It is not starting to look up because the economic conditions in the state suddenly got better. It is because now have no place but up to look. WE ARE NOW DEAD LAST! We are now ranked number 50 in best places to do business by Forbes. Ironically the mother state is number one. Now diametrically opposed in business climate, West Virginia and Virginia are the ying and yang of state economic models.
The blue print for prosperity has been written, but we need a state legislature that will in act the changes. Russell Sobel of WVU has laid it all out in Unleashing Capitalism. This book is a must read for everybody in West Virginia that has had family leave to find work.
Many of you will say I'm beating a dead horse because nothing will be done. While I look at it more as trying to get the dead horse out of the way. It is not really a dead horse, it is more of a dead jackass. The one thing standing in the way of making the reforms needed to make West Virginia's economy grow is the Democratic Party.
The truth of the matter is we know exactly what needs to be done. We have for sometime. You only need look next door at Virginia. Low taxes, tort reform, and low workers comp. The Republicans have tried to pass the reforms, but Democrats have been obstructionist in the states economy.
The book Unleashing Capitalism is a non-partisan look at the states economy and how to fix it. As the man said, "Read The Book!"
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Economic Growth means money for roads
The US 50 Association met on Wednesday in Garrett County, MD. Yes, I know this is a West Virginia blog, but the US 50 Association is made up of 5 West Virginia Counties. It was just Maryland's turn to host the event.
This meeting had a featured speaker of Joe Deneault of West Virginians for Better Transportation. Joe gave a very detailed report on the state of roads, funding, and the future. The future is not good, and as everybody knows it is funding. The state has more than 1/3 of its bridges needing replaced, and 30% of the roads are substandard and no money to make the fixes.
The discussion turned to funding sources. Mr. Deneault stated that the public indicated that no increase in taxes would be acceptable. I agree, there is too much government waste in this state to require a tax increase. If we can get spending under control in Charleston, we will not need to increase taxes. West Virginia has the highest number of state employees per capita, than any other state. That means all of us that work in the private sector pay for a government that can't service our needs. It is time for a change.
When asked what other states have done for highway funds, the response was Toll Roads in populated areas, Tax Incremental Financing in growth areas, Private-Public Partnerships on toll roads, and selling toll roads to private companies. Toll Roads seem to dominate the idea to get around taxes. Toll Roads are still a tax, they are a use tax paid each time you use it. Private-Public partnerships were called Corporatism by Benito Mussolini and I'm not sure that is Mussolini is a good roll model for West Virginia. Selling the toll road to a private company would be a good idea. The money sink of Tamarack would no longer be a drain on the state. When government tries to run a business it usually ends up costing the taxpayers money.
The last is the TIF districts. I have mixed feelings about these. I think the can be good for small targeted projects. Mineral County is using a TIF district to build a traffic light for the new hospital south of Keyser and that makes sense. Unless of course the hospital gets sold to a non-profit at which point the county will get stuck with bill, because non-profits don't pay taxes.
The answer to increase the money available to the WVDOH is simple. Cut the waste in other parts of government and make the changes needed to attract businesses to the state. We are dead last in best states to do business. When those companies locate in other states, they pay no taxes here to use on the roads.
This meeting had a featured speaker of Joe Deneault of West Virginians for Better Transportation. Joe gave a very detailed report on the state of roads, funding, and the future. The future is not good, and as everybody knows it is funding. The state has more than 1/3 of its bridges needing replaced, and 30% of the roads are substandard and no money to make the fixes.The discussion turned to funding sources. Mr. Deneault stated that the public indicated that no increase in taxes would be acceptable. I agree, there is too much government waste in this state to require a tax increase. If we can get spending under control in Charleston, we will not need to increase taxes. West Virginia has the highest number of state employees per capita, than any other state. That means all of us that work in the private sector pay for a government that can't service our needs. It is time for a change.
When asked what other states have done for highway funds, the response was Toll Roads in populated areas, Tax Incremental Financing in growth areas, Private-Public Partnerships on toll roads, and selling toll roads to private companies. Toll Roads seem to dominate the idea to get around taxes. Toll Roads are still a tax, they are a use tax paid each time you use it. Private-Public partnerships were called Corporatism by Benito Mussolini and I'm not sure that is Mussolini is a good roll model for West Virginia. Selling the toll road to a private company would be a good idea. The money sink of Tamarack would no longer be a drain on the state. When government tries to run a business it usually ends up costing the taxpayers money.
The last is the TIF districts. I have mixed feelings about these. I think the can be good for small targeted projects. Mineral County is using a TIF district to build a traffic light for the new hospital south of Keyser and that makes sense. Unless of course the hospital gets sold to a non-profit at which point the county will get stuck with bill, because non-profits don't pay taxes.
The answer to increase the money available to the WVDOH is simple. Cut the waste in other parts of government and make the changes needed to attract businesses to the state. We are dead last in best states to do business. When those companies locate in other states, they pay no taxes here to use on the roads.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Does Mineral County Want Economic Development?
I've been hearing about all this hype about the economic development in Mineral County..
My question is... Where? I see no businesses coming in.. I see no "new" jobs being created.
The facts indicate we don't want development. Mineral County Development Authority President Dwight Lambert said, "We could have gotten rid of that (Fort Ashby) park last spring however, I interceded. We have had numerous prospects, but we're not going to let every Tom, Dick and Harry put something in there." As Charles Smiley said in a letter to the editor, Tom, Dick and Harry were businesses like American Woodmark, Rubber Maid, Smith Transport. All good paying jobs that can support families.
In 14 years the only movement in the Fort Ashby Industrial Park, was ThermoGauge moving its 5 employees from one side of Fort Ashby to the other. An increase of zero jobs in the county, while companies employing 25+ have been turned down. I have heard that a minimum of 25 employees per lot have been required for a sale, so shouldn't ThermoGauge be required to have 50 employees to purchase 2 lots? Do we have double standards, or no standards at all?
My question is... Where? I see no businesses coming in.. I see no "new" jobs being created.
The facts indicate we don't want development. Mineral County Development Authority President Dwight Lambert said, "We could have gotten rid of that (Fort Ashby) park last spring however, I interceded. We have had numerous prospects, but we're not going to let every Tom, Dick and Harry put something in there." As Charles Smiley said in a letter to the editor, Tom, Dick and Harry were businesses like American Woodmark, Rubber Maid, Smith Transport. All good paying jobs that can support families.
In 14 years the only movement in the Fort Ashby Industrial Park, was ThermoGauge moving its 5 employees from one side of Fort Ashby to the other. An increase of zero jobs in the county, while companies employing 25+ have been turned down. I have heard that a minimum of 25 employees per lot have been required for a sale, so shouldn't ThermoGauge be required to have 50 employees to purchase 2 lots? Do we have double standards, or no standards at all?
West Virginia ranks at the bottom in Economic Growth, you don't get to be picky. You take the companies paying good wages, so that people do not have to move away or drive to Northern Virginia everyday to work.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
An observance at the Republican Summer meeting
Former US Congressman (WV-3) Mick Staton made an observation that a large delegation from the eastern panhandle was present. Considering that the meeting was held in Huntington, about as far away from the eastern panhandle as you can get, this reflects two trends in state politics.
The first is that the growth in the 7 eastern panhandle counties is showing its growing political power. A trend that will only continue. The 2010 census the population increase will pull a full senatorial district and 4 house districts into the eastern panhandle. We are beginning to experience a fundamental shift in power geographically that has seldom occurred in state history. One that will strain existing bounds and create new alliances and new ways of doing political business in the state.
The second is with Mineral, Grant. Berkeley, and Morgan Counties all Republican majority counties the shift is a Republican shift. Probably the real reason that the Mick Stanton saw a heavy showing from the eastern panhandle at the meeting. The first serious candidate for Governor in 2008, Bob Adams, was making the rounds. Out of Jefferson County Bob represents the growing importance of the eastern panhandle to the growth of the Republican Party in the state.
The growth of the population of the eastern panhandle and the shift to Republican majority is an opportunity for the party to exploit. My grandfather had a saying, "You whip the horse that pulls." While it is important the for the party to work state wide to increase Republican voter registration, the Republican party needs to push harder in the counties showing the highest growth.
The first is that the growth in the 7 eastern panhandle counties is showing its growing political power. A trend that will only continue. The 2010 census the population increase will pull a full senatorial district and 4 house districts into the eastern panhandle. We are beginning to experience a fundamental shift in power geographically that has seldom occurred in state history. One that will strain existing bounds and create new alliances and new ways of doing political business in the state.
The second is with Mineral, Grant. Berkeley, and Morgan Counties all Republican majority counties the shift is a Republican shift. Probably the real reason that the Mick Stanton saw a heavy showing from the eastern panhandle at the meeting. The first serious candidate for Governor in 2008, Bob Adams, was making the rounds. Out of Jefferson County Bob represents the growing importance of the eastern panhandle to the growth of the Republican Party in the state.
The growth of the population of the eastern panhandle and the shift to Republican majority is an opportunity for the party to exploit. My grandfather had a saying, "You whip the horse that pulls." While it is important the for the party to work state wide to increase Republican voter registration, the Republican party needs to push harder in the counties showing the highest growth.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Rick Santorum as a Senate Candidate against Rockefeller?
With John Raese not currently on board for a 2008 Senate run against Rockefeller, and Shelley Capito concentrating on her house seat the Republican Party in WV left looking for a candidate. The name of Rick Santorum has come up as possible candidate to run against Rockefeller.
That might not be a crazy and idea as it sounds. Santorum was born in Winchester, Virginia but spent some of his early life in the Martinsburg area before his family whisk him off to Pennsylvania. That would make him much less of a carpetbagger than Rockefeller who was born in New York in 1937 and never moved to West Virginia until the mid 1960's.
Rick Santorum is a former US Senator from PA, and well known in the northern and eastern parts of West Virginia. One important thing that Santorum can bring to a Senate run against Rockefeller is the ability to fund raise. According to his 2006 FEC filings, Rick raised $24,790,468 for his senate campaign. While Rockefeller could fund his own campaign, in the last election the FEC shows him raising only $2,637,717. Byrd only raised $5,114,217 during the 2006 campaign.
Currently working for the law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot with offices in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, Santorum could easily take up residency in the Wheeling or Martinsburg areas.
Rick Santorum as a candidate for US Senate from West Virginia might not be that far fetched as it would first seem.
That might not be a crazy and idea as it sounds. Santorum was born in Winchester, Virginia but spent some of his early life in the Martinsburg area before his family whisk him off to Pennsylvania. That would make him much less of a carpetbagger than Rockefeller who was born in New York in 1937 and never moved to West Virginia until the mid 1960's.
Rick Santorum is a former US Senator from PA, and well known in the northern and eastern parts of West Virginia. One important thing that Santorum can bring to a Senate run against Rockefeller is the ability to fund raise. According to his 2006 FEC filings, Rick raised $24,790,468 for his senate campaign. While Rockefeller could fund his own campaign, in the last election the FEC shows him raising only $2,637,717. Byrd only raised $5,114,217 during the 2006 campaign.
Currently working for the law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot with offices in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, Santorum could easily take up residency in the Wheeling or Martinsburg areas.
Rick Santorum as a candidate for US Senate from West Virginia might not be that far fetched as it would first seem.
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