Debt

Again, the media is blasting Republicans. Why won't they compromise on the debt ceiling? Why won't they raise taxes? Don't they know the end is nigh? After all, Obama told us this (of course he told us this several times and it did not come to pass.)

Liberals often fail to remember that there is a better way to raise tax revenue than upping the tax rates. That is by increasing prosperity. You can never tax your way to economic growth, or spend to get there either, as the (non) stimulus proved.

What we need is national leadership to unleash the economy. We need a president who believes in the free market and reduced government interference. We need politicians who know that plundering the economy won't help it to grow. We need to reduce the burdens on business at not only the national, but also the state and local levels. The EPA is one of the worst offenders, but local zoning laws choke business vitality as well. We also have the highest corporate tax rate in the entire world, which drives business overseas.

Raising the debt ceiling will not help because it perpetuates the problem of too much spending. All we have to do to stay within our current limits is to completely scrap Obamacare and that will solve the crisis in the short term. Pretty simple and it will accomplish something that the people want.

The NFL and NBA Lockouts

Looks like there is a distinct possibility that two of the most recognizable professional sports leagues in the world won't be playing this fall.

The NBA and NFL are both in lockout. That means that players can have no contact with their teams and leagues. Some may blame greedy owners, others may cite the players as being at fault. In reality, different circumstances are behind both labor issues.

In the NFL, players and owners are debating a number of issues. Some owners want to expand the season to eighteen games without increasing roster size. The season already takes a huge toll on certain positions, such as running back. Quarterbacks would certainly be much more vulnerable to injury, barring radical changes in the rules. NFL players cannot withstand eighteen games plus playoffs and hope to have lengthy careers. NFL owners and players are also having trouble deciding how to split the massive profit pie. The NFL only loses if the season is postponed or cancelled. The owners are in danger of messing with one of the most popular sports brands on Earth.

The NBA is actually in trouble. Twenty-two franchises have reported financial losses in the past year. Some franchises will actually do better financially if there is no season. The NBA wants to move towards the NFL model with more revenue sharing among teams to keep the league solvent and help small market teams compete. Players fear that such moves will reduce contracts and are resistant.

Both leagues must be concerned if they don't end up playing this year. In a down economy, people must be more picky about how they spend their money. Both leagues could lose more fans to the college versions of each sport. It's time for the NFL and NBA and their players to find ways to earn money and keep fans.

Potentially Much More Damaging and Destructive Than Watergate

In the realm of bad ideas and high level cover ups, Watergate exists in a class by itself. Nixon's White House, saturated by secrecy and cronyism, lived in perpetual fear of its political enemies. This led it to tap former intelligence specialists and adventurers to engage in political espionage and hardball tactics. They violated the rights of individuals and organizations, all in the name of political expediency. As bad as the break ins were, the cover up involved the president and high level officials.

Although Watergate involved high level officials in a criminal conspiracy that violated the Constitution and numerous other laws, no one got hurt. The cover up ended up being a worse crime than the original break ins.

Not so with "Operation Fast and Furious." This ill-conceived plan funneled guns from U. S. shops into Mexican cartels with no oversight. When these guns were linked to American sources, the cover up began. The Obama Administration initially condemned law abiding American shop owners who were actually working with federal agents. When the store owners began to reveal the federal government's role, the story started to slowly unravel. We do not yet know the full truth.

The Attorney General and the Department of Justice have obstructed efforts by the director of the ATF to investigate the extent of the definitely negligent, and possibly criminal activities involved. Congress has launched a full investigation along with the ATF, but Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, has stonewalled the process. This is the same attorney general that refused to prosecute Black Panthers who violated federal election laws by intimidating voters in 2008.

Eric Holder is a symbol of all that has gone wrong in Obama's Administration. We need to know all parties responsible for "Fast and Furious," whether or not the intention from the start was to advance the anti-gun agenda, and how far up the cover up extends.

Obama's presidency is teetering on the edge of the abyss. This scandal could knock it off completely.

An Armed Citizen Is a Safe Citizen

Chicago has seen a rash of violent mob attacks in the past several months. Now Milwaukee has seen its first.

Racially motivated attacks on whites have been on the rise lately. In Milwaukee, one young woman heard an attacker gleefully proclaim "oh white girl she bleeds a lot."

Violence may be color blind, but there is really only one way to stop these attacks. Cities need to understand that police can't be everywhere to protect everyone. Violent mobs and criminals already know this. The main way to counteract this behavior is to encourage good citizens to buy guns and learn their proper use.

I'd much rather see a story like this. Mob of youths attack peacful law abiding group. Individual pulls handgun and severely wounds or kills several attackers, ensuring the safety of herself and her friends.

That is the only way to halt mob attacks, regardless of motivation.

Trial By Jury in the Anglo-American System

The Casey Anthony trial is over and she was found not guilty. Lots of folks, convinced of her guilt, are angry that she will likely leave jail on Thursday, only convicted of the charge of lying to a police officer.

The prosecution had a major obstacle that the hysterical media rarely mentioned. They could never really prove that Caylee Anthony was murdered. They also had to convince a jury that the mother was cold, hateful, and murderous when those twelve people could also watch film after film of a mother obviously enjoying the presence of her child.

But most of all, they had to overcome the necessity of a burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. In our justice system since the Middle Ages, a jury cannot judge innocence or guilt. That is left to God. All a jury can judge is the effectiveness of the prosecution's case. Did they, or did they not prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Furthermore, even if the think the person is guilty, they are not supposed to vote that way unless the prosecution proved its case.

This is our our system works and, despite its flaws, it is the best that humanity has ever come up with. Was Anthony guilty? Tough to say. But twelve jurors, who the media praised for paying close attention to the case, thought that the proof was simply not there. We certainly hope that the justice system was right in this case, but if not, that is still no reason for radical change.

African Union Slams Qaddaffi Arrest Warrant

The African Union last weekend indicated that its member states would ignore an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Moammar Qaddafi. The ICC, located in the Netherlands, sought to bring Qaddafi to trial for crimes committed by his regime.

Even though Qaddaffi is a violent dictator with a history of terrorist acts, it is a positive step when any body claiming international jurisdiction gets undermined, humbled, and ignored. The African Union complained that the ICC ignored so-called crimes committed by Western nations. This complaint raises a valid fear. What if the ICC got a wild hair and decided to issue a warrant for an American military officer or diplomatic official acting under orders of the president and/or Congress? If it succeeded in capturing said person, then any real president would send in the special forces to rescue that official rather than allowing them to stand trial. International organizations should have no jurisdiction that supercedes the national.

The African Union made a valid point that the arrest warrant made a peaceful solution more difficult. It would have narrowed the options for Qaddaffi to leave Libya and live out the remainder of his days in exile somewhere else.

Just because an evil tyrant is the issue here does not mean that we should support the continued posturing of an international organization that could someday abuse an American's rights.

A Perfect Note For the Fourth

I HEAR America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat—the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck; 5
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the hatter singing as he stands;
The wood-cutter’s song—the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother—or of the young wife at work—or of the girl sewing or washing—Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;
The day what belongs to the day—At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.

Interestingly enough, I think the EPA has done something to make almost all of these professions more costly or difficult. Have a great July 4th!

Lead, Follow, or Get the Hell Out of the Way

Obama's leadership strategy seems to be the same in most major issues. He has enough presence to be a factor, but rarely shows insight, strategy, or good judgment. Obama also works hard to cut out any figure who might garner more attention than he does.

We see this in foreign affairs. Under George W. Bush and his predecessor, the Secretary of State truly represented the foreign policy of the nation. Rice and Albright obviously had the confidence of their bosses and were part of major deals in our diplomacy. Hillary Clinton has been a figure of neglect and ridicule; her most recent achievement being the scheduling of a Lady Gaga concert. However, Obama's foreign policy has been one of confusing drift. He alienates allies while blundering into wars with no explanation.

Obama's main concern with the debt issue appears to be whether or not he wins a political battle. He has expanded the debt considerably. This issue by itself has undermined public confidence in Democratic leadership. Interestingly, a CNN reporter recently asked him about his predictions of doom if the debt ceiling were not raised by a certain day. Many such days have passed and we're still here spending too much money. His attempt at leadership was to compare Congress to his children, saying that they were disciplined and got their homework done on time.

Sorry, Obama, the issue of national debt, the interests of the people, and the future of this nation is of more importance than your daughter's math homework. It takes more time. And for the president to refer to Congress in this way really betrays his mindset. He is a paternalist with a desire to control. Luckily, he lacks political ability and competence, or we'd be in a lot more trouble.

In any event, he needs replaced. I am surprised there is no Democratic challenger yet.

Capito and McKinley Fight the EPA

Capito Applauds Senator Toomey For Introducing Bill To Mandate EPA Consider Jobs
6/29/11
Today, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., applauded Senator Pat Toomey, R-PA, for his leadership in introducing the Senate version of Capito’s bill, the Employment Protection Act, which would require the EPA to consider the impact of any new regulation, new policy statement or permit denial on jobs.

In May, Capito introduced H.R. 1872 the “Employment Protection Act” to ensure the EPA considers how their actions impact jobs and the economy. Capito has fought hard to limit the EPA’s assault on Appalachian job-creators, specifically pushing back against the EPA’s intent to use broadly interpreted regulatory authority to overstep the bounds of its traditional role in the permitting process.

“The energy industry provides thousands of good-paying jobs, and coal aloneprovides over half of our nation’s electricity and over 95 percent of the power in West Virginia,” stated Capito. “I am proud to work with Senator Toomey to ensure that the EPA cannot continue to push rules and regulations without considering what it is doing to local economies and families.”

Earlier this month, American Electric Power announced it will be forced to cut jobs and decrease production in order to comply with a series of regulations proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would impact coal-fueled power plants.

Capito’s bill has 12 cosponsors


McKinley Measure Just a First Step
06/27/11
The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
Thanks to U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., thoughtful Americans concerned about the liberal war on coal have won a battle.

Last week an important bill introduced by McKinley, concerning Environmental Protection Agency plans to establish harsh new rules on fly ash generated at coal-fired power plants, advanced in the House of Representatives. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy approved the bill.

McKinley estimates that if the EPA is allowed to proceed, hundreds of thousands of jobs could be lost. In addition, costs to the economy "could surpass the hundred-billion dollar range." And that is just part of the liberal war on coal.

McKinley's bill would prevent the EPA from classifying fly ash as hazardous waste. It should not be viewed as such, of course. The material is used extensively in production of widely-sold goods such as drywall and concrete.

The bill probably will be approved by the full House - but may stall in the Senate.

Still, it is a small victory - one battle in what may be a long, brutal conflict to keep President Barack Obama and other liberals from destroying the coal industry.

McKinley is to be commended for his initiative, and encouraged to keep up the good work.

TSA Needs Restrained

On Monday, a 95 year old woman dying of cancer was humiliated by TSA. They forced her to remove her adult diaper because they couldn't tell what might be in it after groping her around her mid section.

Add this to the horror stories of uniformed guards feeling up toddlers and you get a body of work by TSA that has exceeded worst case scenarios. Thankfully some states have considered legislation to restrain or eliminate TSA from their airports.

We need security in airports. Most people understand that. But we need people with common sense working as gate keepers. We also need more Americans to stand up and say that they will not endure humiliating treatment and are willing to be loud about it.

West Virginia needsto join the states that are putting together restrictive legislation on TSA.

Disgraceful Show In Pasadena

My wife is the soccer fan in this family. Until recently, I thought Tim Howard was a car dealer in Morgantown, not the U. S. national team goalie.

However, he summed up the frustrations of many A mericans a few days ago. His team collapsed in the championship game of the Gold Cup against Mexico. But that isn't what would anger most Americans. Howard said that the postgame ceremony, which was conducted in Spanish, was an absolute disgrace. He's right.

The United States was the host country. Americans speak English. This was meant to be yet another slap in the face of the big bad Yankees by international soccer. If the post game announcer could not speak English, get someone who can speak it. Translations are not good enough.

This would have happened nowhere else, and Howard made that point. More Americans need to stand up for the fact that we are an English speaking nation, not Spanish or anything else. English.

Yes the U. S. team's collapse in that final was embarassing, but not nearly as disgraceful as the wanton disrespect shown to the host country by international soccer.

Education and Health Care Are Not Natural Rights

We talk about natural rights on here a lot. Natural rights are essential to existence. They are granted by God, or nature, to each individual. Jefferson recognized some in the Declaration of Independence while Madison included the most of the rest in the Bill of Rights. Most of us would agree that the Earl Warren court recognized an important natural right in the right to privacy as well.

Leftists want to ask why we do not list health care, right to a job, etc. among our rights. They accuse us of picking and choosing issues as if we were in a cafeteria. Leftists do not recognize a key difference.

Natural rights only involve the individual. An individual's right to speak, own and enjoy his property in privacy, worship in his own fashion, own guns,vote in elections, etc. do not demand resources from any other individual or group. You do not have to plunder from another to enjoy these rights. That makes them natural.

Health care, food, and work are commodities. You have the right to seek ways to obtain them, but they are not yours by right naturally because they require resources and the participation of others. If society were to truly state that something like health care was an ironclad right, that would result in the enslavement of anyone qualified to treat medical conditions. They would be compelled to work for someone else, which would violate their natural rights on a number of levels.

Medicare and social security are not rights, but in this case the government is bound by a contract to provide these services to those who paid into them for decades with the expectation that they be there. Whether or not the government is able to fulfill this contract is in question in the long term. People under forty generally have no expectations that they will ever see these benefits in their advanced age.

The worst injustice ever done to teachers was in treating education as a "right." Again, this is not a natural right. It should be treated more as a privilege. When we started operating under the belief that every child has a right to an education, we threw our public education teachers and administrators under the bus. We demanded that they take on a rising population of drug addicts and dealers, budding psychopaths, sexual predators, and educationally inert people. Not only are the educational professionals forced to divert attention and resources to dealing with these people, but those who go to school to get an education are literally victimized. Where else do we force regular folks with regular dreams to sit cheek to jowl with the worst miscreants of society and call it positive socialization? Let's be clear. You have the right to pick up a book and educate yourself, but society has no obligation to cater to those who seriously and chronically misbehave. Teachers, administrators, and real students should not have to deal with those who are in school to violate the rights of others to be secure. Our assumption that every child has the right to an education has turned our schools into prisons complete with cameras and armed guards.

The term "rights" is only applicable when there is no demand of resources from any other person or source.

Why Is South Hills Entitled to 7% of the House of Delegates?

South Hills is a neighborhood nestled in the Kanawha Valley. It overlooks the Kanawha River and Downtown Charleston. The movers and shakers of that city live in this upscale area. Interestingly enough, this neighborhood, which is not very large in size, can claim to be represented by 7% of the West Virginia State Legislature.

How is this possible? The southern half of Kanawha County, along with its seven delegates, has been lumped into one delegate district. This district is about half of a 900 square mile county, but all of these delegates live in an affluent enclave, just a few miles from each other. That means that large stretches of the county, such as the areas of Alum Creek, Trace Fork, etc. do not have a delegate living anywhere near them. Even worse, southern Kanawha County has almost nothing in common with their South Hills brethren. They are coal miners, not urbanites. Areas of the county, such as Loudendale, actually have historically strong antipathy towards the South Hills area.

Even worse, Mason County, split by multi-delegate districts, has not had a home grown delegate in two decades.

The big issue here is the very existence of multi-delegate districts. Opponents have raised many arguments for their dissolution, but there are no good reasons to keep them, except for the fact that they benefit incumbency. Delegate Danny Wells in a recent Charleston meeting, when challenged, exclaimed that he did not want to run into his constituency at church or in the grocery store. It is time for West Virginia to have one hundred districts for its one hundred delegates.

Obama Dropped by MoveOn.org

MoveOn.org has apparently decided to move on without Barack Obama for the time being.

Obama, obviously in political survival mode, has considered slight spending cuts in entitlement programs. It would be nothing that would alleviate the debt crisis, more of a public relations move as we get closer to next year's elections. MoveOn.org has fired off a broadside that claims that they will move to advance the "liberal" agenda without him. Of course these guys left liberalism behind long ago. They are hard core leftists bent on transformation.

This does not hurt Obama in the least, politically speaking. To be repudiated by the hard core left in public is a gift to the beleaguered, but still radical, president. They will not be able to nominate a more radical candidate; in fact Obama could face a real challenge from the Democratic center. The leftists will vote for Obama and probably even campaign for him again. You won't see them support a Green Party candidate in the general, either. Nope, they will trudge back next year to his fold.

MoveOn.org is still well-funded and has a certain following. Their public attacks on Obama are meant to push him back their way, not prepare for his replacement. That all being said, it is interesting how his constituency is splintering.

Tea Party Evolution

Went to the Potomac Highlands Patriots meeting last night and I'm happy to say that the group is thriving. It had a strong group of individuals with good ideas on how to move forward. This Tea Party is not just resting on its laurels and remembering the triumph of last year. Instead, it is moving forward with plans to support Bill Maloney's gubernatorial campaign, seeking ways to continue to push free market development locally, and preparing to make an impact in 2012.

Of course Mineral County is not alone. Hampshire County's Tea Party, We the People of Hampshire County, have held impressive rallies and hosted speakers. Their website is http://we-the-people-hc.com/ They are pushing free markets and individual liberty issues very hard in their county and will have a powerful effect on the 2012 election cycle in their area.

The way that these Tea Parties have adapted to the off year is impressive. The Potomac Highlands Patriots will be more involved in addressing local economic development meetings and making their concerns known to entities like the Planning Commission. Hampshire County is working hard to educate people in their issues. They are proving that the Tea Party movement will remain not just viable, but powerful in this region.

Congress Needs to Thoroughly Investigate "Fast and Furious"

The Justice Department has been on its heels all year as revelation after revelation comes out about "Operation Fast and Furious."

This operation co-opted gun stores in the southwestern United States to sell guns to criminals who would then be allowed to take them into Mexico. They would then wait and see where the guns "turned up" rather than intercept them. Thousands of guns made it into the hands of drug cartels and other criminals courtesy of the United States government.

At first, the Obama Administration tried to blame the same gun shops that did their patriotic duty to help the government. They also, in general, tried to make a public gun control case based upon U. S. guns flowing into Mexico. Only when the gun shops gave the details of their involvement, did the government partially fess up. I say partially, because the Justice Department will not turn over full transcripts of documents related to the operation.

Meanwhile, federal agents on the ground cringe (according to a CNN report) when a major gun crime occurs on either side of the border. Will it be one of ours?

This was an operation gone horribly wrong. That happens. However, the government has been in cover up mode for over a year. We must know the full details of this operation. We must also know if the Justice Department or the White House participated in any activities that could be considered obstruction. We must also find out if Obama tried to use this to advance an anti-Second Amendment agenda. This is not just a domestic political issue, but one of national security. Mexican drug cartels are causing the collapse of that country. Chaos in Mexico affects our security. Operation Fast and Furious was irresponsible. We must also find out if it was criminal.

Weiner

Anthony Weiner left Congress this week, apparently after finding out that you don't get leaves of absence from Congress.

His misdeeds have set off numerous debates. Some argued that this did not rise to the level of an offense for which he needed to resign. Vanity Fair produced the most controversial piece, asserting that Mrs. Weiner shared some responsibility for the issue because she spent too little time at home tending to the needs of her husband. That article was a bridge too far for the writer and the publication.

A private affair, Weiner probably could have survived, provided that it was not with an intern or some other subordinate. This was different, although more and more common every day. He sent pictures of private locations on his body to unsuspecting people who had signed up to follow him on Twitter. This is definitely something that can "expose" you to all sorts of embarassment. The question is, did he really think that this was not going to get out?

It makes you wonder. He was a rising star in the Democratic Party, slated to contend for the job of New York City mayor at some point. This was either a galactically stupid move, or an intentional career hari-kari. I mean, how do you not know that this will definitely end up on the Tonight Show, especially with your name being what it is.

Well, Obama has assured us that Weiner and his family will bounce back. Were I the former congressman, I'd worry since he also assured us that the economy would do the same.

Shelley Moore Capito Once Again Fights For Coal and Manufacturing Against the Bureaucrats

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Capito Demands Answers From EPA
6/14/11

Today, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., wrote a strongly-worded letter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency demanding the agency show proof that jobs were considered when issuing new regulations for coal-fueled power plants over the past year.

Capito’s letter comes on the heels of frustrating news that American Electric Power will shut down five plants in West Virginia and Ohio, resulting in job cuts and higher utility costs across the board.

“The way I see it, either the EPA did not run proper analysis or the administration knew the rules concerning coal-fueled plants would cost jobs and increase utility costs and still went ahead anyway. Either way, this is unacceptable,” stated Capito.

Despite sluggish economic growth, an unsustainably high unemployment rate, and a market so plagued with uncertainty that businesses cannot even fathom hiring or expanding, the administration has insisted on continuing its assault on the energy industry which employs millions of hard-working Americans.

“Whether its providing cheap gas so companies don’t have to pass their costs onto consumers, or keeping home utility prices low so Americans can spend money on other things, or employing millions of workers to exploit resources found right here in America, the energy industry quite literally powers the American economy,” stated Capito. “Especially in West Virginia, the energy industry provides an important source of tax revenue for local and state governments and our manufacturing and service industries benefit from low cost electricity, making them more competitive.”

Specifically, Capito requests “copies of all internal memoranda, communication, analysis, and documents regarding the EPA’s consideration of the impact on economic activity and employment (cumulative and non-cumulative) related to these rules and regulations.”

ATTACHED:Capito letter to United States Environmental Protection Agency

BACKGROUND

Last month, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., introduced H.R. 1872, the “Employment Protection Act,” which would require the Environmental Protection Agency to take into account jobs and economic activity prior to issuing a regulation, policy statement, guidance, implementing any new or substantially altered program, or issuing or denying any permit—essentially any action taken by the EPA.

Capito Letter to EPA ( 06/14/11 10:49 AM PST )

Why Is It Important to Attend the Upcoming Redistricting Meetings?

Next week, Delegates Gary Howell and Alan Evans, as well as state senators Dave Sypolt and Clark Barnes, will hold three town hall meetings in Mineral County to address the upcoming issue of state redistricting.

It is important to attend these meetings and make your opinions heard. Every ten years, the state legislature must take the results of the U. S. Census and redraw delegate and senatorial districts around the state. Congressional districts will also be readjusted.

Republicans and independents fear that the Democratic dominated Legislature will redraw districts to minimize Republicans' ability to elect people to office. Districts can be drawn in such a way as to "sink" Republican majority areas into Democratic majority districts. Also at issue are the existence of multi-delegate districts that strongly favor the incumbents in state electoral history. Republicans and independents would like to eliminate these districts which are generally in the larger urban areas of the state.

Forum meeting dates, times, and places are as follows:
June 20, 6-8 p.m.: Short Gap Fire Hall.
June 23, 6-8 p.m.: Mineral County Courthouse.
June 27, 6-8 p.m.: Burlington Fire Hall.

Incumbent Protection Plan Before the State Legislature

For Release: June 10, 2011

Contact: Rick Snuffer 304.923.5160


REDISTRICTING...

One Question


Beckley, WV - 27th Delegate District Freshman Rick Snuffer says he will accept the House of

Delegate Leadership's assertion that there is no 'incumbency protection plan' if they will answer

one very simple question;


Why are Single Delegate Districts good for 36 of West Virginia's 58 House of Delegate Districts,

but not the other 22?


Snuffer offers, "From the Speaker, to the Majority Leader, to the Majority Whip; these are good

guys who I like and get along with. If they say there is no 'incumbency protection plan' being

considered, I accept that. What many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are asking is

why are SDDs okay for 36 of our Delegate Districts, but not the other 22?"


Snuffer, a Raleigh/Summers County Delegate, has stated the redistricting process will be a major

factor in whether or not he attempts to remain in the West Virginia House of Delegates or mount

another attempt to unseat 35 year Congressional incumbent, Nick Joe Rahall, in the next election

cycle.


"The Leadership has promised an honest and open House redistricting process. There is one

simple question which needs to be answered to ensure this process follows their declared

intentions; if 36, why not 22 more," the legislative newcomer asks?


"If a Single Delegate District is good for the people of the 34th District which Majority Leader

Boggs represents, why not for the people of the 32nd District which Minority Leader Armstead

represents? If SDDs are appropriate for the citizens of the Eastern Panhandle, why not for the

good folks in the Northern Panhandle? In Mercer County, the people who live in the 24th

District have a single delegate representing them; but the Mercer County residents of the 25th

Delegate District have two delegates representing them."


Snuffer states there appears to be no geographic, political, or historical reason for the

discrepancy of the various sizes of WV House Districts and says the motives could easily be

put to rest if someone will just answer the question… 'If for some, why not for everyone?'


"Rick, Brent, and Mike are all on public record commending the benefits of Single Member/

Delegate Districts, yet each have said 'there won't be 100 Single House Districts," Snuffer

concludes. "Why? That's all we want to hear from them in this honest, open process which has

been promised. If it's alright in the instances where they exist, why not in the others? Please just

answer the question, WHY??"




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