YR Press Release

For Immediate Release Contact: Lisa Peana
Friday, March 13,2009 (304) 730 - 4599

YR’s Chair: Drug Testing for State Benefits “Just Makes Sense”
Asking supporters to contact Legislators

Kenova, WV - Delegate Craig Blair, R-Berkley recently introduced a bill in the West Virginia Legislature requiring drug testing for state benefits garnering attention from groups across West Virginia, including the WV Young Republicans.

"Delegate Blair's bill is common sense legislation that West Virginia needs,” said Ashley Stinnett, chairman of the WV Young Republicans, “ The problem with government give-a-ways is that nobody is ever held accountable."

The bill would require individuals accepting welfare, food stamps and/or unemployment benefits would be susceptible to random drug testing.

"There are a lot of dishonest individuals who take advantage of the government at the taxpayers expense. It just makes sense to expose these frauds," said Stinnett.

The bill has been referenced to the judiciary committee and then to the finance committee. The Young Republicans are urging supporters to contact judiciary chairwoman, Carrie Webster, D-Kanawha to express there support and urge the passage of the bill out of her committee.
"Hopefully our Democrat lawmakers who care so much for the well being of West Virginians will pull their head out of the sand and vote for this,” added Stinnett.

WV Legislators contact information can be found at http://www.legis.state.wv.us/. Delegate Webster can be contacted by calling (304) 340-3252.

Information about the bill can be found at http://www.notwithmytaxdollars.com/

For information about the West Virginia Young Republicans, email acscj1980@aol.com

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Ford Motor Company: A Bright Spot in Tough Times

Ford Motor Company, unlike many of the world's corporations, is riding high.

Criticized for low profit margins during the past decade, Ford's conservatism seems to be paying off. Unlike its American and Japanese competition, it lost less market share as auto sales crashed everywhere. Not long ago, experts wondered if the company would survive. A few months ago it confidently refused government assistance (also avoiding federal interference in its operations.)

This month USA Today and Car and Driver announced that Ford's hybrid midsized outperformed the Toyota Prius in almost every category. It has more passenger and trunk room as well as better handling while sacrificing nothing in fuel economy.

Last week Ford called a news conference to announce the reopening of its Cleveland Engine Plant Number 1. Built in 1955, it was shut down to undergo a $55 million renovation. Its opening will initially bring 250 employees back to work.

Even better, the plant will turn out next generation engines that improve fuel economy by 20% and cut emissions by 15%. This demonstrates that someone, somewhere in industry is still using good old American innovation to produce better products that consumers desire. And they are doing it without the federal government's help or advice.

Kudos to Ford. They remind us that the private sector remains the most effective source of real and effective changes.

Defending the Indefensible: Pork

In this video the Utah Senator is trying to defend why we should be paying to kill crickets in his state. Please watch.

An Article Written About West Virginia By A Connecticut Journalist With a Reply By Yours Truly

Lessons learned in West Virginia
By Christina Cio cca
Posted: 02/19/2009 08:17:54 PM EST

"West Virginia? WOOF."

This blunt and biting phrase is representative of my friends' response when I told them I'd be away for a couple of days on business in Charleston, W.Va.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," is another.

And so, with a heavy heart, I boarded my Delta shuttle at LaGuardia. My dejection came less from leaving the New York metro area, where a deathly pallor has descended on Park, Madison and even Greenwich avenues, but more because we're talking about West Virginia. For business. In my mind, there were few things further from the definition of "fun." Call me short-sighted, but the only things I have associated with West Virginia are mountains, coal mines and Habitat for Humanity.

But 24 hours later, I was encountering a different emotion. This time, it was that small euphoria that awakens when you realize that some of your deepest preconceptions are dead wrong, that you just have been taught something you didn't even know you needed to learn. These lessons are worth sharing.

First and foremost, Charleston reassured me it's possible to maintain a friendly manner, a peaceful demeanor and a low-stress lifestyle even when the country is facing "some of the largest challenges since the Great Depression," as we've heard. Speaking with some of West Virginia's business and political leaders, as I had the good fortune to do, it became clear that this news is not enough to erase a sense of optimism and hope for the future -- qualities that are
going down the drain in Washington, D.C., and the New York metro area.

Why? Perhaps because West Virginia is one of the few states that still maintains a budgetary surplus, retains a greater sense of commonality among its citizens, and borders on being "small." But I also have the feeling, after asking some questions, that it's a result of leaders joining together and approaching their state's challenges as a rational, involved, tightly knit community, one that would like to conserve what many described to me as "low-stress corporate and political life." I admit I have been working in corporate America for approximately 1 1/2 years. But I already strongly believe that this "low-stress" mentality is worth deep consideration and preservation where it already exists.

Another lesson: Leadership goes a very long way. One of my stops while in Charleston was a "viewing party" for Gov. Joe Manchin's State of the State Address. Again, I approached the experience somewhat tentatively -- how much detail did I really want or need to know about the state of West Virginia?

But as I watched the popular Democratic governor report on his state's progress, I found my mind engaged and my spirits uplifted. Here was a leader still capable of celebrating his state's achievements and laying out a series of forward-thinking, long-term goals, even while recognizing the vast challenges and sacrifices ahead. Not only was the speech delivered with energy and inspiring rhetoric, but the governor really was rooting for his state, from the lowest wage earners to those teachers responsible for raising the state's dismal educational performance to the top executives running key industries. He even gave a tribute to a University of West Virginia football player just drafted into the NFL.

Looking around the viewing party, I was struck by the number of smiles dotting the room. West Virginians were on board. A sense of possibility still seemed to exist in full force, as did my own feeling that West Virginians actually may join together to tackle the numerous challenges the governor outlined. And this is from a state that consistently has ranked among the lowest in U.S. business development.

Sadly, I am unsure that I can make similar statements about President Obama's first major press conference, where we saw not even a small glimmer of hope that our great country will come out of this crisis stronger, better and no worse for the wear. As a young American, this is a message I long to hear.

One final lesson: Friendliness goes a very long way. Walking the streets of New York City, ill humor and scowls get the gold and silver medals, respectively. Even the quaint streets of Fairfield, where my family now lives after spending most of my childhood years in Darien, have developed a bit of an edge: I recently had the door of a local retailer closed directly in my face by a disgruntled shopper. Granted, both New York City and Fairfield County are facing significant economic challenges bound to throw us all off-kilter.

Yet it was so refreshing in Charleston to have jovial conversations with cab drivers who own blueberry farms, to learn the state's political history from a camera operator while accompanying a client to a TV news interview, and to be greeted by a woman suffering from bronchitis because, "We've had such nice telephone conversations, I just had to meet you in person." These very basic elements of human kindness are not to be underestimated, especially considering today's dismal realities.

So there you have it. West Virginia in fact was one of the best times I've had in weeks. Who would've guessed?
------
Christina Ciocca is a former resident of Darien and a graduate of Greenwich Academy, Georgetown and Oxford. She now lives in Manhattan, where she works in strategic communications and public relations.

Here is my reply, posted on her newspaper:

Much of this is typical condescending Northeastern crap that West Virginians have grown accustomed to reading over the past several decades. Having spent time in Connecticut researching at Yale, I am at a loss to see where you get your heightened sense of superiority. To get there I had to run the gauntlet of the Cross Bronx Expressway, woe unto he who rolls down his or her window. Pheeewww!!!

The writer is dead on about Joe Manchin. I was in Charleston on business during his address as well. The next day I attended a gathering in his reception room where he again spoke. His emphasis on individual responsibility, his criticism of government handouts, his insistence that no one receive any help from the government unless they could prove that they had started helping themselves first were floodlights in a generally gloomy political time. I wished that, if the Democratic Party were destined to win the White House, that they would have nominated someone with experience and rock solid American economic ideals as Joe Manchin has expressed. I am sick of hearing about what I need to fear. We need to hear again that Americans have nothing to fear and will prevail. That is the difference between Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama on one hand and Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan on the other.

Please. Do not send any more young and enlightened journalists to West Virginia for personal learning experiences. Instead we will export people to your state and others to explain concepts such as the balanced budget and restrained government spending. Maybe then, the ethic of good old fashioned common sense and hard work, courtesy of your friends in the Mountain State, will help bring you out of the quagmire you all find yourselves in.

Oh, and enjoy Senator Countrywide while you are at it.

Is Hyper Inflation coming?

Glenn Beck does a good job explaining how the US money supply has changed over the years. This is worth watching.

WVGOP Think Tank coming to the Potomac Highlands

The WVGOP Think Tank is the official think tank of the West Virginia Republican Party, and is visiting the Potomac Highlands to get your input. The WVGOP Think Tank is dedicated to gathering and sharing the ideas and visions of Republicans across the state as we work to develop a plan for victory in 2010 and beyond.

It is dedicated to including the thoughts and ideas of all Republicans who wish to attend the meeting. Our energies will be devoted to working with all Republicans, and increasing Republican influence in government.

Republicans can, and will, legitimately disagree. The goal of finding common ground in battling our opposition and winning the hearts and minds of West Virginians.

We invite you to join us in those efforts. April 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 at Grand Central Business Center, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, 1 E Piedmont St. Keyser, WV 26726. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by calling (304) 788-6554 or (304) 788-2513

We Have Met the Enemy, And It Is the Federal Government

The basic problem driving the economic crisis, at least in the United States, is the mortgage crisis. This was combined with the fuel spike and a few other problems, but generally the housing market crash reverberated throughout the economy.

Some blamed bank mismanagement, but the federal government ponied up money anyway. Banks are the engines of capitalism. If they fail, we have serious problems. But why did they fail?

Last year the media gave us their answer. The simple greed of banks and individuals trying to turn a fast buck. Banks give questionable loans to questionable investors. Middle class greed was blamed; families spending too much on things they don't need. The whole issue became a homily on the evils of capitalism.

If only we had stuck to capitalism! In 1993 the federal government decided to enforce laws that the Reagan and first Bush administrations chose to ignore. These laws required banks to make an effort to find non traditional targets for loans. The idea was to expand home ownership among populations who generally could not afford them or who had poor credit. Banks had to prove that they made an effort to locate bad credit risks and give them loans.

Banks complied with the law. So long as the economy went very well, the industry could absorb losses and many credit risks could continue to pay. When a glitch in the system developed, up to 8% of the mortgage holders in the nation fell behind, some badly. Some folks truly hit hard times. They had jobs they expected to keep, made sound decisions, and were hit by unforeseen issues. Many were undisciplined, made poor decisions, and found themselves in trouble. Banks now held massive amounts of bad debt because of federal government policies that forced them to take it on in the first place.

The banks had the government by the you know whats. They get no money? Fine. They explain to the nation just exactly who got them into trouble in the first place. Instead of disavowing this nice little bit of socialism, we gave out the money and stabilized the system.

Now THE WON (kudos to whoever thought that one up, referring to the arrogant pronouncement to congressional Republicans that "I (Obama) won!" as if that means that Republicans should stop doing their jobs and kowtow) wants to compound the problem by sending many more billions to help people who never should have been homeowners to begin with. Some people responsibly went to their banks, worked out new arrangements, sacrificed, and got their bills paid up. Obama does not want to distinguish between those who sacrificed and those who are still just waiting around for the government to help them. Enough already!

Time for the honest taxpayer to take a stand. Massive federal interference in the market is what intensified a recession and turned it into the Great Depression. Back then it was the Smoot-Hawley Tariff. Now it is Obamiac spending plans. Let's get a grip here and think for a second before tossing more money away. After all, it is generating the disturbing trend of rising inflation during a contracting economy. Obama is transforming a recession into stagflation.

At least we know how to deal with that. Elect a conservative Republican as president. The way things are going, we ought to see one replace WON in a few years.

Tax Cheat Congressman Charlie Rangle (D) Cornered

Stimulus should have applied the KISS Principle

Everyone from engineers to sports coaches says it. Keep it Simple, Stupid.

The huge spending plans proposed by Obama and the Worst Congress in History do anything but. They have money for STD prevention and abortions across the world, yet Keyser is still waiting on its dangerously decayed water treatment plant and dilapidated US 220 bridge to get replaced. Hampshire, Mineral, and Grant County drivers must contend with the dangerous and unimproved sections of US 50.

The spending plan should have been for simple, basic American needs. Small towns and big cities everywhere have the same issues with infrastructure. Roads need attention. In some areas, the sewer system has lasted a hundred years without a major overhaul. Bridges need replaced. Schools are crumbling. West Preston Middle School not too far from here is an extreme example. Repairing basic needs projects in every state puts people to work and generates revenue in the all important construction industry. It's hard to argue against basic infrastructure repairs because they benefit everyone.

When Obama first pitched the stimulus bill, he emphasized shovel ready projects. Less than 5% of the money is headed for such improvements. The entire bill should have gone towards the repair or replacement of roads, bridges, sewers, and schools. No new projects, just the maintenance on structures already in place or replacement of structures too badly decayed to be repaired. This would have prevented the problem that GOP governors and Manchin cited, the creation of programs with no permanent funding.

Had Obama and Congress addressed those needs rather than tossed money at abortion doctors in places where family planning means eliminate all female babies, they might have restored economic growth and invested funds into items the country needs for decades in the future instead of wasting it on foolishness.

Should have kept it simple. Now we all pay the price far into the future.

Keyser needs to look at helping downtown traffic

The fire that destroyed a downtown business on Friday night shows the need for alternative traffic patterns in the downtown area. One suggestion that is common sense is to make Water St. 2-ways between Armstrong and Piedmont Streets.

With all houses on Water Street between Armstrong and Piedmont now having close off street parking, parking can be eliminated to make 2-way traffic possible. This would allow traffic a different route to WV 46 East. While we hope there are no more fires on Armstrong Street this route would have allowed traffic to flow much better around the effected area. Also when Main Street is block for festivals in the summer this route will be available to improve traffic flow.

Also consider that with the upcoming replacement of Memorial Bridge traffic patterns on Armstrong street will be come a major problem and the simple act of making Water Street 2-ways for 2 blocks can be common sense solution to the problem.

Clinton adviser uses Alan Mollohan as an example of Earmark Corruption

On Fox News's, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, former Bill Clinton adviser Dick Morris was talking about how earmarks can lead to corruption and used West Virginia Congressman Alan Mollohan (D) as example.



This illustrates how West Virginia constantly looses with Alan Mollohan has our Congressman. When the Congressman earmarks money to his friends as Dick Morris points out, that money doesn't help the people of West Virginia. That is why it is unethical, but most people don't see how it actually hurts us.

Consider that if the Congressman earmarks $3 million dollars to his friends at Vandalia, then he used his efforts for the wrong reason. It would have taken the same effort to earmark $3 million dollar to fix Doresy's curve on US 50 in Mineral County where 8 people have been killed over the past several years and our school buses travel everyday. What is more important to the Congressman the lives of school childern or funding his friends? There are countless projects in each county across the West Virgina 1st Congressional District that need funded, but the Congressman ignores them in favor of his personal interest.

We are going to have to ask ourselves this next election. Do we want a Congressman that puts the interest of the people of West Virginia first or his own person gain first?

Where Is the Media Now When Robert Byrd Is Criticizing a President?

They are there. Maybe it does not lead the broadcast or make the front page, but the story did spread across the country. Senator Robert C. Byrd compared Barack Obama to Richard Nixon in blasting his use of policy czars. Byrd's fear is that these officials are not subject to the same supervision as Cabinet officials.

Byrd also compared Obama to George W. Bush, a figure that most liberals seem to think is worse than Richard Nixon. Bush operated, like Franklin Roosevelt, to prosecute a war and enhance national security. Obama wants to use such officials to oversee the auto industry and attack coal companies.

Byrd notes that this contradicts the campaign promise to be the most transparent administration in history. Bush made no such promise.

Still one wonders about the process of story placement. Whenever Senator Byrd breathed an anti-Bush word it led the news, sometimes for days. When the defender of the Constitution trains his guns on Obama, the story selection process is slightly different.

Needless to say, the reporters and analysts have tried to do their job. They have done well pointing out the problems and inconsistencies of the Won. Republicans are skillfully staking out their position while playing divide and conquer between the antagonistic presidential and congressional Democrats.

I just keep saying, two more years, two more years. The good ol' USA needs to hang in there. Help is on the way.

If only Senator Byrd would add some useful action to his criticisms. Abandon those people who evicted him from his chairmanship and join the next GOP filibuster. He's will lose nothing, but he can protect his principles.

Cost Benefit Analysis of Excluding Independents From GOP Primaries

Anytime an individual or a group is agonizing over an important decision, it's time to use a cost-benefit analysis to tally up the pros and cons of doing or of not doing something.

The issue of the day is whether or not to allow independents to participate in the GOP primary voting.

Both sides have good points. Arguments for excluding independents are many. It forces fence sitters in voter registration who lean Republican to register that way. Also it reduces the chance that Democrats could change registration to manipulate a key election.

However, consider the costs? The liberal press will certainly bash Republicans for being a small state party that finds a way to exclude people who would otherwise show interest. Conservative outlets may even join that chorus for reasons of their own. Bad press represents a cost even though ideally it should not serve as a factor.

Also, how often do we have a situation where we have close primary races between one very electable candidate and one extremely awful candidate? Not many Democrats in West Virginia would drop their registration at this point to intentionally smack down an electable GOP alternative.

Finally, how many registrations would we pick up to offset the costs? A few hundred? Maybe.

A better plan lies in remembering our free market ideals. We have competition from the Democratic, Independent, and in some races, Mountain brands. Instead of finding ways to reduce the competition for registered voters, let us embrace the system as it is and create a product that voters will choose. An exciting, energetic, innovative GOP will attract registrations and voters come election day. Building up the party is the answer.

No Title of Nobility Shall be Granted

231 years ago the 13 British colonies declared independence, in the Declaration of Independence, they clearly stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Five statesmen from Massachusetts signed that document; John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine and Elbridge Gerry.

March 4, 2009 British Prime Minster, Gordon Brown stood before a joint session of the US Congress and stated, “I want to announce that Her Majesty The Queen, has awarded an honorary Knighthood for Sir Edward Kennedy.” Now our founding fathers knew that titles of nobility inferred inequality of men. They promptly outlawed titles of nobility in the Articles of Confederation to insure the equality of men.

When considering the new constitution the Founding Fathers had very strong convictions. The outlawing of nobility titles was so important that James Madison had this to say about including that prevision in the new constitution, “The prohibition with respect to titles of nobility is copied from the articles of Confederation and needs no comment.” - January 25th, 1788, Federalist Papers #44

Alexander Hamilton ranked the banishment of nobility titles at the top, he even used all capital letters for emphases when he wrote, “The establishment of the writ of habeas corpus, the prohibition of ex-post-facto laws, and of TITLES OF NOBILITY, TO WHICH WE HAVE NO CORRESPONDING PROVISION IN OUR CONSTITUTION, are perhaps greater securities to liberty and republicanism than any it contains” He went on to say, “Nothing need be said to illustrate the importance of the prohibition of titles of nobility. This may truly be denominated the corner-stone of republican government; for so long as they are excluded, there can never be serious danger that the government will be any other than that of the people.” Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers #84

As we know from history the pleas fell on receptive ears, because the banishment of titles of nobility made it into the US Constitution under Article 1, Section 9, “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

Today Senator Ted Kennedy and the US Congress have to make a decision. Are they statesmen or politicians? I think we can guess what the first Massachusetts Senators Caleb Strong and Tristram Dalton would recommend. Senator Kennedy should politely say, “No, thank you,” sighting the US Constitution. While Senator Kennedy has a long and distinguished career he is our equal nothing more. Congress should grant no exception and if Senator Kennedy wishes to accept, then he should resign from his office and renounce his US citizenship, just as the founding fathers renounced their British citizenship in order to form a nation of equals.

Barnes vs Blair: Rhetorical Cagematch Between Good Republicans

Anyone paying attention to the news lately has seen the state GOP finally capture the headlines for something positive.

Delegate Craig Blair has used his aggressive rhetoric to outline a plan to drug test all applicants for welfare. He contends that the taxpayers are served poorly when their funds go to enable continued drug use by aid recipients. To those who argue that the plan is cost prohibitive, Blair argues that the savings created by drug users shying away from identification will make up for the price of drug testing.

Senator Clark Barnes contends that this violates the constitutional right to privacy as well as rights explicitly spelled out in the 4th Amendment. To Barnes, Republican ideals mean that government ought to stay out of the lives of individuals until they give an overt reason to bring the police power of the state upon themselves.

This debate has overshadowed Governor Manchin and the Democratic Legislature and at times has become heated. However, this debate demonstrates the strength inherent in the ties that bind Republicans together. At the beginning of the day, Craig Blair and Clark Barnes are good friends. At the end of the day they will remain friends despite disagreements. At the end of the day, the party appreciates the efforts and different strengths each man brings to the table.

Compare this to how the Democrats have responded to Blair's proposals. Delegate Sally Susman (D) Raleigh, openly ridiculed Blair in a transparent attempt to deflect the debate into the margins. Senator Barnes debates the issue on principles and merits. Democrats wish it would go away because they fear open and honest discussion.

The strength of the state Republican party lies in our ability to disagree and remain supportive of each other. Senator Barnes opposed the presidential nominating convention last year, but remains one of the most respected Republicans in the state. When Democratic United States Senator Joe Lieberman backed President Bush, his party essentially banished him. They tried to run him out of office with a primary opponent more loyal to the party line, showing a distinct intolerance for diverging points of view. The same is about to happen to Representative Heath Shuler, Democrat from North Carolina (yes the former Tennessee quarterback.) His opposition to Nancy Pelosi has earned him banishment to the political wilderness and most likely a well funded liberal primary opponent. That is the way Democrats operate. Thank God we in the Grand Old Party are different!

Republicans understand that sometimes we have to agree to disagree. Debates among different points of view, such as between Blair and Barnes, leave us stronger at the end of the day. Even when our party members respectfully disagree with the party itself, this is not a negative. Republicans gain a reputation for free thought and ideological tolerance. Think of our state party without Clark Barnes?

Respectful debates between free thinking Republican leaders create an atmosphere of excitement that will help recruit young people to be active in the cause. We need to recognize this buzz that Blair and Barnes are creating and continue to build upon it. Respectful, honest, and open public debates over issues always help our party and its image.

Throw another Law on the Barbie

In the movie "The Philadelphia Experiment" the destroyer USS Eldridge is part of an experiment to make warships invisible and everything goes wrong. Well maybe Delegate Jeff Eldridge (D-Lincoln) needs to become invisible, because he has gone all wrong.

Delegate Eldridge has proposed a bill to ban the sale of Barbie. Yes, Barbie, the Mattel doll that is turning 50 years old this year. The same doll that has taught generation of young girls they could strive for more. In 1965 Mattel introduced Astronaut Barbie years before real life women were accepted into NASA's Space Program. Barbie has worn the uniform our all branches of our armed services, competed in the Olympics and been part of the corporate world. While Barbie may just be a doll in the world of the imagination she has shown lots of young girls what they could be and many have gone on to achieve more than even Barbie, because they dare believe in themselves.

Now it has not been reported if Delegate Eldridge is going base his bill off another law. One law that I did find that was similar was passed by Saudi Arabia in 2003 in which Saudi's outlawed the sale of Barbie dolls, saying that she did not conform to the ideals of Islam. Perhaps the real reason for outlawing Barbie in West Virginia is because she is shown taking career paths that are unlikely to be available in our state because of the tax and legal structure that keeps us at 50th in the states rankings?

Delegate Eldridge should be introducing legislation to improve the economic conditions in West Virginia by putting in a business friendly tax structure and revamping our legal system to attract businesses to the state. Let's create the economic opportunity for the young girls in this state to actually have the jobs that Barbie shows them are available, so they don't have to leave the state to find those careers. Instead changing West Virginia for the better, what the delegate proposes is to take away the young girls dreams of being something better because his party is unwilling to offer it to the people of this state and they don't want the people to leave to find it.

Shelley Moore Capito Criticizes Porkulus Package

The Wheeling News-Register recently editorialized on the dangerous amount of government spending in the pork laden stimulus package passed by Obama and Congress. One thing the president and Congress agreed upon in the first month of office was the need for an unpopular Democratic Congress to toss money at temporary or useless projects instead of refurbishing America's infrastructure or putting money back into the hands of taxpayers.

Token tax relief does exist. On average, workers will have $13 more per paycheck than before. This may buy an additional two lunches per month, but it fails to help spur the big ticket purchases that will help the manufacturing sector. Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito stated that the nearly $800 billion package needed "more overall tax relief and less government bloating."

Over 25% of the package goes to the states and most will use it to help balance their budgets. However, typical of liberal Democratic over management, responsible states such as West Virginia find their money has been allotted for specific purposes that our state government does not have. So the money is sent, can only be spent on specific things, and any unused money must be sent back. Republicans tend to prefer block grants allowing states to decide for themselves what to do.

Where were Senators Byrd and Rockefeller when this was all decided? Why didn't Rahall and Mollohan intervene with the Democratic leadership on behalf of their own state? Why did they not confer with Governor Manchin and determine what his priorities were? Surely they are on speaking terms, right? Such powerful senators then could have gotten what we needed. After all, that was the main reason they gave for being reelected. Would that have not made some sense?

At least West Virginia taxpayers have one congressional representative working for them this year.

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

For Congresswoman Capito, the stimulus issue hits close to home. Her husband is an executive with troubled Citicorp, a target of stimulus money. Capito voted her principles and for her country's future despite its conflict with teh short term interests of her husband's employer.

Is it any wonder that West Virginians are clamoring for Ms. Capito to take a stronger role in the leadership of this state when the time comes?

Missed Opportunities

J. C. Watts went to Charleston recently to speak at the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee Lincoln Day Dinner. The state and county organization publicized this visit heavily and over 250 GOP faithful packed the Civic Center to hear and greet him. He gave a charismatic and rousing address that was much appreciated by a party needing leadership and optimism.

In Gary Abernathy's Republican Gazette Watts is referred to as "former congressman." This is a high honor certainly, but certainly in the past few years this man could have been given some task to build a national resume.

One of the few major complaints I have with the Bush administration is the fact that they did not reach out to cultivate and develop GOP talent. The Republican Party in the United States is gifted with a large group of pragmatic and experienced minds that need some resume building. J. C. Watts is a perfect example. This man proved his leadership and conservative credentials in Congress. Could he not have been entrusted with some office or task that would have enhanced his reputation?

Closer to home we have a former state party chair with experience in Eastern European affairs currently serving as president of West Liberty. Was he ever offered an ambassadorship? He would seem to be a natural choice. Robin Capehart is still an intriguing figure who has earned bipartisan respect and could be a factor in congressional or gubernatorial elections in the future. A couple of years serving in a position of high honor would have built upon what is already a solid reputation. The Democrats eased Bill Richardson into the governor's office in New Mexico after a successful diplomatic career. Why can't we do something similar?

Although no one in power should say it, when we are in, we should always have an eye towards developing electable talent through appointments. Certainly you should only select people capable of doing the job, but there is no reason to not have a "farm system" of political leadership in operation when you can do it.

Change, Hope . . . Harding. Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Weeks Ago?

Apologies in advance for breaking the 11th Commandment (Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican) but honesty demands that we compare Barack Obama to Warren G. Harding. We warned before the election that we were electing a Harding, meaning a machine politician with zero ideas, zero experience, and tremendous potential for problems. We got something worse.

Harding, who incidentally figured out very soon that he was unfit mentally for the presidency, actually worked with a Republican Congress to craft economic policies that ended a post World War I recession. How did this happen? The GOP had stepped in to force him to select competent men for his Cabinet. He got statesmen and individuals who had found success in the private sector in the most important positions instead of political hacks. They did well despite him. In the end he was undone by some of his old machine buddies, but he died before the scandal could break.

Obama has blundered through his first month of the presidency. The stock market gains of the Bush era are gone. While Mexico dissolves, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton goes to our former enemies to beg for hard currency to finance the Democratic Porkulus package. The United States has lost the respect that Bush worked so carefully to build for eight years. We send $900 million to the Palestinians to rebuild Gaza while Keyser STILL waits for $9 million to rebuild its water treatment facility. The kindest commentators call Obama's transition "amateur hour" while the most critical describe a "deer in the headlights look." Meanwhile the president tells us we have everything in the world to fear and hopes to goodness something happens before he loses his friendly Congress in 2010.

The only positive of the last four weeks is that Americans have lost their faith that the federal government can solve all problems. Democratic leadership has undone the myth they have tried to cultivate since the 1930s. Every day, people are understanding what conservatives have taught all along. The federal government is not the answer, but it generally is the problem. Every move Obama and his administration makes solidifies that conviction. It is time for the states and the people to step forward and take the initiative. The federal government has failed. Let us get back to state sovereignty and individual initiative.

Let's rephrase that olf campaign question from 1984. Are you better off than you were four weeks ago?

Protestors Rally Against Bailout