2 Million People Reported Missing

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

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

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

Thank you

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

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

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

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

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

Capito Should Capitalize Just Fine in 2008

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

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

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

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

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

Dump the Drug Dealers and the Judges That Protect Them

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

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

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

Fishing for a Reason to Attack Poultry Farmers?

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

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

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

Have you ever read Readers Voice in the Gazette?

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

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

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

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

Hot Air Expended Against Wind Power

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shutting the Door on Illegal Immigration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selling Heritage in the Potomac Highlands

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

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

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

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

Teach Your Children Well; Our Future Depends on it

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

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

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

The Tripping Point

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

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

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

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

Communication is the basis of progress

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

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

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

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

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

Stealing Democracy

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

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

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

Live Free or Die?

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

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

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

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

West Virginia’s Women

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

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

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

West Virginia subsidizing Virginia's economic development

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

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

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

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

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

Red Shift

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

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

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

The Devil Made Me Do It!

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

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

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

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

The Hallowed Halls of Academia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Change of Focus

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

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

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

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

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