Recent editorials from Kentucky newspapers:
___
May 19
The News-Enterprise, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on predicted low turnout for primary election:
What if you held an election and no one showed?
Unless trends change, Kentucky may one day find out.
The state’s chief election officer, who is on the ballot herself, predicts a turnout of about 10 percent. That means 9 out of every 10 eligible voters are staying home as the major political parties determine who will lead the state.
Many things can influence turnout, but the strongest factor seems to be indifference. Kentuckians don’t seem to be engaged.
Some people blame negative advertising or lack of compelling candidates. Others point fingers at a general distrust in government or a sense that voting no longer matters because big-dollar donors run the show in Frankfort.
Kentucky’s closed primary does limit turnout. Unless you are a registered Democrat or Republican, there is nothing on the ballot for you. Perhaps that’s a reason to call for an open primary. But opponents to change have a logical argument that party members should alone pick the party’s candidates.
Some would like to claim inconvenience. Why vote on Tuesday instead of the weekend? Why not allow more early voting? Why not open the polls before 6 a.m. or leave them open in the evening until 9?
And, of course, there are calls for voting to move online. Maybe the state could move to a text ballot like it was some version of “American Idol.”
Those may be reasons, but they sound more like personal justifications and excuses.
Instead of all those “Why not?” questions, it’s time to ask ourselves: Why not be responsible? Why not get involved? Why not participate?
In a nation that prides itself on a constitutionally protected right to express yourself at the polls, where freedom is cherished and generations of servicemen and women have sacrificed to keep it that way, a 10 percent turnout is embarrassing.
If you aren’t wearing a “I Voted” sticker today, shame on you.
Online:
https://www.thenewsenterprise.com
___
May 17
The Independent, Ashland, Kentucky, on the new auditor:
Although it came on the heels of an audit revealing the first serious problem with the city of Ashland’s spending in many years, we had no objections when members of the Ashland Board of City Commissioners suggested exploring the possibility of using another firm to do the annual audit required by state law. After all, the firm of Kelley Galloway Smith Goolsby, PSC, in Ashland has performed the city’s audits for the past two decades, and there could be some advantages to having some different accountants with possibly different perspectives review the city’s financial records.
However, not in our wildest dreams did we imagine that the city would spend a whopping $9,700 advertising in the Lexington, Louisville, Huntington, Cincinnati and Ashland markets for bids to do the city of Ashland’s audit for the current fiscal year that ends June 30.
And what did the city get from that expenditure? Nothing except to learn that accounting firms are not exactly standing in line to audit the city’s books. Kelley Galloway Smith Goolsby, PSC submitted the only bid to do the audit, giving the city commission no choice but to approve it for at least one more year.
However, the city commission did not approve the accounting firm’s bid as submitted. The auditing firm requested a three-year contract in its bid, and the city commission only approved a one-year contract. Is that a deal breaker? We doubt it, but the firm did submit an emailed statement to The Independent saying KGSG is “evaluating whether or not to accept the conditions of the commission regarding (the)?audit contract today .”
In regards to the lack of bids from other firms, Commissioner Amanda Clark said it may have been a result of bad timing, suggesting if the city had advertised the position earlier in the year, and before tax season, it may have received more bids. Commissioner Marty Gute agreed.
However, the bid was for work that cannot be done until the end of the fiscal year. There is no real reason why a firm cannot submit a bid for work so far in advance. Indeed, the more time it has to plan and prepare for the additional work that will come if it received the bid, the more likely firms would be willing to seek the work.
That is, if they wanted it. We suspect timing had little or nothing to do with firms not submitting bids. It is just that for whatever reason they did not want to do the audit. That’s certainly their choice.
There is an important lesson for city commissioners from this experience: If the city’s elected leaders request that the city manager or any other city employee do something specific - in this case seek bids on conducting the city audit - they should put a limit on how much should be spent on the requested work. They failed to do that and now they are paying the price of that failure.
Commissioners Larry Brown, Kevin Gunderson and Mayor Chuck Charles all voiced frustrations about the amount of money spent on advertising that did not actually attract any bids from outside the area.
“I have an issue with the $9,700 spent on advertising,” Gunderson said just as the vote was called. “We’re not going to do that - I’m not going to do that - next year. We’re going to award that to Kelley Galloway right here, today.”
Charles told Gunderson “pretty much” all other members of the commission agreed the amount of money spent on this endeavor was unacceptable.
“I?think I?can call some fellow mayors in other places or KLC?(Kentucky League of Cities)?for some recommendations, just to see if there is somebody out there. … That would cost us a minute amount of money. I wouldn’t recommend advertising again like that,”?Charles said.
Deciding which firm conducts the audit is not the real issue here. It is that the audit for the fiscal year ending last June 30 revealed $145,000 missing in relation to city tire purchases and raised questions about possible private paving projects. Almost a year after the missing funds were discovered, no one to date has been held accountable for the missing funds that now have climbed to nearly $210,000.
The Ashland Police Department in conjunction with the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General is conducting an investigation of the missing funds, but it is moving along at a snail’s pace. Before it is over, we expect some “heads to roll” and indictments charging suspects - who seem likely to be city employees - to be issued. Until those responsible for the missing tires are identified and punished, our trust in city government will not be fully restored.
Changing auditors is a side issue. The real issue is holding those responsible for the tire thefts and taking steps to assure that whatever led to the loss of so many tires has been corrected. That should be the city’s top priority.
Online:
https://www.dailyindependent.com
___
May 19
The Daily News, Bowling Green, Kentucky, on voting being an obligation:
It cannot be said enough - more people in this state need to exercise their right to vote.
Not only is voting a right, it is an obligation.
Too often we hear about low voter turnout, especially during primary elections.
That is a shame, and there is no excuse for it.
The secretary of state’s office is predicting a voter turnout of 10 percent to 15 percent across the state.
Hopefully, this lack of voting for our future elected officials will change.
Today, voters have a chance to exercise their right and obligation to vote in the primary election for several statewide offices.
This year, there is of course the governor’s race.
Republican candidates include James Comer, Hal Heiner, Will T. Scott and Matt Bevin. On the Democratic ticket for governor, candidates include Jack Conway and Geoffrey Young.
Democrat Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is running for re-election to that office against Democrat Charles Lovett.
The attorney general’s race is between Republican candidates Whitney Westerfield and Michael T. Hogan.
Democratic candidate Andy Beshear is unopposed in the race for attorney general.
Republicans Allison Ball, Kenneth Churchill Imes and Jon Larson are running for state treasurer.
Democratic candidates for this office are Neville Blakemore, Jim Glenn, Daniel B. Grossberg, Richard Henderson and Rick Nelson.
Finally, there is the primary for agriculture commissioner. Republican candidates include Richard Heath and Ryan Quarles.
All candidates deserve credit for putting themselves out there and being a part of the political process.
Obviously, not all of them will advance to the general election, but many of them have put forth positive ideas and ways to move our state forward.
Regardless of one’s political affiliation or the candidate they hope moves on to the general election in November, we urge people to get out and vote their conscience today.
We again emphasize that those who don’t vote have no right to complain if they are unhappy with the results.
Online:
https://www.bgdailynews.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.