Betty Ireland's mother Virginia passes at age 94

Mrs. Virginia Hawkins Ireland, 94, of Charleston, died on April 24, 2008, at The Haven in Cedar Grove.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Kanawha HospiceCare, or a charity of your choice.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ireland family at this time.

Capito as Congressional Innovator

Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito recently proposed an interesting idea to address the issue of funding border defense. She stated that on every tax return that Americans should have the option of checking a box that would take a small amount of money and apply it towards border control efforts. This would both provide extra money to patrol the border and show how many Americans have concerns about the issue.

Capito's plan of voluntary taxation deserves attention. People can choose the issues they wish to support. Those concerned about the issue can market their ideas and try to sell Americans on making a choice to support certain initiatives. So long as ironclad guarantees remain in place that the money will go directly to the issue listed and nowhere else, this looks like a reasonable plan. Congress could approve a short list of issues that people can choose to support or not support. Choice is always an easier sell than imposition of taxes across the board.

Of course that choice already exists to an extent. Most social issues have some kind of private charity or church group that helps with fundraising. Government action is not always required, or even desirable in some instances. However, Capito's idea deserves serious consideration because it could change the way the government funds certain initiatives and policies. Even on the state level, certain programs could be helped in this manner.

Capito, like most Republicans, is conservative in ideals. Conservatism emphasizes the value of individual choices and freedoms over government imposed policies. Change in support of freedom of choice is almost always a positive step forward.

Dark Day For West Virginia University

A university's credibility, like many institutions, relies upon perception. Institutions and people have credibility when what they produce carries a substance that society considers to be worthy. A West Virginia University degree within this state has almost always carried substance; the real fight for this institution has been to convince those outside the state of that fact.

West Virginia University faculty, and I know this through personal experience, work very hard to teach and produce solid research. They do not receive the same pay as many of their peers, but they carry a sense of pride. Unlike other institutions, the faculty love their school and cheer on its sports teams. The school has always proved worthy of that kind of devotion.

Positive perception can be fragile. This truth applies to businesses, politicians, and universities. Questions of credibility and honesty can destroy a well earned reputation in an instant. Efforts to cover up a small problem can lead to huge messes. Just ask Richard Nixon.

The independent panel ruled on Tuesday that Governor Joe Manchin's daughter Heather Bresch was improperly awarded an M. B. A. despite her protests to the contrary. When last year the story broke in the Pittsburgh media that she did not earn the degree she claimed to have, the university scrambled and granted one to her. To make the story more complex, she is an executive for Mylan, a major donor to WVU and supporter of Manchin.

Now that it is clear that her degree was improperly granted, an investigation must begin into why the university did this and who, if anyone, played a role in influencing this poor decision. As for those who have worked so hard to build up the university's credibility whether they be distinguished faculty or alumni, who will end up apologizing to them when a WVU degree becomes a target not for respect, but ridicule?

West Virginia Citizens Defense League Inc Endorses Gary Howell

Morgantown, W.Va. — WVCDL-PAC, the political action committee of the West Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (WVCDL), is pleased to announce that it has endorsed Gary Howell candidate seeking election to the West Virginia Senate 14th District.

WVCDL is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, all-volunteer, grassroots organization of concerned West Virginians who support an individual’s right to keep and bear arms for defense of self, family, home and state, and for lawful hunting and recreational use. During the 2008 legislative session, WVCDL was instrumental in defeating proposed legislation that would have substantially increased concealed handgun license fees and prohibited law-abiding citizens from carrying any weapon in the casino area of the state’s four racetracks.

In its endorsement process, WVCDL-PAC evaluated the records of incumbent legislators and asked all legislative candidates to complete a questionnaire on their views concerning several legislative issues important to gun owners.

WVCDL-PAC Chairman Jim Mullins said: We have received a tremendous response to our questionnaires. There are many quality candidates of both political parties, challengers and incumbents alike, who have demonstrated their firm commitment to protecting the rights of West Virginia gun owners. We made very difficult decisions in a couple of races where several candidates were equally good choices. I would encourage every candidate seeking the support of gun owners to respond to our questionnaire, as our endorsement process will continue through the general election.

The Power to be Offensive

The West Virginia Public Service Commission and Allegheny Power recently brokered a deal that will allow the utility to run new lines through West Virginia. The project will add up to 150 new high paying jobs to Preston County and nearby areas. The line will run from Monongalia County's Pennsylvania line to the Mount Storm station in Grant County. The deal still awaits final approval from the PSC.

Originally the PSC opposed this project, known as the Trans Allegheny Interstate Line. It will boost the ability of the region to export power, but the lines originally ran through uncleared land. The PSC objections were answered by a new, more environmentally friendly route combined with savings for West Virginia consumers. Since the new line uses existing rights of way, there will be much less of an impact on state property owners and the landscape.

The West Virginia Sierra Club wins the prize for the most obnoxious statement on the whole affair, comparing Allegheny Power's proposal to the distribution of "shiny beads" from the Dutch to the Indians that owned Manhattan Island. Apparently state officials and the people of Preston and other counties who might benefit from the jobs are simply too ignorant to understand in the same manner as the Sierra Club. It is unclear why the Sierra Club considers this a "bad bargain" since it uses rights of way already established.

Sounds to me like the PSC created a bargain that will benefit some very economically depressed areas.