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Courier-Journal
October 2, 2003
(Editor's note: The memorial was sponsored by the Kentucky Fire Commission,
a division of KCTCS)
Three firefighters added to Kentucky's memorial
172 have died in line of duty across state
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Brenda Taylor believes that in the two years since the
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, many people have come to take
for granted the sacrifices of firefighters.
"Since 9/11 everything has sort of calmed down and people kind of forget
about the other firefighters that go down," said Taylor, whose husband,
Capt. Kenneth Wayne Taylor of the Madisonville Fire Department, died a year
ago while fighting a fire.
"They're just as important," she said. "I just think the community
needs to be more aware of our firefighters and appreciate them so much more
for what they do, because they do give their lives for us."
The names of Kenneth Taylor and Randy G. Utley, who died in the past year,
and Joseph Roszmann of Elsmere, who died in 1956 but whose sacrifice only recently
was made known to officials, were added yesterday to the Kentucky Fallen Firefighters
Memorial in Frankfort.
The additions brought to 172 the names of Kentucky firefighters who have died
in the line of duty. About 200 people, mostly firefighters from across the state,
gathered on the sunny hillside surrounding the monument for the annual service
to unveil additions to the memorial.
"This place is here as a perpetual reminder of your loved one, of what
they've done and what they've given," Stewart Dawson, chaplain of the Lexington
Division of Fire, told families of the fallen firefighters. "We want you
to know we haven't forgotten. We're here for you. Just call on us."
Gov. Paul Patton said that during a 22-year career in public service, he has
worked closely with firefighters.
"I know for a fact that these are unique people, people endowed with perhaps
a little bit more commitment to public service," Patton said. "They
are people that take their responsibility seriously, and people that have demonstrated
time after time that they will do the job, although they recognize it is a dangerous
job and that some will be required to pay the ultimate sacrifice."
Throughout the ceremony Christy Utley, who was divorced from Randy Utley at
the time of his death, wept and tried to comfort their only son David, who is
10. "This day, this service, means a whole lot to us. It's very special,"
she said.
Randy Utley's mother, Sue Utley, said, "This is a great honor and I appreciate
everything people have done to make it happen. Randy always cared for people.
He always wanted to help."
Sue Utley said her son was an emergency medical technician as well as a volunteer
firefighter. "It was in his soul," she said. "He was a person
who stopped to help people."
Utley, 30, of Grayson, died June 16. While responding to an emergency call
to rescue victims of a flood, his vehicle hydroplaned on a wet road and slammed
into a billboard post, his mother said.
Taylor, 49, suffered smoke inhalation while fighting a Madisonville fire on
Oct. 9, 2002. He died two days later.
"He was a firefighter for 26 years. He was a captain and was working shift
commander that day. He did not even have to go into the structure, but Kenny
always believed that he wouldn't send his men in unless he went in first,"
said Brenda Taylor.
Roszmann, 56, an Elsmere firefighter, suffered a heart attack and died during
an ambulance call in 1956.
Officials were unaware of his story when the memorial was erected four years
ago with the names of Kentucky firefighters who had died in the line of duty
up to then.
"His situation was brought to our attention by some of his descendants
within the past year," said Bruce Roberts, chairman of the Kentucky State
Fire Commission and president of the Kentucky Professional Firefighters Association,
an organization of full-time paid firefighters.
The memorial is a joint project of the two organizations and the Kentucky Firefighters
Association, an organization of volunteer firefighters.
Messenger-Inquirer
October 3, 2003
Owensboro tech center remains priority for KCTCS
In My View, Michael B. McCall
When dollars are limited, state-funded capital construction projects become
precious, and communities compete to secure the scarce resources that are available.
Against this backdrop, Owensboro and other communities find themselves vying
for the same pool of money to fund proposals to build technology centers and
other projects.
Recent articles in the Messenger-Inquirer have focused on proposed funding
for the Advanced Technology Center proposed by Owensboro Community and Technical
College. Please allow me to present insights from the Kentucky Community and
Technical College System on this important issue.
The Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997 created KCTCS and promised
greater access to higher education for all Kentuckians. The act also carried
the promise of objectively coordinating the post-secondary education funding
process for colleges, universities and their capital projects. Every two years
each higher education institution reviews its six-year capital plan, which comprises
infrastructure, renovations and construction projects that exceed a value of
$400,000. The first two years of the six-year plan become the biennial capital
budget request.
The KCTCS capital budget request for 2004-2006 includes the Owensboro Advanced
Technology Center. Owensboro supports this important project -- a $24 million,
87,000-square-foot facility proposed through an innovative partnership between
OCTC and Western Kentucky University.
The Advanced Technology Center would house state-of-the-art industrial technology
facilities and equipment, plus information technology programming. This facility
is needed to meet the training and education needs of the region's employers
as well as its citizens. The technology center proposal is supported by the
OCTC board of directors and administration, business and industry, civic and
community leaders, the media and political leaders.
KCTCS supports the Owensboro project as well. In the 2004-2006 capital budget
request, our board of regents ranked the Owensboro project in the top five of
all projects we proposed across the commonwealth. That is no small accomplishment.
The 2004-2006 capital budget request for KCTCS comprises 50 projects valued
at nearly $405 million.
The goal of the KCTCS capital budget request is to ensure that facilities,
equipment and infrastructure are in place for growth of our system. The request
mirrors the needs of our colleges and provides the KCTCS Board of Regents with
a clear understanding of needed capital projects and operating costs associated
with the projects. KCTCS has established a process and criteria to prioritize
projects that colleges propose.
The capital budget request encompasses new construction, maintenance, renovation
and expansion of existing facilities, equipment acquisitions, information technology
equipment and property leases. The process that leads to the request begins
with each college assessing its needs and ranking projects, which are compiled
into the integrated six-year capital plan for KCTCS. The projects are ranked
based on the following priorities:
-- Infrastructure projects to integrate administrative operations to improve
service to KCTCS institutions
-- Completion of projects funded during a previous biennium
-- Developing comprehensive colleges
-- Life safety and health
-- Protecting investment in the physical plant
-- Economic development
-- Availability of matching funds or privately donated funding
-- Expanding educational access into areas not served by KCTCS
-- Adaptive reuse of existing facilities
-- Promoting cooperation among higher education institutions
-- Extenuating factors
College presidents make initial proposals and provide input on rankings of
projects. After the presidents' review and comment, the rankings are submitted
for review and adoption by the KCTCS Board of Regents.
KCTCS then submits the two-year capital budget request to the Kentucky Council
on Postsecondary Education. The CPE forwards its capital plan and budget for
all of post-secondary education to the governor and the General Assembly. The
General Assembly possesses final authority over the budget.
The 2004-2010 KCTCS capital plan -- which covers three consecutive two-year
periods -- includes 129 projects valued at $789 million. Across KCTCS, valid
capital construction requests come from each of the 16 districts -- a regional
post-secondary education center for Ashland, an expanded campus in Northern
Kentucky and a technology center in Franklin, just to name a few. Three technology
centers were proposed by western Kentucky colleges within 45 miles of each other
-- in Owensboro, Henderson and Madisonville.
The people of Kentucky, through their elected leaders, have charged KCTCS and
its colleges with providing quality, affordable post-secondary education and
workforce training. Combining the state's public two-year colleges into a comprehensive,
flexible and responsive system, KCTCS is a catalyst for economic development
and enhanced educational attainment. KCTCS has achieved remarkable growth over
five years, increasing enrollment 56 percent to more than 71,000 students.
Between now and the legislative session in early 2004, KCTCS encourages community
leaders of Owensboro to support adequate funding for all of post-secondary education
and the KCTCS capital budget request. Your continued support of KCTCS is key
to our service to Owensboro and the commonwealth as a whole.
-----
Michael B. McCall is president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College
System.
Herald-Leader
October 6, 2003
Don't blame legislature for higher tuition
By David L. Williams
The Herald-Leader's assertion that state colleges and universities raised their
tuition because the General Assembly "failed to fund these institutions
adequately" cannot be further from reality.
The fact is that university presidents left budget hearings generally pleased
with our dedication and commitment to higher education funding. We appropriated
$1.107 billion in fiscal year 2002-03 and $1.168 billion in fiscal year 2003-04
for the universities and community and technical colleges.
The universities were given agency bond authorization in the amount of $155
million in fiscal year 2002-03 to accommodate increased enrollment and make
needed fire/safety improvements. Further, we fully funded the Bucks for Brains
program and increased funding for needs-based scholarships.
There is no evidence that the higher tuition levels have priced any Kentucky
student out of the higher education market. The Herald-Leader itself reported
that the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Community and Technical College
System had record enrollments. In fact, there have been record enrollments across
the state. And UK called this year's incoming students "its most academically
talented class."
Obviously, neither quantity nor quality has suffered, and it would be wrong
to limit university boards' freedom to set tuition as they see fit.
Overwhelmingly, Kentuckians have expressed through phone calls, e-mails, and
letters to our office that they simply are not confident that state government
is a good steward of their hard-earned tax dollars, and consequently Kentuckians
are opposed to tax increases as advocated by the editorial board.
By enacting common-sense fiscal reforms, Senate Republicans were able to provide
more scholarship funding, both need- and merit-based, than ever before in the
state.
The state already heavily subsidizes the costs of higher education for every
student. When a student attends UK, he or she pays in tuition and fees only
32.6 percent of what his or her education truly costs; the state's general tax
dollars pay the other 67.4 percent.
Seventy percent of freshmen entering public universities and 65 percent entering
private institutions receive some form of state assistance, and we must assure
that the levels of assistance to students in need continue to allow access to
higher education for all of our citizens.
In lean times, when the General Assembly faces pressure from the increased
costs of Medicaid, elementary and secondary education, and corrections, it does
not seem unreasonable or unfair to ask students who can afford to do so to bear
a somewhat larger percentage of the cost of their education.
Since the Republicans won the Senate majority in 2000, we have proven dedicated
to improving education funding, quality, accountability and access. That will
remain our guiding principal in the coming legislative session.
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