Representative Koenig Has the Right Perspective on HB 144
In advance of his "No" vote on the tax hikes today, Representative Adam Koenig (Kenton 69, 2008 Rank #12) made some good points:
Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, plans to vote against the bill. Koenig said that before raising taxes other cuts should be contemplated, including the prevailing wage paid on public-funded projects such as roads and schools.
Kentucky's prevailing-wage law requires contractors on state-funded construction projects to pay workers the prevailing wage in the region. Labor unions say prevailing-wage laws ensure that contractors on state projects don't exploit workers by paying low wages to win state contracts.
"Getting rid of prevailing wage will save money," Koenig said. "We need to look further. We have over 400 boards and commissions in this state. Can some of those be eliminated or consolidated? State parks aren't allowed to be touched in this deal. That does not make any sense to me."
Kentucky's problem is not that it's government does not have enough revenue. It's that that our leadership is far more interested in creating government than figuring out how government can get out of the way of economic growth. Prevailing wage is a case in point.
The legislatiors supporting HB 144 may be serious about the state's welfare, but they are not serious about making Kentucky more prospersous. If they were, we wouldn't be talking about raising Kentucky's alcohol tax to the highest level in the country. We'd be talking about repealing prevailing wage.
Repealing the artifical wage the government requires itself to pay for projects would allow the same amount of money to pay for more, meaning more construction and more jobs.
Jobs should be the focus, not how much money the government can raise.
