Senator Rockefeller’s Stimulus Numbers Don’t Add Up

On June 9^th, 2009 Senator Jay Rockefeller sent out an e@mail to many of his constituents. In the e@mail he explains why he voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the “Stimulus Act.” So far the Stimulus Act has done little to help the economy and has mostly been filled with waste, like “$18 million in additional funds are being spent to redesign the Recovery.gov Web site” as reported by Jeff Klein of ABC News on June 8^th. Peter Nichols of the LA Times reported that over 8,000 stimulus checks were mailed to dead people.

These are just a few of the things happen when our elected officials fail to read what they are voting on. You think they would be able to take the time to do their job right and actually read the bill. One of West Virginia’s representatives, Congresswoman Capito, actually did the right thing and voted “no” because enough time to go over the bill was not given. As the Stimulus Bill continues to fail the American people, those that voted for it are trying to cover their backside with the voters. Senator Rockefeller is no exception, but his numbers do not quite jive.

In the e@mail sent out the Senator states, “700,000 West Virginia families are receiving $300 million in tax cuts through the Making Work Pay Tax Credit.” There is a problem with that number. According to the US Census Bureau’s latest numbers, there are only 502,381 families in West Virginia.

Senator Rockefeller goes on to state in his e@mail, “88,000 West Virginians are benefitting from an additional $25 per week in unemployment compensation, the extension of the emergency unemployment compensation program, and the tax break on the first $2,400 in unemployment compensation benefits received in 2009.” According to the US Department of Labor’s, Bureau of Labor Statistics latest numbers there are only 68,543 unemployed in West Virginia.

This begs the question how can Rockefeller effectively represent the people of West Virginia if he can’t take the time to read the bills that affect us? Rockefeller voted for a bad bill without having the time to read it. He sends an e@mail trying to justify his voting for the bad bill, but portions of the information are just flat wrong. It took less than 5 minutes on the internet for one person to get the correct data, while the Senator with a full staff couldn’t get it right. Rockefeller’s e@mail states, “West Virginians deserve economic policies that will support them through these tough times.” I agree, but I also believe West Virginia deserves a representative takes the time to read bills before he votes on them and takes time to look up the correct information before making a decision for the people of West Virginia. You can’t make good decisions with bad information.

US annouces it has no plans to invade Canada

US announces it has no plans to invade Canada and we probably haven't even thought about it since the War of 1812. I'm pretty sure will not have any plans to invade Canada anytime soon. That headline makes you think, it makes you wonder what atrocity Canada committed, but if you don't read this story you will wonder that. You may even panic if you live on the border, but that story title is 100% accurate. We have no plans to invade Canada.

The White House Cabinet will be releasing Swine Flu information that basically says everything is normal, but the titles will indicate otherwise. Rahm Emanuel has said you never want to let a crisis go to waste and this will be no exception.

With the administration under heavy attack from the average American about out of control spending, ever increasing taxes, bailing out banks and businesses while many Americans are loosing their jobs and homes the administration is wanting to divert attention from their unpopular policies. The Swine Flu outbreak just gave Rahm Emanuel a crisis to use to the administrations advantage.

Now the flu is not to be taken lightly as it is a leading cause of death in the US every year, but we should not panic. The worst flu pandemic on record is the Spanish Flu break out of 1918-19 where and estimated 28% of the US population caught the flu and of those about 500,000 died. To put that in perspective about 200,000 people each year are hospitalized with the seasonal flu and of those about 36,000 die according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) . Today we have the best health care system in the world and many treatments are available now that would have saved most of those in the 1918-19 outbreak.

In 1976 an outbreak of the Swine Flu created a panic in the US. The government launched a massive immunization campaign in which 24% of the US population was vaccinated. At the time about 25 deaths from Guillain-Barre syndrome were brought on by the vaccination program and the program was stopped. No pandemic ever materialized and the panic subsided.

If you have symptoms of the flu, head to the doctor immediately and get checked out in the best health care system in the world. Don't take any chances, but don't panic either because the odds are stacked very heavily in your favor.

You're going to see lots of flu reports in the news coming up and you can be assured that many of them are going to be politically driven from the White House trying to draw attention away from the economic problems the administration is prolonging. Rahm Emanuel is not going to let this crisis go to waste and they are going to fan the flames to make it grow. Look at the already increasing volume of non-stories. "US says not testing travelers from Mexico for flu," OK, that is just normal. Have you ever received a flu test when you got off a plane? No. You're finding most of the headlines are panicky, but the stories are stories saying we are not doing anything differently. It is business as normal.

Keep in mind, the CDC monitors these outbreaks all the time and has plans already in place. Much of the information I quoted in this blog comes from CDC reports and plans.

Tax Cheat Congressman Charlie Rangle (D) Cornered

Democrats Outperform Republicans Again

The Party of the Common Man looks really impressive these days.

Remember the bad old days for the Republican Party? In 2006 the war had taken a bad turn, seemed like half of the Republicans in Congress were under investigation, and the donkeys were on the march. Democrats and their media friends trumpeted the "culture of corruption" that they claimed dominated the GOP. They ignored Representative "Cashbox" Jefferson in Louisiana who took the concept of cold, hard, cash way too literally and fell over themselves to report about an Idaho Republican who may or may not have flashed signs to an undercover gay prostitute.

What a difference a few years have made? The Democrats have certainly worked hard to regain the top spot in the corruption ratings.

The Illinois governor tries to sell Obama's Senate seat. His nomination, by all accounts a good guy, will not be seated so long as he is the current governor's nominee. The Black Congressional Caucus is not pleased.

The nominee for Commerce Secretary must step aside because he is under investigation

The nominee for education secretary is a former Chicago city official. Nuff said there.

Caroline Kennedy has shoved her way to the forefront of much more experienced candidates for New York's Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton who may be opposed in her quest to be Secretary of State by Robert Byrd who is citing constitutional issues. Kennedy has the lukewarm blessing of Obama who has a major political favor to repay to a family that craves to remain relevant. Hillary Clinton also intends to repay her campaign debt through money raised by her husband abroad. There's a great way to start your tenure in that office!

Minnesota may or may not have elected a comedian to their senate seat. Fox News showed conclusively that ballots cast for Republican Norm Coleman were counted for Franken.

At least in Logan County they have the sense to make up colorful nicknames for themselves so we can easily identify the shady characters. I mean geesh, I thought Bill Richardson was the best guy they had for the presidency or failing that Secretary of State.

Meanwhile Obama's surprising choices of moderates for many positions have the Left fuming. One Leftist group is actually suing to get God removed from the inauguration. The Left thought they elected Leon Trotsky, not Bill Clinton. Hopefully Obama's moderate course is a sign for the future.

Ain't it a little fun to be a Republican right now? At least watching the national scene.

Free Market Forces vs Central Planning

Right now the Mineral County Planning Commission is in the mist of developing its Comprehensive Plan under Section §8A-3 of the West Virginia code. The county is spending $20,000 with the WVU Extension office to prepare the plan, a bargain compared to what other counties have spent. Knowing the complexity of the economy, I have to ask the question, beyond planning what government will do as far as libraries, parks, water, etc; can government effectively plan Economic Development and Land Use in the private sector as outlined in the state code?

Governments have tried to plan economies and land use for hundreds of years, and I can think of none that ever found success. Starting in 1607 over the course of 2-years 604 people were sent to the centrally planned Jamestown settlement in Virginia, all but 98 died of starvation 6 months after their arrival. In 1611 Sir Thomas Dale took charge of the Virginia Colony, eliminated central planning, instituted private property and within a few years the colony that lost 80% of its population to starvation was trading excess food to the Native Americans. Central economic planning and loss of property rights in the Soviet Union led to the starvation deaths of millions in 1932 and 1933, in China 20 to 30 million starved between 1959 and 1962. The Soviet Union collapsed under a centrally planned economy, and China survives by restoring private property rights and switching to a free market system.

Economic Development and Land Use are linked to prosperity, yet they are two separate sections of the state code on developing a comprehensive plan. That alone speaks volumes of the government’s ability to effectively plan that which it doesn’t understand. While local WV governments do not have the power to centrally plan production, they can restrict the economy through removal of property owner rights more commonly called Zoning. Let’s make no mistake zoning is only a restriction; it can never enhance the economy. A free market needs choices to operate, remove those choices through zoning and you create inefficiencies that slow or reverse economic growth.

The first looser is the entrepreneur, which create most of the jobs in the state and usually start those businesses at home. A good example is Thermo Gauge located in Fort Ashby, WV, which is currently operating out of a home while they finalize plans to move into the Fort Ashby industrial park and expand. Residential zoning would have killed this West Virginia success story before it got started. Removing the choice of starting a business in the home through government imposed land use restrictions raises the barrier to entry. It forces an entrepreneur to rent elsewhere or give up. The free market will also give the homeowner that does not want to live next to a business an option, an another entrepreneur will fill the need with a subdivision with deed covenants restricting home businesses. The free market will restrict itself on sound economic principles. Wal-Mart is not going to build a super center 6 miles down a county road that has little traffic just because land is cheap, and unrestricted. Wal-Mart knows they need to locate on a major thoroughfare to be competitive. Industry will locate were it can get is goods to market easily usually where rail, interstate or barge shipping is an option.

The dark sides of zoning are they create a class of public officials with the power to restrict the self-determination of land owners with no consequences for themselves. This power favors those with political and monetary clout at the expense of the original land owners and less affluent. Land use restrictions also create regulatory takings, this happens when a governing body restricts the use of private property so that the value is lessened. The victim of a regulatory taking still holds deed to the property, but much of its value will have been removed without compensation.

The answer to my question is government should stay out of central planning as much as possible. While not perfect, the free market will always be smarter and fairer than the bureaucrats when deciding economic and land use issues.

Nauseating

If this does not make you vote Republican on the state level in West Virginia, you are absolutely lost.

Charlie King, a Democratic judge in the Kanawha County Circuit Court, just recently retired. His pension will cost taxpayers $81,200 per year. No problem so far. He worked in the justice system for thirty years. If this was the end of the story we'd say he probably earned it.

King is on the ballot for the same seat from which he just retired and is running unopposed. When elected, King will receive $116,000 per year. Again you might ask, what is the problem. According to the law, King has found a loophole that enables him to collect both his salary and his pension at the same time! He will receive almost $200,000 per year for a job that pays $116,000

King unashamedly defends his double dipping by referring to his years of service. Just because it is legal, though, does not make it right.

How bad does it have to get before West Virginians decide that they have had enough of the Ruling Party? This is nothing isolated, this has been going on for generations now. If only the state party had some money so that they could publicize this.

We have an Attorney General that transformed his office into a 24/7 self-promotion and friend rewarding operation and now a judge who figured out how to beat the system to double dip. Notice the (D) after both of their names.

Folks, please, to end this corruption and flagrant violation of the public trust do yourself a favor.

Toss the bums out. Every last Democrat. Vote for them again in the future if you must, but at least send a clear message now that their abuse of the public trust must end this year.

Obama's Chicago Problem

West Virginians will be very familiar with this kind of situation. When people from a certain political party want support for a statewide election, they must make a pilgrimage to see people they would probably rather not deal with (or should want to avoid anyway.) The southern coalfield bosses with their cheesy nicknames and tradition of corruption have helped manipulate results for politicians willing to "play ball" for many decades now. Some embrace the corruption, others do only what they must to get what they need. Few walk away untarnished.

Chicago is Southern West Virginia writ large. More money, more ruthless operators, and more sleaze. The main difference is that Southern West Virginia bosses may be corrupt, but none of them turned against their country.

Obama's biggest Chicago problem involves William Ayers. Today he has been embraced by left wing academics as an anti-war hero. In the 1960s and 70s he helped to organize and lead the notorious Weather Underground. This group targeted the US Capitol and police officers with the same kinds of bombs Al Quaeda uses in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ayers claims that his only regret lay in the fact that they were not more effective (i.e. violent.) Obama worked with Ayers on the board of a Chicago foundation and has been described by many as a friend of Ayers. A meeting with Ayers helped to kick off Obama's original Senate run. Robert C. Byrd was blackballed from consideration for national office because of his ties to domestic terrorism; now Obama has been shown to have ties as well.

Another problem lies in close Obama ties to disreputable slumlords in Chicago. He bought a house in Chicago under market value with a mortgage deal that average Americans could only dream about. These Obama friends are notorious in Chicago for providing substandard housing, at times they failed to keep the heat on for their poor tenants during the harsh Chicago winters. Obama jumped on McCain for not knowing how many houses he and his wife owned. However McCain used one of those houses to care for a child in need. Obama did not even use one room in his multi-million dollar mansion to house his half brother who lives in a Kenya hut on less than a dollar a month.

Corruption, lack of compassion, and questionable competence continue to erode the Obama candidacy. The careful Clinton orchestration of the Democratic convention indicate that they are looking past the looming Democratic disaster of 2008 to a candidacy for Hillary at the end of John McCain's tenure in office. Meanwhile Barack Obama has gone from utopian uniter to just another corrupt Chicago political hack without the effectiveness of someone like "Old Man" Daley.

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By the way, take some time to visit www.nomomojo.org This site keeps you up to date on the campaign of Russ Weeks and the growing reasons why we need change at the top in West Virginia.

Fear and Loathing in Charleston, West Virginia

It must already be desperation time for the Charleston Gazette's drive to oust Representative Shelley Moore Capito from office.

Columnist Jim Haught last week produced a long and rambling column, more like a list, of alleged Moore misdeeds. Some of these came to light as a result of the paper's undying obsession with the popular Republican governor. The column raises interesting questions about journalism in West Virginia.

The obvious pride shown by Haught and his employer in taking down Arch Moore should raise a question in anyone's mind (anyone who does not live in a cave or who is not a non thinking left wing liberal) about the other side. Journalists pay lip service to objectivity, but when has the Gazette ever written an expose of a Democratic politician? If you read the pages of the Charleston morning paper, GOP misdeeds happen every day, but Democrats are merely victims of Republican vendettas.

What about the Gazette's undying love affair with John F. Kennedy? Interestingly, as a side note, Kennedy's policies look much more like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush than Obama or Kerry, but the Gazette does not often deal in inconvenient facts. Put a (D) after Reagan or Bush and they'd be heroes worthy of beatification in the Gazette's partisan eyes. While Kennedy's foreign and economic policies often made sense, his West Virginia record was fairly mixed. He brought in the Appalachian corridor system, but to become president had to lie, cheat, and corrup[t his way into office. If you read Dr. Allen Loughry's account of the 1960 presidential primary, you'd probably figure that at the very least, Ted Kennedy (who led the campaign in Southern West Virginia) should have spent some time in a federal prison instead of the US Senate. Loughry, by the way, was a Caperton administration official, not a GOP hatchet man.

If you do not believe him, read Raymond Chafin's Just Good Politics. This autobiography of a Democratic boss in Logan County was written with the help of liberal writer Topper Sherwood. A subsequent and more detailed account written later by Keith Davis was forwarded by Earl Ray Tomblin. They discuss shenanigans that make Moore's alleged offenses look fairly petty, but presented them in a nostalgic, back home sort of manner. Of course Sherwood recently wrote a fawning commentary for the Gazette about Obama. The gist of the book is that Chafin was just helping the folks who helped him like good politicians always do. In reality, Chafin accepted thousands of dollars to buy precincts for John F. Kennedy in his primary campaign. He also used the State Road Commission as a place to reward the politically faithful. Loughry blames this campaign for introducing a whole new scale of corruption to the state political system.

As for Governor Moore, the Gazette never balanced the equation of his political career with his achievements as they certainly have with Democratic politicians who ended up in jail. Moore fought for and got an expanded interstate highway system, for example. During the Flood of 1985 he acted aggressively to secure federal funds, to help the afflicted, and got people's lives back to normal as quickly as possible. Instead of wringing his hands waiting for the president to act (like the Democratic governor of Louisiana during Katrina) Moore did everything the law allowed and then some.

It is time for state GOP press outlets to start shining the lights a little more closely on Democratic politicians and their past. It would only be fair. Questions and rumors about unfair elections have surrounded a few Democrats for years. The people are probably kind of curious to see what would come up.

We won't see this from the Gazette. They are too busy trying to use the problems of twenty and thirty years ago to unseat a popular and effective congresswoman guilty of nothing. It is typical of the Charleston paper to apply this kind of guilt by association tactic, especially since it looks like Capito will cruise to yet another strong victory in November.

Where Homeschooled Children Can Go From Here

The Mineral County Board of Education passed into legitimate law the action taken last school year to remove from the rolls of homeschoolers those that spend more than 50% of their time in traditional school classes. This action provoked a hostile reaction at the time because it had no basis in the law. Now some homeschooling parents will have to make the adjustment.

Increasing numbers of parents every year opt to remove their children from the traditional school environment. At one time schools reflected the values and standards of each individual community. Now they mirror the goals and dreams of far away bureaucrats and academics. Under their leadership, public schools veer crazily from social experiment to social engineering.

Consolidation has damaged the schools severely. In the past the schools were based in the community and so were the teachers. Teachers were neighbors to the students they taught and had stronger connections to the community. Now the ties that once bound teachers to students and parents have frayed considerably. No one knows each other. This makes it easier for teachers to not hold themselves to high standards. It also makes it easier for parents to mistrust and dislike the school system.

These and other factors drive students out of the traditional school environment. So where can their parents go to get them the best education possible? The answer lies in the free market. Homeschooling parents can band together, pool money, and pay a retiree or a graduate student to teach a subject (such as math) that parents might find difficult to explain. They can establish their own mini schools that reflect the values they want to teach.

The freedom to choose should always remain the basis of a democratic society. When parents create more options for their children, this invigorates their own children's education. Hopefully it will force the public system to respond more effectively to community concerns.

The Internet is playing a greater role in WV politics

Russ Weeks candidate for West Virginia Governor spend most of last week touring the Potomac Highlands spreading his message. In case you missed him Russ has a new internet video.

Garrison's Last Pitch

West Virginia University President Mike Garrison recently made his last desperate pitch to keep his job. Summoning up his powers to convince, he made such a strong impression on the Board of Governors that they absolved him of direct responsibility for the degree scandal. However the Board stated that they would continue to look at the situation and meet again on June 6th.

Michael Garrison may or may not have had a direct hand in the scandal. However the perception is that his political connections bind him too tightly to the governor and that this played a major role in the wrongdoing. The revelations in the Rich Rodriguez case that Garrison was assumed to be the next president long before his hiring do not help.

Who suffers here? Certainly the governor must want this to go away very badly. His opponent in November, Russ Weeks, has benefited tremendously. Not too long ago Weeks had little name recognition outside of Republican circles. Now increasing numbers of people see him as an alternative to the Manchinocracy. Weeks will be able to use this and other issues to bridge the gap between himself and his opponent by this fall. Garrison himself has taken an image hit from which he will not recover.

Worst of all the university has taken a hard right cross to its reputation. Coming from a state all too often maligned (thanks Dick Cheney), West Virginia University must always fight an uphill battle in its quest to be recognized for the great research institution it is. Since it has low standards for admission (which it must since it serves the state), magazines rating the best colleges ignore WVU's track record of research excellence. It was the one state run institution believed to be free of the usual political garbage. That reputation is gone.

The current president of WVU must love the university. I do not see how anyone who has taught or attended there cannot. WVU strikes a unique balance between teaching excellence and research that is rare at its academic level. Michael Garrison's best leadership decision would be to resign right now. That is how he could save the situation for himself and West Virginia University.

Take one for the team, President Garrison. Please.

Author Russ Weeks to Speak at Keyser Rotary

Senator Weeks, a Navy veteran who ran for office believing one man could make a difference, exposes the hypocrisy of state government in the Mountain State, and reveals an insider’s account of the true story behind:

Governor Joe Manchin’s handling of the Sago tragedy and the real reason behind the emergency mine legislation that followed the event.

The cover-ups and government interference regarding serious allegations at a West Virginia healthcare facility, and the heavy-handed efforts to stop Senator Weeks from pursuing the truth.

The charade of the lawmaking process, and how bills are often changed long after being approved by the legislature.

The real reason West Virginia ranks last in almost every category.

No Strings Attached is a riveting first-hand account of government malfeasance at its most shocking, told by the man who held the same Senate seat once occupied by Robert C. Byrd. And Senator Weeks issues a challenge: “Now that you know what’s going on with your elected officials, what are you going to do about it?”

Russ will speak to Keyser Rotary on Thursday June 5th at 12:00 at the Pines in Keyser.

"Water Water Every Where (sic) Nor Any Drop to Drink?"

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner gives the reader a powerful image of what happens when a luckless ship breaks into an ocean bereft of breeze or rain. The crew suffers as they lose their supply of fresh water. Lack of water tortures them, giving them "black lips baked." This dire situation of no water has been presented to us by some of our leaders. According to a test that is far from conclusive, the aquifer under Keyser and New Creek may be low.

The problem faced by Coleridge's sailors was that their most convenient source of water had actually disappeared. Although no one has concluded that is the case in Mineral County, let us assume for a minute that the aquifer did start to run low. The unfortunate men on the ship described by Coleridge were surrounded by "water, water every where, nor any drop to drink." If they had lived in our time, modern technology could have saved them by separating the salt from the seawater, giving them as much as they needed.

We don't need modern technology. If the aquifers are low (and that is doubtful considering the precipitation that we have received since November) then all we need is the same technology used 2,000 years ago by the Romans. They drew millions of gallons per day from mountain sources, enough to fill the needs of over a million people and flush Rome's sewers.

We have ample sources of water. The Mountaintop Water Department commissioned a study which claims that their reservoir contains over 100 million gallons of water and does not drop much even in dry spells. Another study confirmed that 10% of the lowest ever recorded flow of the Potomac out of Jennings Randolph Lake could supply the needs of almost ten times the number of people currently living in Mineral County. The idea that we face a water crisis when surrounded by lakes is absolutely preposterous. Did anyone else see some of the streets of Keyser under four inches of water on Saturday?

Coleridge's ship ended up in a supernatural realm where each member of the crew was either sent to death or "death in life." Death in life was a crueler punishment, a cursed existence where a man had some sense of his surroundings, but those surroundings were decayed and foul. This water question, if it creates enough concern, will certainly be used to prevent significant development in Mineral County. For those in certain situations of comfort, keeping things as they are makes sense. However for those who need to find better jobs to feed their families and stay in this region, a Mineral County without growth becomes a death in life. Communities will continue to wither and lives and homes will decay. Of course if given a chance they will leave the state to live better and give their families more.

Private Property Sezied to Fund Big State Governments

Unfortunately this can happen to you.

Blair urges WVU faculty, grads to call for Garrison’s resignation, full probe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Craig Blair

Monday, April 28, 2008 304-671-9363

Blair urges WVU faculty, grads to call

for Garrison’s resignation, full probe

MARTINSBURG — Delegate Craig Blair today called on West Virginia University graduates and faculty to demand the resignation of WVU President Mike Garrison, as well as a full investigation into the events surrounding the improper awarding of an eMBA degree to the daughter of Gov. Joe Manchin.

“The report from the independent panel did a good job of finding the internal factors at WVU that led to this decision,” said Blair. “But what we also need is an investigation into the external pressures from outside the campus that may have played a major role in this scandal.”

Blair said that whether or not Garrison directly ordered the degree to be awarded is not the point.

“As president of WVU, Mike Garrison has a responsibility to uphold the integrity of our state’s biggest institution of higher learning,” said Blair. “What is clear is that when he learned this degree was being awarded, he either failed to ask the proper questions, or he simply condoned the decision because he wanted the issue to go away. Either way, he is ultimately responsible for this travesty, no matter how many people under him resign.”

Blair said every West Virginian has a personal stake in the integrity and future of WVU, but donors, faculty and graduates must especially make their voices heard, and demand accountability from the top.

“Once President Garrision steps aside, we can begin to heal as a state,” said Blair. “But the questions won’t end there, and we cannot be satisfied until every last suspicion is laid to rest.”

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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?

Greear says legislative effort to slow Attorney General did not go far enough

For Immediate Release
March 25, 2008

Contact:
Greear for AG Committee
Suzette Raines, 304-437-1306

Huntington, WV – Charleston attorney and former member of the House of Delegates, Dan Greear, spoke to the Cabell County Republican Women's Club today as he campaigns for the office of Attorney General. The meeting will take place at noon at the Pullman Plaza Hotel in Huntington.

Greear discussed the constant struggle the West Virginia Legislature has encountered with Attorney General Darrell McGraw. McGraw has dispersed settlement money at his own discretion rather than allowing the Legislature to appropriate the money as is their constitutional duty.

In response to the conflict with the Attorney General, H.B. 104 was passed during a recent Special Session and requires McGraw to inform the Legislature of potential monetary settlements.

Greear stated it will not prevent McGraw from employing his normal practice of distributing settlement money, but will only require him to disclose that information to the Legislature. Greear praised the Governor and Legislature for taking the first step, but said HB 104 did not go nearly far enough.

"The Attorney General should be solving legal problems, not creating them," said Greear. "Once again, McGraw is forcing the Legislature to pass legislation to try to curb his abuses. Considering all the problems our state faces, the Legislature should not be forced to fix the messes of a constitutional officer," said Greear.

"This bill was supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. I believe the bi-partisan support says a great deal about the dissatisfaction with McGraw, but much more must be done to reign in his abuses," added Greear.

Greear is a lifelong resident of Kanawha County, graduating from South Charleston High School in 1986 as a National Merit Scholar. He graduated from the WVU School of Law in the spring of 1992 where he also served as associate manuscript editor for the West Virginia Law Review. He served in the West Virginia House of Delegates representing Kanawha County’s 30th District in 1995 and 1996. Dan currently resides in South Charleston with his wife Amy, a social worker for Kanawha Hospice Care, and their two children, Joshua, 8 and Ben, 6.

Secret Denunciations Soon to be Legal in Mineral County

When the Mineral County Clean Up Committee finalized its discussions on the proposed clean up ordinance last fall, one thing was made clear. Those who file complaints would have their names included on the complaint. Our legal system recognizes that those facing accusations must know the name of those making the complaint. It is only fair to the accused.

The Mineral County Commission just altered the proposed ordinance so that unidentified complainants can get the enforcement official to file the complaints on their behalf. This performs an end run around the spirit of the ordinance and of our legal system itself by encouraging secret denunciations. Those who support this measure would claim that having the enforcement official file the complaints on behalf of those who would remain anonymous serves as a sort of vetting process. A reasonable official, they would state, would eliminate unreasonable complaints. However what if the enforcement official is unreasonable, incompetent, or corrupt? Such scenarios have happened in the history of this state.

What is particularly galling is that this was passed to protect complainants who would hesitate to step forward because they were elderly, handicapped, ill, or feared reprisal. When measures were proposed that would protect property owners who were poor, ill, or otherwise vulnerable, these were rejected as "reverse discrimination" against the rich. Now the county commission is proposing that the ill, handicapped, elderly, etc. need extra protection so long as they are not the target of the complaint!

If we are going to have a law err on the side of protecting anyone's rights, it ought to be the property owner. Indigent, ill, disabled, or other property owners have no protection whatsoever. Supposedly vulnerable accusers, however, are accorded protective status over and above that of even victims of criminal acts. The latitude of free speech rights is rightfully extensive. assumed to cover almost any form of pornography or dissent. Other natural rights such as those regarding gun ownership and property are not taken nearly as seriously. This is the case because these rights limit the power that government has over the people.

Sometimes issues of security do need protection for those making official reports. If suspicious people are seen boarding a plane, it is important to get the information quickly so authorities can determine the validity of the threat. Since unused barns are less likely to escape the property line to wreck havoc and terror in various parts of the nation, this is a case where government power needs to be restrained.

Another Failure of the West Virginia Ruling Party

The complete failure of the Democrat controlled government in West Virginia has never been more apparent than in the past week. Kanawha County must somehow absorb a shock to its economy. Tens of millions of dollars now regularly pumped into the region will shortly disappear.

Dow Chemicals is transferring a large number of jobs out of its South Charleston research center. These are not simply service jobs, but six figure salaries paid to Phd's. Losing these jobs ought not come as a surprise to anyone because this facility has hemorrhaged employment since the 1970s. Dow does not plan to cut these jobs but transfer the positions to the Gulf Coast or overseas.

Obviously Dow needs these positions. The problem according to Dow lies in the fact that they cannot obtain cheap supplies of natural gas in this region. An incredible statement considering much of West Virginia sits atop natural gas deposits. However the Byzantine nature of state and federal regulation laid atop the state tax structure means that West Virginia has lost its competitive edge in retaining these crucial jobs.

It all sounds familiar. West Virginians generally support the kind of development that leads to good jobs. Unfortunately they continue to elect people that block that very situation from occurring. Locally we have seen almost insane, Chicken Little style efforts to block development. In the midst of a month long period where we have seen good amounts of rain and snow, people actually have argued that we should block all development or face running out of water.

It is simple. To retain and create jobs we need a good business climate. To achieve that we must elect people that truly understand how to build and maintain one. Over the past seventy eight years the vast majority of Democratic leaders have proven that they know better how to dismantle rather than sustain one.

The Return of Jerry Mezzatesta?

Because of the relevance of the saga of the fallen former Hampshire County Delegate Jerry Mezzatesta to the Eastern Mineral County and the Potomac Highlands, I have re-posted the following from my post at the Think Tank this morning:

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The Return of the Mezz?

Well, hopefully not.Former Delegate Jerry Mezzatesta is trying to get old job back at Hampshire County Schools. The Daily Mail reports:

Bailey urged Taylor to uphold the grievance board's decision, while Bruce asked that Mezzatesta be allowed back in his previous position and awarded back pay, Bailey said.

Back pay? Does this fellow have ANY shame?

Aside from diverting $35,000 in education grants to a local fire department, the Mezz and his wife pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of destroying and altering legislative computer records in Kanahwa County in 2004.

And of course, the Mezz wanted the taxpayers to foot the bill for his trip to the magistrate as Eric Eyre reported back in December of 2004.

Former House Education Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta wants the state to reimburse him nearly $1,000 for a three-day visit to Charleston during which he cleaned out his office, said goodbye to friends, and pleaded no contest to a criminal charge in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.Mezzatesta has requested "duty day" pay for this past Saturday, Sunday and Monday at $150 each day. He also put in for $115 in expenses for each of those days, and $192 for mileage to and from his home in Romney.

If you don't recall or weren't around for the fall of the mighty former House Education Chairman (who was also former Speaker Bob Kiss' right hand man), you can read about it here in this award winning series by Eric Eyre at the Charleston Gazette.