BOONE COUNTY, KENTUCKY AN IMAGE OF A NATION

It Is Not A Norman Rockwell Painting

America at the Polls — Norman Rockwell 1944

I am reasonably certain that the majority of the subscribers and readers of the cleverly named Larry’s Letters live outside of Boone County and Kentucky. So why would I spend so much time looking behind the curtain of four primary races for state office from one county in Kentucky? It is really very simple.

The Boone County GOP state primary demonstrates one thing that we all need to understand.

For the most part we are presented with a slate of candidates who have no interest in public service.

In a series of articles (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) I tracked four primary races in Northern Kentucky. In those articles I showed how special interests representing the state and national healthcare sector, the gaming industry, and the radical left wing Jefferson County Teachers Association attempted to insert their candidates into office in Frankfort.

Two races were pivotal. In one of those races a candidate heavily funded by the health care industry in Boone County as well as Kentucky and Nationally was inserted into the primary for the sole purpose of defeating the incumbent, Marianne Proctor who is trying desperately to end the Certificate of Need (CON) requirement in Kentucky. The CON is an instrument intended to ensure uniform access to healthcare throughout the Commonwealth. But in reality the CON is used to limit who can provide that healthcare thereby creating regional healthcare delivery monopolies.

The healthcare industry is a lucrative source of money for those corporations that are involved. Creating a monopoly ensures that their income will not be threatened.

The solution to the “Proctor Problem” was obvious; replace her with an industry pick funded heavily by CEOs from healthcare organization giants throughout out the sate as well physicians who are employed by those healthcare monopolies, AND by the Kentucky Hospital Association, the American Hospital Association, and the Jefferson County Teachers Association, champions of gender affirming care.

I also wrote about Kim Moser, incumbent State Representative from neighboring Kenton County. Moser is also the Chairman of the powerful House Health Services Committee. Moser’s campaign was, for all practical purposes, funded exclusively by Kentucky’s healthcare industry as well as healthcare organizations outside of Kentucky. The Health Services Committee chairman is the gate keeper for legislation that would affect and threaten the revenue of the healthcare sector in Kentucky. In short, the majority of Moser’s campaign financing can be attributed to the industry that she regulates.

Throughout the Commonwealth this pattern is the same. People insisting that they are conservative Republicans are happily accepting campaign contributions from industries that they allegedly regulate to ensure that YOU and I are protected and treated fairly with choices in the selection of our healthcare provider or as you will see our insurance providers.

Damon Thayer, is the retiring Senator from Georgetown, Kentucky. Thayer is also Senate Majority Floor Leader. Thayer received contributions from:

Charter Spectrum Employee PAC

Duke Energy Corporation PAC

Churchill Downs

The CEO of Churchill downs

General Motors

AND Garren Colvin CEO/President St. Elizabeth Healthcare whom along with his wife are “frequent flyers” of personal contributions to candidates around the state who will ensure that the CON never goes away.

Thayer is supporting Julie Roque Adams of Louisville to replace him as Senate Floor Majority Leader. In the past Ms. Adams has contributed to the campaigns of Kim Moser and C. Ed Massey. More importantly Ms. Adams, a member of the Senate and Joint Banking and Insurance Committee has received contributions from:

The Travelers Co Inc, Pac

Kentucky Agent's Pac

Shelter Insurance Ky Pac

Allstate Insurance Co Pac

Erie Insurance Pac

Ms. Adams also serves on the Health Services Committee and as you might imagine contributions to her from the healthcare industry are substantial.

Here’s the point: Why do we allow our “representatives” who insist that they are “conservative republicans” take money from the industries that they regulate and not from the People whom they assert they represent?

But maybe this only happening in Kentucky.

Naaaah.

Jehan Gordon-Booth(D) ran unopposed for the Illinois House of Delegates seat from District 92 (Peoria County). Since she was unopposed she didn’t need very much money but what she did need she received primarily from the healthcare industry, organized labor, and the finance, insurance, and real estate sectors. As was the case with Kim Moser in Northern Kentucky, virtually nothing was contributed by the people of Gordon-Booth’s district.

How can our voice be heard if the candidates that we have to choose from are busy courting the industry sectors that they regulate?

Why is this happening across the Nation? Why do we no longer control our political destiny?

Simple question. Simple answer.

It is fitting that Walt Kelly, the creator of Pogo, made Pogo a swamp possum. The political swamp is real and it is a place of our own making because we failed to be the “Good Shepards” (John 10:10-12) of our government. We have allowed wolves in sheep’s clothing to occupy seats in our House that they are not deserving of and they have been placed in those seats by those whom they are supposed to be regulating.

Shame on us.

We have got to do better. Turn out in the Boone County primary was a sad 12.7% of registered voters. We have a choice we can either let Saint Elizabeth Healthcare control our government and our lives OR we can roll up our sleeves and take our rightful place as the Good Shepards of our government. If we are to restore our Republic we have got to understand that we have a responsibility to participate in the electoral process as people who our guided by our faith and our Constitution and that they are not disconnected.

We the People …..have an obligation to learn about the candidates, issues, and the source of their funding and most importantly whether they are Godly men and women so that we can choose wisely.

We also have to learn how fight against the tactics of the left without adopting the the ungodly tactics of the left.

If we seek revenge we will surely fail. But if as Andrew Torba explains if we learn how to punish misbehavior and reward good behavior we will have a fighting chance. If, in the process, we also come to understand why our candidates must be Godly candidates our chances of restoring The Republic will be vastly greater.

Union, Boone County, Kentucky

7 June 2024

Yesterday was the 80th Anniversary of the Allied Invasion of Nazi Occupied Europe. They didn’t do this so that we could surrender to evil.

Galerie Bilderwelt / Getty Images