Interview with former State Senator David Karem

[BridgeTheGap]

The "Lunch With" series in the Courier Journal has provided some interesting interviews. This one is with former State Senator David Karem of Louisville, who has some interesting insights into State government:

Lunch With...David Karem
David Karem, who knows better than almost anyone how legislative politics work.


We're glad you agreed to have lunch with us, because we know you'll talk frankly.

Right after I retired from the legislature, I was someplace with a group of people and they were saying, "He retired," and somebody said, "Now he can really say what he thinks," and two or three people in the group said, "What the hell are you talking about? He's always said what he thought. What do you mean? He can't get any more up-front than he has been."

How long have you been gone?

December 2004, so it's three years. I've been back three times, once for a seminar and twice for transition team meetings. I was on the Transportation transition team with Joe Prather and Ernesto Scorsone for Steve Beshear.

Are you happy with the Governor's appointments so far?

Yes. I think he needs to focus on youth some more. There's a legitimate complaint that – he's kind of heavy on the old-timers. But on the other hand, to get a guy like Prather, who's 67 or 68 years old, to say he'd head Transportation is a pretty amazing thing. There's that whole level of people from 30 to 45 that's just immensely talented that ought to be plugged in. (More):

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/OPINION06/80110043/1082/OPINION