Next Year is Next Week

2008. It's almost here.

Another presidential election season, one of the most uncertain in years, is upon us. Frankly we have no idea who from either party will be nominated, much less elected. Rudolph Giuliani and Hillary Clinton have campaigned for this year since seemingly the 1990s but struggle to build support within their own parties. Giuliani looks too liberal for many Republicans and Clinton has become anathema to the Communist kookies. Once again the Republican party offers a variety of strong and moderate candidates while the opposing side offers a lineup of aspiring George McGoverns.

With the public and even the media, everyone but the Democrats, recognizing success in Iraq the issue focus will shift to the economy. Apparently seven years of prosperity do not earn Republicans high marks. The housing market collapse and high energy prices will likely replace Iraq as the main issue for the Democrats. Neither of these issues falls very close to the purview of a US President. Since the Democrats control Congress, too much harping on these issues could boomerang on them.

Within West Virginia, this looks like a year that Republicans could make gains. The venerable Jon Blair Hunter's seat is open and Gary Howell will make a strong run for the seat. The 14th Senatorial district is one of the most difficult in the state in terms of how the geography separates the various regions. However Dave Sypolt's resounding victory in 2006 indicates that the district preferred a candidate committed to developing business while protecting property and personal rights. If Manchin picks 2008 to launch an assault on old time liberal Democrats in West Virginia, a united GOP would benefit from the fallout.

Unfortunately no major candidates have stepped forward to run for governor or to challenge Alan Mollohan in the First Congressional District. Both incumbents in these races appear very entrenched. Few people want to devote the time to run a real campaign and likely even fewer want to invest a lot of money.

One of the big problems facing those running for office is that fatigue has already set in. Presidential campaigns started way too early in this cycle and many are already fed up with mailings, news coverage, and other aspects of the political season. Politics has a time and place in the American calendar. It no more seems natural to see debates on who will be the next president a year and a half before the election than it does to watch college football on Wednesday night.

In any event, for those still interested, it promises to be an exciting season.

Ghosts of Christmases Past

I have found that the Christmases that don't look like Norman Rockwell's usually prove to be just as memorable as any others. Christmas 1967, which I spent near the DMZ in Vietnam, is one I remember vividly and fondly even after forty years.

We were awash in greeting cards, home-made cookies and candy, and little gifts which were sent to "a Marine in Vietnam" by total strangers. We had posters signed by school children all around the mess hall. The press would present those times as cruel ones for soldiers and Marines shunned and reviled by society, but we were actually very well-remembered, and not just by our own friends and families.

Christmas Eve we went to Midnight Mass in a large and lovely church in the countryside near Quang Tri, the roof of which was mostly missing. A Vietnamese priest, a French priest and a Lutheran chaplain concelebrated the Mass. Probably not even Pope John XXIII could have approved of that arrangement, but fortunately all concerned thought it better not to ask. We sang verses of "Silent Night" alternately in French, Vietnamese and English. We all sang "Adeste Fideles" in Latin, and each nationality sang one favorite Christmas carol in its own language during communion . The Marines sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and, my, did it sound amazing sung softly and a capella by three or four hundred men.

That Christmas there was a 48 hour truce, so we were given two beers each. (The Marines did not allow alcohol in the combat zones, so this was quite an unusual treat). On Christmas Day we (the regimental command group) loaded into a couple of Amtracs and went all over northern Quang Tri Province visiting the Marines at each location, and on Christmas night, instead of the usual command post operations, we played cards and board games. I only played bridge twice in Vietnam, and that was one of the times.

Introduction to Internet Retailing to be taught at PSC

Introduction to Internet Retailing

Course Covers

· Online Sales including Ebay

· Writing Item Descriptions and Keywords

· Accepting Payments including Paypal, Credit Cards

· Shipping using USPS, UPS, FedEx and Freight

· Fraud Protection

· Profitability

· And Much More

Thursday Nights

Class 6:00 pm - 8:45 pm

Academy Hall Room 119

Jan. 31, 2008 – Feb. 28, 2008

Course Number:

SPTP:Intro-Internet Retailing - 17070 - CIS 293B - P01

Enroll by contacting Potomac State College
1 Grand Central Park, Suite 2090
Keyser, WV, 26726
1-800-262-7332 or (304) 788-6820
Fax: 304-788-6939

A 21st Century Christmas

I was thinking to myself, I'm having a traditional Christmas with my family and friends, but then it dawned on my that I wasn't. In fact does a traditional Christmas exist or does it change with time?

I did send out my Christmas cards, I put up my tree, my lights, wrapped presents, etc, but there was a 21st Century element to my Christmas. I hadn't really thought about, I just did 21st Century Christmas things as well. It just seemed natural.

Probably the first is receiving and sending Christmas e@mails. Some were from my online friends, some were friends I see on a regular basis. Then I began receiving Christmas wishes on Myspace, and felt the need to respond in kind. When I got up Christmas morning I sent a text message to everybody in my cell phone wishing them a Merry Christmas.

I never really thought about these things being new, but they are. While some may have started at the end of the 20th Century, they truly are a part of the 21st. Scrooge would now run a cell phone store, the Red Rider Bebe Gun has given way to Call to Duty 4, & the catalyst in A Wonderful Life would not be about a loan scandal..... OK somethings never change, but it is clear to see the traditions of a traditional Christmas will change with the time and technology.

However there is one thing we should never change in a traditional Christmas; the reason for the season. The celebration if for the birth of Christ, and we should always remember that tradition. I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and have a great New Year.

I can't be the Grinch

I hadn't realized this would be the case when I took on this crazy business, but for the first time in my life I have been accused of ruining several people's Christmas dreams this year. Of course, I didn't ruin Christmas fun or family time, didn't overcook a meal, nor did I force my staff to work overtime during this season, but my company does still send bills in December, and some are even due on Christmas Day. That cuts into the gift budget and I have officially ruined Christmas for several people. In the past, my wife was a loan originator and she too ruined Christmas for many a child when her underwriters denied loans to customers. And, even if I didn't ruin Christmas, I have had my head torn off by several people who are really stressed this time of year.

It seems that money, or the lack thereof, is the number one concern of many people during a time of year that might be better spent if we took more time off of work, spent more time with family reflecting on the year that passed and planning for the next year. Of course we couldn't outspend our income by 2.2% each year if we did that. Plus, the economy would surely crash due to low sales at major retailers and life might cease to exist if we didn't over do it this year. All of a sudden we are obligated to overspend during the Holidays just to keep this country on track. I hope you and I didn't drop the ball this year.

Of course, I love gift giving (I am a little more partial to gift receiving), but I don't view the dollar value of the gift as a measurement of the strength of my relationship or feelings for the other person. I was raised to believe that my parents gave the best Christmas they could out of love and not obligation. It was a time to make sure I understood why they worked so hard during the other 364 days...to help my siblings and me build a better life than they had. Christmas morning was a slow, family focused, and ultimately fun event. Probably the longest my siblings and I sat in the same room all year long. I remember few gifts that I received, but I do remember that my older sister never ripped wrapping paper, my little sister counted her gifts vs everyone else's, I sat in a specific chair every year, my brother and I got a lot of the same clothes in different colors, mom insisted that we enter the living room at the same time to see what Santa brought, and dad gave several speeches about why we did all of these things in such a drawn out manner and how much we meant to my mom and him.

As most first time parents, my wife and I were really excited to do our first family Christmas shopping trip. Of course, the stores were not flowing with Christmas cheer nor decorations for that matter. It was not magical, but rather it was a little like walking through a warehouse in many cases. I was hoping for a trip like the one on "A Christmas Story" ending with a visit to Santa, maybe a ride down an over sized slide, but it was a little different. In the end, my wife and I had fun together and made it a wonderful date, but we were constantly surrounded by fighting, arguments about over spending, and even profanity at The Children's Place. We all have the desire to give the best gifts to our children, believe it or not, it is hard-wired into our DNA. That desire to shower our children with the best gifts in the world is seen in the reason that we celebrate this Season...God's giving His son for the salvation of mankind. But God didn't give us expensive toys, or the latest fashionable article of clothing, He gave us the best gift He could to improve our lives. I understand that lesson more now than ever before.

My daughter is getting some great gifts this year, but I am hoping that the message of why her mother and I want to shower her with the best of everything we have to offer is what stays with her, not the memory of a toy that we pulled off the shelf of a fairly dirty toy store. We have dedicated ourselves to providing a great life to our kids, we strive 365 days a year to show that as do most parents, and it is my hope that my children will never confuse how much I love them with how many gifts I am able or willing to give during Christmas. By letting that be the focus of my trip and not focusing on which item would best indicate to a toddler that I love her, I was able to simply enjoy the experience (despite the grumpy people around me).

I wish all of you the Merriest Christmas and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

West Virginia Is Pretty Much United On This Issue

Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you, coach.

Rich Rodriguez may be the most hated man in West Virginia right now. A Huntington resident I ran into today mentioned that he definitely replaced Baldwin and Felts as the most despised figure in state history. That is pretty notable since Baldwin and Felts Detective Agency went out of existence in the 1930s.

Why the hatred? We took special pride in Rodriguez because he was one of our own. When he returned to the state, it seemed a natural progression. Many folks left West Virginia to find opportunity then took less pay than they could have gotten elsewhere to return. Rodriguez talked the talk of pride, love of home, and family. He told us what we always believed in our hearts was true. That's why it's worse with Rodriguez than Belein. We knew he wasn't from here, that he was probably just passing through.

Then came last year's dalliance with Alabama. We consoled ourselves by saying he just used them for leverage. That was just us deluding ourselves. He had every intention of leaving regardless of his words to the contrary. It was not even to a better situation, except in terms of his pay. Rodriguez had a golden opportunity to win a title at West Virginia and cement his name as a hero.

Uncounted people dipped into their savings and donated money to keep him here because they took him at his word. Not all of them could afford it. That's why West Virginians from the governor on down are angry.

Now apparently we have Terry Bowden, another West Virginian. He has been to the big time as a head coach and wants to come back here. Objectively this could work out better for West Virginia. Like Belein, Big East opponents had figured out the system. When Wannstedt stifles a running game, it is a huge red flag. Bowden will be less conservative of a play caller, hopefully opening up some room for Slaton and Devine to run while allowing White to finally showcase his arm. This is one time where being conservative can be counter-productive!

Anyway, we will be fine as a state and a football team.

An appropriate penance

What should happen to a Charleston disk jockey who rubs our noses in Rodriguez's departure?


This is a start.


You can read more at the Charleston Daily Mail.

Better City Government for Keyser

The City of Keyser is reportedly considering a modification to its charter which would change the City Council from three members to five. This would at least diminish the likelihood that the Council would, in the future, get into its present woeful state where there are two members, causing the Council meeting to be postponed if one can't or won't attend, and giving either council member a veto by virtue of their ability to withhold a second for any motion made. If only to alleviate chaos, a charter change to add two more members would be warranted.

There would be the additional benefit of being able to add two additional portfolios which might help the Council deal more directly with issues of concern to the citizenry, and the concerns of businesses and other organizations which are in Keyser, or are considering locating in Keyser. I would argue that one of the new seats should be a director of planning who would represent the City on planning committees and commissions, and who would, over time, lead in the development of long and mid-range plans for the City. With the new 220 bridge moving closer to the construction phase, the City needs to take a good look at how the actual construction process is going to impact on the areas adjoining the construction site on the Keyser side. The Arnold Street Bridge, a relatively small project, was far too disruptive for far too long a time to be acceptable. The 220 bridge is a vastly larger project with the potential of devastating businesses and other activities located near the project. In addition, there will certainly be a need for and interest in redeveloping downtown Keyser after the bridge has been completed; the planning for that should start immediately so that investor interest can be capitalized upon, and where grants may be needed, Keyser is able to get in the queue early, and muster the support it will need.

A second portfolio could be intergovernmental relations. There are a plethora of situations in which nothing much can be done because the state or county does them, but not inside city limits. For example, deer and other wildlife are proliferating and increasingly becoming a nuisance. Do we want the police called to shoot groundhogs, shoot or poison them ourselves, or should the DNR have some more effective provisions for handling wildlife nuisances in city limits? Another example would be water and sewer lines outside the city. It certainly appears that if anyone chooses to develop property near Keyser, all they have to do is petition the State Public Service Commission to order Keyser to take them into the existing systems, and it will be so ordered, even though they are not incorporated into the city. There are other problems, as well. In addition, this council member would be the one who developed the City's legislative package for each session of the State Legislature, and worked with the County Commission and the School Board, as well.

Keyser has a chance to move itself from the ridiculous to the sublime, and the voters need to express their strong support for a charter change

2007 Year in Review

It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another year. 2007, to say the least, has been an eventful year all around.

Riding their wave of 2006, Democrats brought new leadership on the national level in 2007. The faces were new, but the Democrats turned out to be the same tax and spend party that still can not stand up to our nation's enemies.

Nancy Pelosi was selected to be the first female Speaker of the House and together with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; they have managed to make history – by achieving all-time low approval ratings. Never had there been approval ratings lower than what we see in Congress today.

The Democrats believed that they had a mandate to end the Iraqi front of the Global War on Terror. Fortunately for our nation, they have failed to deliver on that campaign promise, along with many others.

Thanks to our nation's resolve, President Bush has changed course in Iraq, by sending a surge of military personnel to the area. The result was lower violence, safer neighborhoods and refugee Iraqis returning home again.

Back home at the national level, we have been enjoying continuous economic growth.
According to the National Bureau for Labor and Statistics, more than 8.1 million mobs have been created since August 2003.

This past September alone, our economy created 110,000 jobs. September 2007 is the 49th consecutive month of job growth, setting a new record for the longest uninterrupted expansion of the U.S. labor market.

With an $8.3 billion reduction in the trade deficit, our exports and Gross Domestic Product have grown 14.8 percent and 3.8 percent respectively. Thanks to the President's tax cuts; we have seen this record job growth, while we continue bringing in record revenues to our nation's treasury. Tax cuts do work.

What we have not seen is the growth coming into West Virginia.

Forbes Magazine recently released their 2007 rankings of states' business climate.
West Virginia dropped to 50th, last in the nation. In 2006, in wake of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana was able to keep us at 49th. But that state's recovery efforts brought them up out of the basement in 2007, leaving West Virginia in last place once again.

According to the US Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia ranked once again 50th in Legal Climate, landing us #1 once again as a judicial hell-hole for the 2nd year in a row.
You would think with ratings such at these, that our new legislature would go to the statehouse and work to make our state business friendly, bring real civil justice reform, and improve our business climate. They did not.

Because Bob Kiss did not run for re-election in 2006 the House Democrats selected a new Speaker: trial lawyer Rick Thompson of Wayne County. Under Thompson's leadership, we continue to see broken promises by the Democrats during the 2007 Legislative session.
On the campaign trail in 2006, many Democrat legislators claimed that they were pro-life and pledged to support parental notification legislation. But with abortion on demand activist Carrie Webster handed the gavel to the powerful House Judiciary Committee, parental notification never saw the light of day.

In 2006, West Virginia House Democrats argued that they supported the parental notification bill, but were protecting the committee process by failing to discharge it from then House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jon Amores' desk.

Twelve current House Democrats failed on their promise to fight for parental notifications by voting with former Speaker Kiss and Chairman Amores to prevent consideration of parental notification on the House floor last year. "Protect the Committee Process" was their mantra.

The committee process didn't seem as important with 2006 Mine Safety Bill demanded by Governor Manchin in the wake of the Sago tragedy. It passed in 6 hours and completely bypassed the committee process altogether - the same process they were so adamant about protecting when pro-life members were trying to protect the unborn. In 2007, the parental notification bill and all other pro-life bills were pronounced dead on arrival. The "pro-life" Speaker will not stand up to his Judiciary Committee Chairwoman.

In 2006, Democrat Doug Reynolds of Cabell County had promised that he would vote against renewing a temporary gas tax. In 2007, Freshman Delegate Doug Reynolds broke his campaign promise and voted to keep the gasoline tax increase permanent.

Another item on the Democrat agenda was the expansion of gambling in West Virginia to include Las Vegas-style table games at the racetracks.

This arguably unconstitutional vote allowed only four counties to have a voice in what affects the entire state. There are people who live within sight of the Tri-State Greyhound Park in Cross Lanes who were denied the right to decide if they wanted table games in their backyard, because they lived on the wrong side of the Putnam-Kanawha county line. However, people over forty miles away on the Kanawha side Montgomery had a vote.

The residents of the Putnam side of Nitro were let down by their legislators: Delegates Dale Martin and Brady Paxton. Both Democrats both voted for passage of the table games bill and in the process allowed their constituents to be disenfranchised.

The legislature also deemed necessary that our cities and municipalities in West Virginia would be allowed to pass home rule ordinances. A five-year pilot program will soon be in place for five cities. Home Rule will give these cities power to create their own taxes to be imposed on citizens and businesses, the same citizens and businesses that are over taxed as it is..

Nowhere in this legislation was the requirement that citizens within these city limits would have a vote to permit these changes. Officials will soon have the power to impose yet more taxes on working families that already face one of the highest total tax burdens in the nation.
Instead of shifting some of the power to tax to the local level, the Democrats simply are planning on allowing another government hand in your pocket, without reducing your tax burden at the state level.

In a futile attempt to appear to be "pro-business", the Democrats enacted a reduction in the Business Franchise Tax - by a whopping quarter of one percent (.25%). Small businesses nibble on the crumbs handed down by the ruling party, and real tax reform is once again forgotten. With the Democrats running the legislature, we can forget about eliminating regressive business taxes that are in place such those levied on inventory, machinery and equipment.

Other bills that the legislature spent their limited sixty-day session on were: allowing the transportation of roadkill across state lines, building prison nurseries for inmate mothers, and clarifying that fish feces were not sludge.

As another year end draws near, we hold our glasses high and hope that 2008 and the election that it carries will bring the changes we desperately need.

Big Daddy "emeritus"

This evening the World Famous Don Surber analyzes an article in politico.com that reports that Byrd be getting his wings clipped on the Senate Appropriations Committee soon.

Apparently, Senate Democrats are growing impatient waiting for Byrd's time to come and have decided to bump him off as the leading Democrat on Appropriations, a post he has held for over 20 years, by giving him the figurehead title of "Chairman Emeritus"

Senator Byrd Addresses the Senate

Could Darryl McGraw Be Near the Dustbin of History?

For years the McGraw family held a stranglehold over a section of the Democratic Party. They held sway by stoking the anti-corporate resentments that a large segment of West Virginians have carried since the early part of the last century. Warren McGraw a few years back lost his seat on the State Supreme Court of Appeals to free market defender Brent Benjamin. This could register as a sign that the old prejudices are dying off quickly. Could Warren's brother Darryl be next?

As attorney general, Darryl McGraw has unceasingly waged war on those seeking to do business in West Virginia and with the state government. His regular lawsuits help to create an anti-business climate. Certainly when our state gets referred to as a "judicial hellhole," part of the problem lies in McGraw's aggressive stance.

The long time incumbent may not make it through the primaries this time. Hoppy Kercheval reported recently that Governor Manchin's chief legal counsel Carte Goodwin might be considering a run. A charismatic former Ripley football and basketball standout, he will likely have the support of the state's business community as well as the ever popular governor. The pragmatic Goodwin would be a much more business friendly nominee for the Democratic Party than the incumbent. A successful tenure in a Board of Public Works position could serve as a springboard to the Governor's Mansion as well.

If this comes to pass, it could also signal a possible wider goal for Manchin. Republicans have rightly leveled criticism at his administration for baby steps towards free market reforms. Economic experts have proven that former Soviet republics currently have a more business friendly climate. Manchin's faction of the Democratic Party must understand that should the Republicans organize a strong effort in 2008, they could achieve a great deal. Almost eighty years of Democratic rule have done little for the state's economic position. Voters will hold Democrats responsible if they do not see real change soon.

Hither and Yon

Ever since it was declared that Mineral County should cease development or risk running out of water, God has seen fit to drench the region with rain and snow almost every single day .

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The Grant County Press reported lottery payouts to local governments.

Hampshire, $2,803.63; Hardy, $1,698.89; Mineral, $11,039.98; Pendleton, $157.51; Tucker, $153.15.
Petersburg received a payment of $176.37 and Bayard picked up $21.76.
Some other cities and their payments were: Franklin, $16.97; Keyser, $3,109.46; Moorefield, $401.56; Romney, $301.12: Wardensville, $41.59; and Elk Garden, $127.24.

From the new table games account, Grant, Hardy, Hampshire, and Pendleton each received $242.65. Cities received $57.67.

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Antiwar protesters love using quotations. Ever notice that? They love to drag some quote out of context to try and prove that Founding Fathers or other respectable people share their viewpoints. The Devil can even cite Scripture for his own purposes. People's actions reflect their nature better than their words. Yes John Adams discussed the evil of war, but he built up a United States Navy and sent it to war, as did his successor Thomas Jefferson.

Quotations are easy to memorize and antiwar folks are very good at learning their lines. However, true wisdom lies in knowledge AND understanding. Ron Paul on his website utterly distorts the meaning of Washington's Farewell Address. Knowing the text helps one to under stand that Washington meant only Europe. Understanding the man could lead one to believe that Washington's nature was far from dogmatic. He changed his approaches to problems in life, war, and politics readily. When someone uses a quote alone to argue a point, it may serve as a red flag that he or she has chosen the easy way out and does not truly understand.

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Can someone please explain why that beautiful evergreen tree on the Mineral County courthouse lawn is not decorated for Christmas?

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Sean Penn has visited the dictators of Iran and Venezuela. All three agree that Dennis Kucinich is the right president for the United States. With those kinds of endorsements, who could lose

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All baseball players found to have used steroids need their statistics and awards expunged from the record books. It would be nice to see the fans get their money back from these cheaters.

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The New York Times has a long history of looking the other way in the face of leftist terror. Seventy five years ago last month, their correspondent Walter Duranty reported at the height of the Stalin imposed famine, "there is no actual starvation or deaths from starvation." Reports of hundreds of thousands, even millions of deaths he called "Malignant propaganda." In Ukraine alone perhaps five million died during this crisis imposed by Stalin's desire to communize farming.

At the New York Times, bending over backwards to accommodate dictators has been tradition.

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Don't forget about the Harrison County Republican Club Dinner on Friday December 21. Tommy Phillips and the Harrison County Club have done an outstanding job putting together a Christmas dinner. The food will be terrific, the speakers and good times even better.

2007 Harrison County Republican Club Christmas DinnerDecember 21, 2007

Social - 5:30 P.M. -

Dinner 6:00 P.M.Cottage Corner Restaraunt in SalemGuest Speaker -

St. Senator Clark Barnes (R-Randolph)Auctioneer - Rocky PeckTickets - $20.00 per person

Please contact - HCRC President Tommy Phillips - (304)672-6890

Email - gopguy1980@verizon.net

HCRC Vice President Jack Pringle - (304)669-3781

Also in attendance will be Republican candidate for the 14th Senatorial District Gary Howell.

I couldn't have said it better myself . . .

Like I've said before, Republican primaries give me heartburn. The present contest is no exception.

An e-mailer to The Corner at National Review Online had this to say about Mike Huckabee. I don't typically copy-and-paste, but I this statement encapsulates my personal view on the situation perfectly. This e-mail is part of a larger conversation about evangelical sensitivity to criticism of Pastor Huckabee.

"I think what a lot of evangelicals may be missing here is that many non-evangelical conservatives are completely baffled, and frustrated, by the amount of support for the non-conservative Bush-channeling Huckabee. When we sit back and look at the amount of frustration and consternation that Bush has caused among conservatives, and then see Huckabee (who represents everything bad about Bush, with few of his positive characteristics) gaining the support of a fourth of our party, we have to ask ourselves why. The most obvious answer seems to be that he is attracting so much support because he is the only evangelical candidate in the race. To many conservatives, well at least to me, this idea that we should betray conservative principles in order to support a candidate with the right religious credentials is more than shocking, it is abhorrent, and the result is an anti-evangelical backlash. I consider myself a social conservative, and share so much common ground with evangelicals that it truly hurts me to see the strain being placed on our relationship. But as long as their power is used to push a statist non-conservative candidate on our party, we will not be seeing eye-to-eye."

Mike Huckabee is the wrong man to lead this country. I hope our party sees that clearly.

If a Tree Falls in the Woods is it Taxed?

If a tree falls in the wood, will it be taxed? In West Virginia that would be a yes, and the tax would be called the Timber Severance Tax. State code defines a severance tax as a tax on the privilege of engaging in a specific business. The fact that our state government feels it is granting businesses a “privilege” is one of the very reasons West Virginia is ranked 50^th in economic opportunity. That is backwards — the privilege is actually granted to the state by the business when it chooses to locate here.

Winston Churchill once said, “Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon.” In West Virginia our business tax structure shoots both the horse and the cow and then the government wonders why the cow quit giving milk and the economic wagon stopped moving forward. We cannot continue on this course of economic self destruction.

For the past 60 plus years West Virginia has created policies that have destroyed our economy to the detriment of all citizens. The evidence lays in the census data. In 1950 West Virginia made up 1.3% of the US population and now we make up only 0.6%. We have been cut by more than half. The severance taxes are one of the very things holding us in last place. It is simply double taxation. The severance tax is on top of the income tax already paid on the same product or service.

If you’re in the timber industry and have your choice of locating in West Virginia or a state that has no timber severance tax, then you’re going to use a little common sense and locate in a state where you can be more profitable. If your timber business is already located here, then the severance tax is simply taking away money that can be used to expand your business. It is plain to see that severance taxes are shots being fired that are killing businesses.

The proponents of the severance tax will claim, “We will have to replace that revenue lost if the severance taxes are eliminated.” They are wrong; the economy will replace those taxes without intervention from government. History tells us exactly what will happen if the burden of the severance tax is removed from the timber industry. The industry will see an increase in revenue and that revenue will be plowed back into the businesses. The expansion will increase business, which will increase corporate taxes paid. New timber businesses will enter the West Virginia market place, further increasing corporate taxes collected by the state. Going back to the Churchill quote, you don’t increase the amount of milk you get from the cow by milking it more often — you increase the amount of milk by increasing the size of your herd.

Fewer taxes will cause growth in the economy, including employment growth. Growth in the economy will increase tax revenue. This has been proven over and over again through history. The current West Virginia government has proven the opposite — years of high and double taxation have helped push West Virginia into last place.

One of the sturdy horses pulling the economic wagon of West Virginia is our timber industry. My grandfather had a saying: you whip the horse that pulls. Let’s whip the timber horse by removing the severance tax to start down the road to economic growth in West Virginia. We need to change.

Ron Paul Redux

In my last commentary on Ron Paul, I was twice invited by "anonymous" to read Ron Paul's site. They apparently thought I had not done this in the first place. I did go back and look again at his positions and came away with the same feeling I had before. Some of his ideas are solid, but a few would put the country in danger.

Smaller government that puts more freedom into the hands of the people represents a positive good. We definitely need to roll back liberal cuts in property and education rights. As far as domestic ideas on individual rights are concerned, Ron Paul has good ideas. Fortunately Fred Thompson and other Republican candidates share Paul's desire to protect property rights, gun rights, and the right of every unborn child to live.

Paul's foreign policy ideas are, however, disastrous. They run absolutely contrary to the actions of the Founding Fathers when they assumed the presidency. Paul believes that military force ought not be used without a direct declaration of war by Congress. Again, the Founders themselves did not believe that this was reasonable. George Washington launched three wars against the Shawnee Nation and after his presidency supported an undeclared war against France launched by John Adams. Washington's Farewell Address warning about entanglements referred to alliances with Europe and most likely was meant to be a short term warning. Washington's actions throughout his life reflected those of a man who was flexible and adaptive to changing situations, never dogmatic.

Congress did not declare war against the Barbary Pirates in either the Jefferson or Madison administration. Each one of these men supported military action without the direct assent of Congress. Madison and Washington wielded powerful influences over the creation of the Constitution. If any men understood what it meant, these would be two. Jefferson advocated a very limited role for the chief executive, but still sent the Navy and Marines into action to protect US interests.

Paul's position on Iraq has no basis in reality and shows an appalling lack of any kind of sense about geopolitics. References to creating more enemies simply do not hold water and do not reflect the shifting and complex nature of society and politics in the Middle East. National Security means that the US needs to be involved in regions throughout the world. If a grease fire started in your kitchen, would you put it out immediately, or wait until your entire home was threatened? "No win police actions" and other uses of the military that Paul disdains head off more dangerous conflicts down the road. If we had the same foreign policy in the 1930s that we do now, millions of lives and trillions of dollars would have been saved. Paul has forgotten the lessons of 9/11, much less Munich and Pearl Harbor.

As far as NAFTA is concerned, neither the Canadians nor the United States want a European Union style system. Canada very jealously guards its cultural and political independence from possible US encroachment. That being said the EU represents a powerful economic competitor as a unified economic zone. Paul points out that France has blocked sales of US products. So be it. The best way to react is through a coordinated response with our primary trade partners. The European Union already shows signs of strain due to its increasingly socialistic regulations and is no model to follow. When BMW shows that Spartanburg, South Carolina is a better place to manufacture cars that their own country, it demonstrates that our system works. That being said, it is right to remain vigilant to make sure that Eurosocialism does not creep into our methods of doing business.

When it is all said and done, Paul is an idealist. Ideally the world's nations conduct their affairs reasonably, each nation peacefully advancing their own interest. In such a world Paul's ideas on foreign policy would be fine. The world has never reflected such a state. In both warfare and trade, the rest of the world does not play by the rules we would like to follow. We must follow a variety of strategies to protect our economic and political interests. Paul's ideas do not reflect reality. It is hard to tell what is more of a threat, Paul's dangerously ineffective idealism, or Obama's absolute vacancy. Likely we will never find out in either case.

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By the way, some over the years have bemoaned the fact that big money often exercises influence over politics. This is especially true in West Virginia. For the most part, convention delegates whether committed or uncommitted paid their own fees and travel expenses. The exception lies in Paul's delegates. As was reported by Gary Abernathy and Vic Sprouse, Ron Paul's campaign paid many of the delegate fees. Some of the travel expenses were also covered for Paul delegates. Imagine that, the outsider candidate trying to purchase a convention victory in West Virginia. They did nothing illegal, but it does explain why they hold a lead in "committeds." Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and others could not afford to send a bunch of folks on a paid junket to Charleston.

Paul's campaign may be one of outsiders, but they learned some inside tricks in West Virginia politics fairly quickly.

The Mortgage Bailout...Again

http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/103997/What-the-Mortgage-Bailout-Means-for-You

What it means for most Americans, nothing good. I especially like the last paragraph where the negative effects are mentioned.

Who stands in the way of such an effort?
Investors in mortgages and mortgage-backed securities. If homeowners are going to pay less on their mortgages than originally planned, then somebody is going to lose money. These aren't just fat cats on Wall Street—although many such firms have invested in these securities—they're also pension funds for teachers, firemen, and police, as well as mutual funds whose clients include all sorts of individual investors. They probably even include homeowners who are facing the prospect of higher payments on their adjustable-rate mortgages.

So what is the answer? Not a seven year freeze on interest rates as some Democrats are calling for, the answer is a return to Conservative Politics and less government interference with the economy. No matter how you slice it, the people who are facing losing their houses, chose their mortgage plan. If they were mislead or lied to when they got their mortgage, the mortgage company has Errors and Omissions insurance and the mortgage company should be held liable for any problems their associates caused. But that's not the case, the problem is that the people bought too much house. There is no accountability with this plan. Next the government will have to address the complaints of investors (like pension plans, mutual fund holders, etc) who will be negatively affected by this plan, and so on and so forth.

Next, remember that the economy is a cycle. Ups and downs are a simple fact of life and help to balance everything; such as money, people, resources, etc. Home prices are ridiculously high in some areas, that's an OPPORTUNITY for young people and people looking for a fresh start to relocate to an area (like Mineral County) and build a life for themselves and their family. Isn't that how this country started? The poor and/or ambitious moved across the pond to start a life for themselves and their families? What happens to our area when our tax dollars are used to subsidize the lives of our urban counterparts? Without subsidies for housing and transportation, our area would look much more attractive than it does. We have a lower cost of living, you can buy a home with some land for less than it costs to rent a 1 bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a building in DC. Without subsidies and programs like the mortgage bailout how many people might move to the lower cost areas, start businesses, use services, pay taxes, and boost our numbers? In a democracy, numbers count for a lot.

Perhaps Mineral County and for that matter WV, should change the slogan to "Build Your Life" and focus on passing the message to people 25-40 years old who are starting to have kids and looking for a place to raise their kids that they can call home. You know a nice house on a 1/2 acre or so, white picket fence, dog and a chance to be a pillar of the community and have an active role in their kids lives. There are plenty of those people out there. One problem is the "Math" problem. When I graduated from college and moved to WV, I made less from a dollar point than most if not all of my classmates. Within a year I owned a 3 BR home on a corner lot, a 4 unit apartment building (for sale in Shinnston, WV if anyone is interested), two cars, and a boat. I was also a board member for Big Brothers/Big Sisters attending black tie "Make A Wish" dinners. When I compared my lifestyle to that of my Columbus and New York counterparts, I greatly preferred my lifestyle and had more toys and financial freedom than many of my friends. But I made $10,000-$20,000 per year less than they did. If I had compared job offers from a pure dollar point of view, I would have never come to WV, but I saw the opportunity.

I feel that WV's greatest asset is that people can build their lives here, and build a place that their family can call home. When I need to get my fix for Big City living, I drive 2 1/2 hours to DC. Halfway through the first night when people are walking on the sidewalk 10 feet away from where I am sleeping, I remember why I love living in WV so much...there's room to grow.

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.

Giddiness Over Iran

The media is giddy. Democrats are giddy. Even Iran is Giddy. What is the source of all this giddiness?

The National Intelligence Estimate laid what has been touted as a bombshell, that Iran has not actively tried to produce a nuclear weapon since 2003. Harry Reid of course used it to promote Bush as a warmonger trying to start a conflict with Iran for no real reason. The media, Nancy Pelosi, Ron Paul, the Iranian president and every other opponent of Bush's policy will pile on, once again touting a Bush failure, but hold on a second.

Seems to me that this 2003 date seems vaguely familiar. Why on earth would Iran select 2003 as a year to fall into line with the world's demands (minus France, Russia and all else making money off of Iran) to stop pursuing nuclear weapons. Did Iran just pick this day out of the clear blue? The Democrats and the media may have missed it, but I doubt thinking people have.

Cause and effect. We invaded Iraq in 2003 over the issue of weapons of mass destruction. Even the mullahocracy has a sense of self-preservation even though they discourage it in others. They understand the possibility of the United States targeting their regime next and shut down their program.

For four years they have not had an active program, but that does not mean they do not pose a threat. Iran continues to produce for its nuclear reactors the kind of enriched uranium that can be used for weapons. George W. Bush's policy in the Middle East once again has borne fruit. First Libya committed to disarming, now we see that Iran did the same. Only continued pressure and the threat of force will keep Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Once again President Bush should receive the credit for removing a potential threat to the United States before it becomes too dangerous.

Two setbacks for the anti-war movement

It has been another nice weekend on the home front. Our troops should know that thanks to their hard won victories, Americans are beginning to see the light.

Firstly, NBC reversed their decision to not allow this ad to air.

Secondly, a key early critic of the Iraq War has changed his mind. Major General John Batiste, a member of the infamous antiwar group VoteVets.org (a front group for MoveOn.org), has now decided that he was wrong. He writes an op-ed in today's Washington Post with Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom:

First, the United States must be successful in the fight against worldwide Islamic extremism. We have seen this ruthless enemy firsthand, and its global ambitions are undeniable. This struggle, the Long War, will probably take decades to prosecute. Failure is not an option.

Second, whether or not we like it, Iraq is central to that fight. We cannot walk away from our strategic interests in the region. Iraq cannot become a staging ground for Islamic extremism or be dominated by other powers in the region, such as Iran and Syria. A premature or precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, without the requisite stability and security, is likely to cause the violence there -- which has decreased substantially but is still present -- to cascade into an even larger humanitarian crisis.

Third, the counterinsurgency campaign led by Gen. David Petraeus is the correct approach in Iraq. It is showing promise of success and, if continued, will provide the Iraqi government the opportunities it desperately needs to stabilize its country.

This follows up the recent begrudging admissions from Democrat Congressmen John Murtha and Earl Pomeroy that the surge is working.

2007 has certainly been a better year than 2006.

Hat tip: Rob at SayAnything , Drudgereport, and the Weekly Standard