The Solution to Health Care Coverage For the Poor

You've got to hand it to Michael Moore, the man knows how to get his oversized mug into the news. Breaking the law to film his new docufalsity "Sicko" has resulted in a federal investigation and tremendous amounts of exposure for a movie that few people will watch.

I refuse to watch any of his movies because I do not want to put any money in the man's pocket or contribute to any statistics that support him. However, I have seen the previews showing him grandstanding outside of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base taunting the guards to let him and some uninsured 9/11 rescue workers in for medical treatment. After all, he says, they deserve the same quality of health care as Al Qua'ida. He then states that this was the only place in the United States where health care was guaranteed.

Moore and the left do not understand that health care is not a right. Health care is a commodity; it is also an incentive to educate oneself and to work hard. As with anything else, those that work towards a goal in the United States will generally achieve it. America provides more opportunity to its people than any other country anywhere, anytime. All an individual has to do is make the choice to succeed, then bust their tails doing it.

This does not mean that a solution does not exist to solve this issue of health insurance for the poor. As a matter of fact, Moore could represent part of a market solution if he wanted. Rich liberals could band together to form their own health insurance company. The company could operate on a sliding scale of payment determined by income. Rich fat cat liberals like Moore or Hillary Clinton could choose to join this company and pay massive premiums so that the poor could sign on and pay little or nothing. That way they could assuage their guilt over succeeding in a capitalist world while the rest of us work hard and continue to invest in the market economy.

Those that would force the productive to work hard and pay so that others can receive a free ride of benefits are the real sickos.

Enough Already!

Just for the information of motorists in West Virginia, make darned sure you do not get pulled over.
The West Virginia State Supreme Court of Appeals reinforced a 1976 law that requires magistrates to assess court costs in each citation given to motorists, even on the same traffic stop. A single citation means $160.50 in court costs alone. These costs have more than tripled in less than ten years. Although technically unlawful, magistrate judges traditionally only levy court costs once regardless of the number of offenses. An Ohio County magistrate never collected court costs except in cases where the defendant was found guilty after trial. Court costs generally go towards funds that operate the regional jail system, running the courts themselves and other programs. However those convicted of minor traffic offenses feel gouged and rightly so.
It is easy to sit back and say if you don't want to pay the fine, don't do the crime. At some point almost every driver gets pulled over or ends up in an accident. Multiple offenses can mean that the most impoverished must choose between paying the fines and paying a bill or putting food on the table.
For the most part, magistrates and police officers show compassion. More warnings will be issued in lieu of tickets and magistrates will dismiss even more charges. This reflects an even bigger principle involved. When police and judges deem a law to be so harsh that they shrink from enforcing it, the time has come for the State Legislature to revise it. Every time a poor driver takes to the highways in West Virginia, he now lives on a thin margin.

Virginians even have it worse as the incoming Democratic leadership there raised court costs for traffic fines into the stratosphere. One bad traffic incident could take away an entire paycheck. We must change this law. Failing that, we must start to take into consideration the 8th Amendment that prohibits the levying of excessive fines. When the court charges an offender an amount beyond a reasonable balance with the severity of the crime, the government engages in extortion. Gouging traffic offenders clearly violates the rights of these states' citizens.

Batty

Apparently the Public Service Commission has bats in its belfry.


A 2005 Federal law passed by the Republican Congress and signed into law by President Bush encourages the production of renewable energy. Plain old common sense tells us that we need to put less and less cash into the dubious pockets of Middle Easterners since some of it finds its way into the bank accounts of terrorists. I know I have been a little long winded on this subject in the past, but wind driven turbines give us a clean source of renewable energy.


The Public Service Commission cited the presence of an endangered species of bat as one reason to not approve a project for Pendleton County. Amazingly even labor unions could not prove mightier than bats in this latest bizarre twist of West Virginia's governmental decision-making.


For goodness sakes! Make a decision in favor of the environment. If not the environment, make it in favor of enhancing national security. If not for those reasons, how about keeping jobs and tax money in a county like Pendleton that desperately needs it. The life of a bat should never, ever come before the good of the county, state, or nation.

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Speaking of batty, Democrat Natalie Tennant launched a series of criticisms at Secretary of State Betty Ireland about her office's handling of the 2004 elections. She apparently is still angry about a ballot format that she blames in part for her primary loss. Apparently the former television personality missed the multitude of bills passed over the years reforming state elections, including one addressing the problem cited by Tennant. Thankfully, Ireland aide Ben Beakes was more than helpful, reminding her in detail through the press. Let's hope Tennant's husband, Eric Wells, knows of these reforms. His state senate committee reviewed them all.


Betty Ireland has really shown tremendous leadership over her term of office. The only criticism Democrats can muster refers to problems no longer permitted by state law. West Virginia benefits from having her as an energetic and forcefully honest leader.

The Sad Case of Senator Robert C. Byrd

I'm not one to agree with Robert Byrd much in the last several years. His New Deal approaches to development hold West Virginia back in building a private sector. Also, I do not agree with his war stand. In 2006 John Raese had a better vision for West Virginia's future than Robert Byrd. However no one can deny that Byrd loves his state and has worked extremely hard over the years for its benefit.

What the liberal left has done to Robert C. Byrd is disgraceful. From 2003 until recently he served as their point man against the Iraq War. A popular senator with respect, seniority and an untouchable seat, Byrd was perfect for their purposes. They publicized every criticism of Bush and the war while promoting him as an experienced voice of reason. The real liberal left senators, for the most part, hem hawed. John Kerry voted against the war before he voted for it, or maybe it's the other way around. Hard to tell with him and his pals. Byrd, agree or disagree, spoke his mind. In doing so he alienated a lot of people in his home state and took real risks on behalf of his party.

Liberal leftists adored Byrd right up until he secured his seat for another six years. After all in an election with no incumbents a man of John Raese's name recognition and financial support could have won it. No, they wanted that seat assuredly marked with a (D) for at least another term. Sure that meant promoting an anti-abortion, pro gun, pro school prayer octogenarian who once portrayed a Confederate general in a movie. For liberal left wingers, that could not be easy. But hey, he was anti-Bush.

But now look at the situation. Liberal leftism's official voice in the nation's capital, the Washington Post, has started publicizing some of the lapses of old age the senator occasionally shows. He went from left wing hero to an old man whose time has passed. A columnist ridiculed Senator Byrd's speech about his dog during a congressional committee hearing on pet food safety. Another on May 30th pointed out Byrd's former affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan. Somehow conservative arguments about old age and past connections with terrorism held no relevance nine months ago. Now that the liberal left is done with Byrd, let the undermining of a senator's reputation commence. Republicans have criticized Byrd for many years, for many reasons, and rightfully so. The GOP at least generally remained consistent.

Maybe liberal left wingers do not realize that a younger and more charismatic version of Joe Lieberman is all but ready to take over the seat when the opportunity presents itself. The flip flop (are we even surprised when liberal leftists do this anymore) on Byrd has ranged over into hypocrisy, well past ingratitude. They used Senator Byrd and now they are throwing him aside. A very cruel way for the liberal left to treat a man that served the Democratic Party for so long. Maybe because they no longer in any way shape or form represent the kind of Democratic Party that Senator Byrd or most other West Virginians have supported all these years.


He's not from my party and I don't always agree with him. Senator Byrd's still a West Virginian though. Although there has been a lot to criticize from the point of view of a West Virginia Republican, it's tough to watch a bunch of elitist, snobbish Washington D.C. left-wingers using an elderly man from our state for their own purposes and disposing of him so callously when he is no longer useful to them.

Quinton Andrews' Natural Rights

Quenton Andrews is a man getting a lot of unwanted attention these days. The West Virginia University starting free safety was arrested this week. News of arrests of college football players sparks a knee jerk reaction generally. Why can't these kids just respect the law? What is wrong with these thugs? Etc., etc.

This situation seems a little different though. According to all accounts, Monongalia County deputies arrested Andrews for merely refusing to show officers his identification, citing him for obstructing an officer. The officer was in the process of arresting a former football player that actually had committed the crime of underage drinking. Andrews himself did nothing criminal. He even tried to go back inside his residence.

When did it become illegal to not show your identification to police when requested? The US Supreme Court in 2004 ruled that citizens have the obligation to present ID at the request of officers at any time for any reason. It sounds too much like the KGB or the Gestapo officer demanding "Papers please!" Don't get me wrong, I am not equating our hard working and courageous law enforcement with those notorious institutions of oppression. The vast majority of police do their jobs honestly.

However this gives police too much power to harass citizens into what is now defined as criminal behavior. Sure one can argue to just give the guy the ID and save yourself some grief; if you are not doing anything wrong, why worry? That argument can easily extend to searching your car, home, mail, hard drive, or anything else. Citizens have natural rights so long as they are not harming others. Quinton Andrews did not harm anyone, nor did he obstruct an officer doing his job. He simply dared to peacefully exercise his own rights.

Now let's be honest about Andrews too. He was not standing up for some heroic principle when he left his house that night. Like a lot of other guys in their late teens, he shot off his mouth in a situation where prudence demanded he keep quiet. However he had the good sense to leave the scene and go to his home when the officer responded. Was it dumb? Absolutely. That still does not mean that Andrews gave up his rights.

Not Getting What We Paid For

During the darkest days of the 1990s wars in the former Yugoslavia, a place called Srebrenica became one of the most hellish places on earth.


It was supposed to be a safe zone because the United Nations said so. They dispatched a handful of soldiers from the Netherlands with orders to fire only in self-defense. Ethnic Serbians under the orders of the notorious General Ratko Mladic swept into the region. Mladic's troops intimidated, but scrupulously avoided shooting at the Dutch. 8,000 men and boys died under the so-called protection of the powder blue flag. I cannot imagine an American soldier standing by and watching that kind of horror, orders or no orders, whether outgunned or not.


This certainly reinforces the idea stated here before that only warriors can be peacekeepers. How can you protect anyone if your gun is always on "safety?" Sure, many of the perpetuators have ended up tried for war crimes, but for rape and mass murder they get sentences that in the United States would be light for major drug felonies or attempted murder. It has led to another result, a lawsuit. Bosnian female relatives of the dead have filed suit against the United Nations and the Dutch government for their lack of action.


Although it is always fun to see the UN inconvenienced, the problem is that if they lose a lawsuit and actually pay up, American money goes towards the lion's share of the bill. One more reason why the taxpayer dollars from the Potomac Highlands and the rest of the United States ought not support that white elephant of an international organization.

Solving Our Law Enforcement Problems Starts With Development

The State Journal on May 31 gave extensive coverage to a relatively hidden problem in the Potomac Highlands. In the article, the Mineral and Hardy County sheriffs discussed extensively their respective problems with personnel and funding. Both counties have a handful of deputies and a huge number of square miles and back roads to cover. They also have serious drug problems and an increasing demand from newer residents for immediate police response even in remote areas.One solution, as discussed in the article, lies in raising taxes. This idea does not garner a lot of enthusiasm. Mineral County just shot down a law enforcement levy and currently the property taxes are higher than a lot of poor and middle income residents can stand.

The alternative option to raising taxes lies in economic development. One can only wonder how much a cabinet plant could have bolstered Mineral County's tax receipts. Grant County currently pays farmers to not sell land to those that would use it for industrial development. The State Journal did not cite Grant County, but one would assume they share the same funding problems as their neighbors. Can they afford to not encourage manufacturing?

Residents of the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia deserve quality services for the high taxes they pay and all too often do not get them. The primary role of government lies in protecting lives and property, but over time it has taken on many more roles. Raising taxes on an eroding base no longer represents a viable solution. We must stop discouraging development.

A National Primary

Is it time for a national primary day? The general election is always held the first Tuesday in November for all states, but in the primaries the states are free to choose their own date for the primary. New Hampshire's Constitution states that theirs will be the first in the nation, and they will move the date to make that happen. The question is why should New Hampshire be the first, or Iowa or South Carolina for that matter?


If your state is not one of the first 3 or 4 states to hold a primary, then the outcome of the presidential primaries are pretty much decided by the time the rest get to it. I do not believe it does justice to the rest of the country allowing a few states to determine the candidate for the national election. Using a few states as a pre-filter for the rest does not serve the interest of the nation.

Let's look at a national primary day. The first Tuesday in May would be a good choice, as it is 6 months from the General Election. All states on one day, so that all may have a say in who moves onto the General Election.

The Spirit of Man and How to Destroy It

When the liberal left wants to condemn the Iraq theatre of the War on Terror, often they say "We have no business telling other countries what to do" or "Things were much better when Saddam was in charge." Then the leftists turn around here and push for heavy taxation to make smoking less convenient or ordinances that will remove old cars from people's property.

It seems contradictory, this idea of where they stand on "telling people what to do." They do not mind Iraq's former government running amuck. When an individual longs for the simple joy of a cigarrette, or wants to tinker on an old car for ten years as a hobby, they scream "There oughtta be a law!"

Look closer and you see the connection in the idea of collectivism. Collectivism is the principle of order at any price. The price often asked is individuality paid towards the bill titled "Collective Societal Good." Leftists do not mind the idea of a Saddam Hussein run government because it maintained a collective that promised order to the vast majority of the people. Never mind those paltry few that suffered horrifically. They like it so much they want to impose collectivism on those of us in the United States.

Collectivism comes not at the barrel of a gun, but as on little kitten paws. It oozes into our societal thinking here and there. Collectivism does not overawe us with power at the beginning, but begs for our sacrifice and calls us greedy should we decide we want to keep what we earned. Collectivism asks us why we cannot sacrifice some of our freedom if it results in a common good defined by some authority. The Declaration of Independence articulates that the pursuit of happiness is one of our most sacred individual natural rights. It means we seek our own happiness through living our life in a state of liberty. Collectivists gain power by convincing us that happiness is a sin and that the accomplishments we worked so hard to attain were at someone else's expense even though all acted according to their own free will (an idea which collectivists try to undermine.) Mediocrity becomes a virtue and achievement something to ridicule and destroy if possible.

It is no accident that the liberal left supports ideas such as the Mineral County Courthouse being rid of junk food altogether rather than simply offering more healthy choices. When we cede the right to even determine what should be put into our digestion when and how often, what right do we have to speak freely or select our government?

Darfur, Civil Rights, and the Atlanta Braves

Recently Jesse Jackson harassed yet another mark, the Atlanta Braves. Apparently the baseball franchise happened to field a team with no blacks on it. Confronted with this horror, Jackson hauled out the old tired racial rhetoric.


Few really pay attention to Jackson anymore. Black sportscasters on ESPN slammed Jackson's position as ludicrous, asking the logical question of why the Braves would not seek to put the most competitive team possible on the field. On Pardon the Interruption, the point was raised that black children's interest in baseball has waned considerably over the years. Historically black colleges cannot even fill their rosters with black players. Jackson understands attention more than logic.


The civil rights movement for blacks has entered an era where it has nearly grown obsolete. The generation now exiting high school and entering college is less racially conscious than any in our history. Generally speaking they simply ignore color, meaning that the dream once articulated by Martin Luther King Jr. has nearly come into being.




Success means peril for any influential person of any race that gained influence by using racism and it has produced some ugly developments. Bill Cosby gets blasted for suggesting that young people get an education that can lead them into productive ways of living. Condoleeza Rice and Michael Steele have suffered from racial attacks and stereotypes launched from people in the NAACP among others because they dare to support President Bush and the Republican Party. Some Baltimoreans actually threw Oreo cookies at Steele, yet condemned Trent Lott for a kind word about Strom Thurmond. I wonder what they would think of Frederick Douglas's statement that "The Republican Party is the ship. All else is the sea."




The way for groups such as the NAACP to remain relevant is to first follow Bill Cosby's ideas. Encourage education, especially in the inner city. Hold up people like Rice as models instead of demons. Rice grew up in Alabama in the 50s and 60s and that speaks for itself. Second, the NAACP and others ought to pressure Congress and others to address slavery where it exists now, not where it has not existed for over a century and a half. Black Christians continue to suffer in places like Darfur. The Moslems controlling the north of the country of Sudan enslave and massacre them routinely and America has not involved itself directly. Black leaders in America can work with President Bush to find a way for our nation to help.




That is how the NAACP, a movement with a storied and successful tradition, can stay relevant in an increasingly color blind America. Confederate flags and the Atlanta Braves are picayune compared to the potential that can be tapped through encouragement of education. They are also very minor relative to real suffering and terror experienced in Darfur and elsewhere.

A Tale of Two Hampshires

When I glanced at the Hampshire Review today, two stories stood out. The first story alerted the region that yet another politician had violated public trust. The sum of $100,000 evaporated from county coffers. Funny business with public funds is nothing new unfortunately.

Next came the story covering Hampshire High School's graduation. It accompanied a photo of 2007 graduates just as they reached up to move their tassels, symbolically marking their ascension to the next level in their lives, whatever that may be.

These young men and women represent a large part of their county's future, but how much has the past affected them? Has the county educational system's corrupt misdeeds and outrages that colored their school years angered the graduates? Or did they learn that corruption is the way it has always been done and that no one can change it? Will they make their lives in the county? Will they give up on it and hope that another place has government for the people, not for dishonest politicians and paid for by the people?

Certainly Hampshire County has people and politicians that are mad as hell and do not want to take it anymore. They thirst for clean government and honest development. Are there enough of these good, honest people to overcome the corrupt and apathetic segments? These new graduates could make the difference one way or the other.

Will enough of them have the faith in themselves and their community to stand up and demand better from all of their government officials? If they do, a prosperous future for that community is certain.

The Liberal Media Strikes (or at Least Tried to Strike) Again

For over a century the Charleston Gazette has stood at the fringes of respectable politics. This paper generally represents a left wing position somewhere to the wrong side of Vladimir Lenin and rarely sees a Republican it likes. Not for nothing did Governor Moore call it "The Morning Sick Call."


If the charges levied against it by the Department of Justice are correct, then this venerable bastion of loony lefties has found new lows. On May 7th, 2004 the Gazette purchased Charleston's afternoon Republican newspaper the Daily Mail. This in itself was not unique as morning papers had taken over afternoon publications around the country to help keep them afloat.



The Department of Justice, unfortunately for the Gazette, does not consider halting solicitations for new Daily Mail subscribers, allowing half of the reporters and staff to leave without replacing them, stopping all promotions and discounts, and cutting the newsroom budget to be helping the afternoon paper. A nineteen page report alleges that the Gazette tried to strangle the Daily Mail right out of existence. It only ceased these policies when the Justice Department launched its investigation.


Either the Charleston Gazette tried to suffocate one of the last printed conservative voices in West Virginia, or it sought to create a monopolistic stranglehold over the metropolitan region around Charleston. The second possibility must particularly delight the Gazette's enemies due to the enormous number of corporate greed sermons its editors launched over the years.

The internet means that even in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, we can read news about state government from those directly at the sources. When the Gazette choked off resources to the Daily Mail it reduced the conservative paper's ability to cover events. Those seeking daily news about state government had to turn to the paper with one of the most shrilly liberal biases in the nation. Already the 2004 purchase has been voided. Hopefully the courts will force the Gazette to pay damages to ensure a balance of coverage out of Charleston.

Ecomomic Growth is a Republican vs. Democrat issue

I have to disagree with Dave Peyton in his article in the Daily Mail, where he states “This is no longer a Democratic versus Republican issue, nor is it a topic that should divide liberals and conservatives.” Most of the Economic Problems in the state can be traced directly to legislation introduced by Democrats in the state house. Also legislation that would begin to fix the problem introduced by Republicans gets stopped. It goes right down party lines.

The WV Democrats constantly put the welfare of their party and special interest ahead of the welfare of the state. The result is a ranking of 50 out of 50 for West Virginia in many categories. The Republicans are gaining ground in voter registration because the people are begining to see that the Republicans believe if what is good for the state is good for the party. That is what will save West Virginia’s economy in the future, but how fast depends on how fast the citizens of the state demand the changes necessary.

Russell Sobel of WVU wrote the blue print for turning around West Virginia’s Economy in a book called, “Unleashing Capitalism.” The citizens of the state are growing increasing skeptical of Charleston’s ability to fix the problems, and books like Mr. Sobel’s are only going to fuel that skepticism.

I believe that Dave Peyton’s article stating it is not a Democrat vs. Republican issue is just and attempt to deflect the issue from the states Democratic Party. The fact of the matter is the Democratic Party has been in control of the state legislature for nearly 80 years. Right now the Democratic Party could ask the state legislature to pass every recommendation in Russell Sobel’s book, and ask the governor sign it fixing the states economy without any help from the states Republican Party. We could go from 50th best state to do business in to 1st place, if the Democrats would pass the bills needed. They have not, and it is doubtful they will. Only the Republican Party is pushing for the needed changes, so it is a Democrat vs. Republican issue and the Democrats in the WV are obstructing WV’s future economic growth.

The Democratic Congress Strikes Again Against the Little Guy

Count another victory for the Democratic Party over the interests of the small businessman.

To get the needed funding approved so our troops could continue to defend freedom, President Bush was strong armed into approving a minimum wage hike from $5.15 to $7.25. Fewer than 1.7 million workers make minimum wage, although the Democrats claim as many as 5.6 million of the nation’s 130 million workers could see their salaries rise. They cannot say for certain because a percentage of those workers will likely find themselves out of a job.

Very few working families rely on minimum wage jobs alone to support their families. The very small number that do qualify for welfare. Many of the rest work such jobs as part of a combination package of part time employment. About fifteen years ago I was supporting a family on two minimum wage jobs and one that paid a few dollars over that. Other minimum wage workers are spouses or significant others of high wage earners who work for a little extra income or to pass the time.

Before anyone starts talking corporate greed, they must understand that the majority of major corporations already pay over minimum wage. Most businesses that pay minimum wage operate on a small scale. Local bookstores, restaurants, and other small city downtown establishments pay minimum wage. One can hardly accuse these businesses with their razor thin profit margins of “corporate greed.”

How does a small business like this cope with the hike? It lays off workers while the owner him or herself works more hours. Since the cost of labor represents such an important factor in a business’s profitability, the extra pay obligation may be the determining issue in whether or not a small business fails. Certainly it presents a higher obstacle to an entrepreneur just getting started. Some owners already pay employees “under the table” and raising the minimum wage only encourages more skirting of the law. Others will pass the costs onto the consumer. Beware parents with children in day care settings, your bill is about to go up.

For the most part, the market has determined that low level service employees of companies such as McDonalds will make almost what the projected minimum wage hike will be. That means the Democrats did not overly antagonize their big business donors. As usual the small businessman bears the brunt of liberal victories over “corporate greed.” They should be sure and send a letter of appreciation to their Democratic representatives in Congress.

Table Games and the Republican Party

Officially state Republicans tend to oppose the expansion of gambling, especially when it comes to table games. Some Democrats endorse their legalization as another way to bring much needed revenue to the state to fund its various programs. The issue is more complex than simple red versus blue politics.


Republicans behind the scenes face splits on this issue because conservatism does not just exist in one form. Social conservatism, or the "Bill Bennett" form, concentrates on issues of morality. Gambling, gay marriage, and other issues must be resisted because they break down the moral fibre of the community and families. Another form of conservatism emphasizes individual freedom and it comes primarily from the British Whig traditions of the 1700s, some of which influenced the Founding Fathers. The "Bill Buckley" form of conservatism emphasizes issues such as gun rights, but also is permissive in social issues. Economic conservatism, as it is often called, argues that people have natural rights to make choices in their lives and that government ought to stay out as much as possible. Libertarians follow these ideas in a much more broad manner. Some debates, such as abortion, link the two. An economic conservative can argue that each person no matter how young has the right to life, while social conservatives argue against murdering a baby.


While the official line that conservatism means no table games remains clear, many Republicans have a difficult time reconciling that with their beliefs of individual freedom and choice. Relying on gambling as an industry brings up issues beyond morality and the destruction that some choices bring to individuals and families (though many believe they have the right to make "bad" choices in a free society.) The state continues to construct a house of cards by leaning more and more heavily on revenue sources that it tries to officially discourage. Gambling and cigarrette based revenues fund an increasing amount of the state budget and some of those monies go into discouraging the behaviors that create the revenue!


If it bothers a conservative to oppose table games because of their beliefs on individual choice, they may take comfort in opposing them because it is bad policy.

All Veterans Ought to be Able to Order a Beer

If you really want to get people's hackles raised at you, do the following. Walk into a roomful of people and suggest that the drinking age as it stands at 21 is too high.


People will blast you, condemn you, and ask how many lives the higher drinking age probably saves. A real inconsistency exists here, though. A young man or woman can sign up for the military at 18, go into battle, kill or risk being killed, get captured by the enemy and be potentially tortured, even win the Congressional Medal of Honor. If he returns alive before the age of 21, this young person can still not legally go into a bar and order a beer.


One could suggest that those with military IDs be allowed to drink, but not those under 21 outside the military. This sounds like a good compromise, but still does not offer real justice. A citizen between 18 and 21 can vote for president, get a loan and practically have credit cards shoved down his or her throat. Advocates for allowing these decisions on the part of these citizens claim that the ability to make judgments does exist. Bankers and the Democratic Party benefit most from this allowance. We all benefit from the sacrifices made by those that make the serious decision to defend their country.


Either these young men and women are citizens or they are not. Make 21 or 18 the legal age for all military, credit, and voting decisions. End the hypocrisy one way or the other.

Paris Hilton…. Yeah I’m going to talk about her too

There is a saying, “Let the punishment fit the crime,” and many are stating that Paris is being dealt with more harshly than others committing the same offense. I don’t believe she is being dealt with more harshly, but I do believe justice is being served. From all the different news sources it is my understanding that typically a fine or home confinement are the usual punishment, but I don’t think they will work for Paris.

Again the news is not real precise, but the maximum fine appears to be anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. Let’s face it to a multimillionaire like Paris Hilton even if the fine was $10,000 it would be like fining the average American $1.00. If we fined people in the US $1.00 for traffic offenses, then the interstates would quickly become Autobahns. The maximum fine to Paris Hilton is not a punishment.

Home confinement is not really a punishment when you live in a mansion. When you’re a celebrity the party comes to you. The news is reporting that a party was planned for Friday night had Paris not been returned to jail. Not being allowed to leave your mansion for 30 to 45 days when you have the money to bring all you need in is not really a punishment.

Maybe the saying should be let the punishment fit the person. The judge never went outside the law. He stayed within the guidelines given to him and gave probably the only punishment that would actually be a punishment to a millionaire. I give kudos to the judge for making sure justice was served.

Nick Joe Rahall and Alan Mollohan: Environmental Crusaders

Nick Joe Rahall, West Virginia's representative from the Third Congressional District, recently introduced legislation in Congress to severely undermine the future of wind power in the United States. Basically he, like Mollohan who represents the First District, has developed a tender concern for the birds and bats that happen to find their way into the turbines and get themselves killed. The legislation will impose rigorous standards on turbines to presumably prevent animal deaths.

According to opensecrets.org, Congressman Rahall receives a tremendous amount of financial support from mining interests. In West Virginia that of course translates to coal. In the past few elections he has received support from the United Mine Workers and the Norfolk and Southern Railroad which relies on coal to generate a great deal of income. As for Mollohan, mining interests ranked tenth among his contributing industries. On the surface there is nothing wrong with these contributions. As for the coal industry, it not only "keeps the lights on" but tax receipts from it help the state pay to keep its lights from being turned off.

Doesn't it seem strange that Rahall and Mollohan feel such compassion for the little birds when you think about who gives them their support? Think about the miniscule amount of wildlife affected by wind farms. Now consider how many animals are killed when hollows are filled in by mountaintop removal waste. For that matter would the building unions and construction outfits that support both congressmen agree to never build tall structures again? After all more birds are killed by running into buildings. I doubt that they would ever oppose the outright hunting of birds.

The point here is NOT to oppose coal mining, hunting, construction, or any other worthwhile human endeavor that might kill a bird. We have to face the fact that human activities will sometimes kill animals directly or indirectly. Civilization will grind to a halt if we do not accept that our needs create some "collateral damage" in the natural world. These men's opposition may come less from their compassion for wildlife and more from some other source. Does someone fear that wind farms on the Allegheny Front might someday compete with coal? Do they just want to shore themselves up among their environutty constituents?

In any event the result of this proposed legislation will be to kill the prospect for a few good paying jobs, a decrease in the reliance on foreign energy, and increased local tax income to support our schools and other needs.

One County's Frustration Could Be Another County's Opportunity

According to the Cumberland Times News the new shopping center once projected for a summer 2008 opening has hit more snags. Without going into specifics, the article indicated that the deal may be in trouble. At some point Target, Home Depot, and others must have determined that this region could support their business. The question is, has that changed or have other factors become obstacles?


The project was intended to resemble Morgantown's University Town Center which is an innovative way to develop rugged Appalachian terrain. A ridgetop supports the main anchor chains while terraces along the road to the top contain smaller stores and restaraunts. The businesses located there enjoy tremendous patronage, especially the restaraunt chains.



Whatever the problem is, Mineral County ought to aggressively investigate and determine if it can provide a less problematic option. If the anchor stores decided that this region cannot support them, fine. But if the problem lies in local government red tape, by all means go for the steal. Some argue that Mineral, Allegany, and Garrett Counties ought to cooperate to bring in business. However business located in Maryland does nothing to help Mineral County's tax base, meaning they continue to get more money for schools, police protection, and other services. If possible, our local leaders should at least investigate sweeping this development onto the correct side of the Potomac River.

The war on terror

63 years ago today on the beaches of Normandy Americans, Brits, Free French, & Canadians with support of others began the liberation of Europe. We fought fascism. We fought the Axis powers. We fought an enemy that wore uniforms and could be identified, and we carried it through to the end. In 2007 we are in a war on terrorism. Our enemy doesn't follow any rules, the don't wear uniforms and they are not easily identified.

Nobody in their right mind wants to be in a war. I want our troops to come home from Iraq as soon as possible, but we must win first. If we quit in Iraq, then we lose. General Omar Bradley stated "In war there is no prize for the runner-up." Quiting is not an option. "In War: Resolution" said Winston Churchill and our resolve is being tested now.

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir remarked, "There can only be peace when they will start to love their children more than they hate us. " She knew well the terrorist that we fight today. How do you win against and enemy like that? An enemy that doesn't put the same value on human life that we do.

There are no easy answers to ending this war on terror. Abraham Lincoln was right, "The only good part of a war is its ending. " I know this; mistakes have been made both militarily and politically, but this is a war we must win in Iraq or in the future we fight in downtown America.

Whose Constitution?

One of the most dangerous trends in American law over the past several years lies in the blurring of the lines between citizen and non citizen. Maybe it is a failure of education that people for whatever reason assume that "Constitutional Rights" extend to anyone that happens to enter the jurisdiction of the United States.

Nationally the debate rages over detainees at Guantanamo Bay. People who ought to know better complain because those held there have been denied counsel, trial, and other legal remedies available to US citizens. Liberal judges (who are quickly overruled) support this nonsense to make a political statement against the president rather than ruling on the law. Closer to home, West Virginia law enforcement agencies have started distributing Miranda warnings in Spanish. No officer wants to work hard to get illegals off the street just so a liberal judge can wave a legal magic wand and give them Constitutional rights.

The Constitution's preamble has repeatedly been cited as part and parcel of the law of that document. This legal principle lay at the heart of every action taken by Abraham Lincoln to restore the Union. "We the people of the United States" opens the document. "The people" and "persons" used later on denotes United States citizens. Somewhere along the way, a segment of American thinkers has determined that our Constitution applies to those that sneak across our borders illegally. Even worse, they argue that enemies of our country that the military rounds up and detains have rights to our legal system. Imagine if Franklin Roosevelt had to deal with this foolishness when his FBI efficiently rounded up German agents at the commencement of World War II.


We cannot allow non citizens to take advantage of our benevolence. If you are not an American citizen, you do not receive the "privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States." Those politicians that support extending legal protections, social services, and (I am not kidding here) voting rights to illegal non citizens ought to be held to account.

The Price of Government Intervention

In the past few months we have seen gas prices jump to their highest levels since Hurricane Katrina hit. Consumers scramble to find ways to pay the price while others scramble to lay blame. Plenty of explanation exists for this most recent spike.


First is the problem of blends. Different environmental regulations for different parts of the country mean that gasoline refineries must produce a vast array of gasoline formulas, then must figure out the supply and demand for each version sent out over the country. Personally I wonder why they do not simply go with the most environmentally friendly formula for the whole nation.




Secondly, refining in the United States is almost an endangered species. Our domestic capacity has not expanded in decades due to the expensive and time consuming permit process combined with legions of environmental groups waiting to sue. Meanwhile current facilities continue to age and occasionally blow up. Increasingly we rely on foreign countries such as Mexico and Venezuela to help provide the fuel we need. The most recent price rises reflect fears that unless a short term reduction in consumption takes place, shortages will occur in some parts of the country. Yes oil companies profit from this and it is hard to work up much sympathy for them, but it is a market tool to ensure a continued supply everywhere.







Right now the supply of crude does not pose a problem. Actually oil prices have dropped recently due to increases in supply primarily from Saudi Arabia. That nation's authorities just foiled a major plot to destroy its oil facilities. We need stable domestic sources of oil and no reason exists to not tap reserves in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. In his infinite wisdom, President Carter created this sprawling reserve to prevent oil companies from drilling there, citing the potential danger to polar bear and reindeer habitats. Of course the presence of cities, interstate highways, coal mines, etc. have absolutely driven away the population of black bear and white tail deer from our region. We simply need more domestic supply in case of international turmoil.







Some want to blame the long term energy consumption of the United States, citing familiar statistics that say we use more than any other nation. This represents a typical example of America bashing with no suggested alternative. Environmentalists fail to point out that the US produces more goods and services more efficiently than any other nation. We use more because we produce more, but America also wastes less. The inefficient authoritarian Chinese economy among others wastes more energy due to their much lower productivity level.







As has been pointed out here before, that capability comes from the genius of competitive capitalism. In that philosophy lies the key to solving energy price problems. Governor Manchin called upon the president to declare a state of emergency, a move that would create panic and huge price hikes. He also asked Bush to create a national energy strategy, a policy that the president has attempted repeatedly and received no support. If the governor and others actually want an energy policy they must meet with President Bush, leave politics at the door, and work out a solution. For our economic stability and national security we need to free American industry to produce more in America for Americans.

Warming Up to a Historical Perspective on the Climate

Ever tasted Scottish wine? You probably have not, but in the Middle Ages it was considered good enough that the French complained of the competition. The idea of Scottish wine may surprise those that know it is too cold to grow grapes in Scotland. From about the 1000s until the late 1300s temperatures rose to levels substantially (climactically speaking) higher than today. This allowed grapes to grow in Scotland and Viking colonizers to build cities and raise sheep in Greenland.

At this point you may be shocked. Rising global temperatures did not lead to the destruction of all mankind like Al Gore told us they would? During this period urban civilizations expanded across the planet. From central Mexico to the Great Plains to Europe trade and commerce fueled the expansion of cities and nations. The Mayan pyramids, the great burial mounds in the Ohio Valley, and the Gothic cathedrals all appeared in this era. It is called the Medieval Warm Period and it ended in the late 1300s.

The Medieval Warm Period’s warmth was replaced by the extreme cold of the Little Ice Age. The Viking colonists abandoned Greenland to expanding ice sheets, agriculture declined in northern Europe, and the great trade routes connecting eastern North America to the Aztecs and West Coast broke down. Decline in agricultural productivity coincided with the rise of imperial powers such as the English, Spanish, and Five Nations of the Iroquois League seeking to conquer new regions. Only in the 1700s did temperatures gradually climb again over the long term.

Surely this is all the fault of George W. Bush and Halliburton. Although some want to pin everything from climate change to the fall of the Roman Empire on President Bush, he does not control everything. In fact no one can say with any certainty what controls the climate, or even what the climate is doing right now. Some say it is warming, others say it is just fluctuating. NASA revealed recently that the Martian ice caps are melting and that Mars has gotten warmer. Again you could blame President Bush for that, but NASA believes that the sun’s energy output has increased lately.

Thirty years ago Newsweek and scientists warned us that the climate was cooling to dangerous levels and that industrialism was ushering in an ice age. Now these same people want us to believe that civilization is creating a hot spell that will end mankind. There is nothing wrong with trying to reduce pollution and trying to conserve resources. Industrial and capitalist nations have accomplished more towards those ends than any other system in the world. Using scare tactics and lies to frighten the public for a quasi-Marxist and anti-industrial political agenda is despicable.

Who Newsweek Says They Want For President in 2008

On the May 14th issue of Newsweek, the magazine placed on their cover the model for their preferred guy to take over the office in 2009. Immediately I recognized his smiling face as one of my personal favorites in the presidency. This man approached the many foreign and domestic crises of his presidency head on. He always formed part of the solution, even if we did not know about his role until much later. Being a strong willed "decider" won him few friends as time wore on, however. This man's determination to follow through with an unpopular war lost him what little personal popularity he ever enjoyed across the board. By the middle of his second term, approval ratings plummeted to near 20%. He held middle American values which earned him the disdain of intellectuals, which he happily returned.


Media elites saw his plain spoken manner as a sign of non intelligence, also often citing his business which failed in the midst of prosperity. Others mentioned the departure of his first secretary of state, a former general who held the public's admiration and respect, as proof that this president's foreign policy had gone wrong. At the end, members of his own party turned on him and compared him unfavorably to a predecessor with a charm, brilliance, vision, and ability to communicate almost unparalleled in American history. By the end of his second term, however, the economy was stronger than it was when he started and America's leadership in the free world was unquestioned.


No, Newsweek did not have a picture of George W. Bush on the cover. Instead we saw Harry Truman under the headline that asked who the next Truman would be. Since the Man From Missouri lies safely in his grave, liberal media types can safely trumpet him as their ultimate president. Truman rightly enjoys high praise from historians now despite his second term unpopularity. Few want to admit that our current president in many ways parallels Truman and deserves the same consideration for seeing the United States through a very difficult period.


The liberal media fails to acknowledge that George W. Bush follows in the foreign policy tradition of the confrontational Harry Truman. If you want to make them fall into a fetal position and tremble, mention Franklin D. Roosevelt's desire at the end of World War II for the United States to stamp out rogue regimes before they become powerful enough to threaten the peace of their regions, much less the US itself. He learned firsthand that we ought to destroy regimes like Hussein's and Hitler's earlier, lest we commit hundreds of thousands of soldiers and uncountable resources later.


Just because liberals today want to claim Harry Truman (and many of them actually did not in his time!) does not mean they have the right. Today's liberalism was not Truman's liberalism of confident American action. Today's Democratic Party is light years away from the one he led.

Bennie Thompson's War on the War on Terror

Looks like the Democratic Congress is already striking blows in favor of the enemy. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, launched a campaign to eliminate the immunity from civil lawsuits that tipsters now enjoy. If Thompson has his way, calling in suspicious activity aboard an airplane can result in a massive lawsuit against those that turn in the information. Why? Representative Thompson has more concern about the possibility of profiling than the possibility of a passenger filled airplane being used as a weapon. It must have been Thompson’s vast expertise in agricultural and rural issues that got him selected to one of the House’s most important chairmanships.

I will be the first to say that the Republican Congress deserved what it got in 2006. Two years of non productive power earned it a defeat. They had chances to pass legislation to reform the tax code, to save social security beyond 2040, and expand our energy resources among many other things. Instead they played prevent defense, did nothing, and let the Democrats define the issues. In a narrow sense the defeat washed away some old blood and allowed new leaders to rise to the fore, regenerating the Gallant Old Party.

In the long run that may not be good for the nation. Now we have veritable fools running Congress that do not realize that the United States faces enemies around the world. They have held up funding the military for political reasons. Now they try to erode the methods we use to help protect airline passengers every day. Thankfully some Democrats, such as the always sensible Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut (whom the Democratic Party tried to run out of office last year) remember that we are at war with dangerous enemies and need the help of concerned citizens.

Yes, congressional Republicans needed a turnover in leadership and ideas. Hopefully this turnover will not mean a sacrifice in lives, property, and prestige. I tell you though, I would feel much more secure with people like Shelley Moore Capito and Chris Wakim helping to lead our House of Representatives than left wingers like Bennie Thompson and the woman that put him in charge of Homeland Security issues.

The Gov and the GOP

Republicans derisively call him "Mojo." Democrats call him an election in the bag at this point, whatever election that might be. No doubt exists that, were it not for the lunatic left wing of the national Democratic Party, he has a definite future on the national stage if he keeps his nose clean. In West Virginia, if you say "Joe," everyone knows who you are talking about.

He can drive some people to serious distraction. Nearly everyone despises the "Open for Business" signs that will likely last until the next governor is inaugurated. The foolish intervention into West Virginia University's football schedule won him few friends outside of Cabell County. Apart from that, Governor Manchin has pushed an agenda that tends to favor reforms that might eventually make West Virginia more business friendly. He also has made statements that can be interpreted as pro war and is definitely anti-abortion.

All that being said, he is what he is. Joe Manchin remains a product of the Democratic Party's domination of West Virginia. Some might argue that puts him in a unique position to steer more comprehensive change through an otherwise hostile Legislature. Others doubt that a product of the Ruling Party has the capacity to introduce drastically revolutionary reforms necessary to make this state truly prosperous.

Few West Virginia Republicans of any stature want to take him on next year and who can blame them? That being said, the possibility exists that he could succeed an ailing Robert Byrd into the US Senate or even be selected as a running mate of the Democratic presidential nominee. The state GOP must groom a strong candidate for that eventuality. State Democrats may be less prepared for a Manchin defection than Republicans, so a candidate with ability and some stature must run. Robin Capehart comes to mind as one such possibility, but certainly there are others. A standard bearer must emerge that can represent the differences between West Virginia Republicans and Governor Manchin and also take advantage should the presumed Democratic nominee suddenly become otherwise engaged.

Despite the fact that many conservatives like Manchin, West Virginia needs to continue moving towards a real two party system. Competition in politics creates more responsible government. A non entity in the governor's race represents a step backwards not only for the state GOP, but for West Virginia as a whole. We need a man or woman with Republican values, strength of character, communication skills, and charisma to fight the good fight. After all, November 2008 is still a long way off and you never know what may happen between now and then.

Where do you go to get your reputation back?

In a news article in the Times-News it was announced that all the charges were dropped against Sonny Alt. Not only were the charges dismissed, they were dismissed with prejudice. Prejudice implies coming to a judgement on the subject based on false beliefs.

Many people in the community believed all along that Sonny Alt was falsely accused, now the court system seems to agree. Sonny falls in the same category as the Duke Lacrosse Team. Where does he go to get his reputation back? Who do you ask to fix all the damage done to his reputation by the false accusations?

What about the voters, how should they respond? In 2004 Sonny Alt was elected to serve a 6-year term as County Clerk, so now we have disenfranchised voters because he was removed from office based on false accusations.

There were people in Mineral County ready to tar and feather Sonny based on rumor and hearsay, but in today's world you get tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Mike Nifong even when he knew the accusations were false, refused to drop the case of apologize. The Duke Lacrosse team eventually got a public apology from the North Carolina Attorney General, because he did the honorable thing when when nobody else would. Who will be the first in Mineral County government to do the honorable thing and publicly apologize to Sonny Alt for the damage done to his reputation?

Memorial Day Tidings to the Troops From Rockefeller and the Left in Congress

If you criticize someone when they deserve it, you also ought to take time and praise someone. Although I disagree with Senator Robert Byrd's spoken position on the Iraq theatre of the War on Terror, it must be pointed out that his most recent vote, with the majority against cutting off funds for the war on a certain date, was for the troops. Left wing congressional Democrats have tried to undercut our troops by delaying or even halting funding for them while they still serve in the field. Byrd's vote does not indicate a change of mind so much as it demonstrates that he does not want our troops left without the tools they need to fight. Hopefully it also means that he does not support cutting out in such a humiliating fashion.

Right now left wing congressional Democrats have no concern for America's fighting men and women. They have no concern for those that have supported us and believed in us in Iraq who will suffer greatly if we leave prematurely (or come to the US in large numbers looking for assylum.) They have no concern for America's leadership position in the world, which recent European elections have shown is at a very high level right now. Count Senator Rockefeller among these people.

Except for a handful this stand does not reflect principle, but politics. They see certain opinion polls and change their stripes to reflect what they consider to be the popular mood. Many published polls show a minority supporting the war. Less publicized polls also show that most Americans do not support leaving prematurely. Rockefeller has probably not seen them. He voted for the war, but then claimed he did not understand the information presented to him as ranking Senate member on the Intelligence Committee.

Rockefeller knows that he is vulnerable, but he does not understand that this vote may have killed him should a strong and well-funded opponent appear. With so many West Virginians in the Iraq theatre needing the essentials to fight and do the job we sent them to do, Senator Rockefeller voted to cut off their funds. This will send a loud and clear message that the West Virginia GOP should make sure every West Virginian hears by next fall.

Unfortunately the message from this vote, taken so close to the day when we are supposed to honor our fighting men, sends a message to our enemies as well. It tells them to hang in there just a little longer. Unless moderate, patriotic Democrats and Republicans stand firm, the left wingers can win the war for the terrorists.

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.