A National Energy Policy

Since the first oil crisis of the 1970 we have known that our Achilles Heal is energy. In the 30 plus years since the first crisis, the power has shifted back and forth between both parties. During that time neither party has come up with a viable solution. Recent statements from the governor show that has not changed. "I've spoken to most of the presidential candidates on both the Republican and Democratic sides," Governor Joe Manchin stated at the Bluefield Coal Show. "They know what I'm saying. But none come out with a true energy policy."

West Virginia has coal, gas, wind, and water to generate energy for the nation. If a lead is not going to be taken anytime soon on a national level, then the state must step forward and take the lead. We should be reforming our laws to allow easier construction of modern power plants that will use West Virginia coal to produce power in the state and provide much needed jobs in the state.

The political landscape of West Virginia hurts the very industries that we need to grow. The current system put in place by the Democratic controlled WV Legislature holds back our economic growth. We must reform the legal and tax structure to encourage growth in the energy producing industries. In its current form, the WV legislature will not make the necessary changes to bring economic growth to this sector. We need to make some serious changes in West Virginia and take advantage of our strong points, or we will continue to fall behind the other states.

New York City's Ninja Bandit Would Have a Short Career in West Virginia

Fox News reported September 25th on a crime wave striking fear into the lives of residents of Staten Island. Apparently a man enters homes dressed as a ninja, assaults residents with numchuks, and steals their property. Some have been slightly injured, but it is unknown whether the level of violence will escalate. The "Ninja Bandit" has struck seventeen separate homes.

Does anyone think that this man would strike seventeen different homes in West Virginia? Probably not. Bringing numchuks to a gunfight is not a prudent measure. As a matter of fact the ninja bandit would probably find some better way of spending his energy.

New York City for many years now, whether it be during Democratic or Republican administrations, has consistently discouraged law abiding citizens from owning firearms. The city government aggressively pushed for the legal right to sue gun manufacturers for the misuse of their product.

Has anyone ever suggested that automobile manufacturers be similarly treated if a driver is drunk, or uses the car for some illegal purpose? Absolutely not because it sounds ludicrous. However driving an automobile is considered a legal privilege, not a constitutional right. Despite the arguments of extremists, the Second Amendment exists so that armed citizens can protect themselves from dictatorial tyranny, their country from invasion, and their property from intruders. These rights extend back centuries in British and American law.

Gun rights' opponents have adopted what Stalin called "salami tactics," that is slicing away a little bit at a time. Gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association are well aware of this and fight strongly any attempt to restrict our constitutional rights here. If we believe in freedom, we must all take a stand and support everyone's right to defend themselves with a handgun, if necessary.

After all, next time the ninja bandit strikes, it could be a vulnerable senior citizen. Without a handgun for protection, such a person would stand no chance against an intruder. If that happens, the victim's family can thank New York City leadership over the past few decades for aggressively tearing down their right to defend themselves

West Virginia GOP Convention Details

On what is being termed "Tsunami Tuesday", February 5, 2008, West Virginia Republicans will open a new chapter in the state's political life with the state's first-ever Presidential Nominating Convention. At the Charleston Civic Center, over 1400 delegates from across the state will gather to award a presidential candidate West Virginia's at-large delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

One significant milestone in the convention calendar was reached on September 1; ten candidates, including all four "first tier" candidates, registered with the West Virginia Republican Party to participate in the convention. Now, the process turns to delegate selection.

Delegates to the state convention are selected in three ways; first, all voting members of the State Executive Committee, including county chairmen, are delegates. Second, each county executive committee names 12 delegates from among their number to serve as delegates. If a county committee has less than 12 members, that committee may name others to fill those slots. Finally, each county is awarded additional delegates based upon the number of registered Republicans in the county, with a further bonus for counties where President Bush won a majority of the vote in 2004.

The delegates based upon Republican registration, and those based upon voting for Bush in '04, are elected by the public. The election of delegates by the public has two components; first, an on-line vote. If someone wishes to vote for their county's delegates on-line, they must contact state party headquarters in Charleston between October 1, 2007 and November 30, 2007 to register. They will receive a secure username and password to use when they cast their vote between January 1 and January 14, 2008. The second component to the vote is the optional "county caucus". The county chair in each county decides whether to have a caucus, at which Republicans can vote for the delegates from their county. The caucuses must be held between January 1 and January 15, 2008, and anyone who has registered to vote online is ineligible to vote at the county caucus.

If someone is interested in running for delegate to Charleston, they have to file a certificate of candidacy with the state party between November 1 and November 30, 2008 and pay a $25 registration fee. Those fees will in large measure cover the expenses of the convention. Candidates for delegate can declare a presidential candidate preference, in which case the preference will appear beside that candidate's name on the county ballot.

In all, the state convention format represents a dramatic departure from past methods of selecting delegates to the national convention. Gone are the days of endless primary ballots with the names of dozens--or more--who want to go to the national convention. This new method promises to be simpler, more interactive, and more rewarding to those campaigns who have the best organizational skills--not necessarily the most money.

Bring Back Insane Assylums As Soon As Possible

There are a lot of sick people out there. A lot. Just today the following headlines have appeared on the Fox News website.

Details Emerge in WVa Torture Case

Girl, 6, Hanged to Death Was Sexually Assaulted

Woman Attacked With Sword in Argument Over Puppy

That is just the tip of the iceberg. Sick and brutal crimes happen every day with increasing frequency. Our problem as a nation is that the criminal justice system can only punish these people after they commit crimes. Some crimes reflect a condition of addiction, others represent a cry for help. Many times, even the most brutal acts occur after the offender has repeatedly told people that they were sick and needed help.

Thirty years ago mental health advocates succeeded in transforming America's mental care system. Decades ago the mentally ill were sent to long term care hospitals such as those in Weston and Spencer. Often times care was below standards and treatment was spotty. On the other hand a large number of people received some kind of medical attention and were off the streets.

Advocates opened up the hospitals on the assumption that better medication and part time facilities could treat the mentally ill better. States more than willingly unloaded themselves of the burden of maintaining hospitals. Instead of leading to a better life for the mentally ill, these changes made their lives more hellish.

Sure states no longer maintain as many costly hospitals, but too many of the mentally ill wind up in jail. They know what they did was wrong so they do not qualify as criminally insane. Yet they are mentally ill according to the definitions of psychologists. We have seen an explosion of jail construction to house these people.

Not only do we incarcerate more mentally ill, we also see more of them simply wandering the streets. They lack a firm grasp on how to live a normal life, so their only option lies in wandering from shelter to shelter or living in a box. All too often many turn to lives of drug addiction and/or violence.

The mental health experiment has failed miserably. We must work to rebuild state hospitals so that we can get addicts, psychopaths, pedophiles, and other people dangerous to themselves or others off the streets and into facilities where they at least have a chance to change. This is not a foot in the door to socialized medicine, it only returns to an earlier mode of dealing with a major problem in society. Enough is enough. Get mentally ill people off the streets before they can rape children or murder for drug money.

But How Do You Replace Them?

That's the big question when it comes to the issue of ridding the United States of illegal labor. Businesses and activists both contend that illegal aliens' work in such industries as agriculture and meat packing are essential. Without the labor that works at such low incomes, America's food supply could be at risk.

Actually the presence of a group of workers laboring for such low wages undercuts the natural economic process. Let's take lettuce harvesting, for instance. Lettuce costs $1 per head, every single one picked by hand. Lately we have seen that laborers will occasionally contaminate lettuce by doing business better conducted elsewhere right there in the field. It is argued that this labor is absolutely necessary to get lettuce harvested and sent to market.

Reliance on cheap labor that works not only below prevailing, but also legal wages has retarded economic development. Now I am not equating illegal alien labor to slavery, that would insult the memory of those that had to live under that curse of stolen liberty. However in the case of the South, the entire region's industrial development stalled in part because it was cheaper to rely on slave labor than to try and develop efficient industrial solutions.

Many in agribusiness will try to maintain that the labor is essential. However, the cheapness of the labor has prevented the industry from mechanizing. You cannot tell me that two hundred years ago we could invent a machine to pick seeds from cotton balls, but we cannot invent today one that harvests lettuce. Research, development, and production of such machines would put American technicians, managers, salespeople, and many others to work while simultaneously reducing the overall cost of harvesting lettuce.

USA Today proclaimed on its front page today that immigrant groups are trying to put more intense pressure on lawmakers and business to legalize more aliens and to not cut off benefits. They are mobilizing for strikes and boycotts. So be it. Americans, most of whom have family ties to people that came here legally, are fed up with this issue. It is time to solve the problem. Cut off social benefits, and most importantly, jobs to those that are not here legally.

Romney Wins Michigan Republican Straw Poll

Mitt Romney, Republican candidate for President and former Governor of Massachusetts, won Sunday's straw poll of attendees at the Michigan Republican Leadership Conference at Mackinac Island. Governor Romney polled decisively ahead of other candidates for president, carrying nearly 40% of the vote.

The Results are:

Romney — 39.12%
McCain — 26.56%
Paul — 10.83%
Giuliani — 10.62%
F. Thompson — 7.15%
Huckabee — 2.55%
Hunter — 1.23%
Tancredo — 0%
Brownback — 0.31%