Rotary Program 11/10/2004

Joanne Anderson introduced the program for the day, Crit Luallen, the Commonwealth Auditor of Public Accounts. She has given four decades of service to people of Kentucky beginning in 1974.

She was especially proud of her office's report on the cost of prescription drugs in Kentucky and in America. She found that money could be saved by importing drugs from Canada. Her office showed that Kentucky's government could save $37 million dollars, Medicaid could save $36 million, and if consumers could participate, they would save 30% to 80% of their drug costs. She is very interested in bringing down the price of drugs. She reported that America has the most expensive drugs in the world, and suggested that all states need to pressure Washington to bring the increasing cost of drugs under control.

Ms. Luallen is very proud of her work and wants to save the government money, not just for the sake of receiving credit for doing that, but so that Kentucky can channel their limited resources to the best use.

She said that there is a lot of talk about eliminating waste in government as a source for funds for the needs of government. But there is not enough money to be found in waste to move Kentucky forward. We must find it where we can, but also look for ways for government to be a catalyst for progress. We can't succeed unless we get beyond partisan differences and set bold goals for the future.

She reported that Kentucky had made some major strides forward in the last few years, but that progress is threatened by the current atmosphere in Frankfurt. She specifically mentioned the difficulties caused by the gridlock over the budget. As an example, she mentioned that Whitesburg may have a fire truck repossessed because they can't get the money from the state budget to make their next payment.

She says that leaders all across Kentucky need to ask serious questions of our legislators. They need to make sure the we are committed to sustain the momentum toward progress. She suggested that business leaders are critical partners in Kentucky's progress.

In conclusion, she said that government is not about audits, buildings or tax codes. It is about the lives and hearts and minds of the people. We must build a future that gives our people the opportunity to live the lives they want and deserve.