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Carroll: Whitehaven 'Singled Out' in Proposed Cuts

Carroll: Whitehaven 'Singled Out' in Proposed Cuts
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Jan. 18, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 18, 2018 | 11:32 AM | PADUCAH, KY
Kentucky Senator Danny Carroll is weighing in on Governor Matt Bevin's proposed elimination of state funding for a popular local welcome center.

Bevin released his proposal Tuesday, which would bring six percent across the board spending cuts, and eliminate 70 programs. Among those being targeted for removal is funding for the Whitehaven Welcome Center in Paducah.

Bevin has called the cuts "significant yet strategic". In an interview Thursday morning on the Greg Dunker Show on News Talk 94.3 FM, Carroll said he hasn't yet reviewed every line of the governor's proposed budget cuts, but he expressed concern over eliminating funding for what he describes as an important landmark in the community.

"It appears that Whitehaven was singled out. Before getting too upset about that, I want to make sure I understand exactly what the proposal is. I studied the budget last night, but didn't really get through all of it. Right now there's a lot of unanswered questions." Carroll said.

Carroll said Whitehaven is much more than just a highway rest stop. 

"I don't want to compare [Whitehaven] to other rest stops throughout the state. I want to compare it to many welcome centers that basically offer a higher level of service than just a regular rest stop," He said. "It's a huge asset to our community, and it is heavily used by travellers coming through. It's a way for us to promote our community, and so it's something we're taking very seriously."

Whitehaven, located along I-24 in Paducah, is the only historic house in America to be restored as an interstate tourist welcome center. Rescued from possible destruction in 1981 by Paducah Community College, the estate home survived and in March 1984 was listed on the National Register of Historic Placed by the United States Department of Interior.

Carroll added that just because the governor is proposing cuts to various programs, that doesn't necessarily mean all of those cuts will happen. He said we will know more as the legislative process unfolds in weeks to come.

"I understand the need for cutbacks, but it's still early in this. We really don't have a good grasp on exactly what the governor meant by cutting all these programs," Carroll said. "We're just now starting to have those conversations. Just getting down into the weeds of the budget, that's where we'll get those answers. I hope to know more today about Whitehaven, and maybe what the governor's office was thinking when that decision was made."

Click the link below to read more about all 70 of the proposed cuts in Governor Bevin's budget proposal.

On the Net:

Bevin's Budget Could Cut These 70 Programs
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