It’s not like I ever thought I was that cool, but then, it’s another thing when your own son puts it out there in public. In a response to the heavily-trafficked post on UK basketball the other day by Gabe Duverge, Josh wrote this: “i can verify that rick redding does not know anything about being hip.”
The good news about that is the UK piece generated record traffic here at LouisvilleKY.com, and I’m willing to be exposed publicly for non-hipness for the cause of this site. So here are some other people who aren’t that hip, but are making big news around here:
Beshear Puts Gambling First: I know I’ve heard this before. I watched Steve Beshear’s speech last night on KET, and almost winced when I heard him go into that bit about how Kentucky is paying for schools in Indiana, roads in West Virginia, etc. It’s the same spiel he made to get elected in 2007. But David Williams is still in power, and called the response to those remarks “tepid.” And Beshear doesn’t even have the constitutional amendment language ready.
Worse News: Beshear on the budget — “The key to balancing this budget lays not on the revenue side but on the spending side. We will be cutting a lot … The numbers are so retched that we will likely be forced to carve into some of our must critical, basic services. And it will hurt.” Here’s an explanation of how big the cuts might be (Insider Louisville).
Hal Has Not Gotten Cool: Former mayoral candidate and Metro Council member Hal Heiner is back in the public eye, doing interviews on his support of charter schools in Kentucky. I’ve never been a supporter of using public money for private education, which is basically what he’s spending a bunch of money on TV ads to promote. There’s not much support in Frankfort for the idea, and the powerful Jefferson County Teachers Association is adamantly opposed.
JUMP to the Music: Is Van Halen still cool? The band announced a 2012 tour yesterday on its web site, causing a frenzy of posts from locals on Facebook, including a debate over whether it was worth an outrageous $140 for a ticket. It’s not. Really. But the band is supposedly coming to the Yum! Center sometime, perhaps as the opener of the tour, with David Lee Roth leading the band. Here’s a video with a couple of non-cool guys, the C-J’s Dan Klepal and Jeffrey Lee Puckett discussing the band, and using the word album.
This is. . . How to Get Funded: A new print magazine called This is Louisville is on the streets, distributed free at businesses like Moore Smiles on Taylorsville Road (shameless advertiser plug). Maggie Huber and colleagues (all WKU photography grads) got the project started with $3,673 raised through Kickstarter. With the first issue launched, they’re trying to sell advertising for a second one.
Fischer’s Finances: In an interview with WFPL yesterday, Greg Fischer said city agencies used to getting city funding had better develop alternate plans. And he arrogantly defended raising money while in office, as if he needs it. He said, “Obviously I’ve decided that’s fine. It’s certainly permissible. If there are any conflicts of interest there we won’t accept the money associated with those funds…this is something that’s funny about running for office, everybody wants to tell you how to spend your money. I appreciate your advice there, but the campaign account is open and will continue to be open for awhile.” But Fischer is getting money, and plenty of it, from Insight, which needs his help to get a new contract.
Breakfast with Boel: Come and meet the Breakfast of Champions group on Monday. Our speaker is WAVE’s newest hire, John Boel, who sat in on WAVE3 Listens Monday with John Ramsey taking a bunch of really positive calls from viewers. Sign up here.
