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I do not think that people out in the state away from Louisville actually hate Louisville. I think that you have to understand that Kentucky is a very rural state. Our two largest cities are Louisville and Lexington. The population of our third largest city,Owensboro approx. 56,000 drops dramatically compared to Louisville or Lexington, so in saying this I think there is a huge contrast between Louisville and the rest of Kentucky.
In ending, Louisville is the only city in Kentucky that has a cosmopolitan feel and in contrast to the rest of the state it is where the South meets the Midwest.
Louisville is not the most cosmopolitan city in the world, that's for sure. But it is more diverse socially, politically, culturally, and racially than any other Kentucky city. Go outside Jefferson County and, with the exception of a small portion of Fayette County, there is very little diversity to be had in the other 119 counties other than Caucasian and Hispanic.
I think the general political and economic interests, as well as occupational and rural v. urban cultural background of Jefferson County strongly diverts from the rest of Kentucky. That is bound to cause a strong rift, especially when it comes to rural people thinking Louisville is a "big bad city."
Louisville has Humana, Papa John's, Vencor, Yum!, and Churchill Downs, all growing and vibrant companies. Western Kentucky has family farms and a uranium enrichment facility that are becoming things of the past. Eastern Kentucky lost Ashland Oil Company, closed a lot of coal mines, and is slowly diverting to tourism.
Kentucky would BE Louisiana is not for Louisville.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BLS2753
Rural KY has less of a population disadvantage with Louisville, than alot of other states do with a dominant big city. The Louisville metro area accounts for about a 1/4 of the state's population. Compare that with Illinois, where Chicago consumes around 3/4 of the population. When you have that big of a disparity, you have much greater political inequities.
True. Yet, I still see a sizable number of people on this forum complaining about how rural Kentucky doesn't get enough and Louisville gets too much from the good ol' rural folks. I just can't buy that.
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Originally Posted by OboroCatfan
Personally it would be fine with me if Louisville became part of Ohio or even Indiana. I dont have any use for them or the other parts of the "Golden Triangle" of Lexington, Frankfort and Louisville. The people that talk about how little Louisville gets from the state need to get their sorry behinds and come to Owensboro and see what little if anything this city gets from Frankfort.
Louisville wants a new arena and the state falls all over itself finding the funding for it. Owensboro asks for help to replace the aging Sportscenter here and are told we are on our own.
Louisville wants new bridges into the downtown area and the state falls all over itself trying to find the funding for it. Owensboro just asks to have our Blue Bridge that has now become the Rust Red Bridge to be painted and repaved and its told it will take years.
Give you any idea what its like out here in "rural" Kentucky? If you are not one of the "blessed" three cities you get nothing back from the state. So its not that the rural parts of Kentucky "hate" Louisville, its that we hate the fact that even though they get so much they keep wanting more at the expense of the rest of the state.
Wow. Mad, aren't we?
I'll admit, WKY has not received much state infrastructure and economic development assistance in the last 30 years. That's a shame, since I think we're essentially telling central and eastern Kentucky that they're the most valued.
My proposal will be unpopular with many folks: Take much of the state's disproportional transportation funds from the small EKY counties. (Really, do Breathitt, Laurel, and Harlan Counties need new four-lane highways to nowhere? KY 15, KY 30, US 421...) Then we spread the excess by giving part of the money to WKY and the rest to Lou., Lex., and NKY, the three economic bastions of the state. I can elaborate much more, as I know the state law that in effect permits uneven distribution of urban monies to rural areas for transportation projects.
Why do you think Jerry Abramson went to enough committee meetings at the state capitol this year? He had to keep pleading his case for the much needed Louisville bridges project and the whiny EKY legislators like Rocky Adkins who insisted that (essentially) "this isn't right and my folks are going to get the road project funding they deserve." Keep truckin', Jerry; I'm a rural Republican but support you 100% on this mission!
Quote:
Originally Posted by stx12499
This is where you are seriously wrong. One of the misconceptions I have found in this state is that Louisville is "dirty" and is "smaller" and doesn't have "nearly as much to do" as surrouding regional cities. Louisville has all the big city amenities as Nashville and Memphis minus pro sports.
Very few rural kentuckians have ever driven the Olmstead Parkways from what I have seen. Very few know the intricacies of Cherokee Road or the mansions on riverbluffs in Glenview and Mockingbird Valley. Very few know that even downtown, there is MUCH more to do than the bat museum and Fourth Street Live. Very few know about Underground Sounds, the legacy of the indie music scene, or the east market gallery hops. Very few know about all the different festivals and the urban gem that is Frankfort Avenue. very few women know of the dozens of boutiques all over the city; the best shopping is NOT found in Mall St Matthews but rather at these boutiques. I could go on and on.
Spot on. What a shame it is, too, that many of my peers here in rural Kentucky don't know the urban gems just an hour to the west. It's sad.
Well JCM I sure as Hell wouldn't brag about having Papa Johns, the only pizza that makes Pizza Hut seem like it's from Chicago or New Haven by comparison.
When I first moved down here to Lexington a couple of years ago I was mystified by all the Wildcats and "go Blue" business. I wondered why Northwestern and Michigan had so many fans here.
You're dang straight we are mad. We ask for a little help from the state by allowing the city to use some of the state tax revenue to build a much needed arena and convention center and we get a "Nope you are not blighted enough". I guess we will have to wait until the entire city of Owensboro is "blighted" before we ever see a nickel from Frankfort.
Luckily Mitch McConnell stepped up to the plate and got the city money to fix up its riverfront and make it look nice and a draw for tourists. If we waited for Frankfort we would be all dead before we got any help from them.
So you folks from Louisville just keep on crying a river about how bad things are there and how much more money you need from the state. The more the blackhole of Louisville sucks in the less the rest of the state gets. Personally I wouldnt care if Louisville did secede. Maybe then we could get some help over here in the western part of the state.
You're dang straight we are mad. We ask for a little help from the state by allowing the city to use some of the state tax revenue to build a much needed arena and convention center and we get a "Nope you are not blighted enough". I guess we will have to wait until the entire city of Owensboro is "blighted" before we ever see a nickel from Frankfort.
Luckily Mitch McConnell stepped up to the plate and got the city money to fix up its riverfront and make it look nice and a draw for tourists. If we waited for Frankfort we would be all dead before we got any help from them.
So you folks from Louisville just keep on crying a river about how bad things are there and how much more money you need from the state. The more the blackhole of Louisville sucks in the less the rest of the state gets. Personally I wouldnt care if Louisville did secede. Maybe then we could get some help over here in the western part of the state.
This attitude is appalling but it is your opinion and certainly not based on fact. FYI, the FACT is that places like Owensboro are a drain on Louisville, NOT vice versa. For every dollar Louisvillians pay in taxes, they only see around 50 cents back.
"Research by University of Louisville economist Paul Coomes shows that of the $1.4 billion Jefferson County residents pay in annual state taxes, only about $700 million ends up back in the county."
This figure is STAGGERING. I do not know of any other city so large in this situation. If Louisville were to secede from KY, the state would be the poorest in the nation (it is already close). Unfortunately, I have seen many people with your attitude out in the state.
KY is among the only places with this attitude. Rural Georgians take great pride in Atlanta even though they live 3 hours (possibly closer to Jacksonville) away and secretly hate parts of it. I have yet to meet many Kentuckians outside the Louisville CSA who have anything nice to say about Louisville--and many I have spoke to, especially east of Lexington in my travels, really don't know hardly anything about the city and base it on one trip getting lost on West Broadway or something.
On a final note, the last governor realized Kentucy's cities, specifically Louisville, are the only engine for the state in the next century. If Louisville does not make strides in education and job growth, the state will continue to fail. As goes Louisville, so goes the state. It is no wonder that southern states with higher growth cities are booming--especially right to work states like TN. It is not rocket science, and it is one of the things I tell relocaters I dislike about this city (ie Louisville's tax burden), because almost everything else I love.
I leave you with the words of Louisville's famous gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thonpson:
"If I could think of a way to do it right now, I'd head back to Louisville, sit on the porch drinking beer, drive around Cherokee Park for a few nights, and try to sink back as far as I could into the world that did its best to make me. It's not hard to get tired of interminable palms and poinciana, and I could do at the moment with a single elm tree on a midnight street in the Highlands."
This attitude is appalling but it is your opinion and certainly not based on fact. FYI, the FACT is that places like Owensboro are a drain on Louisville, NOT vice versa. For every dollar Louisvillians pay in taxes, they only see around 50 cents back.
"Research by University of Louisville economist Paul Coomes shows that of the $1.4 billion Jefferson County residents pay in annual state taxes, only about $700 million ends up back in the county."
This figure is STAGGERING. I do not know of any other city so large in this situation. If Louisville were to secede from KY, the state would be the poorest in the nation (it is already close). Unfortunately, I have seen many people with your attitude out in the state.
KY is among the only places with this attitude. Rural Georgians take great pride in Atlanta even though they live 3 hours (possibly closer to Jacksonville) away and secretly hate parts of it. I have yet to meet many Kentuckians outside the Louisville CSA who have anything nice to say about Louisville--and many I have spoke to, especially east of Lexington in my travels, really don't know hardly anything about the city and base it on one trip getting lost on West Broadway or something.
On a final note, the last governor realized Kentucy's cities, specifically Louisville, are the only engine for the state in the next century. If Louisville does not make strides in education and job growth, the state will continue to fail. As goes Louisville, so goes the state. It is no wonder that southern states with higher growth cities are booming--especially right to work states like TN. It is not rocket science, and it is one of the things I tell relocaters I dislike about this city (ie Louisville's tax burden), because almost everything else I love.
I leave you with the words of Louisville's famous gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thonpson:
"If I could think of a way to do it right now, I'd head back to Louisville, sit on the porch drinking beer, drive around Cherokee Park for a few nights, and try to sink back as far as I could into the world that did its best to make me. It's not hard to get tired of interminable palms and poinciana, and I could do at the moment with a single elm tree on a midnight street in the Highlands."
--Hunter S. Thompson
As harsh as his words are, I can understand why people in rural KY feel the way they do. They see all that is going on here while they see things falling apart around them. Heck, there's parts of Louisville still on well water. Figure that one out. The average person has no idea where their tax money goes and when it isn't visibly being used, it makes people angry. You are looking at things as an outsider, try putting the shoe on the other foot.
When I first moved down here to Lexington a couple of years ago I was mystified by all the Wildcats and "go Blue" business. I wondered why Northwestern and Michigan had so many fans here.
Hey, thanks for my laugh of the day!
As a side note, I hate the Kentucky Wildcats! I don't think I've cheered for UK in a single game for any sport in ten years. The only team I despise more is the Memphis Tigers.
But most of all, GO LOUISVILLE CARDINALS!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OboroCatfan
You're dang straight we are mad. We ask for a little help from the state by allowing the city to use some of the state tax revenue to build a much needed arena and convention center and we get a "Nope you are not blighted enough". I guess we will have to wait until the entire city of Owensboro is "blighted" before we ever see a nickel from Frankfort.
So you folks from Louisville just keep on crying a river about how bad things are there and how much more money you need from the state. The more the blackhole of Louisville sucks in the less the rest of the state gets.
You know, I'm from Webster County originally. I still have relatives there, am an 8th-generation western Kentuckian, and go back to visit about 7-8 times a year.
You apparently seem to forget that, even though western Kentucky is more forgotten than eastern Kentucky, it has still received its fair share of infrastructure projects in recent years.
My uncle helped engineer the new US 231 bridge b/t Maceo and Rockport. There's a proposed connector from the US 60 bypass to the new bridge now. Carter Road is a nice, wide new thoroughfare that has spawned industrial development near the airport. Be sure to also thank state Sen. David Boswell for helping to secure a brand new hospital on the city's east side.
Madisonville, Morganfield, Hopkinsville, and Cadiz have also had their large share of projects in the last ten years, and they're growing even less than Owensboro (no offense to you.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by stx12499
This attitude is appalling but it is your opinion and certainly not based on fact. FYI, the FACT is that places like Owensboro are a drain on Louisville, NOT vice versa. For every dollar Louisvillians pay in taxes, they only see around 50 cents back.
"Research by University of Louisville economist Paul Coomes shows that of the $1.4 billion Jefferson County residents pay in annual state taxes, only about $700 million ends up back in the county."
If Louisville were to secede from KY, the state would be the poorest in the nation (it is already close). Unfortunately, I have seen many people with your attitude out in the state.
KY is among the only places with this attitude. Rural Georgians take great pride in Atlanta even though they live 3 hours (possibly closer to Jacksonville) away and secretly hate parts of it. I have yet to meet many Kentuckians outside the Louisville CSA who have anything nice to say about Louisville--and many I have spoke to, especially east of Lexington in my travels, really don't know hardly anything about the city and base it on one trip getting lost on West Broadway or something.
On a final note, the last governor realized Kentucy's cities, specifically Louisville, are the only engine for the state in the next century. If Louisville does not make strides in education and job growth, the state will continue to fail. As goes Louisville, so goes the state. It is no wonder that southern states with higher growth cities are booming--especially right to work states like TN. It is not rocket science, and it is one of the things I tell relocaters I dislike about this city (ie Louisville's tax burden), because almost everything else I love.
I would take it one step further: I not only find the ignorance appalling, but also disgusting. Not an disgust directed at individuals, but just a fact of occurrence, the fact that so many folks outside of Jefferson County have such ignorance of Louisville. There's also a perception among the same general group and mindset that Lexington and Northern Kentucky are such "big bad" places.
Places like Perry, Pike, Laurel, Mercer, Hopkins, and McCracken Counties, much less all of the counties with fewer than 15,000 population, have had MANY more dollars spent per capita on infrastructure projects than Jefferson, Fayette, and the three NKY counties. Is it fair? NO!!! Unless these three metros can receive so much more of its state tax money back (as it can't rely mostly on itself, it's only 15% of the state's population,) it will not be as prosperous as it could be.
Heck, Arkansas is more of a job hot-spot now thanks to Wal-Mart, Tyson, and J.B. Hunt in Northwest Arkansas. Arkansas. Also, in 2006, West Virginia had a higher job growth percentage rate than Kentucky. West Virginia.Let those sink in!!!
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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I think communities that aren't growing as fast tend to blame a lack of government spending as the problem. Areas that have less population growth will see less projects because their infrastructure isn't being overloaded by new population growth.
To me a lot of the argument about new road construction is bogus anyway because most interstates and major connector roads are used as much by people from out of town/ state as by locals.
As for Louisville not getting enough back, I will say that Jefferson County has by far the most modern road system in the state, even without the East End bridge and a terrible Spaghetti Junction. Since 1980 I-65 has been made into a superhighway, the Watterson was reconstructed and the Gene Snyder was extended from I-64 to Dixie Highway, and Greenbelt Highway and Hurstbourne Parkway have been extended.
I think Lexington and Northern KY should be the ones complaining about road projects, their traffic is awful compared to Louisville's.
You're dang straight we are mad. We ask for a little help from the state by allowing the city to use some of the state tax revenue to build a much needed arena and convention center and we get a "Nope you are not blighted enough". I guess we will have to wait until the entire city of Owensboro is "blighted" before we ever see a nickel from Frankfort.
Luckily Mitch McConnell stepped up to the plate and got the city money to fix up its riverfront and make it look nice and a draw for tourists. If we waited for Frankfort we would be all dead before we got any help from them.
So you folks from Louisville just keep on crying a river about how bad things are there and how much more money you need from the state. The more the blackhole of Louisville sucks in the less the rest of the state gets. Personally I wouldnt care if Louisville did secede. Maybe then we could get some help over here in the western part of the state.
I'm as neutral as you can get, as I was born and raised in L'ville and spent my 20's there. I have live in the Etown and London areas for the past nine years. I think your idea of Louisville to secede is pretty ridiculous. Without the River City we would be on par with Mississippi and West VA. Nothing against those states, but neither have a major city with a large tax base like Louisville. I can understand your frustration with Frankfort, as Owenboro should be considered an important city along the Ohio River. I think what has hurt Owensboro is a lack of nearby interstates. The only major interstate/parkway is the Green River (Or is it Natcher now?) that connects your town to Bowling Green.
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