Lexington Herald-Leader from Lexington, Kentucky • A9

THURSDAY DECEMBER 28 2017 9AOpinionKENTUCKY.COM FACEBOOK.COM/HLOPINIONS TWITTER.COM/HL OPINIONS YOUR OPINION Views: Letters and columns to the editor are the exclusive property of the Herald-Leader. Requirements include: Letters 200-word limit; columns 650-word limit; Include full name, street address, phone number To reach us, mail to: Letters to the editor, Lexington Herald-Leader, 100 Midland Avenue, Lexington, Ky. 40508; Email: Fax: (859) 231-3332; Editors: 231-1393, 231-3340 Jamie Lucke Associate Editorial Page Editor Jacalyn Carfagno Editorial Writer Rufus M. Friday Publisher Vanessa Gallman Editorial Page Editor Joel Pett Cartoonist EDITORIALS In the coming year voters will decide every council seat in the Lexing- County gov- ernment and choose a new mayor. That makes it a good time to ramp up the con- versation about local role in economic development.

The traditional ap- proach has been simply, jobs, jobs, jobs. But signs are com- mon here and the coun- jobless rate is only 3.1 percent what econo- mists call full employ- ment. With so many people working and jobs unfilled we need to beg for more jobs. Instead, we should be talking about how to attract better, higher-paying jobs and, equally important, prepare workers for them. And we must figure out how to track the results so tax- payers know they are getting a bang for their economic-development bucks.

what the city has done with its two-year-old jobs fund. Managed in- ternally, overseen by a board of public officials and private-sector appoin- tees. The program sets a minimum average wage threshold based on the average median income for the area. Now $18.09 an hour in wages, exclusive of benefits. It targets four sectors advanced manufacturing, technology, professional shared services and health care companies that locate their head- quarters here.

Applicants specify how many jobs will be created at each hourly wage rate, so clear all workers are earning a decent wage, rather than an average inflated by a few highly- paid managers. The program is new and relatively small 20 companies have received grants or loans, creating 176 jobs and over $10 million in payroll but the targeted approach and detailed accountability can and should be part of any public investment. Both were missing from the report Commerce Lexington, which receives almost $500,000 annual- ly in public funds from the local government to pur- sue economic develop- ment in Fayette County, gave to a council committee in November. It is harder to define and measure the recruit- ment and relationship- building part of Commerce work, but it was hard to understand either the strategy or measurable results, and many of the council ques- tions went unanswered. The burden to correct that lies with the council and the new mayor, who must be more active in setting priorities and defining the metrics for measuring the work the public underwrites at Commerce Lexington.

At that same meeting the committee heard about the $300,000 in workforce development grants awarded to organi- zations to train people to get jobs or better jobs. Here again, in contrast to Commerce Lexington, the criteria for making awards and the reporting require- ments were clear and specific. County is a smart and prosperous place where too many people still get or qualify for jobs that will give them a decent living. As this election year unfolds, those who want to lead us must provide a clear plan to assure that every public dollar is well spent to support an econo- my that lifts everyone who wants to work. Focus economic strategy UTILITIES TARGETING SOLAR Energy freedom in Kentucky is in its infancy, yet it is in peril.

Solar is the most viable renew- able source here, so legislators passed a law called under which utilities give customers who generate extra power from solar panels a credit. Defeated last year, utilities are again seeking to dismantle the net metering law. They claim that solar customers pose a burden because the utility gives them credit for extra daytime power, which the utility resells to the nextdoor neigh- bor at full retail price. This arrangement, called a to customers with independ- ent solar systems, is actually a gift to the utility. Solar panels produce power during the daytime hours, generating the most during the peak-demand hours.

This power, if not used on the spot, flows into the grid and is worth 23 cents per kilo- watt-hour at peak times. The off- peak power solar customers use after sundown is worth six cents per kilowatt-hour. So, net-meter customers trade power valued three times more than the power they receive to be connected to the grid. This is hardly a subsidy to the net-metered cus- tomers; indeed, net-metering sub- sidizes the utilities. Net-metered customers are willing to participate in this arrangement in order to encourage more residential solar installations and support the good- paying jobs this emerging industry creates.

The Kentucky Solar Energy So- ciety urges everyone to contact their legislators and tell them to leave the current net-metering law in place. Wallace McMullen Chair, Ky. Solar Energy Society Louisville WHY ACID RAIN IS OUT It seems the late 1980s and 1990s are making a comeback, with new music genres like Vaporwave and Mallsoft. I got curious about something that was heavy on the minds of the people of that time. talking about acid rain, the environmental phantom haunting not just the minds but the televisions shows and news of the era.

When I researched why this scare fell off the face of the Earth, I found a wild and innovative pioneering of policy that melds both care for the environment and helping the pollut- ing firms make more money through lowering their emissions. talking about the fourth amendment to the Clean Water Act in 1990, which made great strides in transforming acid rain into a blip. The Environmental Protection Agency handled the problem by first putting a cap on emissions, but the real engine in the policy was the issuing of permits that firms could use to produce more or trade with other firms for profit. This initiative worked wonders on both lowering sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution and getting firms involved in cleaning up the air around them. Tyler Fister Richmond HELP NATIONS GROW In my economic research on the environment, come across findings that suggest a relationship between economic growth and environmental quality.

The relation- ship is as follows: Initially, as per capita income increases for a na- tion, environmental quality tends to suffer at increasing rates. However, once reaching a more prosperous per capita income, environmental quality will increase. This is similar to how the United States started in the Industrial Rev- olution. As our nation started into industry, our concern was not with how much we were polluting, per- haps because we did not know any better. As our nation has grown to what it is today, we have better incomes and better regulations on the amount of pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and lead, just to name a few.

Perhaps when we look to devel- oping countries, the solution to their pollution problems is to let them grow to be able to afford and imple- ment their own environmental policies. help these countries grow so that they can help them- selves rather than implement harsh environmental restrictions that only keep these countries poor. Zachary Stone Richmond LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Instead of responding to the facts about the recent tax reform debate, the editorial writers at the Herald-Leader seem to, once again, choose to blame me for everything including things I spe- cifically fought to pre- vent. So I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight. The recent suggestion that I am somehow re- sponsible for the new tax on Berea College is not only factually incorrect, but it also ignores the hypocrisy coming from Senate Democrats.

I was proud to work with my colleagues in Congress and the Trump administration to deliver tax reform. When Presi- dent Trump signed our bill into law, he ensured that taxes for Kentucky families will be lower, simpler and fairer. Small businesses will also get much-needed relief to help them grow, invest and hire. This tax reform law is an important step to getting our economy growing again, and the people of Kentucky will begin to see the benefits in their paychecks soon. The tax reform bill was the result of a years-long effort which included dozens of hearings, com- mittee markups and an open amendment pro- cess.

This bill became law through the regular order, and any argument to the contrary simply ignores the facts. Senate Democrats opposed this tax relief legislation every step of the way. worse, at the last moment, they launched a direct assault against an institution dedicated to helping low-income students earn a college degree. I sup- ported a provision of the tax reform bill to protect institutions like Berea College, a school which offers a tuition-free edu- cation to students who may have no other oppor- tunity to afford college. Many of students come from the Appa- lachian region, and the average house- hold income is less than $30,000 per year.

The measure I cham- pioned would have en- sured that en- dowment suffer a tax in the same way as schools like Harvard University. illogical that a school like Berea should be taxed like Har- vard, whose endowment is almost 30 times larger and used as aggres- sively to make tuition more affordable, let alone to pursue a tuition-free mission like By exploiting a proce- dural tactic, the Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, unani- mously voted to strike a provision of the tax re- form bill that protected the school. They took out their hostility to tax re- form on schools like Berea and penalized them despite the fact that Berea provides scholar- ships to low-income stu- dents. And they chose to do it after the same provi- sion had already passed the Senate before we went to conference.

Berea, founded as a Christian college by abo- litionists in 1855, uses its endowment from gener- ous donors to give schol- arships to every one of its students. But Senate Democrats chose partisan politics over good ideas and ensured exact- ly what happened. Now, Berea may be subjected to an added tax of nearly $1 million every year. president has already explained what the result of this new tax will be. The school will be forced to offer scholar- ships to fewer students, denying some of Ken- poorest young people the chance to earn a college degree.

Sanders and the Demo- crats need to raise this objection. They could have left the protection for schools like Berea in place and still voted against the bill, thereby sparing Berea from this tax. But instead, the man who claims to believe that our country should have free college for all decided to push a penalty on a school that offers tuition-free education. utterly illogical, and it stand. Since Democrats struck protection from the bill, I have spoken with the presi- dent to tell him I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress, including Con- gressman Andy Barr, to solve the problem.

By undoing this partisan attack, we can help Berea continue its inspiring work for stu- dents. Mitch McConnell is senior senator and majority leader of the United States Senate. BLAME ME FOR TAX ON BEREA COLLEGE Democrats killed protection BY MITCH MCCONNELL At issue: Herald-Leader editorial, Berea College to enrich Donald JOEL PETT IS AWAY FROM THE DRAWING BOARD. LOOK FOR HIS YEAR-IN-REVIEW THIS SUNDAY TOM WASHINGTON POST.