Downward spiral

This from C-J:

As the 2009 General Assembly session begins, Kentuckians have little reason for optimism about the future of state government and the programs and services it provides.

The person who controls the agenda in Frankfort, Senate President David Williams, is clearly in no mood to help raise new revenue through a cigarette-tax increase. Instead, he pleads a case with which nobody should disagree -- that all efforts should be made to achieve efficiencies and cut costs before imposing new taxes -- as if that might somehow obviate any need for new tax revenue.

State revenue forecasts may be conservative, and the latest revenue reports may not be as bad as expected, but even the best-case scenario will leave Kentucky government unable to meet the legitimate needs of its citizens, much less move the commonwealth toward a more competitive place in the national scheme of things.

We've fallen behind again. We've lost momentum...

...Mr. Williams ... talks about scrapping the CATS school accountability test, as if that would save money. In the short run, such a change not only would be terrible policy but almost certainly would cost the state money that it doesn't have.

House budget chairman Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, is right: Mr. Williams' examples "would not solve the immediate budget problem" and, in the case of CATS, would hurt the educational system.

Unless Mr. Williams is struck with some sort of epiphany, it will be up to the House to protect school reform from his version of "improvement."