The State of Working Kentucky 2012: Employment
The recession had devastating effects on employment in Kentucky, and the recovery is only gradually lifting the state out of...
Analysis
Pension Recommendations Emphasize Employee Sacrifice While Addressing Only Portion of Liability
The state’s task force on public pensions heard consultants’ recommendations this week that include several ways to raise employee costs and cut benefits, some of which may not be legal....
Kentucky Falls Short in Closing Higher Education Gaps
Kentucky still has a long way to go to meet the ambitious educational attainment goals set by the Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997. In a recent report by the...
Arguments to Cut Income Tax Miss Context and Ignore Tax’s Benefits
Those arguing for a shift toward sales taxes and away from income taxes in Kentucky overstate the influence of income taxes on where people live. And they overlook the benefits...
What Would Kentucky Gain from More Business Tax Cuts?
For a state like Kentucky—with high levels of poverty, low wages and too few jobs—a perpetual issue is how government can do more to promote prosperity. For years, the state...
The Bigger Picture on Who Pays Taxes
The vast majority of Kentuckians (and Americans) who don’t owe federal income taxes are either workers who pay payroll taxes, seniors, people with disabilities or students. In 2009-2010, 49 percent...
Taxing Groceries Not a Good Strategy for Kentucky
The recently released consultants’ report to the governor’s tax reform commission included the option of applying Kentucky’s sales tax to food for home consumption (i.e., groceries). While broadening the tax...
Transitioning Adults to Postsecondary Education Crucial to Meeting Goals
Postsecondary education is increasingly recognized as an important means of improving the economy and increasing the financial well-being of individuals and families. But given Kentucky’s serious educational challenges, the state...
Pension Issue is Primarily a Revenue Challenge
Over the last several years, much of the focus given to Kentucky’s pension system has been on ways to shift new employees into some version of a 401k-style retirement plan....
Higher Education Helped in the Recession, but Doesn’t Guarantee a Good Job in Recovery
Those with higher education fared better in the recession and are more likely to obtain the new jobs being created in the recovery. However, those new jobs tend to pay...