Thursday, October 20, 2005
Pitino Says Kentucky Should Spend and Borrow Like Indiana
Coach Rick Pitino blasted Kentucky's legislature for not wanting to pony up for a new arena. The cost of a new arena in Louisville is estimated at $299 million. Local government officials in Louisville have pledged one-third of that; Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher wants the state to borrow $72 million of the cost.
Some [Kentucky] legislators have not expressed support for the project because they don't believe their home regions would see any economic benefit from a downtown Louisville arena. Some say there are more pressing needs, like education, health care, Medicaid and highways.Pitino said that Kentucky legislators were not "visionary" and that they should look to states like Indiana and Tennessee as models. Presumably Pitino sees these two states as places of vision, sunshine and lollipops.
No word yet from the Club for Growth as to whether they will be designating the Governor as a RINO (Republican in Name Only).
