Progressivism In Our Town
Little more than a year ago, The Federalist sounded an alarm for conservatives in red states across America. Noting that wokeness and identity politics was embraced in blue states like California, or red state urban areas, like Austin, TX, the author argues that Leftist ideas had infiltrated small towns in red states across America – unnoticed and unchallenged by local Republicans.
The author references a small town in east Tennessee with examples like a progressive reading list at the library, the town’s left-leaning newspaper, and the role of a radically leftist statewide organization in electing a progressive member to the “ostensibly” nonpartisan city council.
While I haven’t studied the reading lists at the Warren County Public Library, regular listeners to Talk 104.1 are familiar with the format change of The Morning Show. Broadcast on 104.1 FM from 6:00 – 8:30 a.m., the traditionally conservative commentary changed when talk show host Chad Young stepped away from the microphone and was replaced by Brian “Slim” Nash in 2021. The Bowling Green Daily News reports that Nash is a “a self-described liberal who fought as a city commissioner for a fairness ordinance that would have extended discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.” While Nash says the show is “not about my opinion,” he acknowledges that it has traditionally been a conservative show. “The station’s management knew I was not a conservative,” Nash said.
A case can also be made for the progressive agenda creeping into local government. In November 2018, Dana Beasley-Brown was first elected to the Bowling Green City Commission and subsequently re-elected in 2020. Carlos Bailey joined Beasley-Brown on the City Commission in 2020. Brown and Bailey were among a slate of progressive candidates endorsed by The New Power PAC, a political action committee formed in 2010 by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. The New Power PAC, which raised $219,327.39 between 2019-2020, states that it “helps elect candidates that share our values and vision.” In a 2018 candidate endorsement, Meta Mendel-Reyes, chairperson of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, writes that through the New Power PAC, “ordinary Kentuckians and progressive candidates are working together to reclaim a democratic Commonwealth.”
The City Commission is composed of four commissioners and the mayor. It’s not a far stretch to imagine the New Power PAC backing a third progressive candidate in the 2022 elections, and if successful, would give the movement a majority vote in city government.
Born out of an alarming concern about the progressive movement in our community, Warren County Conservatives formed in 2020. Our mission is to represent the conservative voice in Warren County by:
- Endorsing and supporting candidates, elected officials and policy initiatives that promote individual freedom, limited government, and traditional American values.
- Mobilizing citizens to resist political progressivism in our community
- Providing a platform for conservatives to share news and perspectives
For the latest local conservative news, visit Warren County Conservatives on Facebook or Twitter.
Contributed by Tonja Tuttle, Proud Deplorable and Chair, Warren County Conservatives
Ron Cummings
Candidate, Magistrate District 6, Warren County Fiscal Court
No response from the Warren County Conservatives Candidate Survey.
In The News
Magistrate candidates debate issues arising from growth
Hot topic: Magistrate candidates give views on volunteer fire departments
Eric Aldridge
Candidate, Magistrate District 5, Warren County Fiscal Court
WCC Community Conversation with Eric Aldridge
| Office | Magistrate, District 5 |
| Party | Republican |
| Candidate | Eric Aldridge |
| Background | Eric Aldridge, owner of Southern Kentucky Granite since 2010 |
| Support evening meetings and publishing minutes on Fiscal Court website? | YES |
| Willing to actively communicate to constituents with regular reports? | YES |
| Acknowledges that elected officials work for constituents. The Fiscal Court should receive and act on opinions of citizens regarding taxes, infrastructure, growth limits & recycling. | YES |
| The Fiscal Court should review and update the county Ethics Code annually. The Court should incorporate instructions about how to make an ethics complaint, ethics meeting information, ethics contact information on the Fiscal Court website. The county should appoint an ombudsman to evaluate conflicts of interest and evaluate complaints. | YES |
| Roads, schools, water, gas, internet, communications – and NOT libraries, parks, sidewalks or recreation – should be prioritized for one-time funding allocations, like ARPA. | YES |
| Before new developments are approved, the following infrastructure should be in place: roads, water, sewer, electricity, gas and schools. Controls and penalties should be incorporated into the county’s growth plan. | NEITHER YES NOR NO, Not sure this is a yes or no answer. Not sure penalties can be given. I would need clarification on this question to answer properly |
| Cut real property tax rate 1.25% annually for 4 years with a goal of a 10 percent decrease in the real property tax rate over 8 years? | YES, If the numbers presented are accurate |
| In coordination with the Warren County Sheriff’s office, allocate resources for citizen crime prevention programs? | YES |
| The Fiscal Court should develop a contingency plan for an influx of immigrants in Warren County. | YES |
| Take action to promote limited government by identifying and eliminating redundancies to reduce waste. | YES |
| Supports voluntary term limits of no more than two terms for any Warren County elected official? | YES, I am for term limits. Not sure on the two term limit. I am leaning more to the three term side. |
In The News
Hot topic: Magistrate candidates give views on volunteer fire departments