Dear Editor,

I am heartsick at the arrogance and duplicity exhibited by the state legislature in its late minute passage of a public pension reform bill, attached, appropriately, to a sewer bill regulation bill. Despite the fact that this 291-page bill had not been released to the public or received public input, or been submitted to actuarial analysis, as required by law, it was rammed through and touted as being essential. 

This is a lie. There were other measures, such as taxation reform, that could have been used to increase revenue and make the revenue process fairer and ease the burden on working class Kentuckians. This method was rejected. The most objectionable issue is removing the inviolable contract for new teachers, leaving them vulnerable to the whims of future legislatures.

Our state Representative Daniel Elliot and our state Senator Rick Girdler have voted yes for this bill. Vote them out of office.

Our governor attacked teachers, calling them selfish and ignorant. His name-calling speaks more to his character, or lack of it, than anything I could add. Yet, since he harks back to World War II, let me do the same as I appeal to everyone in Boyle County who is not a teacher or public employee.

“First, they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out…

“Then, they came for the trade unionists…

“Then, they came for the Jews…

“They came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Do not believe this action will not impact you. It will. Already the disasterious budget has forced job cuts in local communities and limited future revenue. Look at EKU shutting down its Boyle County campus and the education opportunities that have been limited. If the legislators will only listen to party leadership and not the people they represent, they must be replaced.

Jane Preston

Danville