Columns

The news about the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey has been one of the top topics over the last couple of weeks. The category four hurricane has wreaked havoc on southeastern Texas and caused catastrophic flooding in the area with some areas receiving more than 40 inches of rain in a four day period. The death toll continues to rise and there are many areas that are still without water and electric.

I am always interested in seeing how the mass news media covers any storms like this one. Well, actually, I am always interested to see how they cover any topic anymore.

First impressions tend to last a long time. My first impression of Kentucky actually happened in Hodgenville four years ago when I was traveling with my family from Nashville to Chicago. Driving up I-65, we saw a sign for the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park and my dad, ever the historian, pulled off at the exit. We watched the film at the visitor’s center, walked up the 56 steps to the memorial, and left understanding and appreciating a great president a little more.

Bringing about a flurry of facts and a storm of misconceptions, Kentucky’s pension crisis has become one of the most dominating news stories in recent months. One thing is for certain: if our state pensions are not addressed in the very near future, we will face huge cuts in state funding. Education, Medicaid, and other government services would likely be affected—a risk our state is not in a position to take.

America Saves, a national campaign that promotes savings, notes significant differences in savings between men and women. A 2016 survey showed that woman were notably behind across 12 important financial indicators including consumer debt, savings habits, emergency savings, and general savings progress. As concerns continue to rise over American’s often inadequate retirement and emergency savings, it’s become clear that the gender disparity can no longer be pushed aside.