Why Regions Fail
Others have rightly jumped on Nicholas Kristof’s December column in the New York Times criticizing the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)...
Four Key Facts about Public Pensions in Kentucky
As Kentucky legislators consider changes that could cut pension benefits for nurses, social workers, police officers and other public sector workers, they should keep in mind four important facts. Public...
State Can’t Pay Pension Debt from Natural Revenue Growth without Harming Services
One area of consensus on pensions is that the state should begin making the full annual required contribution to the retirement system, which will reduce the long-run costs of paying...
The State of Working Kentucky 2012: Jobs by Industry
Kentucky’s economy continues to change, with a decline in manufacturing jobs and a shift toward more jobs in the service sector—a trend that has accelerated with the weak economy of...
The State of Working Kentucky 2012: Wages
Working Kentuckians have experienced a lost decade in terms of wage growth, a trend that is undermining family economic security across the Commonwealth and will likely persist at least as...
Penny Increase in Sales Tax Would Worsen Tax Fairness and Fail to Fix Long-Term Revenue Problem
A couple of legislators have floated the idea of raising the sales tax by one percentage point rather than taking action on a tax reform package. But such a plan...
Tax Commission Recommendations Raise Needed Revenue but Include Big Corporate Tax Cut
The new plan from the Governor's Blue Ribbon Tax Reform Commission rightly puts the first priority on raising needed revenue to address Kentucky's budget challenges. The commission finalized a package...
Kentucky Among 10 States with Fastest-Growing Income Inequality
Income gaps widened more in Kentucky than in all but eight other states between the late 1990s and the mid-2000s – and more than all but three other states from...
Kentucky Job Growth Remains Slow and Jobs Deficit Substantial
Between the start of the recession and February 2010, Kentucky lost 118,200 jobs. After several years of job growth, that gap has been trimmed to 35,100. However, ongoing growth in...
Kentucky Among 10 States with Fastest-Growing Income Inequality
Report Release: “Pulling Apart: A State-by-State Analysis of Income Trends” New Report: Kentucky Among 10 States with Fastest-Growing Income Inequality Policies Drive Widening Gap Between Low-Income Kentuckians and High Earners...