How laws and sausages are made

Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made. Prince Otto von Bismarck

Over the past several months I have had the pleasure of working on the Mineral Coutny Clean Up Committee. The purpose of the committee lay in trying to formulate a law to address abandoned and unsafe buildings. Many on the committee had ideal responses to this issue formulated in their heads before getting to work.

Include me among them. Private property counts as one of the most sacred rights granted to man. Not the right to have it, but the right to work to earn it, then enjoy the rewards of that work. Interference with property rights ought to only occur after careful consideration. Property gives a man, or a woman, or a family a sense of stability and permanence. It is their rock against the slings and arrows fired by life in the real world. I saw no purpose in the ordinance myself (on that point I agreed with Gary Howell and many others), but felt that working with the committee might help create a law with less problems for average owners.

The real world often intervenes with how we view the world ideally. The county commission had a strong interest in seeing an ordinance established. Governor Manchin pushed these actions at the county level by threatening to withold funds. An ordinance would occur in some form or another. The key lay in getting a law that would be as fair as possible to property owners.

Regardless of how the press covered these meetings, they were at times contentious. Gary Howell and his supporters fought hard for a law that would limit government authority, strictly define its actions, and provide maximum protections for property owners, especially the poor and middle class. Others wanted a law that granted more robust powers and a more loosely defined authority to the county. Verbal battles raged over these issues and others. Like almost any heated discussion, the real fight lay over what fundamental principles would serve as the foundation for this law. It was agreed at one point to use a similar ordinance created by Raleigh County as a template and change it to fit Mineral County.

At the end of the day both sides got some of what they wanted. Many irrelevant terms such as "blighted area" and "junked vehicles" were expunged from the ordinance. Otherwise they might have opened a slight crack in the legal door for laws that could affect people's rights in other areas. The most obnoxious parts of the Raleigh County law lay in extremely oppressive fines, but these were mitigated somewhat. However Howell and his supporters were unable to secure a specific sliding scale of fines and time needed to complete repairs based upon income. Proposals to grant special grace periods to the disabled and those in federal poverty programs were also rejected.

Serving on a committee such as this one was a rewarding experience. Everyone who has the time, patience, and the concern for their community ought to participate in something like this at least once. Like Chancellor von Bismarck tried to explain, this was not always a pretty sight. However raised voices, argument, and dissention mean that at least two people care about their community and the people in it. Bismarck said it is better not to see laws being made, but on the other hand he did not govern a country that valued democratic republican government as we do.

I can't speak for sausage making, but take the opportunity to watch a law being made. Whether or not you like the experience, you will definitely learn a lot.

A National Energy Policy

Since the first oil crisis of the 1970 we have known that our Achilles Heal is energy. In the 30 plus years since the first crisis, the power has shifted back and forth between both parties. During that time neither party has come up with a viable solution. Recent statements from the governor show that has not changed. "I've spoken to most of the presidential candidates on both the Republican and Democratic sides," Governor Joe Manchin stated at the Bluefield Coal Show. "They know what I'm saying. But none come out with a true energy policy."

West Virginia has coal, gas, wind, and water to generate energy for the nation. If a lead is not going to be taken anytime soon on a national level, then the state must step forward and take the lead. We should be reforming our laws to allow easier construction of modern power plants that will use West Virginia coal to produce power in the state and provide much needed jobs in the state.

The political landscape of West Virginia hurts the very industries that we need to grow. The current system put in place by the Democratic controlled WV Legislature holds back our economic growth. We must reform the legal and tax structure to encourage growth in the energy producing industries. In its current form, the WV legislature will not make the necessary changes to bring economic growth to this sector. We need to make some serious changes in West Virginia and take advantage of our strong points, or we will continue to fall behind the other states.

The Breakfast of Champions

Tuesday the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce held its annual Legislative Breakfast. Invited were Senators David Sypolt (R), & Jon Hunter (D), as well as Representatives Allen Evans (R), Bob Schadler (R), and Ruth Rowan (R) which represent all or parts of Mineral County. Ruth Rowan didn't attend which was not as much a surprise as the absence of Hunter. This is the first Legislative Breakfast I can remember him not attending. Maybe there is some truth to the rumors of Jon not seeking re-election.

I really like the Legislative Breakfast. I believe it is very important for the community to have a briefing from the very people that we count on in Charleston to represent us. What really got me hooked was a few years ago. Then Senator Sarah Minear (R) was at the breakfast. She spoke after Jon Hunter, and did what I believe a politician should do. She stood up at the mic and told it like it was. Speaking with fire in her belly Sarah explained in detail why she disagreed with her counterpart, and whether you agreed with her or not you had to give her respect. That is what I want to hear from my representatives.

We don't need representatives that are only seen as frequently as Roswell aliens. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil once said, "All politics are local," and that means getting out among the people. The attendees at the breakfast were doing just that. They were there to take questions, hear comments from the people, and some cases take some heat. That is what being a representative in a representative democracy is about. You have to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly from the people you represent.

Last year people couldn't believe when the Governor visited Keyser, that I said more than "Welcome to Keyser" as he shook hands. I did that and told him, we have some problems that need addressed and here they are. Politicians are people there to serve us, talk to your representatives. Be respectful, but tell them what you think, why you think it, what you would like to see, and why you disagree if their opinion differs from yours. Our representatives need to know what we think, so tell them when you see them.