It doesn't get any more brazen than this:

In Kentucky, the big tourism bucks still are associated with big lakes, big mountains and big events, but there is big money to be made on a little thing called history...

The good lady featured in this story is learning enough about her own community to be able relate to visitors ... outsiders who already know enough about the place to want to visit it.

Moreover, it's as if she's the local government's designee for performing a dirty job that somebody's got to do if the tourists are to be milked of their dollars. Let her learn the history of this place ... thank heaven I wasn't chosen.

What's wrong with this picture?

The next step is to actually hire outsiders - from far away - to be your local historian. The whole National Park Service historian system exhibits this logic.

And the next step after that? "Heritage in a Box" software learning kits that make anyone an expert on any locality anywhere. Coming soon.

Far-fetched? Well, something must be done to relieve the natives of their heavy burden of local history ... and without reducing visitor spending.