Tony Snow passes away at age 53

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Snow family.

Snow was an anchor for Fox News Channel. He replaced Scott McClellan in May 2006 as President Bush's press secretary.

Snow served 17 months as press secretary, when his second bout with cancer occurred. He resigned as Bush's chief spokesman six months later. He joined CNN as a commentator after leaving the Whitehouse.

Snow's fairness and presence will be missed.

Honoring those currently protecting freedom

This past weekend we celebrated the birth of our nation and most of did it with family and friends at picnics and festivals, then ended the day with fireworks. The start of the greatest nation on the face of the earth is definitely a day worth celebrating, but we should never forget those that maintain it and the freedoms it affords us.

While we rightfully have great ceremonies that honor those who have served in the past, the town of Valley Point, WV has found a way to honor those currently defending freedom. The 3^rd of every month people from around Preston County gather around an old Oak tree in Valley Point decorated with yellow ribbons. The yellow ribbons are labeled with names of each Preston County solider currently deployed defending freedom.

The ceremony opens with a prayer, moves on to those in attendance singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge of allegiance. Those returning home from overseas are given a certificate of appreciation for their service to the nation, their name is removed from the oak tree and they are welcomed home. The names of those newly deployed have their yellow ribbons added to the tree and prayer said for their safe return.

The honoring is held the 3^rd of every month at 5 in afternoon. Just as our troops stand guard in rain, snow, and blazing heat without fail, the ceremony is never canceled due to weather without fail. If our troops can do it, then those honoring them can as well. On a rainy muddy July 3^rd between 100 and 200 people stood praying for the safe return of those that keep us safe.

This is a great way to honor those currently defending freedom. I think it would be nice if we could find an Old Oak tree in Mineral County where would could do that same.

Where Have You Gone Henry Gassaway Davis?

Our state needs help. About four years ago someone promised us that it was on the way, but we did not get as much as we expected. Despite the competitive advantages West Virginia enjoys in terms of location, natural beauty, and relatively low costs, our state squanders it away with a burdensome tax system and a lawsuit lottery mentality egged on by ridiculous judges.

Certainly some Democrats in the state understand what Republicans have known for years. Get rid of the corruption, fix the tax system, reform the judiciary and give business a reason to locate here. However none of them have truly stepped forward and demanded the changes that will give the people what they want, opportunities.

It takes courage to buck the party and support what is right. After the Civil War, a Union supporting Democrat named Henry Gassaway Davis gained influence. He successfully built up his business in Piedmont, then expanded his operations into mining and railroads. With his son-in-law Stephen Elkins, Davis helped to construct north central West Virginia into an industrial power.

Davis also exercised political power, serving in the West Virginia State Legislature and the United States Senate. For much of his life he remained a loyal Democrat. However he did not fear supporting Republicans when he saw their platform benefiting his state. One such issue was when the nation almost tore itself apart over the issue of whether or not to have sound or inflated currency. Davis supported the stable economy that sound currency would establish, giving Republicans assistance and support because he saw their stand as being better for the state. When his party returned to his values, Davis once again supported them and was the Democratic vice presidential candidate when he was in his 80s.

In our time, some Republicans think Joe Manchin is one of them. Sure he has advanced a few reforms here and there, but they often stop short of the decisive measures necessary to really bring change to this state. That being said, he supports the guru of nebulous change promises, Barack Obama. Some say that Manchin is a possibility for vice president. Because of this, the governor must associate himself with a pro-abortion candidate whose regulatory plans will severely damage the coal industry, and who has acted in the past against a person's right to defend their own home and family with a firearm. Murdering babies, killing the coal jobs vital to so many families, but wanting homicidal criminals to get the upper hand against law abiding homeowners. Those are definitely not West Virginia values.

Somewhere, somehow, Henry Gassaway Davis must be changing his registration.

Whitewater Rafting Industry May Be Killed Soon

Now we shall see in a major way if West Virginia's lawsuit friendly legal system will devastate West Virginia tourism.

A rafting outfit based in Harpers Ferry recently saw a rash of injuries related to its operation. Amazingly, when people get on rafts that ride rough water at fairly high speeds sometimes they do get hurt. Sometimes people even die. Under West Virginia state law (at least for now) those who pay to raft assume the risk of participating. If you get hurt, tough luck. It's dangerous and you knew that when you started. Assumption of risk protects many industries in the United States. One cannot sue a baseball team if one gets conked in the head by a foul ball, for example.

The protection for rafting companies may not be as ironclad as it appears. Our creative trial lawyers have come up with a novel argument. Activities on rivers come under maritime law, a set of laws that apply most often to ships on the high seas. A cruise liner is responsible for the safety of those aboard to a certain extent, much more so than a rafting company. Maritime law does not absolve the private sector nearly as much.

Will the State Supreme Court buy these arguments? On the surface, it certainly should not. The rivers and streams of the state are controlled by the state. State law should certainly govern these activities. However, with our trial lawyer friendly Supreme Court, one never knows what decisions could emerge from the chief court in a state often called a "judicial hellhole."

If maritime law governance of state rivers is permitted, that means the end of the rafting industry in West Virginia. Insurance carriers will lift premiums considerably or drop companies in the state altogether. This concept forces the asking of wider questions. What about boating in general on the lakes and streams of the state?

The main problem here is greed. Too many people apply the word greed to corporations seeking to make a legitimate profit for their investment and work. Making profits that are earned is not greed. Greed is seeking money that one is not entitled to. In this country far too often we see tragedy as a lottery ticket. Someone gets injured or killed these days, you can bet there will be a lawsuit for an outrageous amount of money. Legal systems everywhere, not just in West Virginia, need to tighten up to protect legitimate business from foolish lawsuits.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It, Especially For Old Fashioned Political Reasons

If only most marriages ran as smoothly as that between the Mountaineer Sports Network and West Virginia Radio Corporation.

For over sixty years West Virginia University sports have been broadcast over the network affiliates of WVRC. This arrangement has given WVU total control over its marketing and promotions while giving WVRC and Metro News high visibility and decent profits. Now outgoing president Mike Garrison wants to add disrupting this arrangement to the Magical Misery Tour of his presidency.

Garrison and others argue that bidding out the rights to broadcasts represents the wave of the future. Syracuse, Connecticut, and others do this currently. Others argue that WVU's arrangement reflects the much more profitable broadcast model that professional sports franchises utilize. One could certainly argue that this model works better for WVU, since its sports have been described as the state's "professional" teams (meaning that the audience responds to the teams in the manner that big city residents treat their professional franchises.)

What few people have said outright is that this may be nothing but hardball politics. West Virginia Radio Corporation is run by former GOP US Senate candidate John Raese. Metro News' most visible personailty besides play by play man Tony Caridi is political commentator Hoppy Kercheval. Kercheval has a daily radio program and online commentary. He grew into an outspoken critic of Garrison over the past several months.

Could this be an old fashioned Bogg Hogg type political revenge ploy? Hopefully Garrison will not be permitted to do the university any more damage before his fall departure.

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This is Bob Hertzel's column that discusses the issue. Although discussions have been in the works for some time, it is interesting that the issue has just recently come to a head.

http://www.timeswv.com/wvu_sports/local_story_188230156.html

Howell pledges to fight in Senate against losses like the CNC Center

Press Release

Howell pledges to fight in Senate against losses like the CNC Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Howell

Monday, July 07, 2008 304-790-9292

KEYSER — Gary Howell, candidate for the State Senate from the 14^th District, was the focus of a story last week about the announced move of the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining center and the CNC Turning Center from the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) in Mineral County to the RCBI location in Bridgeport. Today, Howell said he will fight in the State Senate to prevent actions like this from occurring in the future.

CNC machines are sophisticated milling machines for low-volume production, giving businesses the ability to make small, precise parts. The move was announced last week by RCBI CEO and Director Charlotte Weber.

But Howell, owner and operator of Howell Automotive in Keyser, told the Mineral Daily News Tribune, “The ability to make small parts has given us a competitive edge in our businesses — otherwise we wouldn’t be able to make these parts.”

Howell added, “A CNC Machine can do a part in half-hour whereas the same part will take the manual machine three days to make — it’s basically useless. The difference between using a CNC Machine and Manual Machine is like the difference between sending a package to California through Fed Ex next day air and sending the package on foot.”

In a follow-up editorial, the News Tribune said, “It's difficult to view this week's news from Rocket Center as anything other than a setback for economic development in Mineral County.” The editorial added, “Gary Howell, a local businessman who has used the milling machines … said the relocation is a setback not only for local businesses, but for the larger economic development effort in the county.”

The newspaper added that the decision reinforces the impression that the region is “something less than a top priority for state and regional economic development.”

Howell said today that one of the main reasons he wants to serve in the State Senate is to make sure the 14^th District is not taken for granted.

“The jobs and working families of the 14^th District deserve more attention and respect from the rest of the state,” said Howell. “Serving in the Senate, I’ll make sure jobs, businesses and services are not stolen away from the people of Barbour, Grant, Mineral, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor and Tucker counties and moved to parts of the state that currently seem to have more clout.”

Who's Next On Their Hit List, Sergeant York?

Much to Barrack Obama's chagrin, the looney left wingers that he has depended upon for support just cannot keep quiet. With friends like these, he needs no enemies.

An avalanche of criticism from the anti-American extreme Left has been launched against the war record of John McCain. Yes, John McCain. A former prisoner of war, tortured until he was permanently injured, a man that elected to stay in captivity so as not to embarass his country, his service, and his family. Yes, that John McCain.

It started not long ago. Our very own US Senator Jay Rockefeller questioned the morality of John McCain launching munitions that might have killed civilians. Of course the US did not use the types of weapons he described at the time. Additionally American forces were much more selective about their targets in Vietnam than the Allies in World War II. Not to mention the fact that airmen drop bombs where they are told.

Since then lefties have criticized McCain for making a video in captivity that included statements supporting North Vietnam. One accused McCain of disloyalty. Outrageous! How can anyone criticize the actions of John McCain while in captivity unless they walked a mile in those shoes? The North Vietnamese relentlessly beat this man physically and mentally. He had no idea whether or not he would survive. Most of the extreme Left consider ten minutes in Wal Mart as excruciating torture. God forbid they walk into a place where people watch Fox News. Oh the humanity! Sure, sit there on your easy chair banging out a blog on your computer in your comfortable house, passing judgment on a righteous man living in hell.

The most sinister criticisms thinly veil a condemnation of any US involvement in war. McCain gets accused by these crazies of being a "war criminal." Their explanations reveal that they see any US war as being criminal because they use the term so broadly. It galls them that a man who endured so much torment during the war could possibly support President Bush in our current situation.

I suppose the US ought to simply allow the Hitlers and Husseins of the world to continue pushing their horror onto the people who find themselves in terror's hands. Maybe the US should turn its back on its friends, like so many Monday morning quarterbacks advocated during and after the Vietnam War. They forget that the US had an ironclad guarantee of support for South Vietnam. We had as much treaty commitment to them as to Britain or any other NATO nation at the time.

Many of those that oppose the war do so out of a difference of opinion, but retain their respect for the military and the government. America is all about expressing differences, but at the end of the day good citizens must all support the men and women that sacrifice to defend us. However, others are much more malevolent. So many of them hate America and have contempt for Americans. The excrement they spew befouls a body politic generally unaccustomed to hearing from those that hate our entire system and society.

Whether or not you agree with him or vote for him, it cannot be denied that the man sacrificed for his nation and deserves the highest respect for it. John McCain is a hero. Period.