Tag: Politics

Money in Politics

Metro District 8 winner Coan shows how to win big without spending big
Brandon Coan
Coan

Attorney Brandon Coan not only won more votes today than the other six candidates, but he also spent less per vote than all but two of his rivals. Coan’s expenditures averaged $18 per vote. The difference was especially stark against the $63 by the No. 2 vote-getter, philanthropist Stephen Reily.

Boulevard’s figures are based on the most recent campaign war chest totals, as of two weeks ago, from this Courier-Journal story. Reilly’s campaign budget had already set a record for a Louisville Metro Council race — even for one as highly sought as this. Here’s the breakdown:

Campaign spending

Money in Politics

Mr. Yarmuth goes to market
John Yarmuth
Yarmuth

In his most recent financial disclosure report, Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) said he’d bought stock in 23 companies, including four expected to grow faster than sleepy “widow and orphan” stocks. But they can also be more risky; high flyers can go way down, too.

The report doesn’t disclose exactly what Yarmuth paid per share, nor how much he invested, only valuing the stakes in the range of $1,000 to $15,000 each. Still, we can get a glimpse at their performance by comparing their closing price on the date of the report to Friday’s closing price.

His results were mixed: The best performer was Facebook, and the worst was Irish drugmaker Allergan. We’ve thrown in the S&P 500 index for comparison.

Yarmuth stocks

Related: Search for more congressional financial disclosure reports. And follow Boulevard’s stock portfolio of big Louisville employers.

Latest Headlines

Trump renews Amazon attack, 93-year-old KFC retiree hits rare milestone; and UPS plans big new Austin facility

A news summary focused on big employers; updated 2:02 p.m.

Donald Trump
Trump

AMAZON: White House GOP candidate Donald Trump attacked Jeff Bezos again, claiming the Amazon CEO bought The Washington Post to promote a political agenda that would help the company on taxes (CNN). Also, a former software director who led the company’s new FireTV initiative was charged with promoting prostitution in the Seattle area (KIRO).

KFC: A retired 29-year employee in Ontario has reached an American Legion milestone that few reach in any organization: he’s been a member for 60 years. William Young, 93, worked at a KFC franchise, rising to manager before retiring. And he met founder Col. Harland Sanders (Argus Observer).

UPS plans a new $70 million, 300-employee distribution center in Austin with room for 300 vehicles; it’s to open at the end of 2018 (Austin Statesman). Asked and answered: How important is e-commerce to the shipper’s sales (Motley Fool).

In other news, The Courier-Journal has joined 199 other investors in buying a two-year-old colt, which the nascent Churchill Downs Racing Club hopes to run during the current spring meet. The horse is being trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas (Courier-Journal).

Money in Politics

As NRA readies big annual meeting here, equally big Ky. political donations emerge

Some 70,000 National Rifle Association members are holding their annual meeting in Louisville this week, a four-day gathering that will include speeches on Friday by White House hopeful Donald Trump, plus Gov. Matt Bevin, Sen. Rand Paul, and others.

McConnell,Mitch-012309-18422-jf 0024
McConnell

The group gave $810,462 to federal candidates for the 2014 election, including a total $22,900 to six Kentucky Republicans, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics:

  • Sen. Mitch McConnell: $9,900
  • Rep. Hal Rogers: $5,000
  • Rep. Brett Guthrie: $2,500
  • Rep. Ed Whitfield: $2,500
  • Rep. Andy  Barr: $2,000
  • Rep. Thomas Massie: $1,000

Overall, the NRA’s Political Victory Fund has given $197,609 to Kentucky congressional candidates since 1998, according to this new Courier-Journal story.

Unexpectedly, the Responsive Politics center’s data, from the Federal Election Commission, doesn’t show any NRA money for Sen. Paul. And I don’t find any going to Bevin, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics’ data for the governor; it tracks campaign money at the state level.

The NRA meeting and trade show will be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center; more key information in today’s CJ, which also reports on the group’s history and rise to one of the nation’s most powerful organizations.

Related: etiquette advice for party hostesses who don’t want gun-totin’ guests.

The A-list

Just in time for the NRA: etiquette advice for the reluctant party hostess
Donald Trump
Trump

With White House aspirant Donald Trump and more than 70,000 other visitors roaming Louisville next week for the annual NRA meeting, Boulevard thought yesterday’s installment of our favorite Courier-Journal feature couldn’t be more timely. We’re talking about advice column Annie’s Mailbox, which asked and answered the following:

Dear Annie,
What is the polite thing to do with a guest who carries a gun? I do not like guns in my house, but I have a friend who adamantly refuses to leave his gun at home when he comes here. Do people who carry a concealed weapon have an obligation to notify the host before entering their residence?

Signed, Pennsylvania

Dear Pennsylvania,
Yes. More importantly, it’s your house. You get to set the rules, and if you don’t want guns, say so. You can’t force him to be honest about having a concealed weapon, but you certainly can inform him of your preferences.

Trump has a permit to carry a concealed gun. In Kentucky, you can, too; here’s how. Plus, there’s no shortage of places to buy guns in the Louisville area, as this Google map shows.

Gun map

Photo, top: A Bersa concealed carry 40-caliber pistol: $319.95 at Gilbert’s Guns in Frankfort.

Dear Boulevard readers: What do you think? Please post your replies in the comments section, below.