Rotary Program: 6/14/06

Program Chairperson: Jerry Kanney

Speaker: Steve Pence, Lt. Governor of Kentucky

Steve Pence has an MBA from Eastern Kentucky University and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Law. He is the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky and a Colonel in the JAG Corps of the Kentucky National Guard. As Lt. Governor, Steve is the head of the Justice Cabinet and the Dept. Of Public Safety. He is married and has five children.

After a standing ovation welcome, Steve says that of all the things that has been happening in his life, one of the most important was this past week, when his 18 year-old son graduated from High School and entered the Military Entry Program at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Steve then spoke about the concept of integrity. He said that his definition of integrity was when duty intersects with a person’s actions. Quoting Abraham Lincoln, he said, “I have to do my duty as God gives me the wisdom to do it. If time proves that I am right, then what my critics say will not matter. If I am wrong, then the praise of 10,000 angels will not silence the criticism I will endure.” Steve says that there have been some very notable things accomplished by the present administration and enumerated them briefly. First, tax modernization has been achieved and a deficit of $1 Billion has turned into a budget surplus. Secondly, the coal haul laws have been enforced more evenly and accidents involving coal trucks have been drastically reduced. Thirdly, the Drug Task Force has worked diligently to reduce the number of methamphetamine labs by 60%. He says that the drug epidemic is the greatest threat to our society and his greatest fear every parent has for his children. Steve also addressed the problems facing education in the state. The solution, he added, is not more money for salaries, but to find a way to make education the priority it needs to be and to make learning important to children. He says the worst problem with education is that fact that there is no competition. No business could survive very long if it were run like we conduct our education system, because only competition drives us to excellence. The greater problem, Steve says, is the $ 4 Billion debt that has been accumulated in the State Retirement System. That bill will come due and payable soon and unless some way is found to fund it, then money that would build roads, fund public safety, and educate our children will have to be sacrificed. He believes it cannot be ignored and will have to be addressed in the upcoming administration no matter who sits in the governor’s chair. At this point, he opened the floor for questions from the audience. We would like to thank Steve for taking time from his busy schedule to speak to us today. - JMC