Reminder: Rand Paul voted for tax cuts for wealthy that increased U.S. deficit

Paul Ads

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s ad touting money for the sole use of US citizens is absurd. He’s voted against money for everything but the wealthy.

His views on Russia’s historical claim to Ukraine sounds as if he’d give Alaska back to Russia; his home state of Texas, California and Florida to Spain; the east coast to England; and the Louisiana Purchase to France. After all they claimed them historically.

When Republican office seekers speak of freedom, they are referring to selective anarchy. They get to do anything they want, but nobody should do anything they object to, like vote against them, or read books, or think for themselves. If you’re against their tin-foil hat ideas, you must be part of the “Deep State” or a RINO like me.

The Republican politicians keep saying the Democrats are dividing the nation, but it’s been the Republicans who use the terms “us” and “them.” From what I’ve heard coming out of their mouths, I do not want to be one of “us”. I’ll stick with Christian values and morality, not whatever it is they’re dishing out. If they were to reap the rewards of the Golden Rule, they’d be in an awful way.

Glenna Brouse, Lexington

Unbalanced budget

When U.S. Sen. Rand Paul first ran for the Senate he claimed that he was going to balance the budget. So how is he doing? Well, the National Debt was about $13.5 trillion when he took office and now it has more than doubled to $31 trillion.

I’m sure Paul will say it was out of his control. Not even close. Paul voted for the Trump tax cuts, one of the most fiscally irresponsible laws in the history. The Trump tax cuts mainly benefited the richest Americans. The Trump tax cuts did not stimulate the economy. Trump had budget deficits over $1 trillion every year and Rand Paul voted for all of them.

The deficits are real money that someday will have to be repaid. For now it is a massive transfer of wealth from our kids and future kids to the richest Americans. In turn, those rich people shower millions in donations to the politicians like Paul to keep making the rich wealthier at everyone else’s expense.

Kevin Kline, Lexington

No logging

I have learned about plans to do logging in the Redbud District of the Daniel Boone National Forest. The proposed logging threatens rare old-growth forests. Old and mature forests hold huge amounts of carbon, and old trees are able to sequester carbon.

Here at Loretto Motherhouse in Marion County we are planting trees as one way to slow down climate change. I hope the logging in Daniel Boone Forest will not take place.

Mary Swain, Nerinx

No logging, part 2

I am writing in opposition to the US forest service‘s plans to allow clear cut logging of nearly 4,000 acres of the Redbird District of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Clay and Leslie Counties.

It is a professional forestry myth that natural forests must be “managed”. Clearcutting is certainly not “management”, as it simply is not sustainable.

The truth is that the sustainability of forests’ genetic resources is best left to nature rather than active forest management. Nature can find its own way if people stop obstructing. Old growth forests have a high degree of naturality, unaltered by man. Burgeoning human populations have been the problem, treating the forest as a free commodity.

The world’s ecosystems were formed long before man arrived and they have a proven ability to adapt, so a hands-off approach is reasonable. Climate change demands it!

Jim Daniel, Frankfort

Bourbon revenue

Recently U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has been running ads saying that what the U.S. is sending to Ukraine should be sent instead to the flood victims in Eastern Kentucky. Our friends and neighbors up in the mountains certainly need our expanded support. But I’m not sure the folks in Breathitt, Letcher, Knox and other counties will be any better off unless they have a big need for surplus rocket systems, wire-guided missiles, howitzers, helicopter gunships, and radar jamming equipment.

There’s a much better solution, one that allows us to support Ukraine’s fight against a violent dictatorship and also support our flood victims. Kentucky’s bourbon industry is celebrating double-digit increases in both domestic and export sales, and benefitting their stockholders to the tune of $830 million. But now the Kentucky Distillers Association is whining about paying the taxes on all that success (their bill will increase just $7 million). Why not promise that extra tax revenue to flood recovery?

I’d feel a lot better sippin’ my Maker’s each evening knowing that Kentucky bourbon’s success is helping our neighbors in Eastern Kentucky.

Roger Paige, Lexington

Feeding kids

Right now, hundreds of thousands of kids in Kentucky could be going to school each day struggling with hunger.

Luckily, school lunch programs provide the consistent nutrition kids need to learn, grow and achieve their dreams.

We know eating school lunch has a powerful impact on kids: for many, the meals they eat at school are the most nutritionally balanced of the day. These meals make it so kids are less likely to be tired, are more attentive in class, and retain information better. They can focus on their learning and on just being kids.

However, the cost of school meals can be a financial burden that prevents children from participating in school lunch programs. During the upcoming legislative session, we encourage lawmakers to remove the reduced-price co-payment for school meals, making important strides to address childhood food insecurity in Kentucky.

This National School Lunch Week, join us in recognizing the important role the school lunch program plays in the health and wellbeing of children, and celebrate the school nutrition professionals who work all year long to provide healthy school meals for our children and policymakers who work to ensure kids can access these programs.

Kate McDonald, No Kid Hungry Kentucky, Frankfort

Podium politics

I know I’m not the only person who noticed a strong similarity between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Other world leaders seem to have taken a cue from those two - standing in front of hordes of people, doing the same thing. It’s blatant “I don’t care what people think, I run this country so I can do what I want” lying. They stand at those podiums and lie their butts off. Trump is still claiming he won the 2020 presidential election, even as the possibility of prison time for doing so is looking him dead in the eye. Putin’s war on Ukraine is failing miserably, but he started claiming victory before Russia launched their first missile attack. His armed forces are in shambles, yet he stands before thousands of people and talks to them as though Russia has achieved all of its goals. Trump and Putin both believe in that “It is what I say it is” mentality.

It seems like many Congressmembers, state governors, city mayors, and others are following Trump and Putin’s “Lying is okay and politically correct” train.

Yolanda M Averette, Lexington

Necessary abortions

Section 26 of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of Kentucky states, “To guard against transgression of the high powers which we have delegated, We Declare that everything in this Bill of Rights is excepted out of the general powers of government, and shall forever remain inviolate; and all laws contrary thereto, or contrary to this Constitution, shall be void.” It is clear Kentucky’s founders set forth to ensure the inalienable rights in the constitution remained in place regardless of the circumstances. Yet here we are on the dangerous path of one branch of government, the legislative branch, trying to negate the power of the judicial branch by voiding the stated rights of a specific section of the population, in this case, pregnant women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy.

The American College of Gynecology made the following statement, “Pregnancy complications, including placental abruption, bleeding from placenta previa, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and cardiac or renal conditions, may be so severe that abortion is the only measure to preserve a woman’s health or save her life.”

It is my firm belief that a woman’s rights, especially those of self-defense and pursuing safety, should not be negated by the voters or legislators.

Suzanne Barker Griffith, Ashland

Gun violence

Regarding the Oct. 11 article “Lexington will give grant money to nonprofits working to reduce gun violence”.

I am a current graduate student at American University originally from Lexington, Ky. Community organizations like this will be very helpful to connect with youth and help to create positive opportunities for kids and to reduce gun violence.

This grassroots nonprofit stresses the importance of relocating victims of gun violence, reducing gun violence, and focusing on reentry services from jail. Although the grant program is an amazing start, it does not yet seem to have addressed the rapidly rising homicide rates. Gun violence has increased immensely and as a Lexington native it is terrifying hearing about frequent local shootings. This year alone, there have been 37 fatal shootings, breaking 2020’s record of 34 fatalities. This needs to change. Mayor Linda Gorton has created a great start, but there needs to be more direct action to reduce homicides in Lexington.

This can be done by implementing better education for at-risk kids but also throughout schools with teens and young adults. It is a difficult topic to discuss, but gun violence can impact anyone, regardless of age group.

Karina Pezzi, Versailles

Leaf ‘em Alone?

For the past 20 years - or more - I have been clearing the pin oak leaves from my yard and from the curbs and cul de sac where I live. I recently read the city could not find the resources to pick up leaves from the city’s streets. That made me think I should not use my meager resources to gather the leaves from my curbs.

Therefore, I’m only cleaning my yard. If the city doesn’t have the resources to pick up the leaves, where are they going to find the resources to clean out the storm sewers clogged with pin oak leaves, from trees that should never have been planted in residential areas in the first place? Flooding doesn’t really bother me, because I live on Wyndham Hills. If my house floods, everybody else in town better launch their arks.

Get my drift, so to speak?

Ralph Derickson, Lexington

Inflation blame

Long time ago I swore I’d would never pay more than $8 for a pair of shoes. In the year of my birth, a loaf of bread cost four cents. So now we are all in a lather about inflation while the country is throbbing in political heat.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and others are blaming President Joe Biden for the current inflation, as though an epidemic, war in Ukraine, refugee crises, disastrous effects of climate change and supply chain disruptions have had nothing to do with it. They might as well blame meteorologists for Hurricane Ian. It makes about as much sense.

Ernest Henninger, Harrodsburg

Political influence

Republicans, like U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, paved the way for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Failure to convict former President Donald Trump in the first impeachment, unwillingness to support and standby the investigation of Trump’s engagement with Russia, and endorsement of Trump’s siding with Putin and against the FBI at the Helsinki Summit gave a green light to Putin. In April, Paul publicly defended Putin’s invasion-annexation of Ukraine. With exceptions such as U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Republicans in Congress actively opposed and sought to undermine the investigation of the most egregious treason in the history of our country. Republicans in general, and Paul in particular, are a clear and present danger to democracy.

Beverly C. Johnson-Miller, Lexington

American meddling

When America and Israel start wars of aggression, attack civilians with their armies, and annex land from their neighbors, it is good. When Russia does the same, it is bad.

When America recognizes land illegally annexed by Israel from its neighbors, it is good, even moving the American embassy to land stolen from Jordan.

When America nuked Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was good. When other countries threaten to use nukes, it is bad.

Americans love war. When we get struck by war fever, all sense and objective analysis flies out the window. Since World War II we have won in Kuwait, tied in Korea, and lost in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq - a pitiful record. Perhaps we need to tone down our meddlesome tendencies and our forked tongued hypocrisy to restore our tattered standing in the world.

Allen T. Kelley, Lexington

Practical learning

Roger Guffey has done it again, re-educated us as to long ago forgotten things we learned in school. I, also, heard many time the refrain “When am I ever going to use this?’

I wish I’d remembered things he spoke of in his letter as a response to that age-old question. I always look forward to his commentaries - a new perspective to an old problem.

Jewel Vanderhoef, Lexington