Our president spouts phrases like fiscal responsibility while he destroys all the programs most people rely on. For example, cuts are proposed to education, healthcare, preschool programs and the LIHEAP (low-income heating assistance program).

Also, no money will go to FEMA, so you better pray for good weather. There won’t be any money for disasters like flooding and tornadoes. All the while, they want tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. The president wants a trillion-dollar military budget and here’s the rub of salt in your wounds that this budget will cause, he wants $300 million for his golf trips. So, while you are paying more for your neccesities, you can pay for him to play golf.

PLEASE contact your congressmen and your senators, tell them their job is to work for you and your vote, not the president. Everyone must make their voices heard. No matter who you voted for, Republican, Democrat or Independent, we are all in this together. Your party won’t pay your rent, put food on your table, gas in your car, or help with medical bills when your child is sick. For those who think the $300 million for golf trips is fake news, go on your laptop’s search engine and enter “Pay for Trump’s golf trips.”

It’s informative. So, contact your congressmen and your senators today.

Make your voice heard.

Sally Thomas

Russellville

The post Proposed budget only benefits the rich appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

This is the classic question asked of Senator Joe McCarthy, the pompous demagogue of the 1950’s by Joseph Welch, a lawyer in the Army-McCarthy hearings.

I can think of no better words to ask the most pompous demagogue of our age, Donald J. Trump, who says that the J stands for “Genius.” Having pronounced himself the greatest U.S. president of all time, and “the leader of the world,” he has now posted an AI-generated photo of himself as the next pope on Truth Social and X.

This is the same man who refused to sing any hymns or say or read the Apostle’s Creed at the funeral of George H.W. Bush. He looked like he was bored out of his mind, and now he dares to fancy himself as the next pope? “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?

Larry Caillouet

Bowling Green

The post No sense of decency appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

Still, critics loudly object, as if government spending is beyond question. Identifying waste, fraud and inefficiency is met with sarcasm and resistance. Yet budgets always seem to grow. Rarely do they shrink.

Having created multi-year budgets for federal grants, I’ve seen firsthand how inefficiency is baked into the system. A government agency issues a call for proposals. Professors and nonprofits submit applications. In theory, grants are awarded on merit. In practice, the same small circle of insiders reviews and receives awards, year after year.

Most grants go to state-funded universities or nonprofits – organizations already reliant on taxpayer money. Administrative costs eat away a significant portion before the real work even begins. That work often falls to graduate students or contractors, while the institution collects overhead fees, profiting whether results are meaningful or not.

The benefit to taxpayers? Published research that few read. Redundant services. Little accountability at any level.

Consider federal housing programs. Billions have been allocated over the years for homelessness prevention, yet homelessness rates in major cities continue to rise. Multiple agencies provide overlapping services with little coordination, leading to duplication and inefficiency.

A recent DOGE audit, corroborated by the Office of Management and Budget, uncovered $327 million in annual spending on outdated IT systems across more than a dozen federal agencies. In one striking case, an agency maintained a 1970s-era database that required contractors to be fluent in a nearly obsolete programming language. No private company would tolerate this kind of digital stagnation. But in government, inertia is rewarded.

Education spending is another glaring example. Since 1970, the federal government has spent at least $2.9 trillion on K–12 and higher education research and programs, according to the National Center for Education Statistics and Statista. Yet U.S. education rankings have plummeted – from first in the world in 1979 to somewhere between 13th and 20th today, depending on the metric.

We now spend over $17,000 per K–12 student annually and more than $30,000 for each postsecondary student. More Americans have college degrees – 38% in 2022 compared to just 11% in 1970 – but are we truly better educated? Standardized test scores suggest otherwise.

Taxpayers deserve better than a system that measures success by dollars spent instead of outcomes achieved. DOGE’s audits shouldn’t be politicized. They should be a starting point for serious, overdue reform.

We need to continue to apply public pressure. The federal government should move toward performance-based funding models, require competitive renewal of grants, sunset obsolete programs, enforce spending caps and mandate public audit disclosures. It’s not the government’s money being wasted. It’s ours.

– Mark Doggett is a retired professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Western Kentucky University.

The post Are we getting our money’s worth? appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

For decades, Cherry Hall has stood as a silent witness to countless moments of discovery and growth — where students found their voices, where professors ignited minds, and where the pulse of campus life could be felt in every corner. It is more than a structure; it is a living testament to the spirit of learning, tradition, and community that has defined this university for generations.

Now, we are told that Cherry Hall is to be “modernized” into a corporate-style workspace. The plans may call for sleek, new features and fresh facades, but at what cost? To strip away the heart and soul of Cherry Hall would be to sever WKU’s connection to its past, to the values that have shaped it. Cherry Hall is not outdated — it is timeless. It does not need to be reimagined; it needs to be honored. Minimal updates to preserve its functionality are reasonable, but to transform it into something unrecognizable would be a betrayal of everything it represents.

Cherry Hall is the soul of the Hill. To change it is to erase a part of WKU’s living history, a loss we cannot afford.

We urge WKU leadership and decision-makers: honor Cherry Hall’s legacy. Preserve its spirit for future generations, and let it continue to stand as the proud symbol of all that WKU is — and all it will forever be.

Joshua Waters

Bowling Green

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Trump promised to cut energy prices in half. Gas today in Bowling Green is $2.40, down a bit from its January 20 average of $2.60. According to Trump it should be on its way to $1.30. I’m not holding my breath.

Of course, Trump said he would immediately settle the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. After a hundred days, both drag on horrifically with no end in sight.

Trump promised he’d make in-vitro fertilization free and eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay, car loan interest, and Social Security benefits while cutting corporation taxes by 20%. He hasn’t done any of that, and can’t without blowing a Cybertruck-size hole in the nation’s budget, which is already set to balloon under him, just as it did during his former term.

Nor has he acted on his vows to lower prices from Day One. Instead, inflation is back up to 3% and GDP growth has turned negative for the first time in years. Meanwhile, his on again, off again tariff schemes threaten broken supply lines, ever higher prices, and a realignment of international trade to the benefit of China.

In short, Trump has done little his voters hoped he would. Instead, he’s raised Elon Musk over his own Cabinet officials to unlawfully slash programs established by Congress, cancelled vital medical and scientific research projects, defied the courts with deportations that make a mockery of due process, bullied law firms, universities, and private companies, and turned against our allies, gutting America’s standing around the world.

All this and as he recently said, he’s just getting started.

Joe Glaser

Bowling Green

The post Bleak all around appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

He claims, without evidence, that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a member of the gang known as MS-13 and that he is suspected of human trafficking. Abrego Garcia did enter the U.S. illegally years ago after being threatened by gang members who were extorting money from his parents. After being in court a number of times, a judge ruled that he could stay in the U.S. because going back to El Salvador would put him in grave danger. Since then, Abrego Garcia has never been charged with a crime and has reported to ICE yearly as required.

Thomas claims that Abrego Garcia was given due process. Yes – YEARS AGO and by an IMMIGRATION judge. But on March 12 of this year he was arrested without being charged with a crime. He was then shipped off with other detainees to a prison in El Salvador WITHOUT due process. The other detainees were not charged or given due process, either. They may be innocent or guilty, and it is impossible, at this point, to know one way or the other. In the U.S., even those suspected of the worst kind of crimes have the right to their day in court, and all are innocent until proven guilty. THIS is why many of us are so appalled by these actions by the Trump Administration. It’s less about the detainees than about the rule of law.

The Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority and three justices nominated by Trump, has ruled 9-0 that Abrego Garcia be returned to the US. But Trump, the convicted felon, continues to defy the Supreme Court ruling.

Denise Zielinski

Bowling Green

The post Thomas off base appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

As we all know, Donald J. Trump is currently busy making his mark on the modern world. Hardly a day passes in which the news cycle doesn’t include a rundown of his latest adventures.

For better or worse, he is pursuing his agenda with enthusiasm and a sense of urgency not seen since perhaps FDR at the beginning of his first term.

Some call it destiny; Trump was meant to be. I believe his rise to power was predicated on an exceptional set of cultural, political, and economic circumstances unique to our era.

Which got me to wondering. Would Trump have been as successful had he lived earlier in our nation’s trajectory? Would his distinctive brand have appealed to previous generations? How would his approach to leadership potentially have changed the course of history.

It’s certainly something to think about. If Trump had been involved in our collective history, how might things have been different in our country? Or the world?

For example, what if Trump had been at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Can’t you just hear him say, “Hancock thinks he’s got such a great signature. What a loser. Let me show you what a real signature looks like!”

School kids today would probably be learning his was the most famous signature on that sacred document.

Similarly, what if, instead of George Washington, Trump had been commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. I can almost hear him now: “Benedict, I’m putting you in charge of West Point. Some people are telling me not to trust you, but nobody is a better judge of character than me.”

Speaking of Washington, how might things have turned out differently if Trump had been our first president?

“You want me to be your king? I accept. You know, I alone can make the United States great. That crazy idea you guys had about electing a president every four years will never work.”

Moving on to the Civil War, just imagine how the outcome might have been different had Trump been president instead of Lincoln.

“Free the slaves? Have you lost your mind? Do you realize how much they are saving us in labor costs. And anyway, if they didn’t want to be slaves, they shouldn’t have come to this country.”

Then there was the Great Depression. What if, instead of FDR, Trump had been there to navigate us through the worst economic crisis the world has ever seen?

“Use government funds to help people survive hard times? I don’t think so. What kind of a deranged idea is that? It’s the immigrants’ fault anyway. If they weren’t in this country illegally, there would be plenty of jobs for everyone. So instead of massive building projects, I’m going to focus on massive deportations.”

And consider what those legendary fireside chats would have been like with Trump: “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Next, what if Trump had been president during World War II.

“I like the emperor of Japan. We get along great. He even sent me a nice letter. My intelligence people tell me he may be planning a sneak attack, but when I asked him about it, he said no. So relax.”

Moreover, consider how Trump might have negotiated the end of World War II.

“Look, Winston, Adolf said he’d stop bombing your country if you gave him Scotland. Sounds reasonable to me. Do you want this war to end or not? Just give him Scotland or don’t expect to get any more help from us. And anyway, I still don’t know why you started this war in the first place.”

Moving into my lifetime, remember the Cuban missile crisis? JFK arguably prevented World War III. How do you think Trump would have handled it?

“Blockade? That’s ridiculous. They are only talking about a few ‘intermediate’ range missiles. And by-the-way, Khrushchev, who is a really smart guy, said they would name the missile base in my honor. So let their ships through!”

Yes, things might have turned out differently if Trump had been born in a different era. Luckily, we get to experience him in the present.

We should all be grateful.

— Aaron W. Hughey is a university distinguished professor in the Department of Counseling and Student Affairs at Western Kentucky University.

The post Just think how history might have been different… appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

Park officials have asserted communication problems with the company Geenex, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based company which intends to build solar panels across more than 2,300 acres in Barren.

Barren County essentially has no applicable zoning regulations, so the local government cannot stop the project, but Mammoth Cave National Park has shared its concerns with the state.

“The (National Park Service) has unsuccessfully sought clarity to specific questions (1) would electricity be stored on-site in batteries? (2) what type of batteries would be used? (3) what steps or measures would be installed to prevent leaking or spilling of chemicals from these batteries, or other specific infrastructure … ,” a letter dated April 15 from park Superintendent Barclay Trimble to the Kentucky Public Service Commission states.

“Since these questions remain unanswered after multiple attempts to have dialogue with (Geenex) LLC over the past several months, the NPS is choosing to speak out in opposition of this project … .”

This clean-energy sector has not been without problems at times. According to a 2022 Popular Science magazine article, Dustin Mulvaney, an environmental studies professor at San José State University in California whose research focuses on solar energy commodity chains, says … “Violations (can) be “really manageable problems” that the companies should have had under control. “Where (solar farms often) go wrong is they assume they understand the landscape,” Mulvaney says. But when building starts, “they run into endangered species conflicts, stormwater issues, and air pollution issues.”

We certainly are not suggesting there would be problems, but a careful and open analysis on any potential effects on the park ecosystem would no doubt provide clarity for the park and Barren County residents.

The post More info on solar farm could ease tensions appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

That image, with the child’s full name, was published by WKU’s own student newspaper.

Let that sink in. A preschooler. On a public college campus. In front of a stage. Handing money to an adult performer. And the institution that allowed it didn’t just condone it, they hosted it.

Where were the age restrictions? Where was the adult judgment? Where was the basic decency?

This isn’t about drag as an art form. It’s not about hate or division. It’s about harm.

Let’s be clear: adults have the right to express themselves. Drag, like other performance art, is protected speech. And for many, it serves as a place of community and identity. That’s not in question.

What is in question is why children are being brought into these spaces. This isn’t a gray area, it’s a failure to protect. That boundary should be absolute.

Public colleges, funded by your tax dollars, are not meant to be cultural battlegrounds. They are not meant to expose young children to adult themes under the excuse of “inclusivity.”

This is why action must be taken, and this time, it must go further than statements of outrage. It must lead to real, lasting change.

In 2023, the state of Tennessee passed a law banning adult cabaret performances, including drag shows, from taking place in public spaces or anywhere minors could be present. Kentucky tried to follow suit with Senate Bill 147 in 2024. That bill would’ve created clear boundaries, prohibiting adult-themed performances near schools, parks, and churches, and keeping minors out of these events entirely.

It passed the Senate but died in the House. That can’t happen again.

We must demand that our legislature bring SB 147 back in 2026 and pass it.

Kentucky should adopt a total ban on adult-themed performances, including drag shows, on public university grounds, with strict, non-negotiable age restrictions for any adult-oriented event in public venues. No child should ever be present at or near a sexually expressive performance.

Public universities should not be taking sides in divisive cultural movements. Their role is to educate, not to indoctrinate.

We are not powerless. We are parents. We are voters. We are protectors. And it’s time we act like it.

Call your legislators. Demand the return and passage of SB 147. Make it clear: children are off-limits.

This isn’t a time for silence. If you say nothing, you’ve made your choice. There is no middle ground, you’re either protecting children, or you’re allowing them to be exposed.

So, the question is: will you be one of the few who stood up, or the many who looked away? Because in the end, you’ll either be the reason the line was held, or the reason it was lost.

Enough is enough.

— Semir Nailovic is a father from Bowling Green.

The post Enough is enough: It’s time to protect our children appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.

After a lengthy effort, the results of the “What Could BG Be” effort are in.

The program entailed gathering input on what people envision, and hope, the future of our community will be.

The impetus for the effort was the fact that Warren County is growing by proverbial leaps and bounds, with an expected 200,000 residents living here by 2050.

And as the saying goes, failing to be prepared is preparing to fail.

“Are we going to solve every problem, no,” Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman said at an unveiling event Tuesday. “But if we don’t make a plan for 2050, it will go to us and it will change.”

The “What Could BG Be” program ran from mid-February to mid-March. Members of the public were invited to share their ideas for how the community should change and grow over the next 25 years.

The program received 3,940 unique ideas from residents and over 1 million “agree” or “disagree” votes, according to whatcouldbgbe.com. The categories that received the most ideas were arts and culture at 644 ideas, infrastructure and transportation at 574 and community identity with 479.

Some of the responses were obviously unserious, but the majority showed a thoughtful approach to determining what our community should look like.

What ideas are unpractical, already in the works or should be added to the planning agenda will now be determined by our community leaders.

What those may be are obviously too early to determine at this point.

We commend the many people in the community for putting together and participating in this initiative, including Innovation Engine, Warren County government, the nonprofit Computational Democracy Project, more than 100 community leaders and Jigsaw, a division of Google.

We believe such planning efforts will pay dividends down the road.

The post ‘What Could BG Be’ was valuable exercise appeared first on Bowling Green Daily News.