Give it Some Hart
Regarding the Kentucky Kingdom debacle (LEO Weekly, Oct. 17): After watching this “saga of stonewalling” for years, I felt compelled to “weigh in” on behalf of Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Co. (KKRC). I suspect that there’s much personal bias working against Ed Hart, particularly with regards to the Fair Board. Ed is a fast-talking, fast-thinking and fast-acting man of action, which may put off some people. As a former sponsor representative, I know that Ed’s tact can “rub wrong” against a slower processing “Kentucky style” of doing business, and some may even take personal exception to something he may say (as I once did). The fact of the matter is, however, that he is the guy who can get the park back to viability and, again, make it a top attraction for the state of Kentucky, have significant impact on the other attractions of the area (through bundled offers), and fill hotel rooms. He is also man enough to admit when he is wrong (personal experience) and was quoted as saying (paraphrased), “If somebody comes along with a better offer, idea and expertise, I’d be fine with that, and support it.” However, after all this time, no one has done so!
Ed (and Jon Mulcahy) are men of their word and should be supported, not thwarted, by what I suspect are personal vendettas in play. The state decision-makers need to get over their pride, control or greed issues that are suspected of getting in the way and do something that is right for local business, the community, tourism and tax revenue.
Russell Watters, Prospect
Hypocrite?
The column by Jim Welp is nothing but ad hominem attack (LEO Weekly, Oct. 10). I kept reading, hoping he would reveal the nature of Fred Koch’s evil. He never did. He appears to hate anything related to oil. Does he use anything made of plastic? What a hypocrite. Does he drive any gasoline-powered machinery? What a hypocrite. Their father was a graduate of MIT. Is Jim pedigree envious?
I read the Wikipedia entry on their father. Surely you can’t base your opinion on someone because they founded the John Birch Society and look the other way for Grand Wizard Robert Byrd? What a hypocrite. If you have facts regarding the Koch family, please publish them. This hit piece is worthless.
Steven Friedrich, homeless veteran at Salvation Army on Brook Street
Obama Hater
A letter in the Oct. 10 issue of LEO Weekly from a Paul L. Whiteley Sr. of St. Matthews begs for a rebuttal. Whiteley begins with the oxymoronic declaration that he has been “personally responsible all my life,” yet voted for Obama in 2008, and despite the overwhelming evidence of Obama’s abject failure as president, will do so again in November. Lucid adults do not confuse simple-minded fatuousness with responsibility. Intellectual responsibility requires a constant re-examination of beliefs when the foundation of those beliefs proves to be woefully fallacious.
Typical of liberals, Whiteley is impressed by style over substance; Obama looks presidential and is quite likable. The unpleasant reality is that America is the most bankrupt country in the history of civilization with a debt of $16 trillion; Obama continues to inflict over another trillion per year in debt on our children and grandchildren, his foreign policies have led to utter catastrophe internationally, his economic policies are guaranteed to keep unemployment high and growth anemic, his socialist redistribution of wealth policies have failed everywhere they have been tried, he is aggressively anti-Christian, he has contempt for the Constitution, and he is an arrogant embarrassment to the presidency. A truly responsible person would conclude that America cannot withstand four more years of this president.
Ralph Koslik, Highlands
