I read with great interest an old children’s book I found in an antique store, “Aesop’s Fables.” It was printed in 1950, I think, so it was old enough to be interesting to me but probably not to a serious bibliophile. The watercolor images of the "Hare and the Tortoise" and the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" were still bright though the pages were smudged around the edges by countless little hands that held up the book to have it read just once more before bedtime. I read the ageless wisdom set in a Century Schoolbook font and one fable made me think about House Bill 5, which has now become our law.
The bourbon distillers decided that paying a tax on all the millions of barrels of bourbon whiskey gently expanding and contracting in thousands of rickhouses dotted all over the Bourbon Trail counties was negatively impacting their bottom lines.
What is the permanent conversion of our prime and unique farmland to an industrial site actually worth? A one time payment of millions of dollar to our county right here, right now? What is this permanent loss going to be worth to our future generations 50, 100, or 200 years out, when global climate change has ravaged the southwest and great plains with desertification, and it is imperative that humans must grow food locally to feed the masses inhabiting a dystopian landscape?
They will be cursing us with our shortsighted greed… it’s our money, and we want it now!
I’m not crazy about the solutions of Mr Arnett - that doesn’t solve the problem of the environmental/ ecological damage that will happen, no matter if they paid $5 BILLION per warehouse.
As far as the tourist, that number has been “washed”I suspect and we don’t need those drunks anyway coming here . Bourbon is a poison that kills and destroys families and how it smells is irrelevant when lives and families are at stake.
The beginning of this piece was good until the author got sentimental about it and said he had a solution- maybe he was joking?
The bourbon biz will make under the table deals with individual counties that they deem worthy I would think?
Actually I’d bet hard earned $ that the corruption continues, but not on a state level since the bourbon biz already has the Republicans legislators bought .
“… since the bourbon biz already has the Republicans legislators bought.”
And I’d bet we would all be dismayed at just how cheap they sold out our future for. Aren’t we always amazed how cheaply they sold their souls for in the end?
What a wonderful column and brilliant analogy to the golden goose fable. I urge Mr. Arnett to submit his astute column to other statewide newspapers as well as to national publication like the New York Times and Washington Post. I think it could have far-reaching impact with more readers able to digest the info contained herein. Thank you.
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Nice piece, Mr. Arnett!
What is the permanent conversion of our prime and unique farmland to an industrial site actually worth? A one time payment of millions of dollar to our county right here, right now? What is this permanent loss going to be worth to our future generations 50, 100, or 200 years out, when global climate change has ravaged the southwest and great plains with desertification, and it is imperative that humans must grow food locally to feed the masses inhabiting a dystopian landscape?
They will be cursing us with our shortsighted greed… it’s our money, and we want it now!
I’m not crazy about the solutions of Mr Arnett - that doesn’t solve the problem of the environmental/ ecological damage that will happen, no matter if they paid $5 BILLION per warehouse.
As far as the tourist, that number has been “washed”I suspect and we don’t need those drunks anyway coming here . Bourbon is a poison that kills and destroys families and how it smells is irrelevant when lives and families are at stake.
The beginning of this piece was good until the author got sentimental about it and said he had a solution- maybe he was joking?
The bourbon biz will make under the table deals with individual counties that they deem worthy I would think?
Actually I’d bet hard earned $ that the corruption continues, but not on a state level since the bourbon biz already has the Republicans legislators bought .
“… since the bourbon biz already has the Republicans legislators bought.”
And I’d bet we would all be dismayed at just how cheap they sold out our future for. Aren’t we always amazed how cheaply they sold their souls for in the end?
What a wonderful column and brilliant analogy to the golden goose fable. I urge Mr. Arnett to submit his astute column to other statewide newspapers as well as to national publication like the New York Times and Washington Post. I think it could have far-reaching impact with more readers able to digest the info contained herein. Thank you.
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State-Journal.com’s comments forum is for civil, constructive dialogue about news topics in our community, state, nation and world. We emphasize “civil” at a time when Americans, in the words of the current president, need to “turn down the temperature” of political debates. The State Journal will do its part by more carefully policing this forum. Here are some rules that all commenters must agree to follow:
Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. You may constructively critique the ideas and opinions of others, but name-calling, stereotyping and similar attacks are strictly prohibited.
Leeway will be given for criticism of elected officials and other public figures, but civility is essential. If you focus your criticism on ideas, opinions and viewpoints, you will be less likely to run afoul of our commenting rules.
Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. Don’t use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics.
Hyperpartisanship that suggests anyone on the other side of an issue or anyone in a particular particular party is evil is not welcome. If you believe that all Democrats are socialists intent on destroying America or that all Republicans are racists, there are lots of places on the internet for you to espouse those views. State-Journal.com is not one.
No sophomoric banter. This isn’t a third-grade classroom but rather a place for serious consumers of news to offer their reactions and opinions on news stories and published commentary.
No consumer complaints about individual businesses. If you’ve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. If you believe the actions of a private business are newsworthy, contact us at news@state-journal.com and we will consider whether news coverage is merited.
Absolutely no jokes or comments about a person’s physical appearance.
No promotion of commercial goods or services. Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions.
If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information.
No attacks on State Journal staff members or contributing writers. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. Corrections of inaccurate information in news stories should be sent to news@state-journal.com rather than posted in the comments section.