13 Mineral County Delegates Selected for Republican Convention

Michael Boggs
Rudy R Sites
Janice D. M. LaRue
Don Gordon
Sandra Schadler
Matthew Scott Eggar
Charles Wimer
John Barnett
Gary Howell
Gloria Howell
Willard W. Goff
Crystal Wimer
1 space is Empty due to a tie between Cherri Gannon and Stephen Smoot
(Official Results)

Lauren Ellifritz has been appointed to fill the empty slot.

Mineral County Candidates filed

County Commissioner:
Janice LaRue (R)
Roger D. Leatherman (R)
Donald C. Ashby (D)
Annette C Favara (R)

Assessor:
Rose Ann Maine (R)
Betty Reall (D)

Sheriff:
Paul Sabin (R)
Craig A. Fraley (D)
Frank Willis Smith (D)
Ringo Nelson (D)
Pat Amoroso (D)

Magistrate (2 seats)
David C. Harman (R)
Carolyn Sue Robey (D)
Tanya Bartlett (D)

Prosecuting Attorney:
James W. Courrier Jr. (R)

State Senate 14th:
Gary Howell (R) Mineral
Bob Williams (D) Taylor
David Webb (D) Mineral

House of Delgates 48th:
Donna Brake Kuhn (D) Grant
Allen Evans (R) Grant

House of Delgates 49th:
Robert Schadler (R)

House of Delgates 50th:
Alan (Mitch) Davis (D) Hampshire
Royce B. Saville (D) Hampshire
Ruth Rowan (R) Hampshire

Board of Education:
Todd W. Ellifritz (District 2)
Mary C. Aronhalt (District 1)
Wm Butch Wahl (District 1)
Craig A. Rotruck (District 2)

Conservation District:
Roger L. Kitzmiller

* (Incumbent italics)

Checking the facts avoiding the drama

One thing that holds true in both life and politics, is that people go off half-cocked. That creates mistakes and adds much unneeded drama to life. 99% of the drama can be avoided by simply checking the facts first before going off. When I go off, I like to be fully-cocked.

Recently I wrote a blog about water resources in Mineral County based on a Comprehensive Plan meeting held in Fort Ashby. At that meeting I knew that most of the information being portrayed was flat wrong, but I didn't have the figures with me. I could have went off half-cocked, but I wanted to make sure that I was correct before I did.

After the meeting I went home and did my research on the subject. I checked all the water sources for the county. I checked the storage capacity of Jennings Randolph Lake. I did this all with official sources to make sure that my numbers were dead on correct. Then I presented my information to make my point. I went off fully-cocked.

As I watch the presidential election unfolding, I see a lot of candidates and their minions going of half-cocked. The information they are presenting is not based on fact. Much is based on innuendo. To me if a candidate cannot take the time to get the information right in their accusations, then they are not going to be high on my selection list. If their information is correct, the they are not accusations they are points of fact.

I would like to see excitement in presidential election, but I can do without the drama. Give me facts. Base arguments and disagreements on facts, and avoid the drama.

The 2008 Governor's race....

just became interesting...

Russ Weeks is a personal hero of mine. I will be reporting more on that soon.

Preston County Republicans Well Organized

Tuesday night I was invited to attend the Preston County executive committee meeting. It was one of the largest Republican meetings I have attended, save for a West Virginia State Republican meeting.

The first thing I noticed was these were unified Republicans. They were discussing their trip to Charleston on the 5th. While many people were representing different Presidential Candidates, the discussion was at the task at hand. The knew what needed to be done and the politics of politics were not on the agenda.

The second thing I noticed was the full slate of candidates they had organized for the ballot. There were 4 candidates for sheriff alone. It has been my experience than when several people are running for the same position, there is usually a certain amount uneasiness among those running. I could feel not tension in the air, doesn't mean it wasn't there, but it was not noticeable.

After discussion on the upcoming convention the topic of discussion turned to getting Republican candidates known and available to the public. A very good flow of ideas was given on how to do this. Everything from meet and greets to debates.

The Preston Republican's were still not done. They then turned there attention to voter registration. I'm not going to delve into the details, because some of them the other side may not have thought of, but they have a plan.

It is easy to see why Preston County has a growing Republican population. The executive committee is well organized, it is active, it takes the politics of politics out of the equation, and most importantly is listens to its voters for their ideas and needs. Good job.

Mineral County Republican Presidential Replacement Convention

A Mineral County Republican Presidential Replacement Convention to be held Saturday January 26th at the Mineral County Courthouse from 12 to 3. This will be a new election that will replace the election held January 12th, 2008 where problems occurred.

All registered Republicans are requested to vote for delegates to send to the West Virginia Republican Presidential Convention.

According to Fox News . . .

Republican Presidential Candidate former Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) has pulled out of participating in the Republican Debate in Boca Raton, Florida scheduled for later this week on MSNBC.

Is this a harbinger of things to come? If so, I believe that the end has come too soon for Fred.

As a Romney supporter I have always felt common cause with Thompson's campaign, as both Fred and Mitt have been sounding similar themes (if differing a little bit on the margins), and believe the media template of his candidacy has been unfair and has ill-served the greater cause of informed democracy. I think, in the end, Fred has been campaigning "over the heads" of the drive-by media and our fast food, sound bite populace. Fred has run a thoughtful and meaningful campaign based on ideas, and his supporters have carried themselves with dignity and have been a credit to the Party and to their candidate. I think Fred's presence in the race has helped drive the debate and forced other candidates, including Governor Romney, to stay true to conservative principles and not stray off into McCain/Huckabee style heterodoxies.

If this is indeed the end of the Thompson candidacy, that leaves his West Virginia supporters with an important decision to make in the lead-up to the state convention: to whom to throw their support.

I'd like to ask all those Thompson delegates reading this to consider supporting Governor Romney at the state convention. "Full spectrum" conservatives --social, economic, and foreign policy-- can rally around Governor Romney. In the next two weeks, we'll be working hard to earn your support.

Where have all our friends and family gone?

In 1950 West Virginia made up 1.3% of the US Population, now 0.6%. If we had kept pace with the US growth there would be about 2.1 million more West Virginians than their are now. We are half the state we were just 58 years ago. In a generation we have been cut completely in half.

The poor economic conditions of the state are to blame. Of my graduating class of over 200, there might be 50 left in the area. Many of those drive to Winchester for work everyday. I have family that now lives in Northern Virginia instead of West Virginia. I have class mates that are scattered around the US. If you do a search on Myspace for people that went to Keyser High School, you find a large portion live outside the Keyser area.

I do not know of any family that has not been touched by having loved ones move from the area. In in most cases it is not because they wanted to move, but because they were unable to find suitable work.

John Barnett pointed out in his recent editorial that Change is what is needed. If we continue down the same path, then we will continue to get the same results. We must change the economic policies that keep businesses (and their jobs) out of our state. Our friends and family should not have to loose loved ones for economic reasons.

Time For Change

As I drive to work (like hundreds of my fellow West Virginian’s crossing a state line. I ponder why. Why do we continue to leave a wonderful state to work? Could it be that our elected officials have let us down for years or is it that no body wants to come to our state? Should we like lots of fellow statesmen move away. Or should we fix the problem. Why does the states around us continue to thrive and we continue to fall? We have a great location situated close to major markets. I feel that we have been afraid of change every election we continue to vote the same people into office, but we continue to complain about them. I like many have done this for years, so why do we continue to settle for the same results? Do we say “oh we can’t vote against this person or that person or is it this fiend or that friend?” Or maybe it is “they have been in office to long, you can’t win”. I think most people are comfortable with how things are. Well things could be better. If you would truly look around yourself you would realize that we need to change. Our wonderful state continues to plunge into the hole of poverty business continues to look elsewhere. Why? Why do we have to stand for it? We don’t. We have to accept change it is that easy. Change should not be something to fear; we change our clothing daily and don’t complain it is habit. We were taught to do this a child.

Speaking of child do you look forward to the day your children start driving this long drive to go to their job? I doubt that any of us want that. How many school special moments in your children’s lives have you missed because of work. How many times have you rushed up Rt. 50 to see your son/daughter in a school function? I know that I have, and I am tired of missing these things. So what can we do about it? Nothing? I think not I know the path we need to take. Change. Change the people that we have trusted for so many years to look out for well being. Vote! Don’t just hope that the right person gets into office. It can’t happen overnight our state did not plummet overnight. But we have to start. Think of who you went to school with how many are still in the area? I doubt that you can find half your class. I know that my class has left. What are we going to do about it? We all need to take a hard look around us.

Our county (Mineral) wants to beautify the appearance well the only we can, is if we can afford to do that. The only way we can afford to do is if we are working and where can we work, not close to home because there is no jobs. We can’t work close to home because our officials have let us down and not addressed the real issues. Change

We have to have it. It is the only way we can truly fix the problems. How many of us are ready to make that change? I hope to think I am not the only one that is ready for it. So this year let’s join together and make a change, In the Primaries and in the General election in November.

John Barnett

Purchasing Manager

Leesburg, VA

Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Lyndie England, Which of These Doesn't Belong?

National Geographic Channel, which now irritatingly refers to itself as "Nat Geo," will be shortly running a new special on evil people in history. Amazingly Keyser resident Lyndie England will be featured.

Let's see. Adolf Hitler murdered 12 million people because of their religion, lifestyle, and politics. Stalin murdered tens of millions because of their economic class and politics. Just this week we saw some demented man in Georgia decapitating female hikers. And Lyndie England is evil?

At worst she was unprofessional. She held a position of trust in a prisoner of war camp in Iraq. At the camp, terrorists were humiliated by being forced to be leashed and photographed. England's main offense was being in the pictures, enjoying the humiliation of these people whose lives were dedicated to blowing up women, children, and US soldiers. She was a young woman in a stressful environment who made a poor choice, so therefore she is evil. Incredible.

In the hands of the media, concepts most people take for granted get skewed. Any form of psychological pressure gets redefined as "torture." Torture is something we generally see as negative. There is a huge difference between US interrogators wiping red ink that they claim is menstrual blood on prisoners to get them to talk and when the Soviet CHEKA peeled skin off people's arms and fed priests feet first into crematoriums. Liberals love to try and establish moral equivalence to confuse the issue. This television program seeks to establish moral equivalence between unprofessional behavior in our army and the worst in human history. They hate the army and its missions. This is how they discredit it.

Of course this "evil" woman now has paid her debt to society. She now is a productive member of the Keyser community, having joined its Board of Parks and Recreation last year. I suppose she is hatching her plans of world domination using that base. Today North End Park, tomorrow the world.

Another ridiculous example of the liberal media pushing its agenda.

Promises, Promises

Governor Joe Manchin in his State of the State Address touched on a variety of topics, most of which made different individuals and interest groups angry with him. Sometimes this is a mark of leadership. If you are not making someone mad at some point in time, you are not doing your job. The test of ideas ultimately lies in whether or not they work in the real world.

The PROMISE scholarship was born of good intentions. Enable the children of West Virginia to earn their way into college without worrying about the cost. Few will disagree with the nobility of this idea in general terms. Unfortunately the demonic law of unintended consequences took over. Grades in West Virginia high schools inflated tremendously as well intentioned teachers sought to not be the bad guys that kept their students from getting the coveted award. More students earned the money and costs leapt dramatically.

Only one Republican served on the original committee that developed the scholarship and according to this man, he was the only one that advocated for financial status of parents to be a factor. After all, does it make sense for the child of a parent with a six figure salary to get tuition paid? Most would say no, but poor taxpayers in West Virginia pay for the children of the upper middle class and wealthy to attend college. It has grown into almost a Social Security-like entitlement program. We must have some kind of income cut off for this program to ensure that the children that need help the most always can receive it.

Governor Manchin proposes that PROMISE recipients must remain in state for a certain number of years after they leave school. At this point the question is, why? West Virginia has very little opportunity outside of the government sector for college graduates. The Legislature will not pass the needed reforms repeatedly proposed by Republicans that would help stimulate private sector opportunity.

In fact the pattern often is that college graduates leave the state, build their resume in places such as Atlanta or Charlotte, then return when they have acquired the skills and experience to compete for the precious few positions available. So many more actually want to return than end up doing so, but that is the nature of our economy.

Certainly PROMISE costs a great deal and the state wants a return on its investment. Forcing graduates to serve a sentence in West Virginia might enable a few to eke out a job in their field or create something for themselves. Many will work service jobs or even live on welfare if they have a family to support. Most will ignore the edict.

It's frustrating to saythe same thing over and over when not enough people listen but here we go again. Build the conditions for a prosperous economy and it will happen.

Global Warming

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_first_snow_in_memory

In case anyone missed it, Yahoo! reported on the snowfall in Baghdad, that's right snow in Iraq. Now it doesn't appear that the snow stayed around for very long. I didn't see any snow men, and I doubt that the snow "stuck" as we would say, but quite the phenomenon. I bet President Bush is behind it. Remember he caused Katrina to hit New Orleans. This must be a parting gift to the people of Iraq.

I know that there is some global warming enthusiast answer for how global warming affects the seasons causing abnormal behavior in weather patterns, but snow in the desert? I am not a weather man, nor am I a weather enthusiast. I still walk outside in the morning to find out what the daily weather is going to be, so I will defer to more respectable meteorologists to explain this one to me.

Protecting Farmland in Grant County

Grant County recently added approximately seventy-five acres to land regulated under the 2003 Farmland Protection Act. Under this law, farm owners can choose to bind all future owners of the property, including purchasers and inheritors, to non development. No industrial or subdivision development can occur apparently ever. Only agricultural production or no activity will be allowed.

Both Grant and Hardy County have similar statutes and both have had land placed under this restrictive legislation. Although it is doubtful that many property owners would choose to give up their rights, one wonders what the overall effects could be in the long term. The value of the land will definitely drop over time, especially if it falls into non production. This means tax receipts will fall, at least until the taxes on productive land get raised to meet the shortfall.

Certainly at some point this will face legal challenges. Not every farmer's children want to farm. Some may want to make money in other ways if Grant County's land values continue to rise over time. Few, even farmers, will want to purchase land with such restrictions placed upon it. With little opportunity to sell or develop, if agriculture does not continue on the said lands, these properties will likely end up in government hands eventually. Either it will get seized for taxes, or the property owners will end up being bought out by the taxpayers.

Any time that legal restrictions get placed on property rights, even for seemingly benevolent reasons, the law of unintended consequences gets triggered. Many of these owners forfeiting their rights now will have cause to regret it later. If they do not, their children will. Should the demand for corn rise as expected due to increased bio fuels production, the marketplace will be the best protector of farmland.

Perhaps the worst part about this deal is how the taxpayers get stuck with an unnecessary deal. Individual property owners have the right to go to the courthouse and place covenant restrictions on their deeds. Farmer Brown can go down and protect his farmland until the end of time if he so chooses, only this law gives him $4,000 of taxpayer money to perform a task he can already do by himself at no cost to the rest of us.

This law was passed with the best of intentions. Agriculture is important to the economy and the traditions of this area. However market, not government solutions work best in the long run.

****************************************************************

By the way, many thanks to Shelley Moore Capito for her work in helping to spare thousands of West Virginians from paying the anachronistic Alternative Minimum Tax. It was passed in 1969 to tax the wealthy. Of course income levels considered wealthy in 1969 are not living in the lap of luxury today. Certainly it needs repealed, if only to prevent the headache of repeatedly going back and legislating exemptions to protect the middle class.

Can pundits at least make some effort to appear objective?

During the Fox News coverage of the New Hampshire Primary last Tuesday night, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, now chairman of GOPAC, made the absurd claim that Mike Huckabee's distant-third place finish (11%) demonstrated his competitiveness, was strong, &tc. . .

What a load of crap.

Getting tripled up on by the 2nd place finisher, Governor Romney (who had 32%), does not demonstrate competitiveness--it demonstrates that Rev. Huckster is a one-hit-wonder, a one-trick-pony, whatever your analogy of choice. He might win in South Carolina, but chalk that up to identity politics--not rational, issues-based reasoning.

I know that GOPAC is Newt Gingrich's creation, and Newt is--by some reports--backing Rev. Huckster, but (and this may be a self-answering question) do pundits have no shame?

As another famous saying goes...."Don't [pee] on my leg and tell me its raining."

Lookin' For Ugleeeeeeeee

Those darned McGraws. They can't seem to avoid shadowy conspiracies. First the photographers roaming Marmet trying to take ugly pictures of Warren McGraw, now the Bush administration is plotting the demise of West Virginia's Attorney General.

West Virginia at one point brought suit against the manufacturers of painkilling products such as OxyContin, challenging the manner in which they had been advertised. OxyContin and like drugs are highly addictive and untold thousands suffer from this problem. At issue here is how the settlement money ended up being spent.

The Attorney General's office paid the lawyers who fought the case (fair enough) but placed the rest into the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Fund. The federal government argues that it ought to receive some reimbursement for the Medicaid dollars it pours into the state annually. State Legislators assert that McGraw violated the law because only the Legislature can disburse money.

What is worse is that the Consumer Protection Fund pays for billboards, pencils, and other items that feature the Attorney General's name. Allen Loughry, former Caperton administration official, has blasted this practice as taxpayer funded campaigning. McGraw's office paints this as a Bush administration political move to discredit his office.

Now come on. President Bush sits in his Oval Office every day trying to think of ways to discredit our state attorney general? Kind of unlikely. This money ought to go to the Legisture to be budgeted and sent out to the proper recipients.

Kickoff

Pam Krushansky, thanking the larger-than-expected crowd for turning out. Introductions of the Executive Committee. Representatives of four Presidential campaigns will have 5 minutes to speak, in this order.

1 -- Ron Paul (Gabriel McCall); talking about prior to Bush, two wings of the GOP -- Rockefeller (international adventurism) and conservative. Ron Paul is the only true conservative running (never voted for an unbalanced budget, never voted for a Congressional pay increase, etc...) Cited Paul's (exceedingly admirable) 50-year marriage (to the same woman). Anti-UN statements. In all, a respectable presentation.

2 -- Rudy Giuliani (Dan Casto of Wood County GOP Executive Committee); "Why do I support Rudy?" Most qualified, experience as Mayor, as Assistant U.S. Attorney, qualifies to make tough decision. Only canidate to clearly and succinctly tell us what we're going to do. Cites Rudy as #3 in the DoJ, where he took on the mob at the risk of his own life. Cites his ability to win Democrat votes, cites George Will. Didn't take care of NYC problem by raising taxes, but by cutting spending and taxes (23 times); reduction of welfare rolls, reduction in crime. Plays to security--Rudy cleaned up New York, led in aftermath of 9/11 attacks. Cites 12 Commitments, especially commitment to protect the nation from terrorists and to cut taxes, appointing Scalia-Thomas-Alito-Thomas justices. Strong conservative governance record. Man of intellect, what you see is what you get. [I'm impressed at the positive tone of the presentations -- T.O.]

3 -- Fred Thompson (Jim Mullins); Thompson biography -- son of a used car dealer, self-made man, college, law school, etc. At 27 appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney for Middle Tennessee, went to be Republican lawyer of Watergate Committee (where he originated the phrase "What did the President know, and when did he know it"). Cites Thompson's crusades against political corruption. Thompson as a sturdy man of character. Thompson the Senate candidate (was trailing badly, but got in his red pickup truck) and turned it around. He was a citizen legislator, not a career politician, and honored his promise to not run a third time. Thompson shepherded Roberts through the Senate. Running on a simple conservative platform -- smaller government, lower taxes, judges who will apply the law not create the law. As president he will not let us down.

4 -- Mitt Romney (J.B. McCuskey); three main reasons I'm supporting Governor Romney -- 1, my wife is supporting him and I might be in trouble otherwise; 2, Governor Romney's record creating jobs and wealth in the private sector -- the government doesn't create jobs, the private sector creates jobs; 3, Governor Romney's a strong social conservative. Cites Jay Sekulow, who J.B. has a close relationship with and has worked for. Jay's support for Romney is based on Romney's strong defense of traditional marriage, and the fact that the purpose of the pro-life movement is to win hearts and minds.

In all, very good presentations all around, and very positive -- no attacks on the other candidates, which is pleasant.

Ready to begin

Yours truly was asked to give the Invocation....be back shortly.

Crowd larger than expected

There are many, many new people here who I have never seen turnout to a Republican event before. Probably about 40 people or so have showed up.

Starting to arrive

6:23pm -- most people showing up so far are members of the county committee. 15 people here so far. Expecting more to begin showing up shortly.

Live! From Morgantown!

Hi! I'll be liveblogging the Monongalia County GOP convention beginning at 7:00pm