The Gate Test

A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear a speech by Chuck Kinder of the States Auditors Office. During his speech he spoke about the “Gate test.” Basically the test is, if you want to see how your government and economy is doing, you open the gate and see which way the people go.

As a nation, the US is doing quite well on the gate test. In fact they don’t even bother to use the gate on the southern border to get into the nation, any hole in the fence will do. This is a direct reflection on the economic opportunity available in the US. It is people’s nature to want to go where they have greater opportunity to make a better life for themselves and for a large portion of the world that place is the US. The grade for the gate test can be found in the census data. In 1950 the US population was 150 million persons and last year the US population passed the 300 million mark. In a little less than 60 years the nation has doubled. The US has earned stellar grade in the gate test.

West Virginia on the other hand has failed the gate test. In 1950 the population of West Virginia was 2 million. In 1950 we made up 1.3% of the US population. Today there are about 1.8 million West Virginians, 200,000 less than there were in 1950. That number is deceiving. On the surface it appears to be a loss of only 200,000, but today West Virginia only makes up 0.6% of the US population. If West Virginia maintained 1.3% of the US population as we did in 1950, then today there would be around 3.9 million of us. That means in less than 60 years 2.1 million “would be” West Virginian’s went missing. West Virginia’s gates are open and over half left for better economic opportunity elsewhere. That goes far beyond a failing grade.

The loss of population is more than just numbers. We all have family and friends that have had to leave to find opportunity for a better life elsewhere, breaking up the extended family structure that is a corner stone of Appalachian life. The states power in Washington has been cut in half as we only send 3 people to the US House of Representatives every two years, where in 1950 we sent 6. The burden of taxes has increased on all of us and the load is spread over fewer and fewer people. We are all feeling the effects.

We have two options as I see it. The first is to expand the West Virginia government to build a wall like the former East Germany and close the gate to prevent the people from leaving for better economic opportunity. History tells us how that will turn out. The East German government collapsed and Germany reunified. Now with Virginia being ranked at the top in economic opportunity, some may consider reunification a good thing for West Virginia.

I prefer the second option; let’s make the changes necessary to bring economic opportunity back to West Virginia. We need to make our side of the gate more attractive than the other side of the gate. Russell Sobel and his group have developed a blueprint to make that happen if we choose to make the changes. It is human nature to resist change, because change is uncomfortable and there is a fear of the unknown. I once heard insanity defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We must overcome that fear and make the changes or we will continue to get the same result.

Over the gate to West Virginia hangs a sign that reads “Open for Business,” but when you are going through the gate for better opportunity you only see the blank backside. It is time for a change.

Karl Marx and the Second Grader

At the Hilltop School in Seattle, Washington teachers Ann Pelo and Kendra Joaquin are teaching second graders that Communism is a fair and just system. Apparently, the kids built a town out of Lego blocks. The kids began to lay claim to the buildings they assembled. One kid refused to allow another kid to land his Lego plane at his airport.

The teachers response was to take away the Lego blocks. Then the teachers taught the kids “social and political understandings of ownership and economic equity from a perspective of social justice.” They were taught that personal ownership, property rights and Capitalism is bad. Whoa! These are second graders! After three months of Marxist indoctrination the Legos were returned to the kids with new Soviet style rules of property ownership.

Second graders should be taught sharing is a good thing, but trying to teach them complex socio-economic theories is another. Ann Pelo and Kendra Joaquin are clueless on the subject of Capitalism and Communism. They should be kept away from kids of all ages (including college).

Our nation was built on Capitalism, and it gives everyone an equal starting point. If you work hard you will be rewarded. Bill Gates started in a garage. John D. Rockefeller failed several times before finding success. Capitalism doesn't guarantee success, but it gives you an opportunity. What you do with that opportunity depends on you. You have heard the saying that rich get richer, that is true, but the poor get richer at a much faster rate than the rich in this county.

We live in the most successful nation in the world, and Capitalism is our system. If you want to know if our system is the best give it the "Gate Test." Chuck Kinder of the WV State Auditors Office gave a speech I had the opportunity to attend. In it he stated, "If you want to see how successful your country is give it the Gate Test. Open the gates and see which people go." The communist countries of eastern Europe built walls to keep there people from leaving during the cold war. We are building walls on the Mexican border to keep people out.

Gate Test: Capitalism passes with flying colors.