West Virginia's Budget Situation May Not Be As Secure As We Thought

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University released a study this week that rated states' financial conditions.  West Virginia, which has done relatively well in the past decade, actually rates as one of the worst states in the nation in terms of solvency.

This study does not rate what has been done in the past, but speculates on both the near future and the next several years.  It asked:

Can a state easily access enough cash to pay its bills?

Can it consistently create enough revenue to pay its bills?

Can it cover long term obligations?

Can it continue to provide an adequate level of services?

According to Mercatus, West Virginia's financial position is fairly fragile.  Some of the reasons stem from the severe drop in coal production due to Obama Administration policies.  The state also shot itself in the foot by signing up for the expansion of Medicaid encouraged by the federal government.  Initially federal money would cover the costs, but eventually the state must assume the burden.

Revenues are dropping but the state has expanded its entitlement burden without considering the cost. Obama's bad policy and state Democrats' poor judgment threaten to undo the financial security West Virginia has enjoyed for the past several years.

Clearly the state needs leadership that is not tied so tightly to the Democratic Party.

Obama Gives the GOP a Nice Bright, Shining Gift of an Issue

Obama (and no, I have not brought myself to put the words "President" and "Obama" together in the same sentence. My mouth chokes on that word combination) just gave the GOP a gift to help us in the midterm elections.

Congratulations, taxpayers of the United States, your hard earned dollars meant for supporting basic services here and expanding democracy around the globe now go to pay for abortions . . . in other countries! Not satisfied with encouraging baby murder here, Obama insists that we pay for murder around the globe.

President Bush cut off funds to international organizations that deal in abortions, an entirely reasonable policy move since every poll shows that Americans on the whole disapprove of the practice. Look for this to be an opening move in a liberal campaign to restore abortion to a culturally acceptable choice. I can remember in movies where abortion was considered as casual as lighting up a cigarette. Thankfully, not anymore. If conservatism accomplished anything, it was pushing abortion into a near pariah category.

Obama does not just want to roll back tax cuts and close Gitmo. He wants to reinvigorate currently moribund liberal ideals. His ambition is to be the liberal version of Reagan, but in some parts of the country he looks more like Big Brother. In DC there are ( I kid you not) hundred foot tall banners of him in malls; his face is on subway tickets and almost anywhere else you can think of. It's a culture war launched against the values you and I hold dear. And I should not neglect to mention that entire subway stations in DC are covered from ceiling to floor in anti-coal propaganda (of course the subway, lights, and much of the rest of the region get their power from coal powered plants.)

As far as abortion is concerned, Obama tried to dampen the impact by using Obamaspeak. "In the coming weeks, my administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find areas of common ground to best meet the needs of women and families at home and around the world." If you don't know the buzzwords, you'll miss the point. "Family planning" always means "abortion."

Some culture war issues are, in my opinion, fading. Gay unions are increasingly accepted and it is ludicrous to fight the concept. Young voters just do not care. Abortion is always and will always be the brutal murder of innocents. Abortion groups need to get back behind the party that helped them the most, giving money and support. Thankfully Obama gave an issue to galvanize us.

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George Mason researchers claim that 800,000 fewer people attened the Obamaguration than originally thought. Satellite imagery helped bolster that claim.

It's like missing a crowd the size of the city of Atlanta.

Oops.