The Fine Art of Persuasion

Persuasion is less a science and more of an art form. However this art, like many, has maxims that hold truth. For instance, say you generate a message. This year it sounds preposterous, right on the edge of believability. However get some money, celebrities, and experts to sign on and you have a fringe movement. Repeat the message often enough and it creeps onto the edge of respectability. From there it becomes accepted. Left wingers specialize in manipulations like this and we have seen it. Mountaintop removal will destroy every mountain in West Virginia. Global warming exists and it will destroy mankind.

Why does the Left not advance arguments that they can more firmly ground in fact? For example, every global warming story relies on correlations. You can draw correlations between the drop in popularity of baseball and the dubious climate change numbers they offer. These messages rely on their very extremism, not facts. They assume that people may not swallow the whole idea at once, but act on the principle of "where there's smoke, there's fire."

The more extreme the message, the more you can shift people's attitudes in the long run, potentially anyway. We can argue that mountaintop removal mining has benefits and drawbacks and that coal companies ought to respect as much as possible the environment they affect. Also we can argue that reducing pollution through technology and other means is a commendable goal. However since those ideas are not that far from people's mainstream points of view, they do not cause major shifts in popular belief. It's easier for liberal leftists to say that all the mountains will be gone someday or that the world will end up uninhabitable. Some may balk at what I am saying, but think of the pro-abortion and animal rights movements over history. Look at how messages currently undermine the idea that a person has the right to eat what he or she wants and the responsibility to deal with the consequences.

What is the point in the Left's messages? It is anti-capitalism and anti-freedom plain and simple. Some of the messages show some coordination, others are merely inspired. An element in the United States wants to fundamentally change how people in general view economics and society. They want to move the country farther away from individual rights and responsibilities towards a collective mentality where government acts as parent. Or perhaps as Big Brother.

They cannot do it directly through revolution so they attack on the fringes using proxy issues. The base messages are always the same. Capitalism is evil. People are not smart enough to take care of themselves or their environment. Authority needs to do it for them. Perhaps if more people become aware of how the messages try to manipulate them, they will know to resist them. They are counting on you to not think about what they say, but to accept it even just partially. Don't do them the favor of unconditionally accepting it.

How Powerful Is the Liberal Media?

From time to time people like to question the real power that the liberal media has over public perception. Consider these facts and then think about all the recent stories citing polls that say Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average just topped 14,000 for the first time ever. Our economy has expanded constantly since 2001 despite attack, war, and natural disaster.

The United States has not been attacked since 2001. Sure Al Quaida was just called the most dangerous terror threat to the United States, but that has been the case since the 1990s.

Iraq currently has a government with over a million civil servants. They also have 55,000 police officers with 3,500 graduating into the force every two months. A stock exchange has operated there for almost three years. According to Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb of the British Army, coalition forces now work in various areas to construct economic and political structures that thrive even when they leave. Terrorists have fewer and fewer places to operate as a result.

Thirty years ago the liberal media called attention to starving children in Appalachia. Now it blasts the government for callously letting poor children get too fat.

In what other country at any other time did every individual have so much opportunity to better themselves through education? Well, name a country that did not tax the individual at over 50% once they did make something of themselves.

The people of France and Germany (who we have been told despise the United States) both elected governments in the last few years determined to not only have better relations with America, but reform their economies to be more like the US!

This country is going in the right direction in many ways. The groundwork started with President Reagan who created a foundation of power and prosperity that makes us the envy of the world. Every responsible person should look at our country and the blessings of liberty and opportunity it bestows upon us all and thank the leaders who helped bring us to this point in history. Next year voters need to remember which party has consistently worked for the strengthening of our nation as opposed to condemning basic American values and choose accordingly.

Water pressure concern at Mineral County Planning Commission meeting

Residences of the Fort Ashby area voiced their opinion to the Mineral County Planning Commission on Thursday night. Ashby Crest subdivision located near Painter Hollow Road could add up to 35 additional homes on what locals call an over taxed water system. One local resident stated he only had 8 psi of water pressure at his home.

The subdivision received all proper permits from the Frankfort PSD to hook on to the water system, and were aware of the pressure problem. The developer said he would be installing a booster pump for the subdivision, so the new homes would not experience the same water pressure problems.

County Health Department official A.J. Root said that the PSD was required to provide at least 20 psi of water pressure. Planning Commission President Clyde Burdock conferred if he lived in that area he would not put up with 8 psi of water pressure, and suggested that the people contact the state Public Service Commission.

Kolin Jan felt that the planning commission should not approve the subdivision. County Planner Scott Clay informed the commission that the developer had met all the requirements for the subdivision, and that this developer had presented the most complete plans he had seen going well beyond anything required by the code. He went on to state, "the Planning Commission could be sued if they did not follow the law", as Mr. Jan suggested. Clyde Burdock followed by saying the Frankfort PSD is at fault if they approved the permits without doing the proper checks and inspection.

Several citizens stated they had no complaints with the developer, and wanted the growth as it would help their property values. Their main concern was the lack of water pressure and a fear that the subdivision could aggravate the problem.

Also at the meeting Frank Roleff pointed out that at the June Planning Commission meeting the Planning Commission stated that when the County Commission made new appointments they should try to give equal representation to the different areas of the county. At the time of the June meeting the north end magisterial district had 4 members, the Keyser area district had 2 members, and the southwest part of the county had 3.

With resignation of Mr. Welch from the north end prior to the June meeting, the Planning Commission suggested that 3 persons from the Keyser area be appointed or re-appointed. This would have given fair and equal representation to the planning commission from all parts of the county with an even split of 3, 3, and 3. Mr. Roleff went on to point out that this recommendation was not followed and the north end now has 4 members, the southwest 4, and Keyser district only having one member, and he felt the different areas of the county were not fairly represented.

Capito says taxpayers should not pay to house illegal aliens

If your going to immigrate to the US, then you need to do it legally. Many of our ancestors came to the US for a better life, and most came legally. Apparently until Shelley Capito closed the loop hole illegals were getting housing assistance. The loop hole was located in the Section 8 Program.

Congresswoman Capito stated, "Loopholes in current law, like this housing assistance loophole for illegal immigrants, act as a magnet and invite people to enter our country illegally. We should not be rewarding those who have come here illegally by awarding them taxpayer-funded services intended for law-abiding citizens.”

The congresswoman closed the loop hole by adding an amendment requiring two forms of id to prove the housing assistance applicant was a legal US resident. The problem is not one being faced by West Virginians alone. In the Denver, CO area over 20,000 illegal aliens received FHA home loans. She explained, “We must take this opportunity to strengthen a successful federal program to ensure this benefit is only provided to legal residents.”

Both WV Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall voted to continue to allow illegal aliens to receive US taxpayer assistance. The Capito amendment passed 233-186 blocking future housing benefits to illegal aliens.

What Patton would say about the current War on Terror

I thought somebody did a pretty good job on this, and does highlight what many on the left don't understand.

Is Mineral County running out of water?

At several planning commission meetings over the past 2 years I have heard people claim that Mineral County is running out of water. Now living here my entire life I have never thought that Mineral County is running out of water. The water may not be distributed properly throughout the county currently, but it is nothing that couldn't be done. There is a fair amount of water at Jennings Randolph Lake that could be accessed if we needed, so the people saying we are running out of water are just trying to scare people.

If anybody has driven past the filtration plant in Keyser and looked at the dam, you may have noticed that the water is not going over the spillway. New Creek is very low right now, but money was available through Homeland Security provide backup water supplies throughout the country. 18 miles of pipe would be needed in Mineral County to provide that security.

4 miles of pipe could connect New Creek Water to Mountain Top Water System. 4 miles would connect Keyser to Piedmont, 1 mile to connect Keyser/New Creek to Burlington/Fountain and the long one of 9 miles to connect Fountain to Frankfort's system. At about $200,000 per mile of pipe construction, this would be about a $3.6 million project. Once completed in an emergency any water system could pull off another to continue service. Put in perspective the $3.6 million water security project is less than a 10th of the $40.0 million north end sewer project.

It is hard to say which is the most important project. I would tend to believe that clean drinking water would top the list, but we don't have to pick as the funding sources are different. We have an opportunity if we choose to take it. I will build better infrastructure for future economic growth in the county, and because it will help bring jobs to the county some will oppose it.

The "Big Lie" Means it is Desperation Time For the Democrats

The "big lie" technique represents one of the biggest weapons in the liberal arsenal when it comes to campaigning. One example lies in 2004 advertisements in Florida blaming President Bush for hurricanes. Democratic strategists believe that if they tell a big enough lie, they can convince voters that maybe part of what they say rings true. "Big lie" campaigning smacks of desperation; it means they have absolutely no rhetorical arrows to fire.

Democrats hauled out the "big lie" over July 4th against Shelley Moore Capito when they accused her of not supporting the troops. They know West Virginia is a state with many sons and daughters in the military and hope this blatant lie can get traction. With few complaints against the incumbent and a weak opponent, Democrats have few options.

In fact Capito has voted consistently to support the troops. She joined with many Democrats, including John Murtha (D) PA in rejecting a raise for the troops that would have drawn from the overall fund for the war. They agreed that drawing the money for raises from the war fund meant troops would lack other necessities. Capito did support a raise at a different time. These accusations against the daughter of a World War II hero are absolutely ludicrous. As much as it must pain Capito and her family to hear such lies disseminated, she must take some heart in the fact that her opponents have no factual issues from which to attack her.

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In a victory for transperancy and accountability to the taxpayer, Congresswoman Capito also must be saluted for early release of her earmarks request list. They include funds that will assist programs and infrastructure throughout the Eastern Panhandle.

The Power of the (New) Press

Hillary Clinton must seem like a magician to Hardy County Democrats. Supporters such as Planned Parenthood tried feverishly to create a fundraiser for her in that area, but for whatever reason it fell through. The major issues seemed to be either use of state employee e mail to promote the event or the fact that West Virginians did not seem willing to give large enough amounts of money to her campaign.

The magic comes in with the revelation that no fundraiser was ever even planned in Hardy County. Hillary Clinton, much like her husband, believes in the power of bald faced denials to shape what people see as the truth. They put facts into their magic hat, wave their hands, and make them disappear, all the while assuring you that they have nothing up their sleeves. And everyone that accuses them of having something up their sleeves must be part of that dangerous vast right wing conspiracy. The power of the new press foiled their trick this time.

Gary Abernathy's Republican Gazette takes pride in its partisanship, but it also does West Virginians a real journalistic service. It stayed out front on the Hillary Clinton story and the accumulating embarassments surrounding this debacle. When Clinton's campaign denied the existence of a fundraiser, the Republican Gazette produced the invitation asking folks to pay a lot of money to join her at a Moorefield hotel.

Certainly in this new age of internet journalism, one must practice caveat emptor more than ever. However internet journalism was first to reassure Hardy County that, yes, there really was a fundraiser planned for their lovely part of the state, despite what Hillary Clinton herself might say.

West Virginia Economy will now start looking up according to Forbes

It is not starting to look up because the economic conditions in the state suddenly got better. It is because now have no place but up to look. WE ARE NOW DEAD LAST! We are now ranked number 50 in best places to do business by Forbes. Ironically the mother state is number one. Now diametrically opposed in business climate, West Virginia and Virginia are the ying and yang of state economic models.

The blue print for prosperity has been written, but we need a state legislature that will in act the changes. Russell Sobel of WVU has laid it all out in Unleashing Capitalism. This book is a must read for everybody in West Virginia that has had family leave to find work.

Many of you will say I'm beating a dead horse because nothing will be done. While I look at it more as trying to get the dead horse out of the way. It is not really a dead horse, it is more of a dead jackass. The one thing standing in the way of making the reforms needed to make West Virginia's economy grow is the Democratic Party.

The truth of the matter is we know exactly what needs to be done. We have for sometime. You only need look next door at Virginia. Low taxes, tort reform, and low workers comp. The Republicans have tried to pass the reforms, but Democrats have been obstructionist in the states economy.

The book Unleashing Capitalism is a non-partisan look at the states economy and how to fix it. As the man said, "Read The Book!"

Economic Growth means money for roads

The US 50 Association met on Wednesday in Garrett County, MD. Yes, I know this is a West Virginia blog, but the US 50 Association is made up of 5 West Virginia Counties. It was just Maryland's turn to host the event.
This meeting had a featured speaker of Joe Deneault of West Virginians for Better Transportation. Joe gave a very detailed report on the state of roads, funding, and the future. The future is not good, and as everybody knows it is funding. The state has more than 1/3 of its bridges needing replaced, and 30% of the roads are substandard and no money to make the fixes.

The discussion turned to funding sources. Mr. Deneault stated that the public indicated that no increase in taxes would be acceptable. I agree, there is too much government waste in this state to require a tax increase. If we can get spending under control in Charleston, we will not need to increase taxes. West Virginia has the highest number of state employees per capita, than any other state. That means all of us that work in the private sector pay for a government that can't service our needs. It is time for a change.

When asked what other states have done for highway funds, the response was Toll Roads in populated areas, Tax Incremental Financing in growth areas, Private-Public Partnerships on toll roads, and selling toll roads to private companies. Toll Roads seem to dominate the idea to get around taxes. Toll Roads are still a tax, they are a use tax paid each time you use it. Private-Public partnerships were called Corporatism by Benito Mussolini and I'm not sure that is Mussolini is a good roll model for West Virginia. Selling the toll road to a private company would be a good idea. The money sink of Tamarack would no longer be a drain on the state. When government tries to run a business it usually ends up costing the taxpayers money.

The last is the TIF districts. I have mixed feelings about these. I think the can be good for small targeted projects. Mineral County is using a TIF district to build a traffic light for the new hospital south of Keyser and that makes sense. Unless of course the hospital gets sold to a non-profit at which point the county will get stuck with bill, because non-profits don't pay taxes.

The answer to increase the money available to the WVDOH is simple. Cut the waste in other parts of government and make the changes needed to attract businesses to the state. We are dead last in best states to do business. When those companies locate in other states, they pay no taxes here to use on the roads.

Does Mineral County Want Economic Development?

I've been hearing about all this hype about the economic development in Mineral County..
My question is... Where? I see no businesses coming in.. I see no "new" jobs being created.

The facts indicate we don't want development. Mineral County Development Authority President Dwight Lambert said, "We could have gotten rid of that (Fort Ashby) park last spring however, I interceded. We have had numerous prospects, but we're not going to let every Tom, Dick and Harry put something in there." As Charles Smiley said in a letter to the editor, Tom, Dick and Harry were businesses like American Woodmark, Rubber Maid, Smith Transport. All good paying jobs that can support families.

In 14 years the only movement in the Fort Ashby Industrial Park, was ThermoGauge moving its 5 employees from one side of Fort Ashby to the other. An increase of zero jobs in the county, while companies employing 25+ have been turned down. I have heard that a minimum of 25 employees per lot have been required for a sale, so shouldn't ThermoGauge be required to have 50 employees to purchase 2 lots? Do we have double standards, or no standards at all?

West Virginia ranks at the bottom in Economic Growth, you don't get to be picky. You take the companies paying good wages, so that people do not have to move away or drive to Northern Virginia everyday to work.

An observance at the Republican Summer meeting

Former US Congressman (WV-3) Mick Staton made an observation that a large delegation from the eastern panhandle was present. Considering that the meeting was held in Huntington, about as far away from the eastern panhandle as you can get, this reflects two trends in state politics.

The first is that the growth in the 7 eastern panhandle counties is showing its growing political power. A trend that will only continue. The 2010 census the population increase will pull a full senatorial district and 4 house districts into the eastern panhandle. We are beginning to experience a fundamental shift in power geographically that has seldom occurred in state history. One that will strain existing bounds and create new alliances and new ways of doing political business in the state.

The second is with Mineral, Grant. Berkeley, and Morgan Counties all Republican majority counties the shift is a Republican shift. Probably the real reason that the Mick Stanton saw a heavy showing from the eastern panhandle at the meeting. The first serious candidate for Governor in 2008, Bob Adams, was making the rounds. Out of Jefferson County Bob represents the growing importance of the eastern panhandle to the growth of the Republican Party in the state.

The growth of the population of the eastern panhandle and the shift to Republican majority is an opportunity for the party to exploit. My grandfather had a saying, "You whip the horse that pulls." While it is important the for the party to work state wide to increase Republican voter registration, the Republican party needs to push harder in the counties showing the highest growth.

Rick Santorum as a Senate Candidate against Rockefeller?

With John Raese not currently on board for a 2008 Senate run against Rockefeller, and Shelley Capito concentrating on her house seat the Republican Party in WV left looking for a candidate. The name of Rick Santorum has come up as possible candidate to run against Rockefeller.

That might not be a crazy and idea as it sounds. Santorum was born in Winchester, Virginia but spent some of his early life in the Martinsburg area before his family whisk him off to Pennsylvania. That would make him much less of a carpetbagger than Rockefeller who was born in New York in 1937 and never moved to West Virginia until the mid 1960's.

Rick Santorum is a former US Senator from PA, and well known in the northern and eastern parts of West Virginia. One important thing that Santorum can bring to a Senate run against Rockefeller is the ability to fund raise. According to his 2006 FEC filings, Rick raised $24,790,468 for his senate campaign. While Rockefeller could fund his own campaign, in the last election the FEC shows him raising only $2,637,717. Byrd only raised $5,114,217 during the 2006 campaign.

Currently working for the law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot with offices in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, Santorum could easily take up residency in the Wheeling or Martinsburg areas.

Rick Santorum as a candidate for US Senate from West Virginia might not be that far fetched as it would first seem.

Recycling Just Not Feasible

In principle, recycling is a good idea. Reusing already processed materials over again can reduce stress on the environment in the form of resource extraction and garbage. However principles must always balance with reality as the Hampshire County Commission has discovered.

When studying the Monongalia County model Hampshire County's leaders concluded that even with a $100,000 start up grant, a program could not maintain itself in the long run. Hampshire shares the same problem as the rest of the Potomac Highlands counties studying this issue. A disbursed and low population combined with prohibitive expenses means recycling end up being an intolerable financial burden. Not to mention that recycling requires more than just the placement of bins. People need to spend time separating the various components and also need to refrain from simply dumping all their garbage in the bins.

Recycling has grown so prevalent around the country that a low level of demand exists for these products. It is not worth the money for a private firm to pick up the materials from rural areas when cities provide a glut. Most local governments also cannot afford to pick up the tab when they cannot even pay enough money to maintain a full complement of sheriff's deputies.

The best hope for the idea of recycling lies in the forms that people can do most easily. Promoting the reuse of plastic containers or glass jars instead of purchasing Tupperware type products is one way. Others recycle old auto parts. They keep non running vehicles on their property for parts to maintain cars that do still run. This conserves valuable metal resources.

However at this point, expecting the taxpayers to pick up the tab for recycling just is not feasible for rural West Virginia counties.

Election 2008 holds importance for a lot of reasons. One of the more interesting issues that we face in this election is a discussion of what it means to be conservative. What issues drive Republicans and conservatives in general?

It boils down to the nominee Republicans select for the presidency. Certainly Rudolph Giuliani has the visibility and experience. His economic credentials indicate that a Giuliani administration will make tough decisions regarding the budget and work back towards balance. The potential leadership Giuliani brings in terms of managing our economy and getting our budget under control could lead to true reforms in social security and the tax code. President Bush pushed these issues hard and gained no traction. Giuliani might succeed where Bush could not in this sphere. Additionally a Giuliani administration likely will support less burdens on business. This would help set the country on a sound economic path for decades to come.

Giuliani appears questionable on the very issues that former Senator Fred Thompson has used to garner strong support. Fred Thompson has strength in economic conservatism, but has also earned the support of social conservatives. The Tennessean strongly opposes abortion and same sex marriages, issues that galvanize conservatives in rural America.

Liberals already speculate that social conservatives would not turn out to support a Giuliani campaign. Perhaps if they nominate a non-entity like Obama that might be the case. Conservatives of all stripes dislike intensely Hillary Clinton and would vote for a dead cat rather than see her in office.

Conservatism in America lies at a crossroads. The nominee Republicans select for the presidency next year will strongly determine what conservatism will look like for a long time to come.

This Is What Some Mineral County Leaders Want

John Paul Hott is an angry man.

The Petersburg insurance agent recently had his application for rezoning denied by the Petersburg City Council. He wanted a house zoned residential reclassified so that he could operate his business from there. The council listened to neighbors opposed to the location of the business and denied the request.

Apparently the city of Petersburg acted improperly. The mayor and city council were not aware of the existence of a zoning appeals board that was created by ordinance to handle such issues. Hott blasted the city council not only for incompetence in not knowing the law, but also for not recognizing a conflict of interest. Hott maintains that the city council contains members whose interests or whose family's interests conflict with his business.

Some in Mineral County push very hard behind the scenes to incrementally move the area towards zoning. The Petersburg example shows the pitfalls of this process. A legitimate businessman's interests get caught in governmental decision making. Instead of conducting his business to the benefit of himself, his employees, and frankly the city itself, Hott is considering a lawsuit. He might sue because the city did not follow the law in rejecting his application.

It also shows the problems that might occur related to conflicts of interest. Likely the Petersburg City Council operated in good faith. However the potential for striking against a business competitor, or the competitor of a friend or a family member, or maybe someone the official just does not like, is there. Laws are enforced by human beings. Sometimes human beings act responsibly, sometimes incompetently, sometimes dishonestly. Businessmen and women ought to be relieved of having to deal with the strong hand of government as often as possible.

Evacuation Destination

For well over two years now, federal, state, and local authorities have crafted plans to deal with possible major terror attack on Washington D. C. Now millions of dollars may come available to invest in an infrastructure to handle the strain of hundreds of thousands of people pouring into the West Virginia mountains.

We saw how disaster preparedness worked in Louisiana a few years ago. A corrupt city of New Orleans and Louisiana state government misspent money and provided no leadership when hit by a massive hurricane. West Virginia's county, city, and state governments need to figure out not only how to solve problems, but what the biggest problems are likely to be.

Certainly first and foremost we need better infrastructure. Virginia must get on board to link Corridor H to the interstate system or risk creating a dangerous bottleneck that terrorists could strike in a second wave attack. US 50 needs serious upgrades. Even if it ultimately falls short of a four lane expressway, traffic not used to mountain travel needs a road easier to navigate. First responders in the Potomac Highlands need training on how to handle chemical, biological, and radiation related conditions. Predetermined quarantine areas need to be determined as well as where to place the rest of the people fleeing the event.

We need to address all these issues and more. What we do not need is to spend this money in the same old ways. The priorities and methods that have dominated Legislative decision making for over seventy years need to change overall, but especially in this situation. People's lives, evacuees and residents alike, will hang in the balance by the thousands; politicians and planners need to repsect and remember that. Hopefully those that represent the Potomac Highlands and Eastern Panhandle can make others in the state appreciate the potential here for effective deliverance or utter disaster.

US 50's Dorsey's Curve

Last Thursday yet another vehicle crashed on U.S. Route 50 at Dorsey’s Curve. This time no one was killed, but that is not always the case. A remember a few years ago when a couple was killed and their pet dog was taken in my locals and eventually money was raised and the dog was sent to their family in Arizona.

With US 50 the most unsafe highway in West Virginia per vehicle mile driven, Dorsey's Curve stands as one of the best known trouble spots over the route. So at what point does the state begin to hear the public cries to have the turn reconstructed, so it is safe for travel.

The truck that crashed on Thursday was about the same size as the school buses that run that route daily when school is in session. With modern earth moving equipment that turn can be easily modified for safety. Any death on that turn is one to many, but is it going to take a school bus full of kids to crash before public officials respond to the public cry for help.

Wednesday July 18th the US 50 Association will meet at the Cornish Manor in Oakland, MD at 12 noon and both WVDOH and elected officials will be there. Now is the time for state and local officials to hear the citizen's.

Missed Opportunity . . . Again

Once again a coal boom time has come, blessed us with temporary good times, and then passed. The Cumberland Times News this week announced that West Virginia's economy once again started a decline.

Does trouble loom ahead for the Democratic Party in West Virginia? The State Legislature had a great opportunity to make real structural changes while unemployment dropped and tax revenues rose. Instead they changed the window dressing a little. Every year that passes sees less and less of the state enamored by old fashioned New Deal type solutions. Professor Sobel has laid out in black and white, in painful detail, how other regional states have moved well past us in development.


I doubt that the governor has much to worry about. His personal popularity can withstand an economic downturn. Governor Manchin could not make the changes on his own anyway. The Legislature held the power to do a great deal of good in the past few years and sat on its hands. Well, that's not entirely true. They did work extremely hard to try and promote table games as a way to bolster revenues. See how that worked out. What's next, promoting strip clubs to get young mothers off welfare?


The long term problem remains what it has been for the past century. West Virginia remains too dependent upon one single extractive industry for its well-being. The state needs a climate that encourages not only investment, but an entrepreneurial spirit. It is time to stop condemning the coal industry and people that have have not been alive since World War II or earlier. We can blame the party that has dominated the Legislature now for several decades. Their unwillingness or inability to steer the state towards a diversified economy that supports an independent and entrepreneurial population means that it is their time to hit the road.

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.