A Word on Behalf of Charles Minimah

Despite the constant attacks from the liberal media and professional America bashers like Michael Moore, the United States continues to serve as a beacon around the world to those seeking freedom and opportunity. The American system rewards anyone who is willing to follow our laws and work hard. Charles Minimah, Republican nominee for secretary of state, is one such individual.

Minimah served his native country of Nigeria during its civil war in the 1970s, then sought opportunity in the United States. Our country and state was built in no small way by immigrants such as Minimah. German born Carl Schurz emigrated to Missouri and served as a Union general and United States Senator. Closer to home, my great-grandfather came to Barbour County from Italy. He quickly learned the language, sent his children to public school (then later on Alderson-Broaddus College), and established his own businesses. Almost everyone in West Virginia has family or friendship ties to individuals who have arrived in the past hundred years.

Once in West Virginia, Minimah established a business and worked earnestly to make it a success. Like so many other immigrants he gave back to the community. Minimah helped to establish black heritage museums and tours in the Kanawha Valley. This region was home to civil rights activist and Republican orator Booker T. Washington. Minimah certainly has helped to carry on Washington's legacy.

Minimah's vision lies in making voting more accessible and secure. The state must continue enforcing the reforms enacted by current secretary Betty Ireland while continuing to reinvigorate voter confidence in the system. Coming from a region that sometimes struggles with democratic ideals, Minimah insists that he has "an appreciation of our democracy that is often taken for granted." Like many who come to the United States, including so many of our ancestors, he understands how special this country is.

Charles Minimah will continue the current secretary's fight for clean democracy.

WV GOP Summer Meeting Scheduled for June 21st

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele will be the keynote speaker at the West Virginia Republican Party's summer convention June 21 in Flatwoods. Details can be found in the graphic at left.

Steele is the chairman of GOPAC and a former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, having been elected on the same ticket as Governor Robert L. Ehrlich in 2002. He is the first African American to serve in a Maryland state-wide office and the first Republican lieutenant governor in the state since the position was created.

Steele was, at the time he held the lieutenant governor position, the highest-ranking elected African American Republican in the United States.

Expenditures Public and Private

At a recent meet the candidates meeting, a question was raised about the use of a county vehicle. The questioner asked why a county employee was permitted to drive it at taxpayer's expense to and from his home in Hardy County. County Commissioner Cindy Pyles responded that it was a "smart" question. Hopefully she meant well-informed since some interpreted it negatively. Commissioner and candidate for re-election Janice LaRue promised to address the issue and get it resolved.

We are entering an age when every household is looking to find ways to cut expenses. Rising costs at the gas pump and the grocery store have hit many people hard. Of course our tax bill is not getting any easier either. The county must do as the rest of us have done and look for any way to maximize the revenue they bring in. Little bills add up to big costs and if we can slice away some of the waste, we should definitely start passing those savings on to the taxpayers. Commissioner LaRue is in a difficult position as the only Republican member of a three person county commission. She holds Republican beliefs no doubt, but must also at times compromise with the majority. County Republicans need to work after this election to groom a strong candidate to give Mineral County what it deserves, a Republican county commission dedicated to providing jobs and saving the people's money.

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While the Democrats are arguing over Hillary's new found identity as the driver of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, John McCain is trying to come up with solutions to help Americans even before he is elected. McCain proposed a gas tax holiday starting on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day. He proposes this with an eye towards the states that will suffer from the drop in tourism dollars this summer.

McCain will not handle this hot potato yet but public pressure is mounting towards responsible drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. George W. Bush proposed this years ago and warned of shortages if we failed to start drilling. The shortages have arrived. John Raese campaigned on this issue when running for the US Senate in 2006. It's amazing how we fail to listen to the warnings until the crisis is upon us.

Birds, Bats, and Bears

As a country we need to stop our foolishness. Really. We cannot afford it anymore.

I am talking about our foolish insistence of holding ourselves hostage to not the survival, but the convenience of animals. Ten years ago we could afford to be concerned that Alaskan polar bears might not want to live next to oil rigs. We could debate the problem of birds and bats possibly or not possibly hitting windmills. Power was cheap and the economy was strong. No more.

Our national security depends upon our national economy. Our national economy runs on accessible energy and transportation. Without these things, our economy would adjust, but only after a painful transition.

George W. Bush saw this coming and proposed an energy plan some years ago. This plan would research a variety of energy sources while opening up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for oil. The Republican Congress did not approve it due to skittishness over the upcoming election. Most of those don't have to worry about campaigning this year.

Had we listened to the foresight of Bush, we would not be experiencing many of the shortage problems we have now and Alaskan wildlife would be fine. White tailed deer and black bears thrive in the eastern United States. I doubt a few oil wells and pipelines would hurt wildlife in that area. ANWAR is the size of our smallest states. There is plenty of room for animals and oil production. I would predict that if it is possible, President Bush will open at least part of it to oil drilling near the end of his term via executive order.

Some propose that we lessen our dependency upon oil by driving hybrid cars. Not a bad idea and it is also a logical market reaction. The more we depend upon hybrid vehicles, the more we will need to expand production of coal while harnessing wind and water. As I pointed out recently, West Virginia has ample clean energy potential to supplement our coal. Our country needs it all. However there are some out there who would place the welfare of bats and birds above restoring sanity to the energy market. I'm sorry. When we and our neighbors struggle to pay our bills because the energy supply is constricting, we must expand the supply. Bring on the windmills! Start drilling for and using the natural gas resources that lie under our state.

People are more important than bears, birds, and bats. It is time to put some energy into finding solutions before we reach a full blown national crisis.

Olympic Flaming Idiots

I see that both Hillary and BO have now called on President Bush to boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I guess they can't spare the time from their campaigns to go there, and would have to pay the going price, or get some lobbyist to pony up for them, so they don't want the President to go either. Whether or not the President chooses to go is his business, not the business of Hillary or BO.

No other senators have called on the President to boycott. I wonder why not? Could it be that only Democratic Senators who happen to be vying for any headline of any sort while they are still locked in a primary battle see this as a battle cry with any valence whatsoever. Look for them to run out the battle cry for Armenian independence next week, and make a ceremonial visit to the Little Bighorn the following one, while stocking up on Absolut Vodka in a play for the Hispanic vote.

So far the White House has dismissed Hillary and BO beautifully, deeming it to be merely a Presidential scheduling issue. For the Repulicans, it certainly isn't much of a campaign issue. There was not much the United States could do when a substantially less formidable Communist China took over Tibet and sent the Dalai Lama scampering with little more than a simple little orange dress to his name. To give him credit, that worthy has made a good living from his status as whatever it is that he is. However, despite his best efforts, and the protestations of Hillary, BO, or many another bleeding heart, there is still nothing much we can do about China's handling of the Tibet issue. Boycotting the opening ceremony would insult the Chinese, of course, but I suppose that the television contracts have long been signed, the coverage will be there, and the people here will mostly be watching what probably will be a magnificent show. If Hillary and BO don't watch any of it, I'd be surprised. On the other hand, they will be busy trying to flip superdelegates, which may prove difficult at that particular time, because the superdelegates will probably be busy eating, drinking and merrily watching the opening ceremonies on really big-screen TV's just like most people around the world will be.

The decision by President Bush to attend or not attend the Olympic Opening Ceremonies is an important one. Fortunately, he is not running for re-election, so he gets to make the decision under circumstances quite different from Hillary's or BO's. His decision is unlikely to have any particular impact on the campaign one way or the other, so he doesn't have to decide before the Pennsylvania primary election, either, not that the Tibet issue is likely to be a big one anywhere but Haverford.

There is actually something to be said for not insulting China over an issue as non-momentous as Tibet, regardless of what the Dalai Lama might say. We do a lot of business with China. We have strategic interests to consider. Do we want to risk worsening Taiwan's situation by some theatrical gesture in favor of Tibet's situation? Do we want to annoy the Chinese, who have sometimes been helpful in trying to get a lid on North Korea and may be needed in that situation in the future?

Hillary speaks of her foreign policy expertise. Yeah, right, she played dress-up in India. BO has played dress up in Africa and he went to madrasa in Indonesia, and possibly he has eaten in a Chinese restaurant or two, but he's no expert on foreign policy by a long shot either. George W. Bush has quite an edge over BO and Hillary in foreign policy, and he has a highly educated and competent Secretary of State to advise him. Fortunately for Hillary and BO, the President is not a cruel man. If he were, he could make a mockery of Hillary and BO's stupid call for him to do as they are telling him in this instance, or for that matter in just about any instance.