The Harlan County Chamber of Commerce heard a presentation from state Sen. Brandon Smith during the regular monthly meeting Wednesday as he touched briefly on the problems surrounding today’s economy.

“It is a very difficult period — not like I have seen before. There’s no map, there’s no book for us to go to follow. But what I can say is there are some basic rules — two and two is always going to make four, so in order to get us out of this mess we need to rely on things we know to be true,” said Smith. “We’ve got to work our way out. We have got to keep our head down to do it. We are already $900 million in the hole, from what I have been told, for our state level.”

Smith spoke about (Greg) Stumbo’s thoughts of taking money from the school contingency funds, noting that while he appreciates that Stumbo is looking at all of the available money that is out there, he doesn’t agree with this as a possible solution.

“The problem with this decision is we charge the school systems with being accountable for their money. We charge them with putting money aside and having and fixing a budget and living within the perimeters of that budget and they have done so and they have a surplus,” said Smith. “It is the state of Kentucky that hasn’t done so, and it is very difficult to want to reach into somebody’s money who has been responsible with theirs to balance something that has not been responsible.”

Smith said he believes the first step in helping with the recovery of the economy is for all politicians to be willing to reach across the aisle and stop focusing on politics, noting that he attempts to always stay away from giving partisan speeches.

“I am a Republican,” said Smith. “But I don’t give political speeches, I don’t give partisan speeches because everyone of us in here — our kids go to the same schools, we are from the same roads and politics should not be involved in it.”

Smith also touched on the “shop at home” campaign designed to keep our money within our own area.

“Shop at home. If you can’t find it at one store go to another — ask them to order it for you,” said Smith. “We are going to push this shop at home.”

Smith also addressed Veterans Day during his presentation, leaving the chamber with a poem written by a Vietnam War helicopter pilot Michael O’Donnell which he recited to the group.