Andrew Jackson, Alive and Kicking

Why do Democrats call their yearly dinners “Jefferson-Jackson Day?” Seems to me that the Republican or Libertarian parties have more claim on both of these men’s positive legacies than the Democrats.

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Andrew Jackson is alive and well in American politics and both political parties have failed to recognize him. He was President Bush’s biggest ally in his two victories. Who will he support in 2008?

Of course this doesn’t mean that President Jackson is literally here stumping for his favorite candidates. However his legacy lives on, especially in areas such as West Virginia. In 1828 and again in 1832 Andrew Jackson won the presidency due to the support of the rural backcountry common people. He won because he shared their values. Their frontier upbringing taught them the necessity of a strong national defense. However they also shared a strong distrust for the major institutions of big government and big business. They feared that either of these two elements of the American system could threaten their liberties.

The supporters of Jackson cherished their liberties which included the right to pursue and keep property, the right to defend their property by force, the right to speak openly and freely and exercise their full political rights. Jacksonian Democracy lives on in the rural South. Often Jacksonians are belittled for being reactionary in their defense of individual liberty because others see that kind of freedom as standing in the way of what they define as progress. Since Jacksonians often are poor or have some experience in that condition, they understand that when liberties are curtailed in the name of “progress,” the vulnerable usually end up exploited.

Thus we have the phenomenon of a state like West Virginia that has voted Republican in presidential races and Democratic on the state level. Jacksonian voters mistrust the big government ideals backed by national Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama. They also fear the stereotype of Republicans as the party of big business (which is further from the truth than most people realize. For the most part, Republicans believe in capitalist competition as opposed to simply support of big business.) Who will “Jackson” support in 2008? Most likely the presidential and other candidates that have the most respect for liberty and freedom.

What's Fashionable Isn't Always Fair

It's been fashionable for a long time to bash Wal Mart. To some the retail giant presents an easy target. It started in a poor Southern state and grew from one small general store to become one of the largest chains in the world, an all-American success story. Wal Mart caters to the average American, especially those in rural and suburban areas.

Along the way, Wal Mart eliminated many of its rivals. We don't see many G. C. Murphy Marts or Ben Franklins anymore. Low prices, high variety, and an ability to respond to what the market desired meant that Wal Mart succeeded where smaller chains and a lot of small businesses failed, giving more fodder to its critics. This is the American way too. Those that can serve the market best succeed while others adapt or disappear.

Did Wal Mart wipe out small town downtowns? I remember when I was growing up in Ripley in the 1980s, for a time that happened. Ben Franklin and O.J. Morrison's Department store went out of business because they sold the same items at higher prices. However in Ripley and other areas, downtowns rebounded. Small businesses emerged that satisfied more specific market niches. The new small town economy in many areas has seen a more vibrant array of businesses as a result.

Wal Mart serves local communities in other ways. It provides a strong tax anchor for local government and reliable levels of employment. Certainly the wages are not going to enable the workers to buy a Bentley and critics love to point this out. However, like McDonalds and other service jobs with major companies, adavncement is an option to those willing to learn and work hard. Companies with large organizations such as these provide opportunities that G. C. Murphy and O. J. Morrison could not.

Wal Mart also strives to serve communities as a good corporate citizen. On May 19th in Moorefield, Wal Mart is hosting a customer and military appreciation day with all proceeds going to children's charities. I remember a classmate receiving a full college scholarship from Wal Mart because he never missed a day of class. These types of things are discounted or ignored by critics.

As with a lot of similar situations, Wal Mart bashing reflects a deeper attitude because the chain represents capitalism. Its rise from nothing to prominence in a generation proves that anything is still possible in a capitalist America given hard work, ability and the willingness to take risks. Capitalism and success ought not be dirty words. They should be ideals that guide anyone, like Sam Walton, that dares to dream big.

Reforming Apathy in City Elections

If the idea of city government affairs does not fill you with excitement, anticipation, or joy, don’t feel too bad. You are not alone.

This spring, a little over 100 voters turned out for Morgantown’s municipal elections. One hundred voters electing the leadership of the most dynamic city in the state that by 2020 could be the largest. In contrast, West Virginia University has classes with over 300 students. Charleston’s upcoming elections will fare better, already 653 took advantage of early voting. However, Election Day turnout is expected to be paltry with a popular Republican incumbent and a Democratic nominee that has not even campaigned.

Why bother and why care? Local government has more direct effect on the lives of citizens and business than the state or federal systems. Locally the parking issue in Keyser probably brought more people to city council meetings than actually voted for council and mayor in Morgantown. Particularly frightening is the election in that city. Almost any idiot (or in the case of Morgantown, perhaps a Communist) can round up a hundred people to vote for them. Then you get stuck with at best incompetence, at worse corruption. Either situation does not attract continued development and progress.

Ben Beakes of the Secretary of State’s office recommends that each municipality piggyback its elections with those for the county and state. Not only will this increase turnout, but Beakes also states that less need for poll workers and buying ballots in larger bulk saves money. Many West Virginia cities have adopted these measures already.

Voting in city elections makes as much sense as participating in those with larger stakes. A larger turnout can ensure that an extreme or corrupt candidate does not hijack the local government. Each voter gives his or her local government a fighting chance to keep moving their city ahead.

2 Million People Reported Missing

This is just something to think about. In 1950 West Virginia had a population of 2,005,552; in 2000 the population was 1,808,344. I know that only works out to a loss of 197,208 persons over those 50 years, but that is not the whole story.

In 2000 there were 1,941,345 less West Virginians than there should have been had we kept pace with the rest of the United States, in 2010 the estimate shows there will be 2,287,148 less than what there should.

Since 1950, compared to the rest of the nation, West Virginia has been more than cut in half in population and power. In 1950 we had 6 congressmen, now we have 3. This is what happens when you rank last in all of the good categories, and first in all of the bad categories.
During this time there has been one constant. One political party has held power in Charleston, churning out the same bad policies year after year. At some point you have to ask; since this hasn’t worked for the last 57 years, why should it work in the 58th year? How bad does it have to get before we are willing to demand a change?

Thank you

As Memorial Day approaches, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank those who we need to remember this time of year.

First and foremost I thank those heroes currently in harm's way. I thank the soldiers and their support in Iraq and Afghanistan. I also thank every US serviceman. As we have seen for many years, the enemy seeks to make barracks, nightclubs, apartment buildings, and other facilities their front lines. We show appreciation for these gallant men and women at Arlington and other military cemetaries, but we also need to continue to thank these people by supporting their work to extend freedom for others and security for us.

We also ought to show appreciation for those that work in the shadows whose tales rarely get told. Agents of the CIA, FBI, and other agencies have worked long hours and put their lives on the line. We don't know their stories and we should not hear them until it is safe to tell them. Only now do we get to hear the courageous exploits of those that advanced the cause of freedom in wars long past. For now we'll remember at least some of them every time another anonymous star appears at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Memorial Day of course remembers all those men and women living and dead who have sacrificed for their country. Take some time to talk to the few remaining World War II veterans. I wish I still had my grandfathers so I could ask them more about their service in the Pacific and Italy. Remember the Korean veterans because their war somehow has been lost in the historical memory. Thank a Vietnam veteran because our country owes them not only for their service, but also how they were treated for many years after they came home. Remember those that fought in Iraq in 1991 and other smaller conflicts whose names have slipped into history, but inspired feats of courage and duty all the same. Places such as Panama, Grenada, the Dominican Republic, Lebanon, and other areas are not just points on a map but areas made sacred by American blood spilt there in the cause of freedom.

Memorial Day is not just another day off. Especially in a time of war when enemies still conspire against our nation and our soldiers remained engaged, we must take the time to honor all those that have defended our freedom now and in years past.

Capito Should Capitalize Just Fine in 2008

Recently state political pundits reported that State Senator John Unger of Berkeley County recently received complete assurance that he would defeat Shelley Moore Capito in the 2008 congressional elections. Unger should feel secure with his future victory, after all, Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Caucus, promised!

How lucky Senator Unger is to have a supporter with his finger on the pulse of West Virginia politics. Emanuel’s vast experience with this state, especially with Ms. Capito’s heartland of support in the Potomac Highlands, must give him powers of cognition that the rest of us lack. When Emanuel came to this region and talked at length with the people, it must have been incognito, or maybe we just were not paying attention.

Ms. Capito resembles her father in that her moderate viewpoints and willingness to work with people of different political viewpoints to get the job done have won her tremendous support. She would not continually dominate the Second District unless she performed her job to the satisfaction of Democrats and Republicans. Opponents often point to congressional power rankings that are arbitrary and subjective. However these do not reflect the attention she provides to her constituency. The schoolchildren in Moorefield who raised over $10,000 towards the reconstruction of the Pentagon in 2001 wanted assurance that their fundraising would go to the proper purpose.

Without hesitation, Ms. Capito sponsored the Show Pride in Your Military bill that made sure the funds went to the right place. That will not show up in the power rankings, but it does reflect her care and concern with even non voting constituents. This spring, Capito secured a $400,000 grant to build the Green Spring sewer project in Hampshire County. Rankings also fail to reflect her down to earth personality. I have had the pleasure of speaking with her a few times and she is as approachable and friendly as anyone in state politics.

Representative Emanuel is probably comfortable with his prediction of an inevitable victory should Unger run. Unger, unless he simply looks to be a Democratic placeholder in an uphill battle, should consider the time and resources the challenge will require, as well as the dim prospects for success. Unless Shelley Moore Capito has alternative plans, she will be representing her district in Congress for years to come.

Dump the Drug Dealers and the Judges That Protect Them

You may be amazed to find out that West Virginia law and State Supreme Court of Appeals decisions put together now prioritize enforcement of open dump regulations over breaking up violent drug gangs. Unbelievable? The recent decisions of our state's highest court claim that informants and officers cannot wear recording devices to gather information against drug dealers and gangs without a warrant. Anyone in law enforcement knows that opportunities to collect information on these societal scourges require flexibility and speed. Sometimes police have a very short window of opportunity and the time required to find a judge and get a warrant might be too much to catch a violent gang leader in the act. The US Supreme Court has validated these techniques again and again. Even the notoriously liberal West Virginia state attorney general Darryl McGraw has blasted these decisions. In all fairness this was a divided court, Brent Benjamin being among the justices in opposition.

Now contrast that with West Virginia State Code 22-15A-7. This law addresses open dumps that potentially present environmental hazards. State Department of Environmental Protection officials have the right, upon presenting identification, to search private property and conduct studies. The code plainly states that this represents "an exercise of the police power of the state." The law does not mention court issued warrants. Could it be that the state lacks the power to go into known drug houses to record information, but has the power to waltz in at any time to investigate claims of illegal open dumps? Drug gang leaders come and go without warning and police need the flexibility to catch them. Open dumps that threaten our streams and ground water definitely need addressed. However open dumps do not just jump up and run away at the approach of the DEP. If they did just disappear, problem solved.

With violent drug gangs threatening our state's largest cities and moving stealthily into our small towns, we need to dump the Supreme Court justices that introduce such contradictions into our law.

Fishing for a Reason to Attack Poultry Farmers?

As the days grow longer and the weather grows warmer, the thoughts of many residents of the Potomac Highlands turn to fishing. Along the South Branch of the Potomac, thoughts of fishing also bring concern. For the past few years the fish in the South Branch of the Potomac have experienced unusual events. In some cases minor and massive fish deaths have taken place. Additionally some species, specifically smallmouth bass, developed a condition called intersex. Intersex fish have eggs that develop in the testes, reducing fertility.

The knee jerk reaction would be to blame the main local industry, the poultry farmers. In the past, environmentalists have registered concerns over chicken waste. After all whenever anything happens to the environment, many want to blame business without gathering all of the facts. State and federal researchers currently have no idea what caused either problem or even whether they are connected. Theories abound. Although poultry facilities are one possibility, some scientists note that birth control pills and other hormonal treatments that make their way into the sewage system are not removed by current technology.

Passing judgment before the facts are in about these fish problems means that money could be wasted or an industry hurt. Although environmentalists like to characterize the poultry industry as "big business," in reality it relies upon the hard work of individual farmers. These men and women together form one of the major pillars of Potomac Highlands prosperity. Using them as scapegoats for a problem the state cannot even define yet would be a mistake.

Have you ever read Readers Voice in the Gazette?

To me I find Readers Voice interesting. You get the full gambit of opinion from the tin foil hat crowd to the misinformed to the thoughtful reflection. That is how Democracy is supposed to work. The first amendment states, "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. " Government needs to know when the people see they are doing something wrong. Readers Voice is a good format for that.

There are a lot of things that government cannot change that people are complaining, but some can. There are two people talking about the Brickstreet fiasco. The misspending of government funds in West Virginia seems to be a way of life. Since Brickstreet is a government agency spun off to the private sector, that doesn't surprise me. Brickstreet is holding back West Virginia's economic growth. It is protected by government with a monopoly until July of 08, and then it will have price supports to prevent competition from lowering cost. It is a receipe for continued failure in the states economy. The Workman's comp insurance market must be opened up to the free market, no special treatment for Brickstreet. The free market will provide lower insurance rates helping the West Virginia economy.

One comment I really like, " The Iraq war and the unfair taxation of the Republican Party compelled many of us to work hard for a new Democrat majority in Washington. But, gay rights and anti-Second Amendment legislation are loser issues. That will destroy our Democrat majority in Congress pretty fast. " I think all of us want the troops home, but the war on terrorism is going to be with us for awhile. He has the taxation backwards, the Republican party is the party of tax reform, but read his other comments. I think this guy is a Republican he just doesn't know it.

The people of West Virginia know the issues, but are unsure how to change what needs changed. Some cling to party loyalty, that no longer clings to their beliefs. We tend to hold on to the past even when we know it doesn't work. Perhaps we are afraid of change, but change we must. The public is speaking, but that same public must change its voting habits to make those changes it so desires.

Hot Air Expended Against Wind Power

Last month, Representative Alan Mollohan told the Charleston Gazette that “Wind turbines have a devastating effect on wildlife.” Such claims have a strongly negative effect on popular support for wind energy. It is horrifying to think about a gargantuan machine chewing up beautiful birds and other airborne wildlife. Do the facts back up that image that Congressman Mollohan describes?

The National Academy of Sciences does not think so. An exhaustive 2003 study on birds and wind turbines proves that out of all birds killed by humans in the United States, less than one in ten thousand die in wind turbines. One thousand times more birds die from simply flying into buildings. Of more concern is bats’ attraction to the noises produced by the turbines, however technology will soon prevent those deaths.

As time passes, wind farms will produce more electricity more efficiently. Right now one turbine can produce enough power for 160 homes. With the evolution of technology, that efficiency rate will continue to improve. As far as its impact on the coal industry is concerned, it will likely only supplement West Virginia’s energy production and exports, not completely supplant the use of coal.

Economically speaking, this is an area where West Virginia capital can seize control of a viable energy resource. Independent power producers currently own the bulk of wind farms. With most of our coal and other resources controlled by outsiders, wind will bring increasing amounts of money into the state to stay if West Virginians themselves can develop the farms. Now that wind farms are taxed at regular instead of salvage rates, more incentive exists for local governments to invite this industry to their county.

The main critique besides dead birds is the appearance of these farms. Hill or ridge tops and mountain gaps represent two of the best locations for the turbines, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Walter Cronkite and Ted Kennedy successfully prevented one from being constructed off Martha’s Vineyard, but the farm in Tucker County has developed into a tourist destination. Likely the right shade of paint could render them invisible much of the time from a distance.

Wind farms would take advantage of a natural resource the Potomac Highlands produces in bulk without adding to pollution. It could give the state an opportunity to bring in more money and give counties a broader tax base. If liberals truly care about the environment and actually believe that man produces global warming (which I think is debatable, but that’s a different column) then they ought to get behind the construction of West Virginia wind farms. If not, their professed environmentalism is just so much hot air.

Shutting the Door on Illegal Immigration.

Before World War I a boat arrived in the United States carrying my grandmother, her parents, and several siblings. They hailed from southern Italy which at that time was a land of landowning aristocrats, peasants, criminal bandits, and very little opportunity. My great-grandfather took his family to Barbour County where he started at the bottom laboring as a coal miner.

Like immigrants that come here legally, he worked his way up. Eventually he saved his money and operated a general store and then a coal mine. The family lived in a comfortable brick home beside the current Alderson-Broaddus baseball field. Although proud of their heritage, my ancestors had no doubt what their identity was. I remember my grandmother telling me repeatedly that her father forbade his children to speak Italian. “You are Americans now,” he’d say, “speaking a foreign language around Americans is impolite.” As a result they worked hard and mastered American language and culture.

My grandmother went on to work for many years at Du Pont in Charleston. One aunt went on to teach high school, another uncle for a time was the winningnest high school football coach in Michigan history until his records were eclipsed by his son. Her brothers served their country with distinction in the military. This one story proves that when immigrants respect the law and respect their new country that they can move forward and the country as a whole benefits.

My ancestors faced expectations when they came to this country. The government and society expected that they would obey the law, educate their children, and conform to the language and customs of the United States. Because of these high expectations, they and other Italian immigrants assimilated quickly and within a generation became citizens that could produce and even lead in their new homes.

Contrast that to the current dominant immigrant group. Those that come to our country legally and respect the law ought to be welcome. Their faith in capitalism and America keeps our country rejuvenated. Embracing the American way will speed their ability to contribute and succeed. However the allowing of illegal aliens into America helps to develop a dangerous underclass. These men and women learn and teach how to skirt the law as a way of life. Businesses such as poultry plants force native English speakers to learn Spanish instead of vice versa. Encouraging them to act as parasites on social services they do not pay taxes into saps the strength of our nation and leaves citizens with less. Down the road we will be paying for this with higher taxes and exploding crime rates.

Our state legislature, Governor Manchin, and our local governments need to take a strong stand. Support the hard working legal immigrants that will help strengthen our society, but deny illegal aliens the means to work, live, or sustain themselves here. Illegal immigrants continue to come because market conditions encourage it. They get health care, education, and public housing with few questions asked. Shutting down the market and slamming the door will do more good than a hundred foot high wall. If the federal government lacks the will, then at the very least West Virginia should cease to be a place where breaking the law is rewarded.

Selling Heritage in the Potomac Highlands

It is no secret that the West Virginia economy relies heavily upon tourism. Credit our state government also for exploring innovative ways to bring more people and their full wallets to the Mountain State. The state division of tourism website discusses the future of "voluntourism" and also mentions a conference held last February to promote "agritourism."

Let us suggest a tried and true no brainer approach to marketing West Virginia as a vacation destination. Our erring sisters to the east whom we kicked out in 1861 have carefully crafted over the years a huge Civil War based tourism industry. Virginia hosts untold numbers of visitors to see reconstructions and remnants of that famous conflict. That and the high ratings for the History Channel prove that Americans love learning about war. They will also spend money to see heritage in person.

From before the French and Indian War until "Mad" Anthony Wayne's victory over the Shawnee, western Virginia served as a shield protecting the cities and tobacco plantations to the east. Virginia Governor Dinwiddie in 1756 ordered Colonel George Washington to oversee the construction of frontier forts. Many of these appeared in the Potomac Highlands section and some even survive as modern towns. Fort Ashby appeared in 1755, joined by Fort Defiance and Waggoner's Fort (also known as "Buttermilk") as well as many others. Each one of these installations was manned by some of the toughest and strongest men and women in colonial America. Each fort and each individual stationed therein has a compelling story to share if only people come and listen.

Some communities take advantage of their heritage. Point Pleasant reconstructed Fort Randolph and created a "Battle Days" festival that draws substantial crowds. The Potomac Highlands section of West Virginia ought to combine to form a plan to promote the region's frontier history.

Teach Your Children Well; Our Future Depends on it

Not that long ago, my son came home very proud of himself. He showed me a $5 bill and explained, "Dad! I bought a poster at the book fair for four-fifty and then gave it to another kid for five dollars!" I was definitely a happy father and told him I was just as proud of him as I would be if he made a big tackle for his football team or an important bucket in basketball. It made me proud because, despite all the unlearning about competition and capitalism that the educational system and media for children attempt, he gets it.

Adam Smith and the ideas he discussed in 1776 lie at the foundation of how the world works. Furthermore America itself is defined by the values of liberty and capitalism that give each one of us the opportunity to earn the lifestyle we desire. The opportunity is our right, working hard for that opportunity is our right, the desired end product is not. All too often our children receive the message that fairness only occurs if everyone ends up the same at the end of the process. They also rarely learn the sting of failure. Even in youth sports efforts are made to erase the distinction between winning and losing. All participants are winners regardless of ability or effort. What incentive do children have to work harder and develop skills and talents when incentives to get better are constantly removed from the table?

Last year BB&T invested in our state's future by creating an endowed professorship at West Virginia University. Professor Russell Sobel now occupies the position that requires teaching and research in free market studies. Although this is a tremendous and very admirable step, we need to teach children necessary lessons at a younger age. Competition is valuable. Failure can be the best teacher. Profit is not evil. With these intellectual tools, the greatest nation with the highest standard of living and most opportunity of any in the history of the world was built. Forgetting these lessons means our nation declines, period. Maintaining and continuing to develop our nation's way of life requires that we get back to basics and teach our children well.

The Tripping Point

In the Spring 2007 issue of Capacity Magazine, Congressman Alan Mollohan wrote an article entitled West Virginia’s Economy, has reached the all-important ‘tipping point.’ The congressman states, “In any complex system, a tipping point-that moment when an accumulation of small, easily overlooked changes creates a sudden shift in the dynamics of the overall system-is often hard to see coming but blindingly obvious in retrospect.” I’ll agree with the congressman on the definition of ‘tipping point,’ but will strongly disagree that we are even close to one in the West Virginia Economy.

Those small easily overlooked changes can make a difference in the states economy, but not when you ignore the huge ones staring you in the face. We need judicial reform to prevent the frivolous lawsuits. We need cut our business taxes from the 7th highest in the nation. We need to lower the states workman’s comp rates and we need to streamline the environmental permits process. All of these items combine to make it expensive to do business in West Virginia, and many businesses believe it to expensive, so they go elsewhere.

We need to look back to the ‘tripping point.’ That is the moment when we began to fall, and that was the 1950’s. In the 1950’s West Virginia had a strong economy and a population of 2 million. The blindingly obvious retrospective is; at that time our legal system was fair, we had low corporate taxes, and easy permitting processes for all kinds of businesses. There is no rocket science here, businesses need low cost of operation to be competitive. Those cost rose in West Virginia from the 1950’s forward and the businesses left to areas with lower cost to remain competitive.

That population of 2 million in 1950 is now down to 1.8 million. People see us loosing 200,000 in population from 1950 to present, but that is not an accurate analysis of the data. In 1950 the US population was 154 million; today the US population is 300 million. If West Virginia had experienced the same growth rate the US did then West Virginia’s population would be 3.8 million. That is 2 million missing West Virginians not contributing to the West Virginia economy. It is time we learn from the mistakes of the past 50 plus years, and make the big fixes that will give us a true tipping point.

Communication is the basis of progress

April 6th, 2005 Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski of Maryland entered bill number 719. The purpose of the bill is “To extend Corridor O of the Appalachian Development Highway System from its current southern terminus at I-68 near Cumberland to Corridor H, which stretches from Weston, West Virginia, to Strasburg, Virginia.” Now, of the 35 plus miles of road the bill would have created most would have been in West Virginia, yet neither Senator Byrd nor Rockefeller co-sponsored the bill. The bill never made it out of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee. On March 28th, 2006 Congressman Alan Mollohan introduced the same bill into the house as 5031. Congressman Mollohan had no co-sponsor and the bill went no farther than the House Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.

I had the opportunity to speak with Congressman Mollohan’s representative at a US 50 meeting about bill 5031. My specific question was why it had no co-sponsors. The answer I got spoke volumes. Basically I was told the Congressman introduced it, and that should have been enough, if nobody saw it that wasn’t his fault.

I’m sorry but I think communication and cooperation are important. I also think Congressman Mollohan, Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski dropped the ball on this one by not communicating. I firmly believe that the Maryland Senators should have had a staffer pick up the phone and ask Senators Byrd and Rockefeller to co-sponsor the bill. Congressman Mollohan should have done the same with Congresswoman Capito and Congressman Bartlett. On the house side this would have given the bill bi-partisan support.

This is not about partisan politics; this is about doing what these people were elected to do. This is a bill to build a 4-lane road to replace the 2-lane US 220 from Moorefield, WV to Cumberland, MD. This is not a deep dividing issue such as gun control or gay marriage; it is about building a good road where one is sorely needed. I do not fault Byrd, Rockefeller, Capito or Bartlett for not picking up on these bills. With the hundreds of bills introduced every session it would be easy to miss. I do fault Sarbanes, Mikulski, and Mollohan as they had the opportunity to make a call to make the others aware.

Without communication on the easy stuff, how do you expect to solve the hard problems?

Stealing Democracy

The Maryland House of Delegates is set to study a bill supported by their Senate and their current governor that would undercut that state’s democratic process. Groups that still cannot accept the presidential results of 2000 and 2004 see Maryland as a potential first victory in their war against the electoral college system. They want to force each state’s electors to vote for the candidate that wins the popular vote nationwide.

So why should West Virginians care if Maryland wants to toss aside its constitutional rights? It does not directly affect West Virginia, not yet anyway. Too many people fail to realize that the electoral college protects the political voice of smaller and medium sized states. In a system where the national popular vote is the deciding factor in a presidential election, what reason would a candidate have to court West Virginia’s relatively small population. Would Maryland even matter if a candidate captured the major urban areas? (No Maryland, Baltimore is not a major urban area compared to New York or Chicago.)

The Founding Fathers understood that balance is necessary in any political system to prevent tyranny. A majority can tyrannize as effectively as a dictator, just ask any blacks that lived under Jim Crow. Reducing our presidential elections to a simple national popular vote means that rural states lose their voice. What will happen to our gun rights, our property rights, and other issues that people outside of the major cities hold dear? The consequences when any group finds that they have no say in the system can be extremely serious.

Live Free or Die?

“Live free or die,” the state motto of New Hampshire, challenges the mind and offers a stark choice. Either exist as free men and woman, enjoying all of the rights God and Creation grant to every human being, or die fighting for them. Of course this does not describe the full range of choices, which include accepting tyranny. If ever given that choice, what would America do in 2007? What would you do as an individual?

Never has America seen a time when people agreed on this ideal. Patrick Henry defied Britain in 1775 by proclaiming “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Others chose to follow the British, some out of conviction, but to others it seemed the most secure choice. Those that argue that Iraq was better off under Saddam Hussein cite the relative peace over the land that was purchased at the cost of liberty. They conveniently forget the people massacred and tortured by that “orderly” regime. Right now the people of Iraq at least have a choice to make and many of them stand by the ideal of “live free or die.”

Will we ever have these choices to make? Certainly we hope not. The ancient Athenians and citizens of the Roman Republic probably believed that their governments would always respect their natural liberties, but as we know they eventually faced subjugation. Tyranny does not always come at once. Josef Stalin used the phrase salami tactics to describe how he would deprive people or countries of their sovereignty. You do not take all of it at once, but slice off a little bit here and there over time. Eventually you get what you want and people are more easily reconciled to it. That is how freedom disappears in the face of concerted effort.

Whether it is property rights in Mineral County or gun rights across the land, you can bet that over time, attempts will be made to slice away at them bit by bit. Standing up now to protect those rights even when it is a minor incursion, means that we will continue to only have one of the choices listed above and that is to live free.

West Virginia’s Women

In much of the world women are treated as second class citizens or worse, but not in the western world. Our Appalachian heritage is one of strong women in the family and with West Virginia being the only state that lies completely within Appalachia maybe that gives us an advantage. Friday night in Morgantown that advantage showed through at a dinner where two of the speakers were women, Shelley Moore Capito and Betty Ireland.

West Virginia Secretary of State Betty Ireland was first to speak. If you never had the opportunity to hear Betty speak, you can tell from the moment she starts she is a powerful woman that speaks her mind. Congresswoman Capito and Secretary Ireland both spoke about their convictions of purpose and the visions they have for the future. Congresswoman Capito's ethics were clear when she talked about speaking with both Vice President and President Bush when they were lobbing her for a vote. They asked for her support, but told her to vote her conviction. She stated she voted her conviction. That is the kind of integrity that embodies the women in West Virginia.

It is fitting that in the state that gave us Mothers Day, the two most powerful elected Republicans in West Virginia are both women. While the Democratic Party claims they are party of equality, the Republicans show it through action. If you do it, then you don't have to talk about it, and the Republican Party in West Virginia will not have to talk about elevating women.

West Virginia subsidizing Virginia's economic development

As residents of the Potomac Highlands, there are very few of us that do not know some one that works in the Northern Virginia. Those West Virginia employees are providing labor and services that are driving Northern Virginia's economic engine. The reason is the economic realities of Capitalism.

The first thing that you notice is Virginia's Corporate tax rate a 6.0% flat rate, where West Virginia's is a 8.75% flat rate. West Virginia has the highest workers compensation rates for businesses in the nation. West Virginia is dire need of serious tort reform. The free market uses these factors drive the businesses from West Virginia into Virginia where they are able to be more profitable.

Those same free market forces keeps the workers living here. A 3 bed room, 2 bath home in Fredrick County, VA cost $250,000 while the same size home in Hardy County, WV cost $165,000. Personal Income and property taxes in West Virginia are much lower, than Virginia. The worker in a free market just like the business wishes to retain more of his money, so he chooses to live in West Virginia were the cost of living allows him to do that.

It sounds like the best of both worlds, but it is not. West Virginia is the looser. Without the combination of both businesses and individuals paying taxes West Virginia is loosing out. The state has less money to provide services. This shows in our lack of infrastructure. One thing you can point to is US 50 which is the main artery for the northern part of the Potomac Highlands. US 50 is now the deadliest highway in West Virginia per mile driven. It's design has changed little since the 1920's and it is handling volumes of traffic for which it was never designed, and there is not enough money to upgrade it. A company located in Virginia paying 6% in taxes, pays nothing in West Virginia to use for better roads.

Our bad policies force businesses to move to Virginia, and we end up subsidizing Virginia's economy through our bad policies. Free Market Capitalism has the answer to grow West Virginia's economy. Cut the corporate tax rate to between 4% and 5% to make us equal with the lowest 10 states, and not in the highest 10 states. End Brick Streets monopoly in workman's comp insurance now rather than later. Competition among insurance providers will bring lower rates. Enact comprehensive tort reform to end frivolous lawsuits that drive out business. The combination of these initiatives will allow businesses to increase profits by locating in West Virginia, and a business located in West Virginia pays taxes in West Virginia.

Red Shift

This is the current political look of the of the state by county. Between 1996 and 2006 the Democratic Party in West Virginia went down from having 63.48% to 57.05% of registered voters, while Republican gained from 29.69% to 30.15% in the same time frame.

If current trends continue, next election cycle Wood county will move into the Red County column, they only need 45 more Republicans. Jackson County will switch to a red county in 2011, and Putnam in 2013. By 2017 the Democrats in WV will drop below the 50% level state wide.

The question is why is this switch occurring? The Democrats have held power in West Virginia since the 1930 election, and the state peaked in the 1950's when the population exceeded 2 million. While the rest of the nation has grown we have now declined to 1.8 million. We are last in all the good categories, first in all the bad categories, and the voter registration shift is a sign the people want change.

The Devil Made Me Do It!

“The Devil made me do it!” Back when most parents still taught their children the significance of Heaven and Hell, youngsters would sometimes give this excuse a try. They knew that when they did something wrong that they would need a scapegoat, hopefully one that was universally despised and tough to interrogate. Luckily parents had an answer and referred to Matthew 4:1-11 among other Scriptures. When Satan tried to tempt Christ, Jesus made an individual decision of free will to respond “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.” Clearly human beings own their destinies and can freely make decisions even when tempted very strongly.

Cho Seung-Hui’s confessions sound familiar. He blamed the world for his misery. Despite having the advantages of living in a country where he could eat regularly and have the opportunity to pursue a college degree, Cho believed he had the right to happiness. Where did he learn that? Is it a coincidence that school shootings started taking place about the same time that secondary education began emphasizing self-esteem and removing chances for honest competition? Self-esteem is developed through either winning or learning from losing. In a world with no winners and no losers, people have no method to build real confidence except through athletics. Even there opportunities are increasingly limited by school consolidation.

The Declaration of Independence promises all Americans the opportunity to pursue happiness, not happiness itself. Cho and so many other people are troubled because of the gap between the world they are taught, where people are always supposed to be happy and individuals own no responsibility for their lives, and the world as it is, where people struggle to face success and failure every day, learning to live with both.

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Is anyone else appalled by the sheer irresponsibility of the news media anymore? The same television networks that refuse to turn their cameras on morons that run onto the field during athletic events for fear of encouraging similar behaviors show this madman’s video manifesto. They reward him posthumously for killing over thirty people so that he could tell the world what a crappy place it was. Nice going. They will wonder why copycats will try the same thing and then blame gun manufacturers afterwards.

The Hallowed Halls of Academia

Eastern Community and Technical College has not gone the way of the Edmund Fitzgerald yet, but it is certainly sailing into rough waters. What began as a curious experiment in grass roots academics mixed with state level pork is shaping up to be a possible disaster. Two presidents have resigned in the past eighteen months and an $8 million grant to construct a main campus has been reversed.

When political considerations get in the way of common sense, situations such as this occur. Eastern CTC represented a nice cut of bacon for Delegate Harold Michael to bring home to his Hardy County constituents, but it also tries to compete with a long established two year school only a short drive up the road. Eastern has very little advantage over Potomac State College due to PSC’s merger with West Virginia University and Eastern’s continued lack of accreditation. All it has to offer residents of Hardy County is a somewhat shorter commute. It currently is banking on federal funds that would come if the school gets accreditation, but it also lacks a college president.

Governor Joe Manchin and the CTC council chairman for the state, Nelson Robinson, have both expressed concerns about the institution’s future. However Eastern does have students, instructors, and an army of deans. What it lacks is vision, focus, and seemingly coherent organization. A simple answer lies in folding Eastern into either Shepherd University or Potomac State College either of which offer a much wider variety of potential services for students.

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Speaking of lacking a college president (at least until last Friday) West Virginia University’s Board of Governors approved the candidacy of Mike Garrison, former Wise Administration aide. The student government leaders conversely had voted strongly in favor of Garrison.

In the strange world of academia, presidents have different roles. They are stewards of institutions that invest heavily in advancing knowledge and ideas, so some believe that university leaders must have impeccable academic credentials. One professor's quoted statement leads one to believe that a WVU degree in itself represents insufficient credentials. That being said, they must also have the political skills and experience to slug it out in the trenches of legislative politics. Finally a university president needs the charisma and connections to be chief fundraiser. What each person felt was the most important role of a university president went a long way towards determining who they backed for WVU president.

What seems to be happening here also is a backlash by proxy against Manchin. Could it be the case that the ultraliberal faction of state Democrats fought against the presumed Manchin choice? Could they have been wanting to make a political statement about the Governor without attacking him directly? It is probably best to reserve judgment about Mike Garrison until he has been on the job for a while. After all David Hardesty came from a rather unconventional background for a university president and had done a pretty good job.

The WVU presidential selection process, if nothing else, has been an interesting display of state politics in action. Thank goodness we could hire a basketball coach without this much fuss.

Change of Focus

Saturday Night at the Barbour County Lincoln Day Dinner I had the opportunity to hear Doug McKinney speak. This is about the 3rd time in 2 weeks I have had that opportunity, and each time I am impressed. I like the change in focus that Doug is presenting.

For years the West Virginia GOP has pushed the fact that we are the Pro-life, Pro-marriage, Pro-gun party, but isn't that what is expected of the GOP? Unless you have been living on Mars, you know those are the core social values of the party and they will not change. Doug sees an opportunity for the party to make headway in the state by pushing the fiscal conservative values of the party. The values that will make the states economy grow.

Forbes Magazine ranks West Virginia the 49th best place to do business, while our parent state, Virginia, ranks 1st on the same list. The simple reason is Virginia has less regulation, less licensing, and less taxes on business. This makes it easier to do business in Virginia and as a result they have a growing economy.

At our peak in 1950 West Virginia had a population of 2 million. While the rest of the nation grew, we declined to our present 1.8 million. This is mainly the result of bad fiscal policies made by a Democrat controlled state government. The namesake of Marshall University, Chief Justice John Marshall had it right when he said, "The power to tax involves the power to destroy." The powers in Charleston have definitely destroyed the states economy over the past 50+ years proving his point. In 1950 we were strong enough to have the representation of 2 US Senators, and 6 US Congressman. To put that in perspective, we would need a population of around 3.8 million in 2010 to have that kind of power. In 60 years we have been more than cut in half. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Doug is right, now is the time to change the focus of the GOP onto the fiscal values of the party. It will be hard for the Democrats to hide from 50+ years of destruction of the states economy through ever increasing bad tax policy. Every family in the state has been touched by members that have had to leave to find work, and that presents an opportunity for the GOP. Through economic education the party can gain ground, and begin to reverse the destruction of the states economy that has occurred over the last 50 years.

Joe Manchin, part of your answer is Don Blankenship

Our Governor is going around pushing alternative energy, and more specifically CTL (Coal to Liquid) as evidenced by the article Governors Call for Energy Independence. I agree with the Wyoming Governor when he stated he had little faith in the Federal government to get anything done. Let's face it after the first energy crisis in the early 1970's we have known that oil is our Achilles Heal. Both parties have been in power in DC during past 35 years and neither one has come up with a comprehensive energy policy to wean us off foreign oil.

Joe is right in the fact that individual states need to take the lead in ending our energy dependence on foreign oil, but we do not need government running the program. That would be a disaster like all attempts at government to do anything that deals with the economy. There are two places I see that the state government can get involved. One is cut the states fuel tax in half on fuels made from WV coal, given a choice market forces will have the people buying the cheaper fuel. This will encourage growth in the WV CTL industry. The second is, Joe suck it up, work with Don Blankenship. Put together a group of business people together with Don Blankenship at the top of the heap to build a CTL plant.

What is needed is business people sitting down in the same room and hashing out the numbers. We don't need state government funneling money into a project creating corporate welfare. We need a solid business plan, and one that can stand on its own without government cash. In the late 1800's all the transcontinental rails roads but one failed. The only one that didn't file bankruptcy was James J. Hill's, Great Northern Railroad. The Great Northern was the only one that didn't take government money. James Hill stated, "The government should not furnish capital to these companies, in addition to their enormous land subsidies, to enable them to conduct their business in competition with enterprises that have received no aid from the public treasury." Government money makes companies inefficient, and when the money dries up they fail. That is exactly what happened to the other transcontinental railroads.

We do not want a CTL plant going up in the state based on government subsidized corporate welfare, because it will fail in the long run. Oil is now priced high enough that it makes economic sense to build a private plant for profit. The Free Market can support a CTL plant. Joe needs to use his power as governor to get the right people in the room to discuss the matter, and again Don Blankenship is at the top of that list. The plant(s) could be joint ventures between coal producers, fuel retailers, and in some cases large corporate fuel consumers. This way all involved will have an interest in seeing it succeed.

West Virginia has an opportunity, but Joe Manchin needs to work with Don Blankenship and others to get it started, then get out of the way.

Mineral County Food Police

Today is my fathers 66th birthday and later on today I'm going over to Mom and Dad's and have some cake and ice cream at a traditional celebration. I'm going to eat cake and ice cream with the full knowledge it full of sugar, carbs, fat and other nasty things for me, but it is my choice. I know that I should be eating fruits and vegetables to make a well balanced meal. Growing up my Mom telling me to finish my vegetables was the only Food Police I needed in my life.

In a recent article in the Times-News about the vending machines in the courthouse, County Commission Wayne Spiggle (D) was quoted as saying, " We're enabling a very unhealthy practice right here in our own courthouse. That snack machine is just full of poisons." Enabling and forcing are two different things. I have been known to purchase things out of those vending machines during meetings in the courthouse. Trust me I'm doing it by choice, there are no county deputies there holding a gun to my head saying, "Buy the Twinky."

We don't need the County Commission or Healthy Mineral County Coalition acting as the food police telling the public what we can or cannot eat. I'm all for giving people a choice, by all means put in an additional machine selling healthy food and drinks. Let the free market decide what people eat in the courthouse, and publish which machines generate the most income. Even when faced with a healthy choice people are still going to buy what they want, and not what the government wants them to eat. We are free people that sometimes make unhealthy eating choices, but they are our choices to make.

An Even Worse Disaster Than Blacksburg

Certainly the horriying pictures coming out of Blacksburg are enough to make anyone stop and ask what could have been done to prevent this. It reflects the current attitude so prevalent in our place and time in history that bad things cannot and should not ever happen. If bad things do happen then surely some institution is negligent and the system should be fixed up right now to prevent similar disasters in the future.

Total security exists only in the purest of ideals. Pure idealism without any taint of real world experience only exists in the innocence of children or the hell of totalitarian regimes. Right now the anti-gun forces are marshalling themselves to once again assault the ramparts of the idea that each citizen should have the right to own a firearm. They will brandish the demand that the government make us safe from madmen by taking away all of our guns. To people such as this the government is like a mommy figure, nurturing, providing, and coercing. Whether it be a man with a gun or a hurricane, the government/mother figure needs to have all the answers and needs to make it right. Such is the justice and security of the nursery.

What becomes of our free society then? To Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers, the right to keep and bear arms was the cornerstone of freedom. How else would citizens protect their rights if the government, as in the times of Rome, went too far and destroyed people's ability to enjoy their natural liberties? Removal of gun rights has been the first aim of every modern dictatorship.

Don't think for a moment it won't happen. The NRA will have a fight on its hands as grieving families and intellectuals will once again use a tragedy (which after all is the fault of the perpetrator and no one else) to try to eliminate perhaps our most important freedom. It is up to those that would defend that right to remain resilient. Should the Virginia Tech tragedy be addressed? Definitely. Can it be prevented? Unortunately it cannot, unless we are willing to give up the constitutional right that ultimately exists for us to protect all of the rest. And that would be the worst possible disaster of all.

If Puerto Rico becomes a state WV loses a Congressman

The US House of Representatives is limited to 435 members by US Public Law 62-5 of 1911. A US population of 300,000,000 means one member of the house represents about 680,000 persons. West Virginia's population is 1.8 million, which means we should have 2.64 representatives. You round off and that equals 3 representatives for WV. If that number drops to 2.49, then we round off to 2.

Current 2010 census estimates show West Virginia keeping 3 house seats at least until 2020, but that could all change of Congressman Nick Rahall (D) has his way. Nick Rahall is supporting US House Bill HR 900, which could lead the way for Puerto Rico to become the 51st State. According to an article in CQ Politics Puerto Rico will have 6 House Members, and 2 Senators.

In 1957 when Hawaii and Alaska were made states the US House was increased to 437 members temporarily until the 1960 census. Each had a population that gave them 1 House member each. After the 1960 census, Alaska and Hawaii kept there one representative in the house and two were taken away from the other 48 states when the house returned to 435 members.

If Puerto Rico is made a state, then the house would temporarily go to 441 members until the next census. The US population in 2010 is estimated to be around 310 million. Puerto Rico will add an additional 4 million persons for a total of 314 million. After the 2010 census, with Puerto Rico a state, each house member will represent 721,000 persons when the house drops back to 435 members. That would mean West Virginia would require 2.496 Congressmen, and that rounds down to 2.

A West Virginia Congressman is leading a charge that could cost West Virginia its 3rd Congressional seat, reducing our power in Washington.

Moore good times had in Charleston

Enough praise can not be given to Jeannette Wakim and Sue McKinney for the time and hard work they put in preparing the dinner to honor Shelly Moore, wife of former Governor Arch Moore, and mother of Shelley Moore Capito. The GOP fund raiser was a huge success thanks to their efforts with over 200 people in attendance. It was great to hear the stories told about Shelly and Arch, but there was one thing you couldn't escape. I'm not talking about the inescapable conversations of politics, but the values of the group in the room.

Family values are the corner stone of the Republican Party, and it was the first thing you noticed when you walked into the room. The Moore's exemplified this with 3 generations in attendance. This family has shown over the years a dedication to the people of West Virginia, but across the room other families could be seen with that same dedication. Many times mundane things that we normally ignore in our daily lives can show the strength of family. At the Marriott Saturday night is was the simple cell phone calls home to check on husbands, wives and kids that were manning the home fires that night. Family values filled the room and they are the values of most West Virginians.

The value that friendship transcends politics, one of the featured speakers of the night was Ken Hechler (D). Ken asked to be seated on the left, because he represented the left in politics, but he is a friend of the Moores serving in US Congress with Arch, and surviving as WV Secretary of State. With today's personal attacks on Republicans by the left this maybe something of a bygone era, but valued friendship was there Saturday night.

You saw the value of self reliance and honesty in the businessmen and women present, something alien to the left. I'm going to use an Alan Greenspan quote here because he said it so well, "Capitalism is based on self-interest and self-esteem; it holds integrity and trustworthiness as cardinal virtues and makes them pay off in the marketplace, thus demanding that men survive by means of virtue, not vices. It is this superlatively moral system that the welfare statists propose to improve upon by means of preventative law, snooping bureaucrats, and the chronic goad of fear. "

Saturday night one could only come away with one impression; The Republican Party is the party of Values.

He's not the real President, but he played one on TV

After watching the interview on Foxnews with former Senator and Actor Fred Thompson, I believe he is going to run for President. Fred Thompson had a good conservative track record as Senator from Tennessee, where ironically he won the seat vacated by Al Gore. I believe that he understands the values of rural Americans.

In his interview on Fox he had a presence about him that I don't recall seeing since Ronald Reagan was president. When he speaks you get a feeling of trust. This is probably why many people are pushing for him to run. Draft Fred Thompson is now a very popular site for those wishing for him to join in the fray.

A recent poll with knowledge of Fred Thompson's lymphoma in remission do you think he should run? 64% say he should run in the primary regardless, 22% say he is viable even with lymphoma, and only 8% thought the lymphoma should keep him from running. Fred is a cancer survivor and I think that will touch a cord with many Americans that live with or know someone that has cancer. 20 years ago, I believe that would have been the death of his candidacy, but not now.

What we are going to have to ask ourselves in the coming months is this; What Presidential candidate best represents the values of West Virginians? I believe the answer to this question could put Fred Thompson at the head of the pack, but only time will tell as we hear more from the candidates.

How do you find $35,000?

I read the article in the Times News about the Mineral County Sheriff finding an account with $35,419.76 in it. How exactly does an account going missing for 13 years? In order for it to be lost over 13 years there should have been 156 monthly bank statements that had to have went unnoticed by several levels of county government. 13 years of deposits, would have knocked the county budget out of balance each of those 13 years. Did anybody not wonder why?

Most of us have a check book. If our check book says we have $1000 in it and the bank says we have $1500, then we assume we missed writing in a $500 deposit. We probably wouldn't let that go on for 13 years without checking it out. Especially when the extra would have gotten bigger every year. I don't understand how 2 Sheriffs, 8 County Commissioners, 4 County Clerks, and a host of employees both Democrat and Republican could have allowed something like this to go on 13 years.

I would hazard to guess, that the account was probably not lost. It probably has a specific purpose, and that purpose is outlined in the county budget, or state code. That would explain why no red flags were thrown on each budget review. It bothers me that no one in county government can seem to account for this funding. Maybe it is time for a deep audit of the county books.

The Winds of Change?

In the early years of national independence Thomas Jefferson wrote a comprehensive survey of his state, the famous Notes on Virginia. When speaking of the western section of Virginia, Jefferson lists a number of resources such as coal. This book was published to advertise the strong character of the people and the variety of natural resources that the state had to offer. However, I doubt that Jefferson ever considered wind as a natural resource to cultivate.

Some environmentalists have told the public for years that tremendous potential exists in the power generation of wind farms. Others protest that wind farms harm the environment. Walter Cronkite and Ted Kennedy, no friends of coal or any other supplier of power, successfully prevented construction of wind farms off of Martha’s Vineyard for aesthetic reasons alone. Some argue that birds flying into the blades and shortening their lives provides a compelling reason to not construct these farms (don’t they also fly into cars, windows of buildings, and other immovable objects?)

Only one reason alone exists to build or to not build, long term viability. Can these energy sources become profitable in the long term without government support? Governor Manchin signed a bill into law recently that raises the property tax rate on wind farms from the salvage rate to the regular rate. Although this removes an incentive to construct these projects, it does give county governments a reason to try to attract them. Manchin also opened the door for wind farm operators to earn tax credits with local investment.

Will wind power displace coal as the source of energy that keeps the lights on? Not a chance. However it creates investment opportunities on land that otherwise may not be developed, helping the local tax base. It also creates a few good paying jobs while increasing West Virginia’s most profitable (legal) export, electric power. Strangely enough, the wind farm that operates now in Tucker County has proven to be a tourist attraction of sorts. You can actually see people, even in busses, stop to get their pictures taken beside the gigantic wind harnessing machines. It makes you wonder if the Dutch that built those windmills so long ago saw them as beautiful or interesting features on the landscape. If these farms can generate profits as well as power, they will create an innovative and environmentally friendly source of wealth for the state and its people.

Jet Fuel from Coal

I had the opportunity to see David Neeleman, the founder and CEO of Jetblue, on C-SPAN this past weekend. He was talking about what is needed to make the investment in converting coal into liquid fuels. He stated that money to do these projects is not an issue, many corporations can do it and be profitable. Oil needs to stay above $40 per barrel, according to Neeleman, in order for the companies to remain profitable.

With us unlikely to see oil drop below $40 per barrel in the foreseeable future, now is the time of the Economic Development in Authorities in the Potomac Highlands to move. The less likely a drop in oil, the more likely an investment will be made in a CTL (coal-to-liquid) plant. David Neeleman is showing that the airline industry is willing to take a look at CTL. The airline industries single biggest variable in cost is fuel. In 2005 Sir Richard Branson owner of Virgin Atlantic Air announced that he was going to build an oil refinery just to supply fuel for his airline.

The airline industry offers an opportunity that the Potomac Highlands should be capitalizing on. Now is the time for our Economic Development Authorities to contact people like Richard Brason, David Neeleman and ask them to look at a joint venture plant. We can bring together the end users of Jet Fuel, and the producers of coal such as Massey Energy and make a CTL plant a reality. We may not be able to put something together, but we know for sure nothing will happen if we don't try.

Even if Virgin Atlantic builds its own oil refinery, it is still tied to the volatility of oil prices, and the political instability of the middle east. West Virginia offers a large supply of coal, and a stable political climate. This will make sure the idea of a venture will be more appealing. West Virgina has a the resources, so we should be an economic powerhouse of a state. The only thing lacking is a political will to move forward.

Ruth Rowan Defends Potomac Highlands Values

Ruth Rowan Defends Potomac Highlands Values

When the 50th Delegate District sent Ruth Rowan to Charleston in 2004, she had to know that she went under a shadow. Long time delegate Jerry Mezzatesta’s behavior in office was described by Hardy County Democrat and Delegate Harold Michael as affecting “how the public perceives the entire House of Delegates.” That being said, “Mezz” had a knack for bringing home the bacon from Charleston. Delegate Rowan served as a schoolteacher before going to the Legislature just as Mezzatesta did. Although she definitely could not start with the same kind of influence as her predecessor, Delegate Rowan serves the 50th with honesty, efficiency, and dignity.

According to Project Vote Smart, Delegate Rowan’s voting record, especially in 2006, has reflected the kinds of values that West Virginians tend to support. She voted 70% of the time to limit government waste, 80% of the time in favor of pro-family issues, and 86% of the time in support of small businessmen and women. The National Rifle Association honored Delegate Rowan with an “A” rating and she also was endorsed by the West Virginia AFL-CIO. Certainly the last mention does not necessarily reflect purely conservative values, but it is in step with many West Virginia voters.

Beyond Delegate Rowan’s honesty, her reflection of her voters’ values, and her increasing effectiveness (due to ever increasing seniority) is her personality. If you were to try and create a perfect citizen-legislator, you would combine intelligence, experience with everyday concerns, and approachability. If West Virginia voters collectively made an effort to rid the state legislature of corrupt members and replace them with real citizen-legislators such as Delegate Rowan, we might finally see a political system that truly works for the state.

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It may be shocking to the Christian Science Monitor, (“Firing of US Attorneys Puts New Focus on Voter Fraud”, April 5, 2007) but most certainly not those of us in West Virginia that vote buying continues to plague our democracy. The St. Clair County Illinois Democratic Executive Committee paid East St. Louis residents $5 or $10 to secure a vote for John Kerry and other Democrats in 2004. Although this incident was investigated and resulted in a conviction, other United States attorneys refused to seek out and prosecute similar instances of voter fraud. Therefore the Bush administration wisely sent several of them packing.

Liberal Democratic organizations such as the People for the American Way insist that voter fraud is not substantial enough to warrant the time of federal investigators. However former US Attorney Kasey Warner noted that votes in West Virginia sold in large numbers for between $15 and $25 (obviously St. Clair County residents were getting gypped.) This was in the same year, 2004, that state Republican party chair Kris Warner and his brother Monty had received death threats for their pledge to root out vote buying and other forms of corruption. Although the People for the American Way do not seem to believe vote buying is an important issue, the vote buyers seem to take it extremely seriously.

How on earth can we take democracy seriously if it is for sale?

Even the poor people are fat

In an interview years ago a malnourished East African said to a reporter, "I want to go to America where even the poor people are fat." Think about what that statement says about our country. Most of recorded history the poor have starved, and still today that is the case in most of the world, but not in America. It is not because of social programs, the reason is Capitalism.

A farmer does not go into the fields at sunrise, and return to his home at night fall because he wants to grow food. He does that because he wants to generate income to support his family, and better his lot in life. The farmer knows the harder he works, the more food he generates, the higher quality his product, the more people will buy it, and the more his lot will improve. It is the self interest in bettering ones lot in life that created an abundance of high quality cheap food, that unlike much of history allows the poor here to get fat.

Capitalism has succeeded to the point that obesity is a problem primarily among the poor. This twist of irony flies in the face of thousands of years of human history, where the rich were obese ones. We are not so removed from our past that the term "fat cats" is still used to denote the rich. While early social programs primary function was to make sure the poor were fed, now West Virginia is offering Weight Watchers as a social program to reduce obesity among the poor.

Socialist try to pretend that Capitalism hurts the poor, but as you read above the poor benefit most from Capitalism. In 1968 the University of Michigan began a study among 50,000 individual families. Of the 20% at the bottom in 1975, 70% of those had climbed out of the bottom by 1991, and 25% of those made it to the top 20% in income. Capitalism gave the people the opportunity to improve their lot in life. The results will never be equal, because people vary in skill, eduction, work ethic, and a host of other factors. Winston Churchill said it best, " The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. "

Radio down 50%

Listening to the radio yesterday I heard that WKLP and WQZK are moving to Cumberland, MD from Keyser. That leaves the great radio stations of WELD AM and FM the only radio stations in the Potomac Highlands. Some of you are probably wondering why I'm even commenting on this, simple it shows a loss of confidence in the local economy.

This is just the latest job loss in Mineral County continuing a trend that has been happening for sometime now. JAK in Keyser closed costing 60 jobs this past year, New Page cut 150, Bayliner closed one of their plants. Many of these jobs were held by Mineral County residents. The radio station is leaving because it is harder for them to sell advertising, because of the loss of business in the area.

Mineral County's stratagy for Economic Development needs to change. The Keyser industrial park has many empty buildings and the Fort Ashby park is still empty after 14 years. The county government needs to wake up and realize we are on a downward economic slide. We need a Economic Development team that will not only try to seek new businesses to locate here, but to try to retain those that are still here.

All our eggs in one basket

I read that Bird Flu has been detected in Pendleton County and farms in the whole the Potomac Highlands are to be tested. Fortunately the strain of Bird Flu is not one that effects humans, but I have to disagree with Buddy Davidson of the WV Department of Agriculture when he said, "This should not effect the average person at all." If this is a major outbreak it could very well effect the average person economically.

The current treatment is to destroy the infected birds, and in the Potomac Highlands a large chunk of our economy is made up of the poultry industry. 25,000 turkeys are being destroyed now in Pendleton county as a result of contacting bird flu. That is going to have an impact on that farmer. If more bird flu is found, then the impact will spread to other farms, the workers at the processing plants, the trucking companies, and many businesses that depend on the on the industry for its livelihood.

A wise man once said plan for the worst, and hope for the best. I would like to know that the WV Department of Agriculture has a plan in effect if the outbreak is more wide spread. Can the state help decontaminate quickly and help get these farms up and running, so the economic impact is minimal to our area.

An outbreak like this emphasizes the need for a diverse economy, so all our eggs are not in one basket.

Warriors are the Peacemakers

Times-News had a letter to the editor in the Monday addition by Dave Crockett. In the letter he is complaining that we honor the warriors that keep us free with memorials. He states by doing this we glorify war and its profits, and ignore the peacemakers. This couldn't be further from the truth. I come from a family that served in our nations armed forces from the beginning; the Revolution, the Civil War, World War I & II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and conflicts unnamed. They did not fight for glory, they fought for freedom and peace.

Ronald Reagan on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day at Omaha Beach said, " We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free." Through memorials we do not honor war, we honor the warrior peacemaker. We honor the sacrifices that our young men and women make to insure we have peace.

Crockett spoke of Ellen McDaniel-Weissler, and Craig Etchison. These people do not advocate peace, they rail against war. They offer no solution to the dictator that wants to take away peace and freedom through force of arms. Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak, or the timid."

These memorials we erect honor the real peacemakers the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that defend this nation in times of war and peace. Mr. Crockett is free to speak his mind because a solider stood his ground at Bunkerhill. He is free to speak his mind because another solider made a charge a Gettysburg. He is free because a Marine went over the top at Belleau Wood, because a sailor stayed at his gun at Pearl Harbor, and because an airman flew his B-17 to Berlin.

Nobody longs for peace more than the soldier, and nobody will secure peace but the solider. When you sleep safe in your bed tonight, thank.. no... honor the soldier that is thousands of miles away from his family in a place he doesn't want to be, for he is the true peacemaker.

We are not Appalachian Serfs that need controlled

SERF (sûrf) A member of the lowest feudal class, attached to the land owned by a lord and required to perform labor in return for certain legal or customary rights. A person in bondage or servitude.

My family came to the area on a land grant in 1782 for services in the Continental Army. Since my roots are about 225 years old I believe I'm about as local as it gets. Appalachia has a unique and rich culture. Part of that culture is a right of self determination over ones property and life. It is the most dear principle of liberty, and one my ancestor helped secure by fighting against King George III some 200 years ago. I believe now that liberty again needs defending. This time not by force of arms, but by the voice of the people.

I read something this past weekend in one of the local publications in which the author couldn't understand why "Zoning" was a dirty word in our area. Simple, Zoning flies in the face of freedom itself. It stops self determination and it damages the economy by restricting it. Zoning is a Socialist concept that destroys the a free market in land, and removes its value without compensation to the owner. Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman said it best, "Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself."

These believers in Zoning, tend to be affluent and from the suburbs of a major city or at least lived there for a time. They falsely believe they are gaining some security by giving up some freedom. Ben Franklin saw right through this argument when he said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." These same people talk about how great living in Prince George's, Loudon, or Fairfax Counties was. My question is; If it was so great then why did you leave? The answer is they wanted to gain back that liberty they gave up. Despite all their rules and regulations that take away some of the liberty, they have much higher taxes, higher crime rates, etc and are less secure than we are here. Bad thing is many don't even realize that is why they left. Old Ben had it right, he knew the danger of this type of thinking.

In the article I read, it revealed that in Loudon County, Mobile Homes are not considered homes. That you can't put a mobile home on anything less than 5 acres. Wow! I have friends that are very proud to own their own home and some of those are mobile homes. This is wrong in so many ways. The only purpose of a zoning ordinance like that is to give power to the affluent in the community over the common man. It makes it harder for struggling families, low income wage earners, some middle class, or persons on a fixed income to own their own home. That is the thought process of the Socialist. The socialist pretends that a mobile home is not a home. That way when they deny your ability to own a home you can afford through zoning, they see it as not really taking away your right to own a home in their mind. It is a way for them to justify taking away the liberty of others.

Zoning tries to regulate bulk of the population into nothing more than Serfs of the rich land owners. In essence a Zoning Board will become the Feudal Lords, and the Taxpayers become the Serfs. (You don't really think the guy living in a trailer park, and working at the chicken plant will ever be appointed to the zoning board, do you?) We are not Appalachian Serfs that need controlled. We are free men and women that enjoy self determination over lives and property. If you try take away our liberty, then "Serfs Up Dude!"

Bats in the Belfry

When I put gasoline in my tank, when I get my electric bill, and when the propane tank gets filled I'm reminded of how much I spend on energy. We need energy independence from foreign sources of energy and one of those ways is Wind Energy. I do not understand the opposition to a clean renewable source of energy. Windmills create no pollution once constructed, they provide jobs, and the increase the tax base. It is a win win for everybody involved, but for some reason some don't see it that way.

The first argument usually heard is; they doesn't increase the taxes enough. Well we are all paying too much tax now, that is one of the reason of slow economic growth in the area. Besides a Windmill pays way more tax than the vacant rock that was there before, so it is a net gain for the community.

But the argument I like the best is the Bats. The bat argument came about because the bird argument was proved wrong and misleading. The theory goes something like this. The aircraft warning lights on the windmills attract moths, and the moths in turn attract bats that eat them. While the bats are eating the moths, they get hit with blades of the windmill and are killed. There is a glaring hole in this theory.

Best evening to sit outside on the porch in the summer is when there is a light breeze blowing. The reason being is the wind blows the bugs way. Funny thing is the wind is what turns the windmill blades, so when the wind is blowing there are no bugs to attract the bats. When the wind is not blowing, and the bats can eat the bugs, the blades aren't turning to kill the bats. The bat kill theory just doesn't hold up to simple logic.

Usually I can see two sides to an issue. I can usually understand the other sides reasoning for their point of view, but I may disagree with it. I can not see their logic in their opposition to windmills. Electricity is not something that comes out of the wall. It must be generated somehow whether it be wind, oil, coal, hydro-electric, or solar something has to create it. If we have the ability to generate power from a non-polluting local source such as wind, then we should do it. They worry about bats around windmills, they should worry about the bats in their belfry.

Karl Marx and the Second Grader

At the Hilltop School in Seattle, Washington teachers Ann Pelo and Kendra Joaquin are teaching second graders that Communism is a fair and just system. Apparently, the kids built a town out of Lego blocks. The kids began to lay claim to the buildings they assembled. One kid refused to allow another kid to land his Lego plane at his airport.

The teachers response was to take away the Lego blocks. Then the teachers taught the kids “social and political understandings of ownership and economic equity from a perspective of social justice.” They were taught that personal ownership, property rights and Capitalism is bad. Whoa! These are second graders! After three months of Marxist indoctrination the Legos were returned to the kids with new Soviet style rules of property ownership.

Second graders should be taught sharing is a good thing, but trying to teach them complex socio-economic theories is another. Ann Pelo and Kendra Joaquin are clueless on the subject of Capitalism and Communism. They should be kept away from kids of all ages (including college).

Our nation was built on Capitalism, and it gives everyone an equal starting point. If you work hard you will be rewarded. Bill Gates started in a garage. John D. Rockefeller failed several times before finding success. Capitalism doesn't guarantee success, but it gives you an opportunity. What you do with that opportunity depends on you. You have heard the saying that rich get richer, that is true, but the poor get richer at a much faster rate than the rich in this county.

We live in the most successful nation in the world, and Capitalism is our system. If you want to know if our system is the best give it the "Gate Test." Chuck Kinder of the WV State Auditors Office gave a speech I had the opportunity to attend. In it he stated, "If you want to see how successful your country is give it the Gate Test. Open the gates and see which people go." The communist countries of eastern Europe built walls to keep there people from leaving during the cold war. We are building walls on the Mexican border to keep people out.

Gate Test: Capitalism passes with flying colors.

The Breakfast of Champions

Tuesday the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce held its annual Legislative Breakfast. Invited were Senators David Sypolt (R), & Jon Hunter (D), as well as Representatives Allen Evans (R), Bob Schadler (R), and Ruth Rowan (R) which represent all or parts of Mineral County. Ruth Rowan didn't attend which was not as much a surprise as the absence of Hunter. This is the first Legislative Breakfast I can remember him not attending. Maybe there is some truth to the rumors of Jon not seeking re-election.

I really like the Legislative Breakfast. I believe it is very important for the community to have a briefing from the very people that we count on in Charleston to represent us. What really got me hooked was a few years ago. Then Senator Sarah Minear (R) was at the breakfast. She spoke after Jon Hunter, and did what I believe a politician should do. She stood up at the mic and told it like it was. Speaking with fire in her belly Sarah explained in detail why she disagreed with her counterpart, and whether you agreed with her or not you had to give her respect. That is what I want to hear from my representatives.

We don't need representatives that are only seen as frequently as Roswell aliens. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil once said, "All politics are local," and that means getting out among the people. The attendees at the breakfast were doing just that. They were there to take questions, hear comments from the people, and some cases take some heat. That is what being a representative in a representative democracy is about. You have to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly from the people you represent.

Last year people couldn't believe when the Governor visited Keyser, that I said more than "Welcome to Keyser" as he shook hands. I did that and told him, we have some problems that need addressed and here they are. Politicians are people there to serve us, talk to your representatives. Be respectful, but tell them what you think, why you think it, what you would like to see, and why you disagree if their opinion differs from yours. Our representatives need to know what we think, so tell them when you see them.

Grant and Mineral could fuel jobs with coal

For many years I have advocated turning coal into motor fuels. During the last election cycle I started working on the idea of what it would take to get a group together to make that happen on top the Allegheny Front. The coal located on top the mountain is the closest in West Virginia to the east coast markets, and it is the type that lends itself well to being converted in to liquid fuel. This makes the Potomac Highlands a natural for a location of a conversion plant. The Fischer-Tropsch process has been around for over 100 years and Germany used it during World War II to run the last few years of the war when her oil supplies were cut off. There is very little new science involved, and with oil remaining above $35 per barrel for the foreseeable future it is economically desirable because coal based gasoline would be cheaper.

In mid-August the Coal-to-Liquid Coalition is planning a summit in Beckley, WV. Congressman Nick Rahall (D) WV-3rd wants the Defense Department to get involved since they are the single largest purchaser of fuel in the US. 2.5 billion gallons annually. Rahall wants the Defense Department to purchase coal based fuels. I understand the reasoning for wanting to get the government involved, and that is basically to take the uncertainty out of the market place. When the private sector builds a plant it wants to know that it will make a profit, and with a government contract from the Defense Department that uncertainty is gone. Now normally I like the idea of government staying out of things, but I like the idea of our government buying domestic instead of foreign.

I think the Economic Development directors of Grant and Mineral should attend this meeting. It would be a good opportunity to see what can and needs to be done. Nobody ever got anything sitting there waiting for it to be handed to them, and if the Potomac Highlands is not aggressive in marketing itself to the world, then the world will pass us by. Armed with knowledge you start marketing your idea.

There are many large consumers that could be approached to purchase coal based fuels. Some of the largest private consumers of fuel in the US are the rail roads. CSX alone purchased in excess of two billion dollars worth of fuel last year. This would be a excellent place to start putting together a group of a possible project. You need a diverse group from coal mining companies, to the ones that own the nozzle you put in the end users tank and everybody in between. Together you can have an integrated approach that benefits everybody in the chain, and you take out much of the uncertainty. The Potomac Highlands have an opportunity knocking, but we need to answer the door.

Ham, Bacon, and Eggs not for Breakfast, but the Future

Friday night Mineral County held its annual Ham, Bacon, and Eggs Sale and the crowd appeared much larger than last year and prices also seemed higher. I was glad to see the kids get a good profit from their efforts. The whole Potomac Highlands business community and beyond was out in force to support these young capitalist. There were Grand Champion winners singled out, but all were winners. I’m not just saying that to be nice, they truly are winners. They learn that you can better yourself and be rewarded through hard work. Even the last place finisher in any one category won, their hard work was rewarded at the sale.

My fear is the future may hold another lesson, and that is government can destroy your hard work or place limits on your future hard work. Interestingly earlier in the day I had a conversation with a person that lived near one of the Future Farmers (I don't believe he knew that) and this person was telling me the county needed zoning, because he shouldn't have to deal with the a farm near his home. I was polite to the person and listened but I’m thinking, “This farm has been here for over 100 years, and you moved here recently. Didn't you notice the fences, barns, and animals that you had to drive by before you bought?” The answer is of course he did.

July 4th, 1776 the founding fathers signed a great document that stated we have "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Zoning flies in the face of these underlying princles of freedom. Property rights are a corner stone of liberty. That same year Adam Smith published "Wealth of Nations" and in it stated "The first and chief design of every system of government is to maintain justice: to prevent the members of society from encroaching on one another’s property, or seizing what is not their own. The design here is to give each one the secure and peaceable possession of his own property." Property Rights allow us to use our property without the interference of neighbors or government, as long as we do not violate the rights of others.

Now proponent's of Zoning, like to pretend that a farmers discarded rusting tractor sitting in his field is a violation of their rights because it is visually unpleasing. I checked death certificates in West Virginia, and I found none listing a cause of death as, "looked at a rusting tractor," so it does not deprive us of life. Unless the farmer chains his neighbor to the tractor, it does not deprive him of liberty. Third we only have the right to only pursue happiness. We are not guaranteed happiness as a right, and a rusting tractor doesn't stop that pursuit. Now if the farmer decides to set fire to his tractor and sends toxic fumes into his neighbors yard, then he is violating his neighbors rights, because those fumes could cause a risk to his life. The tractor just sitting there violates no ones rights.

Zoning takes away the rights of the land owner. Its purpose is to give government control over an owners property and limiting the owners use, while no limits are placed on the owners responsibilities under the law. The land owner only can use his property by permission of the government, not by right as the founding fathers intended. Zoning gives power favoring those with political and monetary clout at the expense of the original land owners and less affluent. It creates class warfare that only benefits the wealthy, and destroys our way of life.

At the Ham, Bacon, and Eggs sale the Future Farmers learned first hand that the Free Market allows you to pursue your dreams, and be rewarded if you work hard and do your job well. The founding fathers were farmers and put protections in to protect property rights. Zoning would be turning our backs on that principle of liberty, and that is not a future in which I want to live.