DEBORAH ISON FLOWERS

Democrat Candidate For State Representative District 60.

Ms. Flowers (photograph from her campaign FB page) seeks to replace the incumbent Marianne Proctor (R) as the Kentucky District 60 Representative. With the general election a little more than a month away it is time to begin understanding who the candidates are and what issues they believe are important to the voters of District 60.

It is time to begin a deep dive into Ms. Flowers and what she offers to the residence of State House District 60. Let’s begin with what she sees as issues important to the voters of District 60.

Issue One. “Prioritize Affordable Housing with High Speed Internet Access: House District 60, and Boone County overall, have a severe lack of low and middle-income housing, as recognized by Boone County Judge Executive, Gary Moore.”

The idea that District 60 has a “severe lack of low and middle-income housing” suggests that District 60 has a growing population of low and middle-income families and individuals but here are the facts about District 60.

As you can see District 60 is by all measures a wealthy district with far fewer residence living blow the “poverty line” than in either most areas of Kentucky or the United States. So with 49% of District 60 households earning over $100,000 and not not quite 95% of all residence living above the the “poverty line” the drive to increase low income housing doesn’t make much sense. Ms. Flowers must also remember that a House District is just one part of a county/counties or in the case of District 60 a three county area like Northern Kentucky. Why would Ms. Flowers argue that the development of the District should focus on low income housing when a very small number of residence live below the poverty line?


Issue Two: “Invest in Accessible Public Transportation and Improved Infrastructure: Many families do not have reliable transportation or limited transportation in order to get to work, the grocery store, kids' activities, etc. Access to this service is also good for our environment as it decreases the number of cars on the road.”

Public transportation is always a problem in both urban and suburban areas. But apparently not in District 60 where where virtually no one is using public transportation to get to work. Not because its not available but perhaps because its not suitable for the transportation needs of the District.

I don’t know what Ms. Flowers is basing her assertion on that “…Many families do not have reliable transportation or limited transportation in order to get to work, the grocery store, kids' activities, etc.” but before making public transportation a priority she should be able to build the case that it is both needed and wanted.

As for her assertion that public transportation is good for the environment a reasonable argument can be made. However, it is a one sided view of the problem of clogged roads. In the case of District 60 and Boone County the clogged roads are resulting from a poor model of development which relies on warehouses, strip malls, apartment complexes, and huge new subdivision. For example, one developing subdivision in the District will build out at 1,700 single family homes occupied by about 4,800 people with roughly 3,400 vehicles to add to our already clogged roads.

The problem with transportation in District 60 may well not be a lack of public transportation so much as over-development without a long range plan or vision of what Boone County should look like in 25 years.

Not only does all of this one-sided development place a burden on our roads but it stretches the capacity of our services to provide adequate gas, electricity, water, sewage treatment, storm water handling. Natural areas that were once hills with steep valleys are now becoming flattened housing developments.

There will be more about Ms. Flowers and her Issue Statements in coming days but at first blush Ms. flowers seems to be out of touch with the economic and demographic complexion of the residents she hopes to serve in the Commonwealth House of Representatives.


25 September 2024

Union, Kentucky