Hillbilly Report

Single Payer Healthcare Rally In Louisville, Kentucky. James Pence Videos

James Pence Videos

Paul Whiteley, thanks for the music.
The supporters of Single Payer Healthcare (HR 676) may have not a seat at the table like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, but I can tell you they are not going away. Click here to view photos of the rally.
When folks take off from their jobs to participate in a rally, in deep Red Kentucky, for Single Payer the you can be assured this is an issue that's not going to die no matter how many Rick Scott's there are fighting for the insurance Companies.
Click here to view Bill Londrigan, President of the Kentucky AFL-CIO, speaking at the rally. Click here to view Rocky Comito President of UAW Local 862 speaking at the rally.

Health insurers bulk up 1Q spending on lobbying
The five largest private insurers and the trade group America's Health Insurance Plans spent a total of $6.4 million in the first quarter, an increase of more than $1 million from the same quarter last year. The industry is working to counter proposals endorsed by the White House that would offer a government insurance option for millions of Americans.
Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. and Louisville, Ky.-based Humana Inc. both saw first-quarter spending rise 16 percent to $1.2 million and $370,000, respectively. Spending for Philadelphia-based Cigna Corp. nearly doubled to $450,000 in the first quarter from a year ago.

Reckon the CEO's don't want to give up their big salaries?

Forbes
David B Snow Jr  CEO Medco Health, $21.76 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $36.29 million.
Dale B Wolf CEO Coventry Health Care, $20.86 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $61.91 million. 
Michael B McCallister CEO Humana, $20.06 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $60.64 million. 
Ronald A Williams CEO Aetna $8.88 million.
Trevor Fetter CEO Tenet Healthcare $5.80 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $19.08 million. 
Stephen J Hemsley CEO UnitedHealth $4.00 million.
John H Hammergren CEO McKesson $44.91 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $94.59 million.
Miles D White CEO  Abbott Laboratories $44.76 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $76.47 million. 
William C Weldon CEO Johnson & Johnson $15.41 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $49.15 million.  
Jeffrey B Kindler CEO Pfizer $5.76 million.
John C Lechleiter CEO Eli Lilly & Co $5.13 million.
James M Cornelius CEO Bristol-Myers Squibb $5.06 million.

Daniel Mongiardo Speaks At Doug Goodman's 3rd Annual Democratic Get Together, In Radcliff, Kentucky. Videos And Photos

James Pence Videos

OK gentle souls, just a little bit of promotion for our new blog before the article begins. Richard Dillion and I have started a new site that will allow you to write about your favorite Democratic candidates.
Click here to visit the site. All you have to do is sign up and blog away. Click here to learn more About Us and click here to view the Community Guidelines. Thank you for your patience.
Kudos to Doug Goodman and Dottye Moore for putting on this 3rd annual Doug Goodman event. Doug Goodman is a real Democrat and believe me that's something hard to find here in Hardin County. He has put on this event for three years and pays for it out of his own pocket. I understand that Dottye Moore helped with the expenses this year. Special thanks to Winnie Townsend for making me aware of the event.
We had the opportunity to shoot photos of the event click here to view them. I shot them in the 1280x960 mode and they will be good enough for you to print out if you wish. Be advised they are for personal use only and not to be used for any other reason. Just follow the instructions at the Photobucket site to download the photo you want.
We also had the opportunity to shoot video and had the distinct pleasure of shooting video of a young college student by the name of Sam Sherrard introducing Daniel Mongiardo and Sam's video is below. We also managed to get video of Daniel Mongiardo and a very short funny clip of him is below. Thank you Jerry Brown for asking the question.
OK, I'm done with all the gooey stuff and I must tell you I had the opportunity to express my frustration with the Hardin County Democratic Party to Chairman Les Dawson. I didn't express myself out of anger, but rather out of frustration and Les seemed to defend what the Hardin County Democratic Party is doing.
As I left the event, I was encouraged by young Sam Sherrard, Doug Goodman and Dottye Moore, but very disappointed that Hardin County Democratic Party Chairman Les Dawson just doesn't seem to get it.

Mitch McConnell's Convocation at U of L Brandeis School of Law Graduation Not Without Protest. Video And Photos

James Pence Videos
Senator McConnell, the current Senate Minority Leader was this year's Convocation speaker at the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law  graduation ceremony.
Many graduating students, their families and friends attending the graduation sported buttons that read "Sen. McConnell Does Not Speak for Me." Outside the graduation, activists protested McConnell's support of the Defense of Marriage Act. Although the City of Louisville didn't anticipate any problems from the protest, even noting "No off-duty police provided" on the permit, there were several Louisville Police Department Officers on the scene for the duration of the 3 hour protest.
Noticeably missing were the news outlets, WAVE, WHAS, WLKY and the Courier Journal. It should also be noted that the major Louisville blogs didn't cover the protest.  Click here to view photos of the protest.

Kentucky Tea Party. James Pence Video And Photos

James Pence Videos
April 15, 2009 Elizabethtown, Kentucky
A Tea Party protest, with over 400 protesters, was held on the Hardin County Courthouse Square April 15 2009, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

The News Enterprise
Organizer Debra Tennison said she does not think current representatives are speaking for the will of the people. Specifically, she mentioned President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan — actually calling it a “non-stimulus” — bailout spending and the proposed federal budget.
“We’re just not in agreement with what is going on,” she said.

State Rep. Tim Moore, R-Elizabethtown, and Republican Lisa Williams, who ran for the State House last year spoke at the event.
I didn't see any Democratic officials there.
Click here and here to view photos of the event.
If you watch the video you will hear, comments about, activist judges, gun control. abortion, and yes the government spending and the debt was mentioned at the protest, but it seemed to me that this event was created to fire up the Republican base and from what I could tell it worked.
I was confused by some of the signs that said no more taxes, when in fact taxes have been cut for most Americans. While shooting video and photos I just couldn't help but think, where were these folks when George Bush was running up the national debt, where were these folks when George Bush took us to war in Iraq, where were these folks when George Bush was listening to our phone calls and monitoring our emails, where were these folks when George Bush was water boarding prisoners?
I took the time to capture this event, not because I believe in what the event stood for, but because I felt it was necessary to show the Kentucky Democratic Party what's going on in the rural areas of the state and sometimes video and photos speak louder than words.
The Republican Party is gearing up for the 2010 election and we had better be ready for the fight of our lives, because these folks are serious.

Kentucky Ice Storm Photos From Graves County

James Pence Videos

I just received the following from a friend Mike Watt in Western Kentucky:
Jim this is my eight day with out power mine went out last Tuesday the electric co here has 1500 power poles broken down that will have to be replaced.
I have a generator running, I have had internet all but the first 2 day, burning 10 gal of gas a day.
take care TTYL Click here to view photos from Graves County

Photos courtesy of Mike Watt
Hang in there Mike.

Kentucky Ice Storm. Governor Steve Beshear Press Conference

James Pence Videos

February 1, 2009 Governor Steve Beshear came to Elizabethtown, Kentucky and talked to folks staying in the shelter, at the Pritchard Community Center. Read the back story here. After making the rounds with the folks in the shelter he held a press conference. The video is below. I also managed to get a few photos, click here to view them.
It seems this is going to be a long wait for some of us 7 to 10 more days.
For those that have been wishing my wife well, I have some good news. She got out of the hospital today. We still don't have electricity, six days now, but we do have heat and I am going to make arrangements for her to stay in a better environment tomorrow, but for now she is very happy to be home. I've had to do my blogging wherever I can find Internet service and want to thank those that have been so helpful by allowing me to use their internet service.
I still haven't seen a Nolin RECC repair truck anywhere and I've been all over Southern Hardin County, but I've seen plenty of Comcast, Kentucky Utilities, and Windstream repair vehicles working everywhere, oh well I guess I'll see a Nolin RECC repair truck someday.

Former President Bill Clinton Comes To Kentucky To Stump For Democratic Candidates.

Ditch Mitch KY.
Barefoot And Progressive
Page One
BlueGrassRoots - RDemocrat's RSS Feed
James Pence Videos

October 24, 2008
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Right here in red state Kentucky folks were standing in the cold rain waiting to get in the Bowling Green airport to hear and see former President Bill Clinton stump for US senatorial candidate Bruce Lunsford and Kentucky's 2nd district congressional candidate David Boswell.
 I feel Kentuckians are ready for change and I base this feeling on what I'm seeing and I'm seeing it all over Kentucky. Hell Western Kentucky is one of the most conservative places on earth,  a Mitch McConnell strong hold and folks there Thursday October 23, 2008  were chanting "Ditch Mitch" at the Kentucky Dam Village Convention Center McConnell/Lunsford debate site. This sort of thing would not have occurred a year ago. I'm tellin' ya Mitch is in real trouble.
Videos of the event are below. I also managed to get a few photos. Click here to view photos.