Sen. Rand Paul to visit Bardstown Friday for town hall event
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 (Corrects photo caption with correct time and date) — Bardstown is one of the final stops of Sen. Rand Paul’s series of town hall meetings that will have him crisscrossing the state beginning Tuesday in south central Kentucky/
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul will hold a town hall meeting 10:15 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19 at the Old Kentucky Dinner Train depot on North Third Street in Bardstown.
The Bardstown town hall meeting is set for 10:15 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at My Old Kentucky Dinner Train depot, 602 N. Third St. in Bardstown.
“I’ll be traveling the state and listening to what people and find out what’s going right with government or not working well,” Paul said Friday morning in an interview with WBRT.
“I’ll talk a little bit about what we’re trying to do to balance the budget, tackle the debt problem, and to combat the president’s regulations that are stifling the economy.”
While Paul is up for re-election this year, the town hall meetings are not campaign events.
“It’s really about inviting people from all (political) parties, its not a partisan event,” he said. “Anyone who wants to come from Nelson or surrounding counties is welcome.”
Paul’s office staff will be on hand as well to help constituents who may have specific issues with a government agency, which can include veterans’ issues, social security and others.
Paul noted that his staff now includes the recent addition of Nelson County resident Robert Augustine who represents Paul’s office in Nelson and several surrounding counties.
CONSTITUENT CONCERNS. Paul said that some concerns he hears from Kentuckians are universal and others vary by region.
“If you’re in the Eastern Kentucky or Western Kentucky coal-producing counties, they’re very upset with President Obama’s war on coal and his regulation,” he said.
Kentuckians who live near rivers and large lakes may have an issue or concern with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Those who live or work at Fort Knox or Fort Campbell may have concerns about changing missions or obtaining veteran services.
The town hall is an opportunity for Kentuckians to voice concerns and seek the assistance of his office.
Government waste is an issue that costs taxpayers millions of dollars every year, and Paul issues a weekly Waste Report highlighting specific wasteful spending.
A recent report revealed the government spent $2.5 million to study dating behavior the effect of first appearances. Last year, his report revealed the government paid $15 million for foreign students to attend community college in the U.S.
Paul said he’s an advocate for a balanced budget and reigning in spending. “We shouldn’t be spending more than we’re taking in,” he said.
The town hall meetings have helped Paul not only hear concerns, but have helped shape legislation.
“After meeting with Western Kentucky farmers, I got ideas for legislation I introduced last year,” he said. “It’s interactive government and that’s what you want — your government should respond to your concerns.”
The town hall meeting is a great way to do so, he said.
OTHER LOCATIONS. Paul has four town hall meetings set Saturday, Feb. 20, including two in Hardin County.
He’ll start Saturday with an 8 a.m. breakfast appearance at the Hilton at Lexington Green Rotunda, Lexington, followed by a town hall appearance at Crounse Hall at Centre College in Danville.
ELIZABETHTOWN. The first Hardin County meeting is 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Family Buffet on Towne Drive in Elizabethtown.
Paul will appear during part of Take Back Kentucky’s regular meeting that begins at 1 p.m. Other featured speakers include Ryan Quarles, Kentucky commissioner of agriculture, and a report by Bill Polyniak an industrial hemp grower. Legislation before the Kentucky General Assembly will also be reviewed.
RADCLIFF. The second town hall meeting is 4:30 p.m. at the Colvin Community Center on Freedoms Way in Radcliff.
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