KY Chamber Pushing State-Ruining Legislation

Remember: No matter how civic-minded are the members of your local Chamber of Commerce, the national and state organizations are run by big corporations who don't give a flying fuck about genuinely small businesses.  The laws and policies the Chamber pushes are beneficial only to Wall Street, and death to Main Street.

John Cannon at the Independent:

Staying the ground on education reform, allowing for charter schools, enacting liability reforms, giving local governments the option to impose a local option sales tax, and approving a statewide ban on public smoking are among the top  items the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is advocating as the Kentucky General Assembly begins its 60-day legislative session in January.

For details on how education deform improves nothing but the speed at which taxpayer dollars flow into the pockets of private corporations, and how charter schools kill local public schools, read Diane Ravitch's Reign of Error.

"Liability reform" takes away your individual right to sue the big bank that falsely foreclosed on your home, or the big corporation whose product killed your child or the chain store that had you falsely arrested for shoplifting.

Sales taxes directly harm low-income working people and local businesses who depend on their custom.

And while fewer people smoking benefits Kentucky in many ways, local bans and social pressure seem to be working well enough to make me wonder just how a statewide ban would benefit the Chamber. Maybe give the false impression that the Chamber supports public health? Check its position on Obamacare and kynect - supporter of good health it is not.