One to One with Bill Goodman:
Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo
premiered February 3, 2008
Newly elected Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo is Bill Goodman’s guest on this edition of One to One.
Before his career in politics, Mongiardo was a practicing physician and surgeon in Eastern Kentucky. On the program, he discusses his family history in Harlan County. The lieutenant governor’s grandfather was recruited by U.S. Steel to work in the coal mines and emigrated from Italy to Benham around 1910. Mongiardo also retraces his own path from physician to politician, beginning with the tragic death of his brother due to poor access to health care.
Goodman and Mongiardo go on to talk about political plans and hopes in the areas of health care, education, and employment in Kentucky. Mongiardo stresses the importance of bipartisanship and expresses concern about the long-term damage that can be caused by negative campaigning during elections.
Mongiardo also makes his case for increasing “adventure tourism” in Kentucky, which he believes has the potential to drastically improve the state’s economy in return for a relatively modest up-front investment. Adventure tourism refers to ATV riding, horse riding, hunting, biking, hiking, fishing, and other types of outdoor activities.
