Senator Jones: A Case Study in Failure

State Senator Ray Jones' months-long personal attacks against the Governor, the Senate President, the Senate President's wife, and anyone who disagrees with him are a case-study in the failed policies of the left-wing of the Democratic Party. Senator Jones invokes insidious words like 'blackmail' and 'extortion', as well as threats of legal reprisal against all those who oppose him. Desperate to re-elect himself and advance his political career, Mr. Jones throws one tantrum of name-calling after another in the press and on the Senate floor against those who are putting partisan differences aside and forging a bipartisan approach to solving the Commonwealth's problems.

Mr. Jones' solution is to institute a liberal scorched-earth program against all his political opponents instead of doing the job he was elected to do. He has amassed a record of ineffectiveness unsurpassed by no one. Clearly, he defines his success by how many political bridges he burns, how few bills he gets passed, and how little money he returns to his district for needed water and sewer lines and economic development and education dollars. His political ambition drives him down a dark road that only harms his constituents.

It should be noted that, while Mr. Jones has mastered the sound of his own voice, he has failed to master the art of forging bi-partisan relationships--choosing instead to demonize each and every issue and wasting the taxpayers' dollar through his childish behavior on the Senate floor. This stems from the fact that he and his allies on the left, both locally and in Frankfort, have a dry hole of ideas on public policy. Therefore, they have no other option than to attack, to demonize their political opponents and to cajole moderate and conservative Democrats, as well as Republicans, who oppose their destructive policies.

For instance, Jones rails against same-sex marriage; claims he supports traditional marriage. He speaks about how he has the power to get that legislation passed. Yet, he seemingly has failed to act to get the House Democratic Leadership to discharge an amendment from committee that would ban same-sex marriage in Kentucky. Clearly, he has no power in which to defend traditional marriage but works diligently to hide his legislative shortcomings through diversion and double-speak.

Secondly, Jones plays politics with an important project for a local school in his District. In this instance, his rage is focused on the Senate President--blaming Senator David Williams for removing this item from the budget. Again, Jones has no one but himself to blame for this budgetary cut. If he had been working with the Governor and the General Assembly for the good of his constituents, like his opponent Chris Ratliff did with former Democrat Governor Paul Patton during his service as a State Representative, this money would have stayed in the budget. His opponent, Chris Ratliff, distinguished himself by not attacking Governor Patton, the Governor's wife or engaging in rancorous and poisonous political diatribes. He instead focused all his energy on getting millions of dollars in government funding for vital projects in his District, while establishing a record of bi-partisanship with the Governor and Democrat leaders that served his District well.

This brings us to the nascent point: Senator Jones lacks the political acumen and political maturity, as well as the simple ability to effectively influence and move legislation through the new political landscape in Frankfort for the benefit of his entire district and the Commonwealth. His failures will be at the detriment of the good people of his District. We must move beyond Mr. Jones' political diatribes and scathing partisan attacks. He is stranded on the vast and desolate liberal landscape of failed ideas, where he has no other solution to public policy problems than to wage a verbal war of which people grow tired. It reflects a case in point that Jones has an established a fast record of failed ideas and political immaturity that only make people in his district suffer while his ambition drives him farther down that dark road.

Senate president says Ratliff saved Mullins
BY DENA POTTER
EDITOR

Senate President David Williams announced Friday that funding to restore Mullins Elementary School was replaced in the Senate’s final version of the budget, and he credited it to Republican Senate candidate Chris Ratliff.
Williams, the highest ranking Republican in the Senate, made the announcement in a press release sent to the News-Express.
“I am very appreciative of the fact that Chris Ratliff informed us of the great need for the school and his concern for the health and safety of Mullins’ children and staff,” Williams said in the release.
Ratliff is running against Democrat state Sen. Ray S. Jones II in a rematch of their 2000 contest, which became the most expensive in state history. Jones edged Ratliff by less than 2,000 votes to take the 31st District Senate seat.
On the last day of the session to pass legislation March 29, Republican senators put $8 million for Mullins School in the budget then passed amendments to remove the funding for the school and other projects when Democrats, including Jones, refused to vote for Republican senators’ version of the budget bill. That version included Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s tax plan — a combination of tax increases and tax cuts — that Democrats opposed.
Jones spoke openly on the Senate floor and to reporters, calling the move “blackmail” and “extortion.”
Ratliff said he stepped in only after being contacted by Pike County Schools Superintendent Frank Welch and parents at Mullins. Welch could not be reached yesterday for comment.
“I did not do so for political reasons,” Ratliff said. “Sometimes you have to put politics aside and do what you can for your schools or other badly needed projects.”
Ratliff said the move was not a political one.
“I appreciate it that Sen. Williams gives me credit for saving the Mullins School, but the important thing is that it has been saved, not my getting credit for it,” Ratliff said.
But Jones said yesterday Republicans still are “playing politics” with the school.
“This is clear proof beyond any doubt the Mullins School project is being used by Senate Republicans for political purposes,” Jones said. “It shows just how low they would stoop to advance their political agenda.
“The only reason they’re putting it back in now is to help Chris Ratliff with his campaign.”
Jones also said he is thinking about filing a complaint with the Legislative Ethics Committee against both Williams and Ratliff.
“It’s against the law to use state resources for partisan, political reasons, and it’s clear he’s using this to further Chris Ratliff’s campaign,” Jones said.
Williams, in his release, said Jones had never brought up the need for funding at Mullins.
Jones said yesterday that he didn’t bring it up because the order in which schools are renovated or built is determined by a local planning committee that works in conjunction with the Kentucky Department of Education.
He pointed to the completion of East Ridge High School and the construction on a new Belfry High School and his recent endorsement from the Kentucky Education Association as evidence he supports schools and education.
“For them to say I haven’t been actively involved in improving the quality of our schools is another lie, which is pretty much what people have come to expect from David Williams and my opponent,” Jones said.
Jones also added that he worked with House Democrats to get funding for Mullins into its final version of the House budget.
But the efforts may be too late. Senate and House members appointed to a conference committee to settle differences in the two versions of the budget bill came to a standstill last week for the second time in two years.
Jones said yesterday he didn’t think differences could be ironed out in time to have a budget at the end of the session, which constitutionally can’t extend beyond Thursday.
“At this point, I’m not very optimistic,” Jones said.
Both Jones and Ratliff said they hoped funding for Mullins became a reality.
Mullins is considered a Category Five school, which means it is one that is in most need of repair in the state.
“As far as I’m concerned, there should be no politics played when it comes to our schools,” Ratliff said. “Politics should stop at the schoolhouse door.”
Editor Dena Potter can be reached via e-mail at dpotter@news-expressky.com.

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