Another grocery store in the poorer end of Bowling Green has closed. The food deserts are growing all over the state. [BGDN]

A bunch of Kentucky’s school districts are run by absolute brainless whackadoos, as we’ve proved here time and again. So leaving the drop-out age up to school districts? Really? Well, you get what you pay for. [CN|2]

How long have we been yelling about Frankfort not doing enough to promote the bourbon industry in Kentucky? [H-L]

Remember William Shackleford? He’s got a documentary coming out about black metal called Out of the Black. [Site & Video]

The more things play out in Frankfort, the less likely a gambling bill that will pass seems realistic. Primarily because Steve Beshear still has not met with legislators. [C-J/AKN]

Do America’s infrastructure problems go beyond crumbling roads and bridges? [HuffPo]

How can a police chief in a city the size of Georgetown be “relieved” of his duties without an explanation? [H-L]

Because it seems this story is about to spiral out of control unless some folks in Georgetown start talking about what went down. [WKYT]

A forum is being held on Monday, February 6 from 10:00 A.M. to noon in Booth Auditorium at the University of Pikeville to discuss its potential move into the state system. [News-Express]

Rick Santorum, the political genius, says you will have health care if you stop buying iPads and such. Because you have money for that and all. [Wonkette]

He really is a genius, warning of America’s demise and scaring meemaw and poppop half to death. [HuffPo]

Publisher of A Kentucky Newspaper, Arnold Garson, is retiring on March 2. You knew this was just a temporary dumping ground for him. Did he even bother putting Kentucky plates on his vehicle? [Deep Newspaper Thoughts]

So he’s spamming this Legislative Ethics Commission opinion all over the place:

KENTUCKY LEGISLATIVE ETHICS COMMISSION
22 Mill Creek Park
Frankfort,.KY 40601
Phone 502-573-2863
Fax 502-573-2929

January 31, 2012

Sen. Damon Thayer
Capitol Annex, Room 209
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Dear Sen. Thayer:

Thank you for contacting the Legislative Ethics Commission with your question regarding whether a legislator who has business clients such as thoroughbred horse farms is allowed by state law to support a proposed constitutional amendment relating to casino gaming, which if adopted, may benefit horse racing and other areas.

The short answer to your question is “yes”a legislator in such a situation may sponsor, discuss, and vote for or against a proposed constitutional amendment relating to casino gaming.

In 2008, the Legislative Ethics Commission issued an opinion (OLEC 08-01), which addressed a similar question regarding a proposed constitutional amendment on casino gaming, except in that situation, the legislator’s employer was interested in operating a gaming facility if an amendment was adopted. OLEC 08-01 states as follows:

On potential conflict of interest questions, such as. this, the relevant statute in the Kentucky Code of Legislative Ethics is KRS 6.761. That statute forbids a legislator from participating in the discussion of a question in committee or on the floor of the General Assembly or from voting or making any decision in his legislative capacity on any matter in which he, a member of his family, or a “business associate” will derive a direct monetary gain or suffer a direct monetary loss as a result of his vote or decision. KRS 6.611 (5) defines “business associate” to include an employer.

Assuming that clients of a legislator’s business may be considered “business associates”, within the meaning of the Ethics Code [See KRS 6.611(5)], neither the clients nor the legislator would derive a direct monetary gain or loss from legislation which would submit a proposed constitutional amendment to the voters for their acceptance or rejection.

What this empty opinion doesn’t address – because we all know the LEC has absolutely no strength (Keith Hall much?) – is that Thayer’s clients are the very people pushing for the expansion of gambling solely so thoroughbred race tracks and the horse industry in general can reap the financial benefits.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Ole gurl needs to come clean so folks like us who support gambling can know he’s not a run-of-the-mill crook.

Naturally, he took no responsibility for anything he’s done while in Washington.

Our nasty economy is obviously the new guy’s fault – 100% – and the folks who have been in Washington for decades have nothing at all to do with it.

Come on. What is he snorting? What the hell is wrong with this man? [WKYT]

Steve Beshear says shutting down pill mills is a top legislative priority. But it most certainly wasn’t in 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011. Even Jack Conway was talking about how bad the pill problem was and complaining about how the governor wouldn’t have anything to do with alleviating the problem. [H-L]

Whaaaaaat? A frozen lake that is more than 20 million-years-old? We thought the Earth was only 5,000-years-old! [WaPo]

Brave Patriot Marilyn Parker got endorsed by Metro Council Republicans. Here’s your proof that Louisville’s Metro Council Republicans are dumber than Kentucky Democrats by a mile. DUMB AS HELL. [C-J/AKN]

Rick Santorum says government shouldn’t try to limit prescription drug costs. And, wait, nope, still not relevant. [MSNBC]

What’s wrong with a little human trafficking? Goodness gracious. Can’t even sell a kid or two these days. [H-L]

Now, hopefully you hateful ass liberal women have gotten the message about why we refuse to promote the Komen bunch on this site every time you send us crap. [RawStory & NY Times]

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd not only put on hold the filing deadline for candidates for state House and Senate districts — he effectively shut down the business of the General Assembly. [Ronnie Ellis]

Southern Republican / Kentucky Democratic thinking: pay raises for teachers are bad because it’s against the bible or something – pay raises for legislators are good because of the bible or something. [Wonkette]

This explanation of possibly why beehives sometimes just up and vanish is a nice reminder that Jamie Comer is playing pat-a-cake on the apiarist front. But at least he’s not playing pat-a-cake with hookers in his office. [The Economist]

Washington’s state senate has decided that it doesn’t hate the gays. Sometime in the next 35-40 years, Kentucky will decide the same. [WaPo]

Guess Republicans aren’t fans of automatic U.S. spending cuts after all. Since they’re moving to stop them. [Reuters]

You can’t throw your garbage away in Lexington these days without finding a mummified human body in the trash can. [WLEX18]

Unfortunately, the governor skipped their gubernatorial forum because he was afraid to debate.

Only Gatewood Galbraith and David Williams bothered to show up.

Have you seen this hilarity? Damon Thayer is attacking the Herald-Leader for “misleading” despite everything reported by John Cheves being 100% accurate. Damon IS refusing to release the identify of his horsey and gambling clients. So, naturally, he’s gotta queen out about being held to the same standards that everyone else is held to. [Twitter]

According to the latest polling, Binack Nobama wins against both Mittens and Toot. [Daily Kos]

While Chris Hightower had some problems in 2010 over MySpace, the postings weren’t his and Kenny Coleslaw’s decision not to include those details is unfortunate. While it really was stupid of Hightower to have left the comments made by others on his profile for as long as he did, that should be detailed in a mainstream story. The real issue is that Hightower was stupid enough to leave bait like that for me to find. The even more real issue is that Rand’s staff (David Adams, who later threw Hightower under the bus with me) was too inexperienced to vet everything. [WFPL]

Prosecutors are warning of layoffs and furloughs if budgets are cut again. So, of course, budgets will be cut again. This is why Kentucky can’t have nice things. [H-L]

This needs to happen to Kentucky’s fetal seance legislation! Hero Virginia state Senator Janet Howell responded to another one of these stoopid bills requiring women seeking an abortion to first undergo a medically pointless ultrasound with a very smart amendment: every man seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction would also by law have to undergo a rectal exam and heart test to get a Viagra prescription. [Wonkette]

Walter Blevins, Jr. and the Senate Democrats thought they were pulling a fast one. They’d planned for him to withdraw at the last minute so no one could get their ducks in a row to file for the spot. Now they’re complaining about making a mistake. [Ronnie Ellis]

Human services are in peril for elderly and disabled Kentuckians. Frankfort does not respect its elders. [Debby Yetter]

Your favorite mormon cultist, Mittens Romney, won the Floriduh primary last night. He’ll soon share details of the white salamander and the planet(s) he believes he will rule in the afterlife or whatever. [HuffPo]

Uh, this burglar was nude and had food rubbed all over his body when police arrived at the Food World in Neon. [WYMT]

A paramedic in Louisville is being ignored by Greg Fischer and most of his administration after an amputation. Meanwhile, the Parks director was allowed to keep his job after driving drunk in a city-owned vehicle, Metro Animal Services is killing more than ever before, the head of the Metro Sewer District was excoriated in an audit but allowed to keep a $200,000 bonus. You can see where their priorities are. [The 'Ville Voice]

Every time we mention Ruth Ann Palumbo and the lack of real legislative ethics in Kentucky, we get threatened. So we’re mentioning the mess again. If Ruth Ann lived in Indiana, she’d probably be facing indictment right now. [Page One]

Some old West Liberty man pleaded guilty to selling mountains of cocaine. Really. Cocaine. All over Eastern Kentucky. [H-L]

Jury selection began Monday for embattled Ind. Secretary of State Charlie White.

White is charged with seven felonies including voter fraud and perjury. It all stems from allegations that he lied about where he lived in 2010 so he could continue collecting his salary as a member of the town council in Fishers, Ind.

We first wrote about it in November. Then the Herald-Leader picked it up. Then she started a smear campaign. And we pointed out some of the specifics in the KRS that make what she’s doing illegal.

But no one in Frankfort sees this as an issue because she’s a Democrat.

Growing inequality, environmental decline and “teetering” economies mean the world must change the way it does business, a UN report concludes. [BBC]

KC Crosbie isn’t running for re-election in Lexington. Will she try running for something else at the last minute? [H-L]

How would Steve Beshear know if there are 23 needed votes for a gambling amendment? He hasn’t spoken to legislators. [WFPL]

Hurry and put up that pay wall, Gannett, so your first quarter earnings can fall another 33%.Hurry up! [C-J/AKN]

Some people are trying to “occupy” Mitch McConnell again because it got them so far the first… 10,000 times. [Press Releases]

Rand Paul isn’t the only U.S. Senator to return unused portions of his office funds to the federal government. He’s not even the first. [Politico]

Damon Thayer claims he’s a man of the people. So why won’t he name his clients in the horse industry as he takes part on the push for casino gambling – which most of us actually support? Transparency would go a long way. But Damon doesn’t have the balls. [John Cheves]

Rick Santorum wants everything he does to be illegal for everyone else. That’s how it works in his mind, apparently. [Wonkette]

Ralph Baze killed these two law enforcement officers 20 years ago. But giving him death is the easy way out. Why shouldn’t murderers be kept alive so they have to actually suffer for what they have done? [WKYT]

Almost half of U.S. households are just a single crisis away from the bread line. [HuffPo]

A former employee of Louisville Metro Animal Services spoke out yesterday against a letter that appeared in A Kentucky Newspaper. Naturally, the paper wouldn’t publish her response. [The 'Ville Voice]

Original story continues below….

John Schaaf, of the Legislative Ethics Commission, apparently wants me to personally chap his lying ass. He wants me to make the legislature roll its eyes at his bullshit organization even more than it already does.

Check the latest from a newsletter he sends out each month:

A website called Page One recently published false statements about the members of the Legislative Ethics Commission. In the first false statement, a website poster claimed: “All but one member of the (Legislative Ethics) Commission have contacted me over the past several months to express outrage . . . “

In the second false statement, the poster claimed: “Now they’re freaking out via email because they’re experiencing tons of legislative pressure for daring express their thoughts privately.”

Contacted for this newsletter, eight members of the Commission said they’ve never had contact with the website poster, there’s been no “legislative pressure” on any issue, and they are unfamiliar with the website.

Looks like Schaaf – who I told you last week is under serious pressure to cover his own ass – is under more pressure than I thought.

He’d lose his job today if I published everything his ass has said to me. And everything the members of the commission have said. He knows he can try to get away with it because I guarantee confidentiality when working with someone who requests/demands it.

So, John Schaaf: tread lightly. When you accuse me of making shit up, I will focus my high beams on you personally. You know I have enough friends in the legislature to find out anything I need to find out. Not just because they like me but because you’re one of the most corrupt sons of bitches in Frankfort. When you play passive aggressive and try to undermine my integrity, I can and will fight back. Legally and ethically, of course. And we all know Ethics in Kentucky are a fucking joke because of people like you.

You can continue apologizing for and making excuses for the way you’re pussing out on Keith Hall all you want. But I have nothing to lose in pursuing the bullshit you’re peddling.

You wanna play? I will play. Mark these words.

To everyone else: Now you see how bogus the Legislative Ethics Commission is.

Interesting that he’d open with remarks about being in campaign mode. Since he spends so much time campaigning for his dad.

The comments on the video are just as entertaining as Paul’s response.