

Last week to get Hot Rods tickets

2010-03-24T09:44:00.000-05:00

The Bowling Green Hot Rods will be starting their season soon. Do you have tickets? The Young Republicans are selling ticket vouchers that can be used for any game except opening day and rehab appearances. There were not any rehab appearances last season. These vouchers are $10 and helps support the Young Republicans. Interested? Contact Chairman Andrew Lawrence by email.

Enjoy your summer at Bowling Green Ballpark and support the Warren County Young Republicans at the same time!

Mr Rogers gets it right!

2010-03-23T08:12:00.001-05:00

Results of Fourth Quarter Fundraising

2010-02-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

An update on fourth quarter fundraising efforts...

All of this information can be found on the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance website.

Mike Wilson raised $4,275, from eleven different sources, including Steve and Terri Sheldon, who each gave $1,000. Some of these donations were in-kind. Wilson was left with $1,977.53 at the end of December.

Opponent Ed Mills raised $11,550, but $6,000 of that came from Mills himself. Fourteen named people made contributions of more than $250, while 28 people made small contributions totaling $2,000. Mills had $9,702.79 left at the end of December.

Since Regina Webb just declared her intention to run, she did not raise any money in 2009.

Information on the U.S. Senate race can be found on the National Campaign Finance website.

Bill Johnson reported raising $282,692 — including $255,000 that he lent his own campaign. Johnson had $258,275 left at the end of the year.

Rand Paul reported raising $652,958 during the final three months of 2009, bringing his total for the year to $1.8 million. Paul has spent $470,462 and has $1.3 million on hand, according to his report.

Trey Grayson raised $443,266 in the fourth quarter, bringing his total for 2009 to $1.7 million. Grayson ended 2009 with $1.4 million in his campaign account.

Filing Deadline Over, Who is Running?

2010-01-27T09:36:00.004-06:00

The filing deadline for running in the 2010 elections was yesterday, January 26. Hundreds of candidates filed across the Commonwealth and this area was no exception. Here is who has filed for the different seats:

US Senate
This race features eleven candidates fighting for Republican Jim Bunning's seat.
Democrats: James Buckmaster, Jack Conway, Daniel Mongiardo, Darlene F. Price, Maurice M. Sweeney.
Republicans: Trey Grayson, Bill Johnson, Gurley L. Martin, Rand Paul, Jon J. Scribner, John Stephenson

US Representative, 2nd district
Incumbent Brett Guthrie faces opposition from one Democrat, Ed Marksberry. Marksberry is a 46 year old real estate agent who also is a homebuilder. He has never run for office but has worked for several political campaigns. Guthrie is in his first term at US Representative.

State Senate, 32nd district
Democrat Mike Reynolds faces opposition from three Republican candidates, Ed Mills, Regina Webb and Mike Wilson. Mike Reynolds is in his first term after taking over for current congressman Brett Guthrie.

State Representative, various
In the 20th district, Democrat Jody Richards is running unopposed. Also running unopposed is Republican Jim DeCesare in the 21st district. Democrat Wilson Stone is running unopposed in the 22nd district.

Warren County Judge Executive
Long time local Judge Executive Mike Buchanon is running unopposed.

Bowling Green City Commission
There won’t be a primary for Bowling Green City Commission, with just seven people contending for the four spots. Commissioners Bruce Wilkerson, Joe Denning and Brian “Slim” Nash all filed for reelection. First time Commissioner Catherine Hamilton did not seek re-election. Also filing were former police chief Bill Waltrip, former interim police chief Jerry Wells and previous commission candidates Robin Baldwin and Mark Bradford.

Regina Webb Files for State Senate

2010-01-26T15:46:00.000-06:00

The filing deadline for partisan candidates in local, state and federal offices is 4 p.m. today (January 26). Regina Webb has thrown her name into the hat. She joins Mike Wilson and Ed Mills in challenging Democrat Mike Reynolds for state senate 32nd District race.

Regina Webb is the owner of Regina Webb Salon & Spa in Bowling Green. Ms. Webb is very active in the community and has been a financial supporter of Republicans for many years.

More details to come...

Bill Johnson Puts Up $250,000 For Senate Campaign

2010-01-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

U.S. Senate Candidate Bill Johnson said Monday he has put $250,000 into his U.S. Senate campaign to start off the new year on stronger financial footing.

Johnson called the loan a signal that he is a serious candidate for the seat being vacated by two-term Republican Jim Bunning.

"I think part of the challenge is that so much of the Washington establishment and the media simply want to look at the bank accounts," Johnson said.

The western Kentucky businessman didn't rule out putting more of his own money into the race later.

Read the rest of the article at syracuse.com. To visit Bill Johnson's campaign page, visit http://kentuckybill.com/.

January Meeting Success!

2010-01-07T20:59:00.003-06:00

I would like to personally thank all of the members that attended tonight's meeting. I would also like to thank Bill Johnson for a good evening of open forum questions in which Young Republicans could base the vote they will cast in May. Bill Johnson was the first candidate to jump at the opportunity to speak to our group, and months to come will host a variety of other candidates in both state and federal politics.

The turnout for the meeting was excellent and it just goes to show the concern YR's have with the direction our Country is heading. Members who braved a snow storm and missed kickoff for the BCS National Championship, I applaud you. Great things will come from this group.

Thanks again and look for meeting minutes to follow in the next couple of days.

Andrew Lawrence
Warren Co YR Chairman

KY House Bill 3 Eliminates State Income Tax for Soldiers

2009-12-31T11:48:00.004-06:00

As a result of the passage of House Bill 3 (HB3), effective Jan 1, 2010 all members with a state of legal residence of KY in an active, reserve or guard component are exempt from state income tax. State income withholding for these members will be eliminated on payments issued Jan 6, 2010 (First pay date of 2010) and later.

The bill initiated by republicans gives soldiers living at Ft. Campbell a bigger incentive to live in KY rather than TN. Until this bill, soldiers at the bordering base were more apt to "turn left" and go home to TN rather than coming to KY.

Senator Bunning blocks reappointment of Bernanke

2009-12-03T21:30:00.000-06:00

US Senator Jim Bunning landed a parting punch Thursday against Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Bunning, who has railed against Bernanke's performance during the nation's financial crisis, became the second Senator to put a "hold" on Bernanke’s confirmation for a second term. The procedural move by Bunning and Sen. Bernard Sanders, a Vermont independent, could require a super-majority of 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to achieve Bernanke's confirmation.

During an interview with CNBC Thursday morning, Bunning -- who also voted against Bernanke's appointment in 2006 -- said the sitting Fed chairman has so far earned himself a dismal grade of "F-."

Watch the video:

WKU College Republicans 50th Anniversary Celebration

2009-11-30T11:07:00.001-06:00

The WKU College Republicans are celebrating 50 years of campaigning for GOP candidates, defending conservative values, and maintaining a fair and balanced campus. December 6th is a night to honor those who helped found the organization and inspire current and future students to continue this half-century tradition.

WKU students make their mark on Bowling Green, Kentucky, and our nation not only while they are enrolled but also even after they have left “the hill.” Not only have WKU students directly influenced the outcome of local, state, and national elections through their volunteer efforts, but some of them have gone on to manage campaigns in the bluegrass and worked in various administrations on both sides of the hill in DC. Some of the WKU College Republican alumni have gone on to run for and even hold elected office. Those who haven’t held or run for office often always go on to be successful in their own right.

The evening of celebration is planned to honor those who make the organization what it has become today.

Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: WKU Carol Knicley Center (South Campus)

$15 for adults
$10 for students

If you would like to sponsor a table it will be $100 and your name will be honored in the program.

Please RSVP by Thursday Dec. 3rd. to:

Shane A. Noem
shanenoem859@aol.com
513-969-4810

U.S. Senate: Cathy Bailey could enter race

2009-11-25T10:52:00.000-06:00

As Republicans Trey Grayson and Rand Paul quarrel over who is the true conservative in the Kentucky U.S. Senate race, GOP stalwart Cathy Bailey appears unconvinced by either campaign and might enter the race, herself.

Asked by WHAS11's Joe Arnold if she is now considering entering the U.S. Senate race, the former Ambassador to Latvia under President George W. Bush said she and other conservatives are "watching it closely."

Continue reading online at WHAS11 Louisville.

Bill Johnson Interview on WBKO

2009-11-24T22:36:00.001-06:00

Johnson's website proudly says he's not a politician, but a concerned citizen....

See the rest of the article and video interview at WBKO.com.

Third Tuesday Networking Lunch

2009-11-16T17:50:00.000-06:00

Take a bite out of your day by joining the Warren County Young Republicans for lunch at the Lunch Pail on Tuesday, November 17 at Noon. Grab a co-worker and meet other area YR's for a relaxed networking lunch.

Senate Hopeful Rand Paul will be at WKU Tonight

2009-11-10T13:39:00.002-06:00

Rand Paul, one of the leading candidates in for US Sentate, will be answering questions about current health care reform efforts. Rand Paul is an eye doctor and so he should have some inside perspective on what is happening in healthcare today.

This event is tonight (Tuesday, November 10), at 6:30 p.m. It will be held in the recital hall (Room 189) at Western Kentucky University’s Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center.

November Young Republican Meeting Tomorrow!

2009-11-04T20:37:00.000-06:00

Reminder! The YR’s will be meeting this Thursday at Logan’s Roadhouse at 6pm. Join us for dinner and updates on local GOP activity. We will be discussing updates on the YR Golf Classic, The Annual Lincoln Day Dinner, and a speaking schedule for US Senate hopefuls.

Bring a friend. We will see you there!

Candidates Announce Fund-raising Results

2009-10-16T22:29:00.000-05:00

In the third quarter of fund-raising in the race for the US Senate seat, Rand Paul out-raised Trey Grayson by over $350,000. Local eye surgeon Rand Paul brought in more than $1 million in the last three months with the aid of Internet "money bombs." Secretary of State Trey Grayson brought in $642,857 over the same period. This is for the Senate seat currently occupied by Jim Bunning. He has declined to run for office next year.

Other Republicans seeking the seat are Todd County businessman Bill Johnson, Northern Kentucky consultant Roger Thoney and Oldham County teacher Brian Oerther. Fund-raising figures were not available for these candidates at this time. For more information on any of the US Senate candidates, please look to the lower right for links to their campaign websites.

Moving on to the state senate candidates for Warren and Butler County, Mike Wilson and Ed Mills will be facing off in the May primary. This is the seat currently held by Democrat Mike Reynolds and previously held by current US Representative Brett Guthrie.

For the third quarter, Mike Wilson raised over $3000 with an ending balance of $2140. During this same period, Ed Mills reported raising $600 and ending with $413.

Third Tuesday Networking Lunch

2009-10-13T20:46:00.000-05:00

Take a bite out of your day by joining the Warren County Young Republicans for lunch at the Lunch Pail on Tuesday, October 20 at Noon. Grab a co-worker and meet other area YR's for a relaxed networking lunch. This is a good opportunity to meet other young professionals for lunch.

Plan on attending? RSVP on facebook.

October Meeting Minutes Posted

2009-10-09T18:25:00.005-05:00

Thanks to all the joined us for our October meeting. The minutes can be viewed on Google Docs.

Kickoff to the 2010 Election

2009-10-08T10:21:00.000-05:00

From the Ed Mills for Senate campaign...

Come to Verdi on Fountain Square in Bowling Green on Tuesday, November 3rd at 6pm and help kick off to the 2010 Election. Listen to speakers' visions of the future of our state and country, and take the opportunity to mix and mingle with others interested in the outcome of next year's races. We have one year remaining. It's time to make a difference!

For more information or to rsvp, please visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=298409980383.

Rep. Jim DeCesare pushes for more info on state spending

2009-10-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

Two lawmakers want the state to create a Web site where taxpayers can see all expenditures made by Kentucky legislators, as well as by the executive and judicial branches of state government.

State Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, and Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, said they are still working on details of a bill to create the site, such as the types of expenses that will be disclosed and the timeline for reporting them. They expect to announce those details by Thanksgiving.

DeCesare has filed similar legislation in past sessions, but none of those bills cleared the House State Government Committee.

“I think it’s the right thing to do, especially in these economic times and when the Herald-Leader has uncovered some problems with public agency expenses,” DeCesare said.

Read more about this on the Bluegrass Politics Blog.

October Meeting

2009-09-28T21:53:00.002-05:00

My, time flies fast. The Young Republicans of Warren County have been active in the Bowling Green Kentucky area for over a year now! We have a solid group of young principled conservatives working to make Bowling Green a better place.

Many important elections are coming up in 2010, races with state and nationwide implications. Your help is needed to ensure that the best candidate wins! The first step is attending our monthly meetings.

The October meeting will be this Thursday, October 1 at 6:00pm at Logan's Roadhouse.

Mike Wilson Looking for Volunteers

2009-09-21T18:05:00.002-05:00

Just passing this info on from the Mike Wilson For Kentucky State Senate Campaign:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - We have our Campaign Organizational Meeting Tuesday Sept 22nd @ 6:30pm . If you would be willing to help out as a volunteer in any area we would love for you to come. RSVP to mikewilson2010@live.com to get directions.

If anyone has information on other campaigns looking for volunteers, please post here!

9-12 March on DC. Pictures, videos, attendance.

2009-09-14T10:10:00.003-05:00

With 10,000 in attendance… with tens of thousands in attendance… with Police estimating 1.2 Million in attendance… CNN now reporting 500,000 in attendance… ABC reporting 2 Million in attendance…

However many people that marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, there is one cold fact. Most of the Country doesn’t even know about it, and that is can be attributed to the main stream media. What IS covered in the papers describes an angry crowd of tens of thousands that marched on Congress to protest Barack Obama.

People gathered from every State to march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Those people were widely first time protesters. Those people were incredibly peaceful. Those people were the silent majority that doesn’t care about parties, that doesn’t care about race, but cares about the Country’s future.

The American people wanted to be heard, and they wanted our Country’s leaders to know how important capitalistic values were to them. It is time to forget about the “next election”, it is time to forget about “getting this one passed”. It is time for the leaders in Washington DC to work together to make actual change. Healthcare needs to be improved, taxes need to be lowered, and jobs need to be created. The problem isn’t agreeing that it needs to be fixed, but the problem is “how do we stay elected”.

Check for Warren County YR Pictures from the Hill.

Check the videos below to see what happened in Washington DC on 9-12-09.

Warren County YR Twitter: Pics from 9-12 Rally

Bowling Green Tea Party

2009-09-06T10:51:00.003-05:00

Join other conservatives at the Bowling Green Tea Party on September 11. The Tea Party will be from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Basil Griffin Park. Rand Paul and Brett Guthrie have agreed to speak.

For more information, contact organizer Wesley Leake at 270-780-0387.

September Meeting Minutes: Warren Co YR

2009-09-04T10:53:00.003-05:00

The Warren Co YR's held their September meeting last night at Logan's Roadhouse. The meeting minutes can be found at the link below:

Warren County YR September Meeting Minutes

The YR's welcomed three new paying members to the group last night: Sarah Harlan, Jarrod Alexander, and Joe Burbridge.

It's never too late to get involved, the YR's are planning a major event and need your help!

September Meeting

2009-09-01T11:37:00.002-05:00

Join the Warren County Young Republicans for our monthly meeting on Thursday at Logan's Roadhouse. It will begin at 6pm. Logan's is located at 2920 Scottsville Rd in Bowling Green. Bring a friend!

We cant say that we were not warned from our past leaders

2009-08-21T08:08:00.001-05:00

McConnell's take on Health Care Reform

2009-08-13T09:19:00.003-05:00

Here is an article of Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's take on Health Care Reform. A very hot topic these days in all the media. The media has been showing that there are several people opposed to the Health Care Reform for a number of reasons, while showing up to Town Hall meetings to let their voice be heard. Democrats have often accused republicans as not being bipartisian and just voting against the democrats. In the McConnell hammers Obama Health Care plan article Mitch highlights a few changes that he thinks would be good for the citizens of the nation.

What are your thoughts on the Health Care Reform?

End Dangerous ID

2009-08-10T19:13:00.004-05:00

Unbelievably, Congress and the Obama administration are currently trying to resurrect the failed REAL ID Act, more accurately named “Dangerous ID.”

Dangerous ID, which passed in 2005, establishes a de facto National Identification System, and opens the doors for Federal biometric tracking of every American citizen.

Fortunately, no state currently complies with the burdensome mandates of the 2005 bill, and twenty-three have passed legislation refusing compliance.

So what does the Obama Administration want to do?

You guessed it: “Fix it,” and ram it down states’ throats.

Well, I say “Repeal it.” What do you say?

And although Dangerous ID is a clear attempt to establish a National ID System, the reality might be much worse -- an INTERNATIONAL Identification System. That’s why it is so critical we get that law off the books.

You see, Dangerous ID actually requires that driver’s license photographs meet United Nation’s biometric format standards. At this level of sophistication, government software can analyze facial characteristics and generate a unique identification number.

Think about that for a moment -- your identity will be reduced to a single number in an international database that can be tracked globally by one-world government surveillance cameras and facial recognition software.

Last month, Senator Daniel Akaka introduced The PASS ID Act to tweak the 2005 Dangerous ID legislation and ram this program into action over state opposition.

Supporters claim this REAL ID Redux bill softens requirements on states, supposedly making the breach of federalism a little more palatable. But it is merely a transparent attempt to get the Dangerous ID system implemented in any form, only to be augmented later to meet government’s needs.

In fact, there is evidence that this reincarnated Dangerous ID bill could wind up being worse than the original.

Chief among the bill’s supporters is Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, who stands to wield expansive and virtually unchecked power to set standards.

Under Dangerous ID, Napolitano can unilaterally expand required information on driver's licenses, potentially to include biometric information such as retinal scans, fingerprints, DNA information, and even Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) radio tracking technology.

If REAL ID Redux passes, the new federal “concessions” may sucker many states into compliance.

That’s why it is so important that we defeat this reincarnation of Dangerous ID at the federal level, and take advantage of this national conversation to repeal the original bill.

Contact Jim Bunning, Mitch McConnell and Brett Guthrie to stop this so-called “PASS ID” and finally repeal the original Dangerous ID legislation.

--John Tate

From Congressmen Guthrie's Desk...

2009-08-06T22:53:00.004-05:00

Dear Friend,

As you know, spending in Washington is out of control. Some of my colleagues joke that you shouldn’t tell the majority leadership what comes after a trillion because they will find a way to spend it. The American people are tightening their belts during these tough economic times, and I strongly believe that Congress needs to as well.

Here is a quick snapshot of the expenditures on the $3.4 trillion spending-spree that the majority in Congress has taken over the past seven months:

To read the rest of the newsletter, please click here.

To sign up for Brett Guthrie's newsletter, please click here.

From Guthrie's Office:

Congressman Guthrie and Shane Noem take a photo in the Cannon Rotunda. Shane, a photojournalism student at Western Kentucky University, finished his internship in DC last week. We are grateful for his hard work this summer, including the many photographs he took for the office.

Go Shane!! Shane is the president of the WKU College Republicans.

August Meeting is Tomorrow!

2009-08-05T17:07:00.001-05:00

Please join us for our August meeting. It will be held at Smokey Bones at 6pm on Thursday, August 6.

See you there!

Cast your vote on the Goverment/Media/Obama

2009-08-03T13:37:00.003-05:00

Here is a nice survey put out by cnn that allows everyone to vote and sound off on the goverment

http://reportcard.cnn.com/

More American People saying no to Goverment Health Care Plan

2009-08-03T11:06:00.002-05:00

Watch this lady give it to Arlen Specter and Kathleen Sebeius about how she feels about the Health Reform.

Looks to be a tough break for the politicians!

What are your thoughts on the Health Bill? Please leave your comments!

Young Americans for Liberty told no free speech

2009-08-02T21:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Young Americans for Liberty Events Director, Trevor Leach, and their top youth activists demonstrated on the Washington, DC, National Mall to collect petitions in opposition of Obama's government takeover of health-care.

It wasn't long until a SWAT team in an armored truck threatened Trevor and the youth activists declaring, "There are two options. Disassemble and leave. Or y'all are going to jail."

"You don't have free speech," the sergeant told Trevor.

Fortunately, the youth activists video taped the entire confrontation.

Be prepared to be shocked, appalled, and a little angry at the actions of our public servants who swore to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

Health Care Reform

2009-07-31T10:09:00.002-05:00

Minnesota Gov. on Health Care.

Jim Bunning will not seek Re-Election

2009-07-27T16:31:00.002-05:00

Jim Bunning announced today that he will not seek re-election in 2010. Bunning said he did not have enough funds to run for re-election.

More Details Here

This should make things interesting for the big fancy farm this weekend

Fancy Farm Picnic

2009-07-27T12:51:00.002-05:00

Fancy Farm will be at the center of Kentucky's political spotlight again Saturday when it hosts an annual picnic known for spicy barbecue, fiery political speeches and sweltering summer heat. Fancy Farm is located in the western part of the Commonwealth, about 3 hours from Bowling Green. The picnic has been held since 1880, providing a venue for good food and stumping from politicians.

Republicans Trey Grayson and Rand Paul, both of whom have formed exploratory committees to look at possible runs for U.S. Senate, are on the list of speakers, as is fellow Republican Bill Johnson, a Western Kentucky businessman who has entered the race. Incumbent Sen. Jim Bunning hadn't said as of yet whether he will be at the event.

On the Democratic side of the Senate race, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo and Attorney General Jack Conway have committed to speak at the event, as has former U.S. Customs agent Darlene Fitzgerald Price. Louisville businessman Maurice Sweeney, who is considering a run for the Democratic nomination, also will take part.

The crowd is estimated to be over 10,000 for this annual event. At 2 p.m., the speaches will begin. Admission is free, and $7 buys all the barbecue and extras you can eat ($3.50 if you’re 12 or under).

Minimum Wage Increase TODAY!

2009-07-24T12:09:00.002-05:00

Well, as of today, July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage has been increased from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour. What does an increase like this mean for our small businesses? I recall learning about effects similar to this in college economics classes and the results are not good. Businesses that have, for example, 10 employees will need to increase their payroll budget by .70 per hour per employee. What once cost them $2620 for 10 hourly employees for 40 hours, will now cost $2900. Businesses that are already losing business and revenue are being forced to increase their expenses! Business owners have a couple of options. A) Grow revenue in a very tough economy to cover new expenses or B) Cut the number of employees. I hope President Obama and our legislators in Washington DC know something that I don't, because it only makes sense that our unemployment rate is about to get even higher.

Can anyone help me understand? Warren Co KY employees' now have one more hurdle when looking for a job.

Concerts in the Park

2009-07-10T15:22:00.003-05:00

For the month of July there will be concerts every Friday night in downtown Bowling Green. The Concert in the Park series has been going on for years and it is a great opportunity to sit out some chairs, enjoy the weather, and mingle with hundreds of folks. It is also pretty customary to see local leaders talking to voters. Our goal is to purchase a banner so that Young Republicans are easy to spot out on the lawn (hopefully this will be soon).

Friday night concerts are 6:30-9:00 for the Downtown Square and 7:30-10:00 for Circus Square Park just around the corner. The following groups are playing:

July 10
Tyrone Dunn Experiment
Blue Light Special

July 17
Black Velvet
Ernie Small Blues Band

July 24
Second Nature
Interface

July 31
Lead Based Paint
Exit 4

August 07
Andrea Tonaro and the Ghost Riders
Skip Bond and the Fugitives

The final concert of the year will be August 07. This is usually the best show of the year because Skip Bond and the Fugitives play at 7:30 over at Circus Square Park. Get out and see Representative Jim DeCesare rock out the drums!

July Meeting has been cancelled

2009-07-06T15:38:00.002-05:00

Due to many members telling us they would be out of town and would not be at the meeting, we have decided to cancel it altogether. At this time we do not have anything time-sensitive to discuss at our monthly meeting and we do not want to waste your time with a meeting for no reason.

Thank you for your continued support of the Young Republicans and we look forward to seeing you all on August 6. Tell your friends about our organization!

July Meeting Postponed

2009-06-29T19:55:00.004-05:00

In celebration of Independence Day, we are pushing back the meeting one week to July 9th. This should give each of your an opportunity to enjoy the holiday and remember why our great country was started. Our civil liberties continue to be taken away from us and we take a step toward government dependence every day.

Mandatory health insurance will decrease our quality of health care and increase the cost for all. In fact, the government is planning on starting their own insurance company to compete with the private sector. Kiss your hard-earned tax dollars good bye. The American Clean Energy and Security Act just passed the House and is making its way to the Senate. Besides increasing the cost of energy all around, it will also send even more of our jobs over seas. How can the US compete with nations that don't have all of these ridiculous regulations to slow them down?

Please continue to support the Young Republicans and make your presence felt at the July meeting. See you all on July 9th at 6 p.m. at Smokey Bones.

Call Rep. Guthrie and tell him NO to Cap and Trade

2009-06-26T14:24:00.003-05:00

Legislative sources on the Hill have stated that a vote on "Cap-and-Trade" (Cap-and-Tax) is likely to come around 5 pm eastern today.

Once again, most legislators have no idea what is in the 1,201 page bill about to be put up for final vote.

Passing Cap-and-Trade is a very high priority for the Obama administration, but a procedural vote earlier this morning only produced a 217-205 favorable result. This very tight margin proves your calls and emails are having an impact.

Now is the time to turn up the pressure. Call your representative, Brett Guthrie, at (202) 225-3501 immediately and urge him to vote against this latest tax scheme. (American families could end up paying several thousand dollars a year in higher energy bills as a result of HR 2454.)

Make sure Representative Brett Guthrie at (202) 225-3501 hears from you!

Because 1,200 unread pages just isn't enough, Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) rammed through another 300 pages in the form of a manager's amendment at 3am this morning.

Have any members of Congress been given the proper amount of time to read through this amendment, much less take the time to properly analyze its impacts? And what about the bill itself, which ballooned to 1,200 pages earlier this week?

It would appear that Nancy Pelosi and Chairman Waxman, who have been strong arming other moderate Democrats into supporting the bill, simply don't want to give members of Congress time to understand what they will be voting on.

Read more... http://www.americansolutions.com/energy/2009/06/waxman-adds-300-pages-to-energy-tax-at-3am.php.

Make sure Representative Brett Guthrie at (202) 225-3501 hears from you!

Republican Leadership Conference

2009-06-20T00:06:00.003-05:00

We are in Lexington this weekend for the first annual Republican Leadership Conference. Mitch McConnell will be the featured speaker at lunch. It should be an exciting weekend learning about the new efforts being utilized in the Republican party. Follow our tweets (WarrenCountyYR) for up to date information this weekend.

Message from Kentucky YRs

2009-06-06T17:31:00.001-05:00

I'm the state chair of the Kentucky YRs, want to keep the Warren County group plugged in!

We're hosting a KYRF board meeting and gun shoot this Saturday, June 13 at the Knob Creek Gun Range in West Point (Bullitt County). The shoot is from 11 am - 2 pm ET with a 2 pm board meeting. It's $10 a day for shooting and you can bring your own weapons or ammo and our members will be sharing their firearms. You can also rent weapons for $10.

More info is at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=86891288671&ref=ts - would love to have some Warren County people there!

Also, the YR National Convention will be in Indianapolis on July 8-12. The schedule is at yrnf.com and registration is $120 if we buy in bulk by June 10. I'd love to have some Warren County people represented - our delegate list will be approved next Saturday. If anybody has questions, they can contact me at (502) 851-9600 or chair@kentuckyyr.com. We'll help find roommates too. It's going to be an awesome weekend, I know that Ari Fleischer is keynoting the Saturday evening gala at the Indy Speedway.

Thanks!

Sarah Reidy
State Chair, Kentucky Young Republican Federation

June Meeting on the 4th

2009-06-03T22:02:00.000-05:00

I hope everything is going well for each and everyone of you. Remember, tomorrow is our monthly meeting at 6:00pm at Smokey Bones located on Scottsville Road. Please email me if you have any questions.

Just bring your ideas on how to make our group better and grab a friend to come along!!

Kentucky Republican Leadership Conference

2009-05-27T00:42:00.001-05:00

The Republican Party of Kentucky will host the first annual Kentucky Republican Leadership Conference (KRLC) on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at the Downtown Lexington Hotel (formerly the Radisson). The KRLC will give activists and candidates the tools needed to build effective grassroots campaigns through a series of interactive training sessions. The registration fee is $50 per person.

We will have several from our group attending. Please let one of the officers know if you are interested in joining us.

Young Republicans of Warren County now on Twitter!

2009-05-27T00:10:00.003-05:00

We have decided to join the micro-blogging social craze known as Twitter. You can follow us and keep up with our tweets at http://twitter.com/WarrenCountyYR. We hope this is a quicker and easier way to stay on top of things than always checking our blog.

Follow us on Twitter and you will be notified of events in Warren County and Kentucky as well as significant news stories affecting the political scene in our area.

Spring Cookout

2009-05-05T13:07:00.002-05:00

The May meeting will be held at a members house in Woodburn this Thursday. We will be cooking out and enjoying the pleasant spring weather. Please plan to arrive at 6:30pm.

For directions, please give Andrew a call at 270-991-7645.

Kentucky Club for Growth

2009-04-27T18:14:00.003-05:00

I just read the following message from the Kentucky Club for Growth and had to post it for all to read:

As our minds turn to the Kentucky Derby, there is a two-week pause in our politics. Anyone who wants political attention will not find it in the run-up to the Derby, and so as we pick our horses, political plans are put on hold.

As soon as Derby's over though, we will hear the calls for the next step:

"April revenues strongly disappointed," Governor Beshear will tell us. "The legislature must meet to come up with a plan to deal with a shortfall even greater than the one we predicted last year."

Why do we think this?

We're going to make some fearless but educated guesses here, with lots of math (sorry). Here's one version, a follow up on ideas found on our blog.

1) If state revenues continue at their current pace, the state should end the fiscal year with a surplus, without spending the "rainy day fund."

That's right: a surplus! The originally-projected $456 million shortfall was a projection that 2009 revenues would be $265 million below 2008. Currently revenues are even with last year, with only 3 months remaining in this fiscal year. That means the $456 million projected shortfall is on pace to be only a $191 million shortfall.

Last December, Governor Beshear outlined $147 million in spending reductions. This session, the General Assembly hiked taxes on cigarettes and alcohol and estimated that action to be worth an additional $52 million in revenues this year. $147 million + $52 million = $199 million, $8 million more than the $191 million shortfall.

2) Governor Beshear has not reduced spending.

In the original budget passed in 2008, $191 million of the state's "rainy day fund" was scheduled to be spent in FY 2010. In other words, the state was budgeted to carry over $191 million in reserve to spend after July 1, 2009.

In a recent article, state budget director Mary Lassiter states that they've already spent these funds:

"But next year, the state will not be able to tap its Rainy Day Fund to ease the pain, because that fund was exhausted in addressing this year's shortfall."

The legislature allowed Governor Beshear to do this in HB 143, but as we just pointed out, that should not have been necessary if the $147 million in cuts were realized.

3) The 2008 budget expected to spend 0.9% more than the last budget, despite expecting 0.7% fewer resources.

Yes, you read that right.

In fact, the next fiscal year budgets 3% more spending despite only a 0.5% increase in resources.

So here are a bunch of assumptions:
If 2009 and 2010 revenues come in equal to 2008 (the current trend, no growth), that would be $591 million less than expected in the 2008 budget.
If Governor Beshear had made his $147 million in cuts, that would halve this baseline to $297 million.
The tax increases were estimated to bring in $201 million this biennium, reducing the shortfall to $86 million.
But this apparently isn't the case. Apparently:
No cuts were made: + $294 million
$191 million budgeted for 2010 has already been spent: + $191 million.
Also note that this is not accounting for any "stimulus" funding to the state.

4) The Governor will reforecast state revenue after the Derby at a moment opportune for a bad forecast.

Last year, state revenues spiked dramatically in April (36%) before falling dramatically in May (21%). The trends were so dramatic, they are likely to be reversed this year: a fall in April and a spike in May. Governor Beshear says he's going to create his forecast based on how things look in April.

So, from a $86m + $294m + $191m = $571 million shortfall resulting from a reckless spending spree, Beshear will add whatever dismal revenue forecast he pleases.

For fun, let's add the $265 million decline in revenue that was originally predicted in November 2008 that has yet to materialize.

Wow! That's an $836 million shortfall, TEN TIMES what the worst-case scenario would be if the Governor had cut spending like he promised.

How about that? Let's hope our cynicism proves unjustified.

Please take the time to visit their website and sign up for their email updates.

BG Tea Party SUCCESS!

2009-04-16T09:27:00.004-05:00

Republicans, democrats, libertarians, conservatives, liberals, and everything in between gathered for a historic event last night in historic downtown Bowling Green. This attendee is counting on hands and feet, but several hundred people attended the BG Tea Party. While one party, the GOP, was represented better than the others this was not a partisan rally. Citizens stood up to voice their frustration with the federal government and increasingly high taxes. This was one of hundreds of rallys across the United States of which hundreds of thousands attended. US Congressman Brett Guthrie, State Representative Jim DeCesare, and City Commissioner Bruce Wilkerson were also in attendance not as elected officials but as citizens.

Picket signs filled the square and motivational speaking bounced off the surrounding buildings and now it is our duty to keep up the involvement. I did not take the opportunity to speak at the event, but one thing I would have said is this...

We need to keep letting our elected officials know how disgusted we are, and we
need to let them know what we as their bosses expect from them. The buck doesnt
stop at the BG Tea Party and it is important for us as republicans and citizens
to stay involved past november. There are organizations that work year round for
party values and unfortunately the interest dwindles past the election season.
No matter what your age group, find an organization! High school clubs, College
Republicans, Young Republicans, Warren Co Republicans, Women Republicans. There
is something for everyone at every stage in life and these organizations need
bodies!

Contact Alex Stall for membership information for the Young Republicans of Warren County, ages 18-40.

Rand Paul will speak at BG Tea Party

2009-04-12T23:07:00.001-05:00

Dr. Rand Paul will attend and address the tax protesters at the Bowling Green KY Tea Party Wednesday afternoon, April 15th, tax day. Dr. Paul has been traveling the state meeting with supporters and gauging support for a possible 2010 Senate Run. Rand Paul is an eye surgeon from Bowling Green and has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the US Senate should Jim Bunning retire. He is also the son of former US Presidential Candidate Ron Paul of Texas.

The Bowling Green Tea Party will be held at Fountain Square Park downtown, and the rally will begin at 5 P.M. It is a peaceful protest against the recent unprecedented policies of our government.

For more information on the Bowling Green Tea Party visit: www.bgteaparty.org

The Bowling Green Tea Party is one of the over four hundred and fifty
nationally organized grassroots protests on tax day.

Bowling Green Tea Party

2009-04-05T18:39:00.003-05:00

A local group is taking part in the national rally to protest higher taxes and the ever wasteful spending of big government. If you feel you have been Taxed Enough Already, then plan on attending!

More information can be found at www.bgteaparty.org.

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

When?

Tax Day - April 15th, 2009. 5pm - 7pm

If there is inclement weather, the rally will be on April 17th, 5pm - 7pm

Where?

Fountain Square Park, Bowling Green, KY

If you are programming your GPS - use 455 E. Main St., Bowling Green, KY 42101 as your address.

We will rally at Fountain Square Park and then proceed in an orderly fashion to the Warren County Justice Center.

Meeting Location Change

2009-03-31T10:49:00.003-05:00

Our meeting locations for 2009 have now been changed to Smokey Bones located on Scottville Rd. We hope this will be more enjoyable and members will be more likely to be friends to this event. We will see all of you on Thursday at 6pm at Smokey Bones!

Learn more about the GOP

2009-03-27T18:25:00.003-05:00

Curious about the Republican Party? Are you wondering where the Party stands on different issues? Learn more about the GOP here, and if you have questions contact one of us!

Obama promises to cut out earmarks.....again

2009-03-11T08:40:00.003-05:00

In campaigns last year Obama stated multiple times that he was going to cut out earmarks. After 50 days and already passing the stimulus bill and soon a large spending bill, Obama now is going to try and live up to his promise. Obama claims that the spending bill is last years business, if so Mr Obama, let it be last years business and do not sign the bill. Use your right as President to Veto and cut out the earmarks as you promised America you would do. Now Obama wants to "lay out guidelines to overhaul earmarks"

It is clear that Obama wants to pass these Bills and then make reforms to earmarks. He is just playing politics, making sure that he is taking care of his supports and their pet projects before making reforms to the system. I give Mr Obama credit, as a great speaker, but as citizens we must realize that actions speak louder than words. Obama talks about holding banks and big corporations accountable for their actions, with that I agree. But Mr Obama, you are the leader of the United States and as you go the country should follow. Within your first 50 days, the political promises you have made you have broken.

Yes Mr Obama, that everyone thought would pull us out of a recession, is going to pass a huge "SPENDING BILL" that includes earmarks that he promised us he would not allow. Mr Obama in his first 100 days has broken promises to the citizens of the United States. Mr Obama please do not be a hypocrite and tell our Mayors they are going to be held accountable and then back down on your word that you gave to America.

Bunning to Fed: Skip the Press Release

2009-03-06T08:23:00.002-06:00

Senator Jim Bunning is not making it easy on banks and financial companies to get the bailout they want. At a Senate Banking Committee hearing Thursday, Mr. Bunning lashed out at Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn for a slew of issues. Like many lawmakers, he was particularly troubled by the central bank’s reluctance to disclose the names of American International Group’s counterparties that were rescued from potential losses in the government’s bailout of the insurance giant.

Good for Bunning, at least someone is doing their job in Washington.

And Now For Depressing News

2009-02-24T15:34:00.002-06:00

As we continue down this path of pessimistic forecasts and outlooks, I can't help but add to it. The Daily Bail is a blog tracking bailout news, opinion & analysis or as they put it "A Path to Federal Bankruptcy." It offers plenty of good news about the nationalization of our country's banks.

Don't worry too much because we all have plenty of good working years ahead of us to give our money away in the form of taxes. And while we are at it, let's thank China for continuing to fund our debt.

Well played Obama.

DeCesare votes no on higher taxes

2009-02-12T09:30:00.003-06:00

House Bill 144, a measure to raise the state's tax on cigarettes by 30 cents and impose a 6 percent retail sales tax on alcohol, passed by the Kentucky House with a 66-34 vote Wednesday. Voting yes were 60 Democrats and six Republicans. Voting no were five Democrats and 29 Republicans.

Jim Decesare is the lone Warren County Representative to vote no to the tax increase. Unfortunately, the other Representatives of Warren County, Jody Richards, Wilson Stone and Johnny Bell, all voted for an increase in taxes. Thank you Jim for standing up for Warren County values.

If the state was serious about saving money, it would scrap the prevailing wage policy. Studies show that Kentucky would save $130 million or more a year by repealing prevailing wage policies on public construction projects.

Does anyone have information on how the state's "$456 million shortfall" is calculated? It continues to be reported as if it is fact but I have yet to see how the state reached this figure.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele Debates Gov. Tim Kaine on the Economic Stimulus Package

2009-02-11T11:21:00.001-06:00

Kentucky Tries to Raise Taxes

2009-02-10T16:42:00.002-06:00

After a brief meeting in which lawmakers spent more time explaining their votes than debating bills, the House budget committee approved a measure Tuesday to raise taxes on cigarettes and alcohol to add more money to the state's coffers. General fund revenues were down 4% in January, leaving revenues up 1.1% on the year. There are only five months left in the fiscal year.

So again, why do we need this tax?

H.B 144 would double levies on tobacco products, such as snuff, and the cigarette tax from 30-cents-per-pack to 60 cents and apply the 6 percent sales tax to alcohol products. Alcohol is currently taxed on the wholesale level and not at the cash register. The two tax increases would generate a projected $52.2 million in the remainder of the fiscal year.

It gets worse.

Three Republicans — Reps. Lonnie Napier of Lancaster, Bob DeWeese of Louisville and Charlie Siler of Corbin — voted for the measure! What a disgrace.

H.B. 144 leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, let's hope it doesn't pass when before the entire House on Wednesday.

The First Hundred Days

2009-02-10T08:53:00.001-06:00

Ever since Barack Obama's electoral victory, we have heard talking heads in the mainstream media compare him to some of the worst presidents in U.S. history. Some pundits predict that President Barack Obama's first hundred days in office will be compared to those of President Franklin Roosevelt. Will Obama be able to surpass FDR, whose first hundred days broke the historical record in terms of legislative activity?

Read the rest of this article.

32nd Senate District Special Election Tomorrow

2009-02-09T09:02:00.002-06:00

The young republicans of warren county encourage everyone who can tomorrow to get out and vote. The two candidates are Mike Reynolds (D) and J. Marshall Hughes(R).

The YR of Warren county want to try to educate all voters so they can make a informed vote on election day. The two candidates believe very differently on several different key issues. Since there has been no public debates for this special election check out the Kentucky Candidate Information Survey to find out each candidates stance on several issues.

Please take the time tomorrow to practice your right to vote!

Meeting Postponed

2009-02-05T17:44:00.000-06:00

I regret to announce that our meeting will be canceled. Myself and several officers won't be able to make it tonight due to other obligations that must come before YR's. We will cancel the meeting for tonight and reschedule for next week. I will get on the horn to discuss a reschedule date and let you guys know a time & place this weekend.

Sorry for the inconvenience,

Brian Woodward

J Marshall Hughes covered in mud: How did Jim DeCesare clean his off?

2009-02-03T19:41:00.004-06:00

The race for the 32nd KY Senate District special election is heating up. Candidates Mike Reynolds (D)and J Marshall Hughes (R) have been answering questions in the BG Daily News and advertising their issues on every form of mainstream media. I would like to take a minute to describe the man that our party has chosen to run for this recently vacated seat. I am especially interested because at one point I was a skeptic and personally know the Reynolds family. Mike Reynolds and his family are good people, but so are the Hughes family and that is where the subject gets blurry. I am very dissappointed in the campaign that I have seen run by the democrat party. I say democrat party because I believe that issues we have been reading about came from a party that we saw slander Jim DeCesare and Brett Guthrie.

Common issues that I have seen:

J Marshall Hughes had a tax lien on his property- This is true, but he only found out that there was a lien when he was DONATING the property to the fire department. The property was a vacant lot and there was no one there to receive any tax notices! Needless to say the taxes were paid and Marshall is in good standing.

J Marshall Hughes owns property in FL- Who cares? The man has spent his entire life in SOKY and owns property in several of the surrounding counties. Why try to make him out to be a fly in candidate?

These are only two of the "issues" the opposition has tried to "capitalize" on. The fact is J Marshall Hughes is a leader, and has always been here to support the GOP. I had the privelege of sitting down with JMH and his wife, and they were extremely down to earth. His conservative values line up exactly with those of the GOP and you can always count on him!

Why do the democrats always try to bring up false accusations during elections? Jim DeCesare supports marijuana, Brett Guthrie outsources jobs to Mexico, and J Marshall Hughes evades paying taxes and telecommutes from FL. Thank you JMH for taking the high road.

The GOP is working to take the "FAT" out of the stimulus bill.

2009-02-03T14:53:00.003-06:00

As debate continues about the stimulus package the new president is pushing, Republicans are working hard to cut out the fat. I believe that both parties would like to work together to finalize a bill but to much wasted money is in the bill currently.

Here are a few highlights
• $1.2 billion for "youth activities," including youth summer job programs.
(Whatever happend to the youth getting out and getting their own jobs, mowing lawns during the summer can teach a lot of life lessons)

• $160 million for "paid volunteers" at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
(paid volunteers? The best example of an oxymoron I have seen!)

• A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.
(Please tell me that this one was a joke)

Learn More about the wasted spending in the stimulus bill

Dont forget to purchase your Hot Rod Tickets from the YR We appreciate your support!

Help Rebuild the GOP

2009-02-02T10:07:00.002-06:00

As Republicans, we face a choice.

Either we can spend the next several months -- or years -- trying to figure out what just happened, excusing our defeat away as a temporary blip or the result of a poor environment, and waiting for Barack Obama to trip up. Or we can refuse to take this defeat lying down, and start building the future of our party now.

This is the concept of Rebuild the Party: A Plan for the Future. Rebuild the Party enables Repiblicans everywhere an opportunity to give new RNA Chairman Michael Steele ideas on how to improve the GOP.

Don't hesitate, provide your ideas now at Rebuild the Party. We are the future and our voices need to be heard!

Blame the Baby Boomers

2009-01-29T08:19:00.003-06:00

In assigning blame to the current recession, one blog has determined that the Baby Boomer generation has created this high-rate of spending mess, and made it worse with the bailouts being passed. I'm not sure if this is a fair assessment, as I'm just as guilty of buying my share of consumer products. Anyways, take a minute to read it:

If anyone wished to know what the baby-boomer generation would do when, in its full maturity, it hit its first self-created, big-time recession, I think we are seeing the hysterical results. After two decades of unprecedented economic growth, rampant consumer spending, and unimaginable borrowing to satisfy our insatiable appetites, we are suddenly going into even larger debt and printing trillions of dollars in paper money to ensure that someone else after we are gone pays the debt. As if the permanent solution to a financial panic and years of spending wealth we didn't create were a government take-over of the economy in the manner we currently witness in Spain, Italy, and Greece—or the high-tax, high-spend ethos of a bankrupt California. Via The Corner

Will Sen. Bunning Run for Re-election?

2009-01-23T16:22:00.002-06:00

Several publications are reporting that U.S. Senator Jim Bunning is being pressured by Republicans to not run for re-election in 2010. His latest campaign finance report shows that he raised only $27,591.44 in the last three months of 2008. Compare this to last year’s re-election race for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, which cost $21 million.

The Courier-Journal is following the story:

Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., is under pressure from party leaders to give up
his plans to run for re-election in 2010, according to published reports.
Both Politico and The Hill, which are Washington-based political newspapers, reported yesterday that there is increasing concern that Bunning
can't win a third term. They quoted unnamed Republican sources.
One telling sign of Bunning's precarious political status is the absence of the usual
support from key party leaders that an incumbent in his position should be getting.

Guthrie: Leader for subcommittee as a freshman

2009-01-16T10:53:00.005-06:00

Recently, US Congressman Brett Guthrie KY 2nd District, Brett Guthrie was named as the ranking member of the subcommittee on higher education, lifelong learning and competitiveness.

Guthrie is a freshman and this is an honor not normally given to someone new to their position. Minutes before the committee met, representatives spoke to Guthrie about his experience in manufacturing and asked him to be their leader. He will be replacing Democratic U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa of Texas.

How will this leadership position affect the 2nd district? This year, that panel will spearhead revisions to the Workforce Development Act, which Guthrie said takes on greater importance because of widespread job losses. With many job losses in Warren County and surrounding areas it is important for us to have someone watching out for those peoples interests. Guthrie, who headed up HR for Trace Die Cast, I am sure will fight for those people and former employees of DESA.

“We are looking at how do we cushion the transition of people who have lost their job,” Guthrie said in an interview. “One of my themes has been K through R — kindergarten through retirement. This allows me at a bigger level – the national level – to talk about the 21st century workforce.”

Those former employees need the continued training to make themselves more competitive in today's workforce.

Help Raise Money: Buy BG Hot Rods Tickets Here

Bowling Green Hot Rods Fundraiser

2009-01-14T08:36:00.012-06:00

Tickets for the Bowling Green Hot Rods can now be bought from the Warren County Young Republicans. Individual game tickets cannot yet be bought from the BG Hot Rods, but you can get them here!

BG Hot Rods Tickets will be sold at face value, and the voucher purchased will be good for any game excluding opening night and MLB rehab appearances. A percentage of the ticket sales will come back to the Young Republicans so buy now! The money raised in this effort will come right back to the Republican Party through campaign endorsements and donations. If you plan on attending even one game the entire year purchase our BG Hot Rods voucher!

The Bowling Green Hot Rods are a brand new minor league team playing in Bowling Green. Visit their website to learn more about them! BG Hot Rods

Contact any of the following young republicans to purchase your BG Hot Rods Tickets:

Andrew Lawrence
Bailey Rolfs
Brian Woodward
Daniel Tinsley

Kentucky Young Republicans Hosting Inaugural Gala

2009-01-12T19:03:00.004-06:00

Introducing the Inaugural Gala, where all conservatives are welcome to celebrate the relaunch of a bigger and better Republican Party!

January 20, 2009
7:00-11:00 PM

Seelbach Hilton
Grand Ballroom
500 Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40202

· Jody Jones Jazz Trio
· Desserts and Hot Drinks
· Silent Auction
· Cash Bar

Registration Rates:
· $15 for Young Republican Members
· $20 Before January 20th
· $25 At the Door

Register online at grandnewparty.eventbrite.com
Or send check to:
KYRF, P.O. Box 43002, Louisville, KY 40253-0002

Hotel rooms available for $99, contact the Seelbach at (800) 333-3399 and ask for Kentucky Young Republican Federation rate.
Dress is black-tie optional.

Silent auction items include an executive suite for 10 at Churchill Downs, golf packages and signed memorabilia.

Benefits the Kentucky Young Republican Federation's Grassroots and Candidate Training Programs

Monday is Last Day to Register to Vote for Special Election

2009-01-12T10:06:00.003-06:00

Monday (January 12) is the last day to register to vote for the special election for Brett Guthrie's old seat. The special election will be held on Feb. 10 and the candidates are J. Marshall Hughes for the Republicans and Mike Reynolds for the Democrats. If you or someone you know is unsure whether they are registered to vote or uncertain as to where they will vote, they can view all of that information online through the Voter Information Center (VIC) set up by the Kentucky Secretary of State's office. The VIC will tell voters where they are registered to vote, the location of their polling site, and their political affiliation. It also provides links to elected representatives and driving directions from the voter's home to his or her polling location. VIC can be accessed at www.vote.ky.gov/vic.

To register in Butler County, please visit the County Clerk's office at:
110 N. Main St.
Morgantown, KY 42261-0449
Phone: (270) 526-5676

For Warren County, please visit:
Courthouse, 429 E. 10th St.
Bowling Green, KY 42102
Phone: (270) 842-9416

House Speaker Greg Stumbo: Man of Honor?

2009-01-09T09:40:00.004-06:00

Greg Stumbo was officially sworn in as the new Speaker of the House for Kentucky on Wednesday. Stumbo, representing Floyd County, beat out Warren County Representative Jody Richards for the position. Richards had been the longest serving Speaker in Kentucky history.

With his wife, Mary Karen Stumbo, and their daughter, Cassidy, at his side, Stumbo took the oath of office from Floyd Circuit Judge John David Caudill in the House chamber. Stumbo’s daughter, Morgan Stumbo-Kidd, held a Bible for the ceremony and also present was Stumbo’s granddaughter, Ava Kidd. Not present was his son with college friend Travis Fritsch, a child who Stumbo fathered in the affair. In 2004, Fritsch had to sue Stumbo for missed child support payments.

Even though Stumbo represents Floyd County, he actually lives in Lexington which is 117 miles away from his district. With past questioning of Stumbo's ethics, it's not surprising that many ethics watchdogs are keeping a close eye on him.

Not one to sit around for long, Stumbo is pushing legislation to allow video lottery terminals year-round at race tracks, something Senate President David Williams says he opposes. Disagreeing with state Republicans can be expected, but new reports from Frankfort are that supporters of Richards are being left out on committee assignments. Evidently Stumbo has figured out his best chance of success is by making the most enemies.

Read more about Stumbo's ~~accomplishments~~ questionable ethics in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Hughes Named GOP Candidate for empty 32nd District seat

2009-01-08T22:17:00.001-06:00

Tonight republican leaders from Warren and Butler counties met at the Warren County Courthouse to nominate a candidate to run for a now empty seat in the KY State Senate. Each county's executive commitee members had one vote a piece. Votes were weighed differently between Butler and Warren members because of the population of the counties. Warren County votes were valued at 795 votes and Butler County votes were valued at 506 votes. The floor was opened for nominations and the following people received nominations: The order they are presented are the order in which they allowed to speak to the body (alphabetical)

David Graham- Bio can be found in the previous post
David Graham Bio
Graham, an educator, spoke about the importance of education and the abandonment of KATS testing. He remarked, teaching to a test is ineffective and students should be taught how to prevail in the real world.

J Marshall Hughes- Bio can be found in the previous post
J Marshall Hughes Bio
Hughes, a local lawyer and a long time GOP contributor/volunteer, spoke about the importantance of hitting the ground running in Frankfort. State Senate President David Williams has promised to appoint Hughes to three committees (Transportation, Education, and Budget), a feat that would take most several terms noted nominator Tommy Adams. Marshall also added that his ability to fund a well run campaign would make a difference in a short election. Tommy Adams noted while nominating that Hughes would be able to hit the ground running and that was very important to Warren County since the defeat of Jody Richards as House Speaker.

Ed Mills- Mills, a local business man and longtime employee of General Motors, spoke about education and his business experience. Mills started at GM as an hourly UAW employee and quickly was put on the fast track for promotion. He was moved from Arlington, TX to BG. He was supposed to stay for 2 years but fell in love with the community. He put his career on hold so that his kids could stay in a safer community and never left. When his sons Chris and Clinton Mills were 16 years old they had a dream to start a technology company. He supported them and helped them to start Hitcents, a Web Design Company. The business has grown over the past 10 years and now employs over 50. The jobs they created are not jobs typically found in smaller areas, but they are advance IT positions. He worked at GM for over 30 years and just recently retired as a business manager. He spoke about the importance of education. Improvement in education would lower crime rates and improve the attractiveness of the employees in the district. The budget deficit and improving education were the building blocks for Mills' campaign.

Mike Wilson- Wilson described himself as a family man with several children. He is the GM for WCVK, a local Christian Family Radio station. Wilson was in the Marine Corp before going to college using the GI Bill. He said his experience at WCVK gave him a lot of experience in fund raising, and that without a doubt he could raise the capital to run a successful campaign. He preached about smaller government, prolife stances, anti-casino gambling, and a hurt economy.

After every candidate spoke a secret ballot was conducted. Every member had one vote, and each candidate had the opportunity to choose someone to monitor the totalling of the votes.

J Marshall Hughes received the majority vote needed to win the nomination. Over 50% was needed to receive the nomination!

Statement from Chairman

2009-01-08T17:41:00.002-06:00

YR's of Warren County,

Sorry for the late notice but I wanted you guys to know that tonight the Warren County Republicans will be officially nominating someone to fill Brett Guthrie’s seat in the Kentucky Senate.

I've been contacted several times this week by Warren County Republican leaders expressing their interest for Brett’s Senate Seat. There hasn’t been much time to really break down “Who’s done the most” for Warren County, but I was able to speak with several members to point me in the right direction.

Since being a YR Chairman for Warren County, which automatically puts in on the Warren County Republican Executive Committee. I have included a bio on both members most likely to be nominated tonight for you to review.

I hope in the future to have more YR’s involved the decision next time, but this was a fortunate event that left little time to discuss. I will post an update tomorrow on the final outcome of the meeting.

If anyone has any thoughts I’m all ears. I appreciate your involvement and truly value your participation and friendship. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything at all. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

Sincerely,
Brian Woodward
Warren Co. Young Republican Chairman
P: 270-282-5198
E: bgyoungrepublicans1776@gmail.com

Senate Seat Hopefuls: Hughes and Graham

2009-01-08T17:19:00.003-06:00

Two candidates for the selection of the republican nomination to run against a democrat in an upcoming special election have provided the Young Republicans with short bios. The executive meeting meets tonight at the Warren Co Courthouse at 6pm. This meeting is open to the public. Ed Mills, former business manager from General Motors, is also seeking nomination. No bio was available for Mills.

J. Marshal Hughes

Personal
J. Marshall is a partner in Hughes & Coleman Law Firm, Businessman and Farmer
Married to Judith Given Hughes, daughter of the late Ken Given, the first “voice of the Hilltoppers.” Judi is a graduate of Indiana University, B.S. and Western Kentucky University, M.A. and is a present member of the Western Kentucky University Board of Regents. Children are Terri Lewis (Mrs. Tom Lewis) and Jay Hughes. Grandchildren are T.R., Phelps and John Gibson Lewis.

Education
College High Elementary
Greenville Elementary and High School
Western Kentucky University, B.A.
Indiana University School of Law, Juris Doctor
Church Affiliation
Christ Episcopal Church

Memberships
Masonic Lodge, Shriners, Kentucky Bar Association, American Judicature Society, Cousteau Society, National Geographic Society, Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge, North American Hunting Club (life member), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, National Parks and Conservation Association, Ducks Unlimited (life member), Quail Unlimited, Quail Forever, National Rifle Association (life member), National Association of Underwater Divers, Fraternal Order of Police, Order of Kentucky Colonels, Bowling Green – Warren County Chamber of Commerce, Butler County Chamber of Commerce, Western Kentucky University Hilltopper Athletic Foundation

Community Activities
Former Member of Kentucky Bar Association Ethics Committee and Office Management Committee, Former Coach of Little League Baseball, Youth Soccer, Youth Basketball and Karate Youth Instructor
Past Board Memberships:
YMCA of Bowling Green
Friends of Lost River
Camp Joy Baptist Summer Camp
Bowling Green Housing Authority
Bowling Green – Warren County Jaycees
Boys Club of Bowling Green

Other Areas of Importance:
• Ken and Helen Given Scholarship Founder
• Hughes Kirkpatric Scholarship Founder
• J. Marshall and Judi Hughes Theater at the L&N Train Depot, Bowling Green
• Co-Founder, Kids Are Special, a non-profit child safety program sponsored by Hughes & Coleman. Kids Are Special promotes fingerprinting of children for identification purposes and encourages bicycle safety through the sale of certified bicycle helmets at below cost.
• Co-Founder of Hope Blooms, a daffodil garden located in Bowling Green. The daffodils symbolize hope for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and their families across Warren County. Daffodils, one of the first flowers to bloom every spring, symbolize hope for a cancer free world.
• Co-Founder, Arrive Alive, a program that reaches into the schools of south central Kentucky. This program brings a level of awareness to children in our area about the dangers of driving or riding with someone under the influence of alcohol. It also encourages teens and parents to sign a pledge not to drink and drive.

David Graham

I have dedicated my life to public service, teaching in Kentucky schools for seventeen years, the last ten here in Warren County. Now I hope to continue that service in the General Assembly as State Senator for Warren and Butler Counties. I grew up working on our family dairy farm in Taylor County, studied in Lexington and Murray, and taught in Calvert City and Edmonton before settling here in Warren County. I am convinced that our state government can operate more efficiently while providing basic services for our citizens, including a world-class education for our children. I am committed to the core values of the Republican party, and look forward to serving the people of Warren and Butler Counties.

Professional Experience
Band Director, Warren Central High School, 1999 - present
The Dragon Band maintains an active performance schedule, and has been awarded numerous honors. Under my direction, the band has performed in London, Orlando, New York and Atlanta. I have served on the Site Based Decision Making Council four years, serving as chair during our 2007 principal selection process. Through teaching Arts and Humanities classes, supervision duties, and performances at school athletic events, I have had contact with practically every student at Warren Central these last ten years.
District Festival Manager, Kentucky Music Educators Association, 2007 - present
I am responsible for scheduling events, hiring judges, and managing Solo and Ensemble Festival and Concert Band
& Orchestra Festival for the 35 schools in the Bowling Green District.
Band Director, Metcalfe County High School, 1995 - 1999
In Metcalfe County, I taught primarily at the high school, adding the middle school band program my last two years. I was elected to the SBDM for two years, serving as chair during the principal selection process in 1997.
Minister of Music, Edmonton Baptist Church, 1996 - 1999
Band Director, North Marshall Middle School, 1992 - 1995
Intern, U.S. Representative Larry Hopkins Field Office, Fall 1988
I performed administrative and clerical work one morning a week in Congressman Hopkins’ field office.
Intern, Legislative Research Commission, 1988
I worked as a proofreader and clerical worker three afternoons a week during the 1988 General Assembly session.

Education
Western Kentucky University, Masters in Music Education, 2000
Murray State University, Bachelors in Music Education, 1992
Transylvania University, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 1989
Taylor County High School, 1985

Personal
My wife, Becky O’Rourke Graham, is a Bowling Green High and Western Kentucky University graduate, and teaches band at Moss Middle School. We live in Rockfield with our four children, Megan, Ben, James Patrick, and Will, and are members of Rich Pond Baptist Church, where I serve as Deacon and coordinate our Fine Arts Academy

New House Speaker is pushing for gambling

2009-01-08T13:30:00.005-06:00

New House Speaker Greg Stumbo has started off his new position as House Speaker by pushing for expanded gambling in Kentucky. Stumbo believes that this is a way to help bring more money into Kentucky. Gov. Beshear is looking to raise the tax on cigarettes from 30 cents to 1.00.

Republicans should be proud of how Senate leader David Williams has taken a stance on how to cut the budget, not by dipping into citizens pockets, but instead eliminating the unsuccessful KATS testing that is wasting large sums of Kentucky tax dollars.

See David Williams practice some good bipartinsanship

Stumbo's victory over Jody Richards

Guthrie's Seat Special Election is set

2009-01-06T16:49:00.004-06:00

Tom Loftus of the Courier-Journal reported that the special election to be held to fill Brett Guthrie's Senate Seat is Feb. 10th.

Click Here to Read More

Jody Richards- Losing Speaker position?

2009-01-05T15:00:00.004-06:00

Here are two good reasons why a close election in the vote for the Speaker of the House is good for the republican party.

1. a 50/50 vote shows a divide in the democrat party, a number of representitives will not support the new speaker and it will be hard for them to show unity after a hard "election"

2. If Jody does lose his long held position it will set up the GOP to retake a long held democratic seat. He will be a recent loser of his speaker position, and he will be seen as washed up. The GOP needs to put a strong candidate up against Jody Richards after his seat comes up for re-election again.

What does everyone else think? I love to see democrats fight democrats, and I think it is comical how they lie to each other. Each guarantees that they have the race in the bag!

Here is a full article with quotes from both candidates, Stumbo and Richards. Can anyone give any insight on whether or not Stumbo was involved in a drunk driving incident?

Jody Richards vs Greg Stumbo

Empty Brett Guthrie Seat Election

2008-12-22T10:52:00.003-06:00

It looks like voters in Warren County will get another taste of politically rivalry without having to wait until November. As the Warren County Young Republicans reported over a month ago, Brett Guthrie's seat in the KY Senate will be up for grabs soon. The Bowling Green Daily News wrote a story naming some of the local possible nominees. Of course, the Executive Committees will choose their candidate, but everyone should know the names in the hat.

Just a few..

On the Republican side, Robertson confirmed that he has heard that Bowling Green attorney J. Marshall Hughes, attorney Osi Onyekwuluje, attorney Dennie Hardin, Warren Central High School band director David Graham and Warren County School Board member Mike Wilson are all considering if they will run.

On the Democrat side, attorney Mike Reynolds said he is very interested in seeking the nomination.

State Representative Jim DeCesare has also been asked to consider the position. DeCesare had this to say about running for the empty Guthrie seat..

I am not intending to pursue Brett’s seat. I was just re-elected and feel that it’s important to honor that commitment I’ve made to the people.

J Marshall Hughes Seeking Guthrie's Seat

Here is a link to the full story at BGDailyNews.com,
Brett Guthrie Empty Seat Election: FULL STORY

Stimulus Shouldn't Be an Excuse for Pork

2008-12-18T10:09:00.004-06:00

It seems everyone today is headed to Washington to get a piece of the pie. They are lined up at the Capitol with their hands out, waiting for the President-Elect to pull the money off the trees and hand it out. In fact, it's not too uncommon to see money floating around everywhere, a billion here, a billion there. Money is easy to get, and easy to spend.

Wait, we're in a recession? So where is all of this money coming from?

The Conference of Mayors was the latest group to hear about this magic money tree. Last week, they headed to Capitol Hill to ask for a handout, or as they put it: "We are reporting that in 427 cities of all sizes in all regions of the country, a total of 11,391 infrastructure projects are 'ready to go.' These projects represent an infrastructure investment of $73,163,299,303 that would be capable of producing an estimated 847,641 jobs in 2009 and 2010." That equals out to a measly $86,416 per job.

The City of Bowling Green is asking for $48,292,000. I can't wait to get those two new canine units!

Read more about this ~~economic stimulus~~ pork project over at the Wall Street Journal. The full report can be found here.

Last Meeting of the Year Tuesday

2008-12-08T18:58:00.002-06:00

Young Republicans Meeting - 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday December 9

Our meeting will be held at Greenview Hospital. Cory Darling has managed to reserve the YR's a meeting room.

We are in Classroom 1. You should be able to find parking in front of the hospital. The entrance by the classroom is the door all the way to the left (if you're looking at the hospital from the front parking lot). There is a little ramp that you walk up. Try not to park on the ER side of the building, though.

Items of discussion:

School Campaign - The VP and I have been involved with calling several different high schools to set up times when we can speak to their class or club. This is a campaign to focus on our future generations and why it's important to participate in our government.

Introducing a progress report for officers

Membership - We will be discussing a goal for membership and the financials tied to that goal.

Treasurer - We have chosen a new Treasurer. She'll be touching on certain topics concerning her role.

Bailey Rolfs has put together several plan models for a fundraiser to help give us a clear direction.

Kentucky Tonight political discussion show on KET

2008-11-24T10:58:00.003-06:00

This ties into Drew's earlier message:
Tonight at 7PM on KET, tune in to watch the KET's political discussion show Kentucky Tonight.

Items to be discussed include the state budget, the projected shortfall and, no doubt, cigarette taxes.

The scheduled guests are:
- Andy Hightower, executive director of the Kentucky Club for Growth
- Sheila Schuster, executive director of the Advocacy Action Network
- Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates
- Rand Paul, chair of Kentucky Taxpayers United

The program is live statewide on KET1 from 7:00 pm CT to about 8:00 pm CT.

Construction at KET will prevent the usual phone-in questions, but viewers with questions and comments may send e-mail, including first and last name and town or county, to kytonight@ket.org.

Kentucky Tonight programs are archived online, made available via podcast, and rebroadcast on KET1 and KET KY. Archived programs, information about podcasts, and broadcast schedules are available at www.ket.org/kytonight.

PreFIled Legislation: DeCesare

2008-11-24T09:39:00.003-06:00

PreFiled Legislation Article in the AP

Recently the Associated Press highlighted some prefiled legislation for the 2009 general assembly. Among the legislators was Rep. Jim DeCesare who has filed several pieces of legislation. DeCesare is quoted in the article speaking about government transparency in regards to the legislation that is filed. DeCesare proposed a 24 hour cool down period after receiving a bill so no hasty decisions are made.

It's prompted by previous budget sessions where we get the bill last-minute and really don't have a lot of time to look through it and see all the nuts and bolts of the legislation," DeCesare said. "It brings more transparency to government and makes us more accountable so we aren't trying to sneak stuff through in the dead of night.

Other legislators filed documents to further prohibit sex offenders from living anywhere near a public place, teenagers from talking on the cell phone while driving, and salary cuts for certain individuals that got pay raises last year.

Just to spark some conversation...

Where do sex offenders live if we keep restricting the places in which they are allowed to live? The county? I think it is wise to prohibit them from living in some places, and wise to prohibit them from partaking in Halloween activities.

Should teenagers be limited to what they can do while driving? Why not limit everyone from texting? We trust our 16 yr olds to get a drivers license, and that includes all of the responsibility that comes with that license. I don't think a 16 yr old should be restricted after getting a license any more than a veteran driver.

Track Bills in the KY General Assembly

Empty Senate Seat: Brett Guthrie

2008-11-13T10:18:00.002-06:00

After Brett Guthrie's recent win over David Boswell to win a seat in the United States Congress there will be a special election for his seat in the KY State Senate. Basically, there are two roads to travel. Guthrie can resign before the beginning of the next session Gov Beshear will call for a special election, if he resigns during the session the task will belong to David Williams (President of the KY State Senate).

A selection committee will be assembled from both the Republicans and the Democrats.

According to the official rules of the Republican Party of Kentucky, when law requires "the filing of a nomination by a party committee," the task falls to the "lowest level" committee "embracing" the district in question. In the case of a state Senate district incorporating more than one country - like the 32nd - a committee shall be formed that includes each County Committee concerned.

County Committees are comprised of all associated precinct officers and county officers - including a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Youth Chair.

Anyone have any ideas on who may be nominated? Sound off and leave your comments.
Information for this post was found at PolitickerKY

More government intervention into private industry not a good idea

2008-11-11T14:09:00.002-06:00

The following article is a good piece written by Cal Thomas. It can be found in the Nov. 11 edition of the Daily News:

Remember when Democrats lamented the growing budget deficit and spoke of the burden our children and grandchildren would face if we didn’t put our fiscal house in order? That was when Republicans ran the federal government and Democrats opposed tax cuts. Now that Democrats are about to be in charge, concern about the deficit has disappeared and spending plans proliferate...

Read the rest of the article at this link.

Young Republicans on the GOP's future

2008-11-07T09:32:00.003-06:00

The following story appears in the latest issue of Newseek. It can be found at this link.

Looking To The Future
UPenn College Republicans on what went wrong, and the future of the GOP.

By Jessica Bennett NEWSWEEK
Published Nov 5, 2008

It was the typical stuff of a college frat party: pepperoni pizza, cheap beer, a big-screen television and a vigorous game of the drinking game Beirut. But on this night, friends of Sigma Alpha Epsilon had gathered for a different kind of party. "Dude, Obama's got Florida!" someone shouted during the final moments of the 2008 campaign. "Turn the volume up!" bellowed another.

The 20 or so University of Pennsylvania College Republicans gathered in this Animal House-like two-story apartment are a rare breed among Obama-crazy Philadelphians. By the time NEWSWEEK arrived at their election celebration Tuesday, the young GOPers knew their candidate, John McCain, was on a sinking ship. "I'm outnumbered, I'm annoyed, I want it to be over," joked Peter Devine, 20, a finance major at the Wharton School of Business. But the group was surprisingly upbeat, considering the circumstances: as Ohio and Pennsylvania were announced for Obama, the chatter barely paused. "Who's next for flip cup?" someone shouted.

Yet even as they drown their sorrows in warm cans of Natty Lite, these young Republicans were dissecting what went wrong. "McCain never capitalized on a clear message," said Devine, a Maine native who is the group's secretary. "We did a bad job of communicating who we are and what we stand for," said senior Kelly Siddle of Wyoming. "If the Republican brand was dog food, you'd have to take it off the shelf right now," quipped Michael Tate, 20, borrowing a quote from Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia. As the world looks ahead, we asked these future leaders to assess their party's future. Their advice:

Peter Devine, 20
Home State: Maine
Major: Finance
Advice for the Party: I think the party compromised this year. Mike Huckabee at least energized people. Conservatives need to retake this party. People want fiscal responsibility. Part of McCain's campaign flaw was trying to make [Gov. Sarah] Palin into something she wasn't.

Sarah Brown, 19
Home State: Alaska
Major: Undecided
Advice for the Party: I see the future of Republicans in candidates like Sarah Palin. She's down to earth, she's tough, she's an aggressive, strong woman but is also charismatic and presents herself well. It seems like somebody like her who's young, attractive and a little more hip could really appeal to the younger base of the Republican Party.

Michael Tate, 20
Home State: Florida
Major: Communications
Advice for the Party: I think some of the issues need to be modernized, in terms of technology, science, research and development.

Kelly Siddle, 22
Home State: Wyoming
Major: Political Science
Advice for the Party: It's easy to get lost in the political rhetoric, and we need to be able to show the people that we are a compassionate party [that] has ideas to really help people to make advances in this country. It's our responsibility to connect to the voters and give them hope for the future.

Aliana Greenberg, 17
Home State: California
Major: Undecided
Advice for the Party: I think Repubs really need to look to youth outreach. Right now it's cool to be a liberal, it's cool to be a Democrat, but a lot of the core Republican morals, like individualism and government out of personal lives is very applicable to the youth—we don't want people telling us what to do. I think if the Republican Party made that more understandable to the youth we'd do a lot better.

With Lee Wang and Sarah Frank

Young Republicans, what are your thoughts?

BillWatch: Learn about Bills in the KY General Assembly

2008-11-06T16:12:00.007-06:00

I wanted to take a minute to inform Warren County Young Republicans about a great online tool for tracking bills in the KY General Assembly. Bill Watch is a free tool, but you must register to use it. The tool allows you to track bills as they move through the legislative process, sign up for email/mobile alerts, and read in detail what legislators like Jim DeCesare are proposing. Bill Watch is something that we can use to inform ourselves about the issues that effect us.

Readers that are not officially part of the Young Republicans of Warren County can contact Alex Stall for information on how to join. There is no better way to learn about the issues and support your party!

Election Results in Warren County

2008-11-05T15:32:00.002-06:00

Here are the official results from yesterdays election. Thank you to everyone who supported the Young Republicans efforts during the election season. Congratulations to Brett Guthrie, Jim DeCesare, Mitch McConnell, Catherine Hamilton, and Bruce Wilkerson.

22nd District

(R) McPherson- 8,750 46.5%
(D) Stone- 10,065 53.5%

21st District

(R) DeCesare- 12,262 60%
(D) Rabold- 8,358 40%

2nd Congressional District

(R) Guthrie- 158,700 52.5%
(D) Boswell- 143,213 47.5%

US Senate

(R) McConnell- 953,603 53%
(D) Lunsford- 846,724 47%

Bowling Green Mayoral Race

Walker- 10,548
Strow- 7,376

City Commissioner

Hamilton- 11,530
Wilkerson- 11,059
Denning- 8,993
Nash- 8,579
Carter- 8,482
Bradford- 3,804
Baldwin- 5,983

These are numbers reported by The Bowling Green Daily News

Obama's Money: Funny Cartoon about spreading the wealth

2008-11-04T16:05:00.002-06:00

This cartoon is too good not to post.