The Florence Rotary Club was honored to have Senator Mitch McConnell speak at the April 14 meeting. Senator McConnell spoke about the state of the economy and the country today. He talked about the fact that we have a divided government right now. He said that Americans seem to like a divided government because we don’t want to give one side too much power. He listed several instances in history where a divided government was able to accomplish great things. One such instance was when Bill Clinton and the Republicans worked together to balance the budget.
Senator McConnell said that he has enjoyed being the defensive coordinator, but now he’d like a chance to call the plays and be an offensive coordinator. He said that if you want a change and want the country to go in a different direction, you can fix it at the ballot box.
The Senator fielded several questions from the floor. When asked what he would replace ObamaCare with if it was repealed, he said:
- Tear down the 50 silos from which insurance is sold. Let the insurance companies compete in a national market. Competition keeps cost down and encourages quality.
- Deal with medical malpractice. Practitioners are ordering unnecessary medical tests to insulate themselves from litigation.
- Allow small businesses to band together in larger pools for better insurance purchasing power.
The Senator was asked what ideas he had to help with the Brent Spence Bridge issues. He acknowledged that this is a dilemma, “No one favors tolling, including me.” He said that the federal government collects the gas tax and decides how to spend it. “We don’t earmark any more in Washington and a billion dollar earmark would never have happened anyway.” The Senator said that the states will receive gas tax money from the government and they will have to decide how to spend it. This issue will not be decided in Washington.
Senator McConnell congratulated the Rotary Club on their work to eradicate childhood Polio. He said it was a worthwhile civic activity. The Senator shared that he had Polio as a child and that his mother learned to do the physical therapy he needed so that he could have a normal life.
For information about weekly meetings, guest speakers and community service opportunities of the Florence Rotary Club, contact Billy Santos, President, at 859-426-2285, or online at wsantos@bankofky.com. Visit the group’s web site at www.florencerotary.org . Florence Rotary meets weekly on Mondays at noon at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Florence.
