Poll Results: What is the cause of lack of Economic Development in Mineral County?

In an unscientific week long poll readers of the blog were asked, "What is the cause of lack of Economic Development in Mineral County?" The reader could select multiple answers so each answer is out of 100% polled. Below are the results.

County Officials Actively Keeping Business Out	66%
County Officials Not Understanding Business Needs	44%
The States Business Climate	33%
I disagree Mineral County has an expanding economy	0%

The Party of 50th Place: WV Democratic Party

Chris Stirewalt made an interesting observation in a recent editorial in the State Journal when he called the WV Democratic Party, the party of the 50th place. The party in charge is the one that sets the agenda, and should suffer the consequences. In the last congressional election we saw the Republican Party taken from power for the War in Iraq. So with West Virginia now at the bottom, do the Democrats have a similar fate in store for 2008?

Chris also made another observation that the Republican Party in West Virginia was not able to follow the lead of mid-west Republicans or southern Republicans in advancing the party in this state. West Virginia as a state doesn't like to be pigeon holed. We don't fit neatly where others wish us to be.

In Joel Garreau's book The Nine Nations of North America he lays out 9 distinct regions across North America that share cultural and economic connections. Again West Virginia defied description. In good economic times he stated we are part of the industrial north, and in bad times we belong to Dixie.

We have been very successful in not allowing others to define us. However under the Democratic leadership of the past 50 plus years we have managed to define ourselves economically as 50th. While we used to say, "Hey, at least we are not Mississippi" now Mississippians are saying, "Hey, at least we are not West Virginia."

Now is the time for West Virginia to redefine its economic self. We must do this from the inside with changes in leadership. We have allowed the party of 50th define us, now it is time for a change. We have no place to go but up. We need leadership that understands economic freedom brings prosperity. If the WV Republican Party can get out the message they are that party the future may begin to get brighter.

The Memory of Johnny Reb

On a business trip to Richmond last week I decided in the little free time I had to try and poke around to see some of the city's history. Whoever kept up the John Marshall House did an outstanding job. The gardens are beautiful and the whole property is a fitting memorial to this influential, but unprententious great American.

The memory of Richmond's temporary status as a national capital (at least according to some folks) has not survived nearly as well. Jefferson Davis while chief executive of the Confederate States lived in that country's own version of the White House. The rear of that building has fallen into disrepair as the gigantic Virginia Commonwealth University hospital has grown up on three sides of it. Behind the Confederate White House sits the Museum of the Confederacy, a typically ugly 1970s looking structure more reminiscent of the Soviet Union than the Old Dominion. The effect created by the position under the towers of the surrounding hospital is not unlike the shoving of unwanted items into a closet.

Richmond has grown into a vibrant community striving to portray a new face of ethnic diversity and a dynamism fit for the 21st century. It obviously has tensions regarding its past role as leading city of the Confederate States of America. This need not be the case.

The memory of the Confederacy has suffered over the years from an oversimplified approach. People want conflicts painted in a "good guys versus bad guys" manner and the Civil War belies that. Although slavery played a role in the coming of the Civil War it was not the main cause. The rights of the states and defense of one's homeland mobilized many hearts to fight for the South. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was considered a campus radical in Virginia for constantly breaking the laws concerning the education of slaves. He opposed the institution as did Robert E. Lee. At the close of the war, a regiment of black troops in Confederate gray marched through Richmond. Slavery was a tremendous injustice and contributed to the Southern defeat, but it did not make Southerners "bad guys."

Northern heroism deserves just as much mention. Thomas Carskadon of New Creek among many others risked his life for the dual principles of the State of West Virginia and the Republican Party. It is fitting that both Confederates and Unionists receive respect and admiration for defending their countries and standing by their principles even when it meant sometimes sacrificing all.

Finish It Already!

Representative Steven King (R) Iowa has a point, although he did bring it forth in a very melodramatic fashion.

In a committee meeting concerning the budget of the FBI, King proposed that $1 million be allocated to finish the federal investigation of Representative Alan Mollohan (D) 1st district. Although he did not mention Mollohan by name, his description left no illusion to whom he referred.

In a sense it was a cheap political ploy to return Mollohan's name to the news to counter the investigation of Republican Senator Ted Stevens, but it does raise a real problem. West Virginia's voters need to know the truth about their congressman. Mollohan himself would probably sleep better with closure, if he is indeed not guilty. Long drawn out investigations of public officials either destroy the reputation of the innocent or perpetuate mistrust of a government system that allows criminals to keep office. Although Mollohan acted correctly in recusing himself from deliberations concerning the Department of Justice, the cloud remains in place until the investigation reaches a conclusion.

The next congressional elections are coming up quickly. Voters, potential candidates, and the incumbent himself need to know where this investigation is going. The First District deserves nothing less than the truth on this matter as quickly as possible.

Michael Garrison Visits Potomac State College

Potomac State College welcomed incoming West Virginia University president Michael Garrison today. In front of perhaps sixty faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and other locals, Garrison held a question and answer session that lasted around an hour and a half.


Many questioned the process that led to Garrison's hiring. He held a post in the administration of Governor Bob Wise and had strong connections with state higher education officials. Garrison came under fire even before his hiring. West Virginia University faculty argued that his law degree and state government experience failed to meet the standard of credentials that a university president should have. Garrison's supporters reasoned that political experience and connections would be an asset to a university president trying to fight for a proper share of the state budget.


In any event, Garrison was chosen to lead West Virginia University and by extension Potomac State College. His visit to Keyser formed part of a tour of all the university's branch campuses to hear the comments and concerns people have with WVU leadership. Most comments centered around the expansion undertaken in the past two years under outgoing president David Hardesty. Enrollment and capital expenditures increased dramatically in that period.


Garrison gave a few clues about his vision for the future of the school. He repeatedly emphasized "managed growth." This indicates a conservative outlook about making sure the school has resources before more expansion occurs. Resources not only include the budget, but also faculty, staff, and infrastructure.


Some criticism centered around Garrison's youth, but he handled a few difficult questions well and with assurance. His comments about West Virginia University and Potomac State leave a lot of room for optimism. Garrison is not the empty political suit that some made him out to be. However time will tell whether his vision unfolds successfully or not. Other clues to that vision can be found in statements to the Charleston Daily Mail that he considers athletic success to play a prominent role in the university's image.


Garrison's youth and quick rise to prominence as captain of the state's flagship institution most certainly begs the question about his future. Likely if his presidency proves successful, Garrison will become one more Democratic Party name with whom Republicans will have to contend.

The Fine Art of Persuasion

Persuasion is less a science and more of an art form. However this art, like many, has maxims that hold truth. For instance, say you generate a message. This year it sounds preposterous, right on the edge of believability. However get some money, celebrities, and experts to sign on and you have a fringe movement. Repeat the message often enough and it creeps onto the edge of respectability. From there it becomes accepted. Left wingers specialize in manipulations like this and we have seen it. Mountaintop removal will destroy every mountain in West Virginia. Global warming exists and it will destroy mankind.

Why does the Left not advance arguments that they can more firmly ground in fact? For example, every global warming story relies on correlations. You can draw correlations between the drop in popularity of baseball and the dubious climate change numbers they offer. These messages rely on their very extremism, not facts. They assume that people may not swallow the whole idea at once, but act on the principle of "where there's smoke, there's fire."

The more extreme the message, the more you can shift people's attitudes in the long run, potentially anyway. We can argue that mountaintop removal mining has benefits and drawbacks and that coal companies ought to respect as much as possible the environment they affect. Also we can argue that reducing pollution through technology and other means is a commendable goal. However since those ideas are not that far from people's mainstream points of view, they do not cause major shifts in popular belief. It's easier for liberal leftists to say that all the mountains will be gone someday or that the world will end up uninhabitable. Some may balk at what I am saying, but think of the pro-abortion and animal rights movements over history. Look at how messages currently undermine the idea that a person has the right to eat what he or she wants and the responsibility to deal with the consequences.

What is the point in the Left's messages? It is anti-capitalism and anti-freedom plain and simple. Some of the messages show some coordination, others are merely inspired. An element in the United States wants to fundamentally change how people in general view economics and society. They want to move the country farther away from individual rights and responsibilities towards a collective mentality where government acts as parent. Or perhaps as Big Brother.

They cannot do it directly through revolution so they attack on the fringes using proxy issues. The base messages are always the same. Capitalism is evil. People are not smart enough to take care of themselves or their environment. Authority needs to do it for them. Perhaps if more people become aware of how the messages try to manipulate them, they will know to resist them. They are counting on you to not think about what they say, but to accept it even just partially. Don't do them the favor of unconditionally accepting it.

How Powerful Is the Liberal Media?

From time to time people like to question the real power that the liberal media has over public perception. Consider these facts and then think about all the recent stories citing polls that say Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average just topped 14,000 for the first time ever. Our economy has expanded constantly since 2001 despite attack, war, and natural disaster.

The United States has not been attacked since 2001. Sure Al Quaida was just called the most dangerous terror threat to the United States, but that has been the case since the 1990s.

Iraq currently has a government with over a million civil servants. They also have 55,000 police officers with 3,500 graduating into the force every two months. A stock exchange has operated there for almost three years. According to Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb of the British Army, coalition forces now work in various areas to construct economic and political structures that thrive even when they leave. Terrorists have fewer and fewer places to operate as a result.

Thirty years ago the liberal media called attention to starving children in Appalachia. Now it blasts the government for callously letting poor children get too fat.

In what other country at any other time did every individual have so much opportunity to better themselves through education? Well, name a country that did not tax the individual at over 50% once they did make something of themselves.

The people of France and Germany (who we have been told despise the United States) both elected governments in the last few years determined to not only have better relations with America, but reform their economies to be more like the US!

This country is going in the right direction in many ways. The groundwork started with President Reagan who created a foundation of power and prosperity that makes us the envy of the world. Every responsible person should look at our country and the blessings of liberty and opportunity it bestows upon us all and thank the leaders who helped bring us to this point in history. Next year voters need to remember which party has consistently worked for the strengthening of our nation as opposed to condemning basic American values and choose accordingly.

Water pressure concern at Mineral County Planning Commission meeting

Residences of the Fort Ashby area voiced their opinion to the Mineral County Planning Commission on Thursday night. Ashby Crest subdivision located near Painter Hollow Road could add up to 35 additional homes on what locals call an over taxed water system. One local resident stated he only had 8 psi of water pressure at his home.

The subdivision received all proper permits from the Frankfort PSD to hook on to the water system, and were aware of the pressure problem. The developer said he would be installing a booster pump for the subdivision, so the new homes would not experience the same water pressure problems.

County Health Department official A.J. Root said that the PSD was required to provide at least 20 psi of water pressure. Planning Commission President Clyde Burdock conferred if he lived in that area he would not put up with 8 psi of water pressure, and suggested that the people contact the state Public Service Commission.

Kolin Jan felt that the planning commission should not approve the subdivision. County Planner Scott Clay informed the commission that the developer had met all the requirements for the subdivision, and that this developer had presented the most complete plans he had seen going well beyond anything required by the code. He went on to state, "the Planning Commission could be sued if they did not follow the law", as Mr. Jan suggested. Clyde Burdock followed by saying the Frankfort PSD is at fault if they approved the permits without doing the proper checks and inspection.

Several citizens stated they had no complaints with the developer, and wanted the growth as it would help their property values. Their main concern was the lack of water pressure and a fear that the subdivision could aggravate the problem.

Also at the meeting Frank Roleff pointed out that at the June Planning Commission meeting the Planning Commission stated that when the County Commission made new appointments they should try to give equal representation to the different areas of the county. At the time of the June meeting the north end magisterial district had 4 members, the Keyser area district had 2 members, and the southwest part of the county had 3.

With resignation of Mr. Welch from the north end prior to the June meeting, the Planning Commission suggested that 3 persons from the Keyser area be appointed or re-appointed. This would have given fair and equal representation to the planning commission from all parts of the county with an even split of 3, 3, and 3. Mr. Roleff went on to point out that this recommendation was not followed and the north end now has 4 members, the southwest 4, and Keyser district only having one member, and he felt the different areas of the county were not fairly represented.

Capito says taxpayers should not pay to house illegal aliens

If your going to immigrate to the US, then you need to do it legally. Many of our ancestors came to the US for a better life, and most came legally. Apparently until Shelley Capito closed the loop hole illegals were getting housing assistance. The loop hole was located in the Section 8 Program.

Congresswoman Capito stated, "Loopholes in current law, like this housing assistance loophole for illegal immigrants, act as a magnet and invite people to enter our country illegally. We should not be rewarding those who have come here illegally by awarding them taxpayer-funded services intended for law-abiding citizens.”

The congresswoman closed the loop hole by adding an amendment requiring two forms of id to prove the housing assistance applicant was a legal US resident. The problem is not one being faced by West Virginians alone. In the Denver, CO area over 20,000 illegal aliens received FHA home loans. She explained, “We must take this opportunity to strengthen a successful federal program to ensure this benefit is only provided to legal residents.”

Both WV Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall voted to continue to allow illegal aliens to receive US taxpayer assistance. The Capito amendment passed 233-186 blocking future housing benefits to illegal aliens.

What Patton would say about the current War on Terror

I thought somebody did a pretty good job on this, and does highlight what many on the left don't understand.

Is Mineral County running out of water?

At several planning commission meetings over the past 2 years I have heard people claim that Mineral County is running out of water. Now living here my entire life I have never thought that Mineral County is running out of water. The water may not be distributed properly throughout the county currently, but it is nothing that couldn't be done. There is a fair amount of water at Jennings Randolph Lake that could be accessed if we needed, so the people saying we are running out of water are just trying to scare people.

If anybody has driven past the filtration plant in Keyser and looked at the dam, you may have noticed that the water is not going over the spillway. New Creek is very low right now, but money was available through Homeland Security provide backup water supplies throughout the country. 18 miles of pipe would be needed in Mineral County to provide that security.

4 miles of pipe could connect New Creek Water to Mountain Top Water System. 4 miles would connect Keyser to Piedmont, 1 mile to connect Keyser/New Creek to Burlington/Fountain and the long one of 9 miles to connect Fountain to Frankfort's system. At about $200,000 per mile of pipe construction, this would be about a $3.6 million project. Once completed in an emergency any water system could pull off another to continue service. Put in perspective the $3.6 million water security project is less than a 10th of the $40.0 million north end sewer project.

It is hard to say which is the most important project. I would tend to believe that clean drinking water would top the list, but we don't have to pick as the funding sources are different. We have an opportunity if we choose to take it. I will build better infrastructure for future economic growth in the county, and because it will help bring jobs to the county some will oppose it.

The "Big Lie" Means it is Desperation Time For the Democrats

The "big lie" technique represents one of the biggest weapons in the liberal arsenal when it comes to campaigning. One example lies in 2004 advertisements in Florida blaming President Bush for hurricanes. Democratic strategists believe that if they tell a big enough lie, they can convince voters that maybe part of what they say rings true. "Big lie" campaigning smacks of desperation; it means they have absolutely no rhetorical arrows to fire.

Democrats hauled out the "big lie" over July 4th against Shelley Moore Capito when they accused her of not supporting the troops. They know West Virginia is a state with many sons and daughters in the military and hope this blatant lie can get traction. With few complaints against the incumbent and a weak opponent, Democrats have few options.

In fact Capito has voted consistently to support the troops. She joined with many Democrats, including John Murtha (D) PA in rejecting a raise for the troops that would have drawn from the overall fund for the war. They agreed that drawing the money for raises from the war fund meant troops would lack other necessities. Capito did support a raise at a different time. These accusations against the daughter of a World War II hero are absolutely ludicrous. As much as it must pain Capito and her family to hear such lies disseminated, she must take some heart in the fact that her opponents have no factual issues from which to attack her.

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In a victory for transperancy and accountability to the taxpayer, Congresswoman Capito also must be saluted for early release of her earmarks request list. They include funds that will assist programs and infrastructure throughout the Eastern Panhandle.

The Power of the (New) Press

Hillary Clinton must seem like a magician to Hardy County Democrats. Supporters such as Planned Parenthood tried feverishly to create a fundraiser for her in that area, but for whatever reason it fell through. The major issues seemed to be either use of state employee e mail to promote the event or the fact that West Virginians did not seem willing to give large enough amounts of money to her campaign.

The magic comes in with the revelation that no fundraiser was ever even planned in Hardy County. Hillary Clinton, much like her husband, believes in the power of bald faced denials to shape what people see as the truth. They put facts into their magic hat, wave their hands, and make them disappear, all the while assuring you that they have nothing up their sleeves. And everyone that accuses them of having something up their sleeves must be part of that dangerous vast right wing conspiracy. The power of the new press foiled their trick this time.

Gary Abernathy's Republican Gazette takes pride in its partisanship, but it also does West Virginians a real journalistic service. It stayed out front on the Hillary Clinton story and the accumulating embarassments surrounding this debacle. When Clinton's campaign denied the existence of a fundraiser, the Republican Gazette produced the invitation asking folks to pay a lot of money to join her at a Moorefield hotel.

Certainly in this new age of internet journalism, one must practice caveat emptor more than ever. However internet journalism was first to reassure Hardy County that, yes, there really was a fundraiser planned for their lovely part of the state, despite what Hillary Clinton herself might say.

West Virginia Economy will now start looking up according to Forbes

It is not starting to look up because the economic conditions in the state suddenly got better. It is because now have no place but up to look. WE ARE NOW DEAD LAST! We are now ranked number 50 in best places to do business by Forbes. Ironically the mother state is number one. Now diametrically opposed in business climate, West Virginia and Virginia are the ying and yang of state economic models.

The blue print for prosperity has been written, but we need a state legislature that will in act the changes. Russell Sobel of WVU has laid it all out in Unleashing Capitalism. This book is a must read for everybody in West Virginia that has had family leave to find work.

Many of you will say I'm beating a dead horse because nothing will be done. While I look at it more as trying to get the dead horse out of the way. It is not really a dead horse, it is more of a dead jackass. The one thing standing in the way of making the reforms needed to make West Virginia's economy grow is the Democratic Party.

The truth of the matter is we know exactly what needs to be done. We have for sometime. You only need look next door at Virginia. Low taxes, tort reform, and low workers comp. The Republicans have tried to pass the reforms, but Democrats have been obstructionist in the states economy.

The book Unleashing Capitalism is a non-partisan look at the states economy and how to fix it. As the man said, "Read The Book!"

Economic Growth means money for roads

The US 50 Association met on Wednesday in Garrett County, MD. Yes, I know this is a West Virginia blog, but the US 50 Association is made up of 5 West Virginia Counties. It was just Maryland's turn to host the event.
This meeting had a featured speaker of Joe Deneault of West Virginians for Better Transportation. Joe gave a very detailed report on the state of roads, funding, and the future. The future is not good, and as everybody knows it is funding. The state has more than 1/3 of its bridges needing replaced, and 30% of the roads are substandard and no money to make the fixes.

The discussion turned to funding sources. Mr. Deneault stated that the public indicated that no increase in taxes would be acceptable. I agree, there is too much government waste in this state to require a tax increase. If we can get spending under control in Charleston, we will not need to increase taxes. West Virginia has the highest number of state employees per capita, than any other state. That means all of us that work in the private sector pay for a government that can't service our needs. It is time for a change.

When asked what other states have done for highway funds, the response was Toll Roads in populated areas, Tax Incremental Financing in growth areas, Private-Public Partnerships on toll roads, and selling toll roads to private companies. Toll Roads seem to dominate the idea to get around taxes. Toll Roads are still a tax, they are a use tax paid each time you use it. Private-Public partnerships were called Corporatism by Benito Mussolini and I'm not sure that is Mussolini is a good roll model for West Virginia. Selling the toll road to a private company would be a good idea. The money sink of Tamarack would no longer be a drain on the state. When government tries to run a business it usually ends up costing the taxpayers money.

The last is the TIF districts. I have mixed feelings about these. I think the can be good for small targeted projects. Mineral County is using a TIF district to build a traffic light for the new hospital south of Keyser and that makes sense. Unless of course the hospital gets sold to a non-profit at which point the county will get stuck with bill, because non-profits don't pay taxes.

The answer to increase the money available to the WVDOH is simple. Cut the waste in other parts of government and make the changes needed to attract businesses to the state. We are dead last in best states to do business. When those companies locate in other states, they pay no taxes here to use on the roads.

Does Mineral County Want Economic Development?

I've been hearing about all this hype about the economic development in Mineral County..
My question is... Where? I see no businesses coming in.. I see no "new" jobs being created.

The facts indicate we don't want development. Mineral County Development Authority President Dwight Lambert said, "We could have gotten rid of that (Fort Ashby) park last spring however, I interceded. We have had numerous prospects, but we're not going to let every Tom, Dick and Harry put something in there." As Charles Smiley said in a letter to the editor, Tom, Dick and Harry were businesses like American Woodmark, Rubber Maid, Smith Transport. All good paying jobs that can support families.

In 14 years the only movement in the Fort Ashby Industrial Park, was ThermoGauge moving its 5 employees from one side of Fort Ashby to the other. An increase of zero jobs in the county, while companies employing 25+ have been turned down. I have heard that a minimum of 25 employees per lot have been required for a sale, so shouldn't ThermoGauge be required to have 50 employees to purchase 2 lots? Do we have double standards, or no standards at all?

West Virginia ranks at the bottom in Economic Growth, you don't get to be picky. You take the companies paying good wages, so that people do not have to move away or drive to Northern Virginia everyday to work.

An observance at the Republican Summer meeting

Former US Congressman (WV-3) Mick Staton made an observation that a large delegation from the eastern panhandle was present. Considering that the meeting was held in Huntington, about as far away from the eastern panhandle as you can get, this reflects two trends in state politics.

The first is that the growth in the 7 eastern panhandle counties is showing its growing political power. A trend that will only continue. The 2010 census the population increase will pull a full senatorial district and 4 house districts into the eastern panhandle. We are beginning to experience a fundamental shift in power geographically that has seldom occurred in state history. One that will strain existing bounds and create new alliances and new ways of doing political business in the state.

The second is with Mineral, Grant. Berkeley, and Morgan Counties all Republican majority counties the shift is a Republican shift. Probably the real reason that the Mick Stanton saw a heavy showing from the eastern panhandle at the meeting. The first serious candidate for Governor in 2008, Bob Adams, was making the rounds. Out of Jefferson County Bob represents the growing importance of the eastern panhandle to the growth of the Republican Party in the state.

The growth of the population of the eastern panhandle and the shift to Republican majority is an opportunity for the party to exploit. My grandfather had a saying, "You whip the horse that pulls." While it is important the for the party to work state wide to increase Republican voter registration, the Republican party needs to push harder in the counties showing the highest growth.

Rick Santorum as a Senate Candidate against Rockefeller?

With John Raese not currently on board for a 2008 Senate run against Rockefeller, and Shelley Capito concentrating on her house seat the Republican Party in WV left looking for a candidate. The name of Rick Santorum has come up as possible candidate to run against Rockefeller.

That might not be a crazy and idea as it sounds. Santorum was born in Winchester, Virginia but spent some of his early life in the Martinsburg area before his family whisk him off to Pennsylvania. That would make him much less of a carpetbagger than Rockefeller who was born in New York in 1937 and never moved to West Virginia until the mid 1960's.

Rick Santorum is a former US Senator from PA, and well known in the northern and eastern parts of West Virginia. One important thing that Santorum can bring to a Senate run against Rockefeller is the ability to fund raise. According to his 2006 FEC filings, Rick raised $24,790,468 for his senate campaign. While Rockefeller could fund his own campaign, in the last election the FEC shows him raising only $2,637,717. Byrd only raised $5,114,217 during the 2006 campaign.

Currently working for the law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot with offices in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, Santorum could easily take up residency in the Wheeling or Martinsburg areas.

Rick Santorum as a candidate for US Senate from West Virginia might not be that far fetched as it would first seem.

Recycling Just Not Feasible

In principle, recycling is a good idea. Reusing already processed materials over again can reduce stress on the environment in the form of resource extraction and garbage. However principles must always balance with reality as the Hampshire County Commission has discovered.

When studying the Monongalia County model Hampshire County's leaders concluded that even with a $100,000 start up grant, a program could not maintain itself in the long run. Hampshire shares the same problem as the rest of the Potomac Highlands counties studying this issue. A disbursed and low population combined with prohibitive expenses means recycling end up being an intolerable financial burden. Not to mention that recycling requires more than just the placement of bins. People need to spend time separating the various components and also need to refrain from simply dumping all their garbage in the bins.

Recycling has grown so prevalent around the country that a low level of demand exists for these products. It is not worth the money for a private firm to pick up the materials from rural areas when cities provide a glut. Most local governments also cannot afford to pick up the tab when they cannot even pay enough money to maintain a full complement of sheriff's deputies.

The best hope for the idea of recycling lies in the forms that people can do most easily. Promoting the reuse of plastic containers or glass jars instead of purchasing Tupperware type products is one way. Others recycle old auto parts. They keep non running vehicles on their property for parts to maintain cars that do still run. This conserves valuable metal resources.

However at this point, expecting the taxpayers to pick up the tab for recycling just is not feasible for rural West Virginia counties.

Election 2008 holds importance for a lot of reasons. One of the more interesting issues that we face in this election is a discussion of what it means to be conservative. What issues drive Republicans and conservatives in general?

It boils down to the nominee Republicans select for the presidency. Certainly Rudolph Giuliani has the visibility and experience. His economic credentials indicate that a Giuliani administration will make tough decisions regarding the budget and work back towards balance. The potential leadership Giuliani brings in terms of managing our economy and getting our budget under control could lead to true reforms in social security and the tax code. President Bush pushed these issues hard and gained no traction. Giuliani might succeed where Bush could not in this sphere. Additionally a Giuliani administration likely will support less burdens on business. This would help set the country on a sound economic path for decades to come.

Giuliani appears questionable on the very issues that former Senator Fred Thompson has used to garner strong support. Fred Thompson has strength in economic conservatism, but has also earned the support of social conservatives. The Tennessean strongly opposes abortion and same sex marriages, issues that galvanize conservatives in rural America.

Liberals already speculate that social conservatives would not turn out to support a Giuliani campaign. Perhaps if they nominate a non-entity like Obama that might be the case. Conservatives of all stripes dislike intensely Hillary Clinton and would vote for a dead cat rather than see her in office.

Conservatism in America lies at a crossroads. The nominee Republicans select for the presidency next year will strongly determine what conservatism will look like for a long time to come.