in lexington, there is a smart board in every classroom. we need to educate children because they deserve a good, quality education and that is our future work force. we have inequities across the state that need to be changed. when we reform the way we do this, when we reward teachers, and then we turn around and give teachers bonuses for improving educational standards, it will separate the good teachers from the port teachers in terms of performance, and it would turn around and make a huge difference in our educational standards. >> let me move on until we get to congressman barrett. they will view it as a tax increase. >> we cannot say, "no, we are not going to touch that." it is important. >> i think the problem in the past, bena n and judy, is we have taken the wrong approach. i think we have to look at our tax system holistic lee. how we can come up with a system that is fair and flatter and that is more sustainable and more accountable, and i just think that is important if we are going to budget like you're talking about. i have a

we've got one question from lexington, you say that all things through got are possible. you were should? >> i will tell you that i am very proud of my parents. i am proud of the ways that the rate does. they talked as work ethic and everything that i know i am today. i will never apologize for that and i will always continue to be proud of everything that they have accomplished in this country because they reminded us every day how blessed we were to be here. i chose to become a christian woman. my husband is a christian man. we have a christian family. when they come to visit my church, absolutely i cut it visit their church. but the bottom line is that i chose the christian faith. what i know about christianity is that they are all except in and they bring more people in. they denied judge people. i attend a methodist church in lexington as do my husband and children. >> i think people have questions about things that they do not understand. explaining -- explain to us about the sikh faith and will let your conversion? >> we all have decisions to make. when mine -- whe

we have one question from lexington. he said at the end of your campaign commercial all things through got are possible. are you a christian, where do you attend? >> i am very proud of my parents. i am proud of the way they raise desperate they taught us work ethic, they taught us everything i know i am today. i'll never apologize that and will continue to be proud of everything accomplished in this country because they remind us every day of how blessed we were to be here. i chose to become a christian woman. my husband is a christian man. we have a christian family. when my parents asked us to visit their church, absolutely i do. the bottom line is, yes, i chose the christian faith. what i know about christianity is they are all accepting and try to bring more people in. they don't judge people. i attend methodist church in lexington, as does my family. >> to you mind explaining to people a little bit about the sikh faith, and what led to your conversion? >> we all have decisions to make. we decided to go with the chri

i now represent lexington county where every public school is like a private one. schools in lexington, there is a smart for. we have got to reform our education funding. we have to change the way to fund education. when we start to do that, including merit based pay for teachers, understanding we have to and sent -- incentivize this. if we have to think outside the box. we have to reform the way we fund education if we want to see any changes in the inequities. >> as a substitute teacher, i can tell you. the money should be in the classroom. do not the full. we continue to hear about money. if you do not put discipline back in the classroom and parents engaged in their children's education, you'll never fix the system. we have some schools that are great but those are schools that are filled with engaged parents. other schools, they cannot make it work matter how much money. my right hand and graduated from one of the worst schools in the president. he came from a broken home and qualified for free lunch. his mother decided education was first and foremost. he got

he goes back to lexington and concord which happened in 1775, as opposed to 1776.es of respect, honor, duty, service, and courage. it needs to be preserved in a significant way. i am pleased to co-host the ceremonies with many dignitaries from the national park service, john pills sector, the superintendent of the national mall and memorial parks. ladies and gentlemen, john piltzecker. >> thank you. good afternoon 3 on behalf of the national park service and the staff and volunteers of the national memorial parks, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the vietnam veterans more apparent the national park contains some of the oldest monuments and the national park service. they promote unity and remembrance, and giving us a way to recognize those who served and those who continued to serve our nation. the more and now there's 58,267 names of men and women who died or who were named missing in action. i extend a special welcome to the families and friends of the six servicemen whose names of recently been added to the wall. we come to honor those who have served in the

the moral and educate people about the values held by service members all all wars going back to lexingtonhley in 1775 as opposed to 1776. these are military values of respect, duty, service, integrity, honor,

equally, in college i drove from lexington, ky, and although i had not been there since the second grade i navigated without turning the wheel wrong. in 2008, after doing a lyover of legal and illegal mountain top removal, in sites, i drove to black blog holler, where my paternal grandmother was raised. i had never been there before. pulling onto blacked log, something ineffable, without word and deeper than memory, from a place so prrmal it transcends thought and conscious actions, i stopped at the foot of a long drive, and although i had ever seen it, i recognized it. i was not surprised when i looked at the mailbox and it said dalton, my grandmother's maiden name. my kin live there yet. >> the old woman accused me of being from the law, or a tax collector. [laughter] the only thing missing was a rifle across her lap. i do not see that light house as much as i feel it right here. but that a i feel for my mountain home is now more than a bittersweet nostalgia, accrues 3 inimical generations of belonging. there is a gaping wound in the fabric of my life and in the lives of all appalachia

now represent lexington county where every public schools like a private one. you go in there and there is a smart board in every classroom. where i grew up, they do not know what a smart board even is. when we start to do that, including merit-based pay for teachers, incentivizing and mentors, we will have to think outside of boston and understand is all our communities get involved. we have to reform education if we want to see any changes in the inequities in this state -- as a substitute teacher, the money ought to be in the classrooms. but do not be fooled. we continue to hear about money for it if you don't put discipline back in the classroom and give parents in these struggles back engage in their child behavior and their child's education, you never fix the education system. we have schools that are great. their schools better filled with parents that are engaged -- go to other schools and they cannot make you work no matter how much money you pour into them. my right hand man graduate from the worst schools in the country. like me, he came from what c

i have a small business in lexington, virginia. there hasn't been any help or aid to those small business owners. if mr. obama wanted to do something to help the small business owners, he would not say employs more people. he would take care of the peopl3 that they have already instead of saying higher more people that they can't afford. you keep giving credits and benefits and assistance to people who can't afford homes -- that is how we got into this such a wish and that we are in now. host: what is your business? caller: we make headstones. host: how many people you employ? caller: what would be the most beneficial federal program for you right now? if you have a business loan, you have to refinance every five years. when you start out to -- start out your mortgage and loan, half of that five years you pay off so much amount of money off of that and you go to write off -- refinance, if the interest rate was lower each times of the interest rate is not hire each time, it would be very beneficial to the small business owner. we ar

host: next up, lexington, kentucky, bill on our line for independents, you're on the "washington journal." caller: hi. hope everybody's doing well out there this morning. i am totally, totally affected at the moment as an american. i grew up being fed the american dream. i did some years as a military professional fighting to keep people free who were back here totally undermining the foundation that the american population stands upon. they were institutionalizing oppression. these banks have not failed for the first time. they fail on a periodic basis. what i've seen through firsthand observations is approximately every six to 10 years, this country has a banking crisis. now, whatever current crisis in the gulf, this is a human crisis caused by big oip. crisis caused by big oip. my observation indicates that the banking crisis, if it was caused by the housing failure, the housing industry failure, that, in fact, was caused by big oil coming in and taking $5 a gallon for gas away from americans who could not afford that. all of their reserves were depleted as a result of that, and the f

i have two kids in the city school system in lexington right now, and there's a lot of poverty. . and then they're going to lay off teachers. washington should step forward to protect those teachers. >> secretary marshall, as of late, we say a growing amount of union activity in our state, up to and including union backing opponnnts of north carolina congressman who voted against health care reform, and even the state employees association affiliating with the union, for lack of a better term. what about this growing trend? >> they certainly are free to exercise their