LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Daniel Cameron, the Republican nominee for governor, rolled out his economic plan on Wednesday. The ten principles, which he's calling his "vision for prosperity," are a "commitment to rewarding hard work and expanding economic opportunities for all citizens," according to Cameron.
“In a Cameron Administration, we will reward a culture that respects work, not one that settles for government dependence," said Cameron. "We will lift up every Kentuckian who works hard, plays by the rules, and wants to give their children a better life.”
The principles include:
- Your money belongs to you, not the government
- Work is honorable
- Merit should determine outcomes
- The social safety net shouldn’t be a trap
- Families are the bedrock of society and economic policies should support them
- A strong education system builds a strong economy
- Kentucky should embrace its advantages, not run away from them
- Kentucky should be the best place in America to start and grow a business
- Rural communities deserve support and opportunity
- State government is the first line of defense against federal overreach
Cameron emphasized that he wants to be known as the "workforce governor." Part of his plan to fix Kentucky's low workforce participation rate is to add work requirements for "able-bodied people" on welfare programs.
However, experts argue that Kentucky must also attract out-of-state workers to fix its workforce issues. So, what is Cameron's plan to make Kentucky more attractive for people considering relocating to the Commonwealth? Good schools, safe streets, and getting to a zero percent income tax rate as soon as possible, said Cameron.
"One of the things you often hear about is folks travel down I-65S and they go to Tennessee because of the zero-income tax rate. I want them to stop and stay here in Kentucky because we have the competitive income tax rate here in our state," said Cameron. "I'm going to work hard to work to zero as quickly as we possibly can."
Cameron also criticized Beshear's economic policies, arguing that they don't serve all Kentuckians.
“The economic philosophy shared by Andy Beshear and Joe Biden looks like this: soaring inflation, higher gas prices, and an ever-growing welfare state that pays able-bodied workers to sit at home," said Cameron. "A vote for Beshear is a vote to validate these failed policies.
But the Beshear campaign, which has made economic success a significant part of the governor's re-election strategy, argues Cameron's plan is the one that's not good for Kentucky.
"Andy Beshear has cut taxes while bringing record-breaking economic investment to Kentucky year after year. Daniel Cameron's reckless plan is just a rerun of the Matt Bevin playbook of cutting health care access, privatizing our public schools, and raising taxes on working families to pay for a tax giveaway for the wealthy," said Alex Floyd, a spokesperson for the Beshear campaign. "Andy Beshear has been one of the best governors for economic development in the history of the Commonwealth; Cameron is offering tired, failed ideas that would set us back.”
