900 attend pro-slots rally at Keeneland

LEXINGTON, Ky . - Fresh off the loss in the legislature of video lottery terminals for Kentucky horse tracks, a crowd estimated at more than 900 people packed the Keeneland sales pavilion on Wednesday evening for a rally organized by the Kentucky Equine Education Project.

[Clint Shockey]

I don't know a lot about Cumberland County except for the beautiful Dale Hollow Lake, as I am from Kenton County. My question is how does a State Senator from Burksville get to the point in his life that he believes that the Commonwealth of Kentucky is his own private empire? Casino Gambling will not ruin this State! Graft will! The Indiana Casino lobbying effort against any expanded gambling is throwing around millions of dollars to prevent any competition for their gambling dollars. I was wondering if any of that money has shown up in Burksville or David Williams pocket yet. The whole State are not Bible thumping fanatics !! I'm sure there are numbers of backdoor gambling outlets, as well as liquor and illegal drug locations in your little town, as there are in every dry county in the State. Bend you local Senator's ear and let him know that re-election is not far off and he should be worried like the rest og the obstructionists in Frankfort.

[no matter]

You are assuming that Williams is a politician for the people, he isn't. He thinks that he doesn't have to listen to anyone, not even the people that elect him. How does he keep getting reelected, who knows. But I bet that his pockets won't hold much more.

[just us]

You both underestimate the old Republican Senate president. The chief sponsors of HB2 were Democrats. Without opposition Democrats creating alliances with local Republican and Democrat power brokers in Columbia, Tompkinsville, and surrounding counties, Williams will never be beaten in his district. Not to mention the horse tracks are in Northern Kentucky, Rural Southern Kentucky Republicans have never seen legalized gaming as beneficial to rural Kentucky. They know there's enough of it behind closed doors.

They understand there is revenue to be earned-but that there are costs, not the least of which are the backing of church groups (and local gamblers and bootleggers whose livelihoods would be threatened) who are not excited about legalized "sin taxes."

That said, Williams' opponents know well he's a pure power politician, with whom they'll have to learn to play hardball if they will ever get around him.

[OKI]

Cumberland County is a republican county with people who think Williams is just a good old boy.
however things are changing as the younger set
sees things more like they really are

[just us]

OKI wrote:

Cumberland County is a republican county with people who think Williams is just a good old boy.
however things are changing as the younger set
sees things more like they really are

The history of world power relations--and most rural cultures everywhere are staunchly conservative, whatever the party in question. Which brings up an important point. How to mobilize younger voters when most do not vote in local elections. Bringing the eighteen to thirty five set to the polls would make a splash in local outcomes--something the old guard is always fearful of--or, willing to be responsive to if they are organized enough.

Used to be there were vibrant young Republican organizations, or young Democrat organizations in Bville to mobilize that segment. Got lost with the television, nihilism, and video games for a while. A couple hundred votes in Burkesville can bring entirely different outcomes as there are only 6,000 County residents, and merely two to three thousand regular voters. An opportunity for an organizer if there ever was one...Of course, the local candidates tend to be lawyers who do favors, as in all politics.