If a Tree Falls in the Woods is it Taxed?

If a tree falls in the wood, will it be taxed? In West Virginia that would be a yes, and the tax would be called the Timber Severance Tax. State code defines a severance tax as a tax on the privilege of engaging in a specific business. The fact that our state government feels it is granting businesses a “privilege” is one of the very reasons West Virginia is ranked 50^th in economic opportunity. That is backwards — the privilege is actually granted to the state by the business when it chooses to locate here.

Winston Churchill once said, “Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon.” In West Virginia our business tax structure shoots both the horse and the cow and then the government wonders why the cow quit giving milk and the economic wagon stopped moving forward. We cannot continue on this course of economic self destruction.

For the past 60 plus years West Virginia has created policies that have destroyed our economy to the detriment of all citizens. The evidence lays in the census data. In 1950 West Virginia made up 1.3% of the US population and now we make up only 0.6%. We have been cut by more than half. The severance taxes are one of the very things holding us in last place. It is simply double taxation. The severance tax is on top of the income tax already paid on the same product or service.

If you’re in the timber industry and have your choice of locating in West Virginia or a state that has no timber severance tax, then you’re going to use a little common sense and locate in a state where you can be more profitable. If your timber business is already located here, then the severance tax is simply taking away money that can be used to expand your business. It is plain to see that severance taxes are shots being fired that are killing businesses.

The proponents of the severance tax will claim, “We will have to replace that revenue lost if the severance taxes are eliminated.” They are wrong; the economy will replace those taxes without intervention from government. History tells us exactly what will happen if the burden of the severance tax is removed from the timber industry. The industry will see an increase in revenue and that revenue will be plowed back into the businesses. The expansion will increase business, which will increase corporate taxes paid. New timber businesses will enter the West Virginia market place, further increasing corporate taxes collected by the state. Going back to the Churchill quote, you don’t increase the amount of milk you get from the cow by milking it more often — you increase the amount of milk by increasing the size of your herd.

Fewer taxes will cause growth in the economy, including employment growth. Growth in the economy will increase tax revenue. This has been proven over and over again through history. The current West Virginia government has proven the opposite — years of high and double taxation have helped push West Virginia into last place.

One of the sturdy horses pulling the economic wagon of West Virginia is our timber industry. My grandfather had a saying: you whip the horse that pulls. Let’s whip the timber horse by removing the severance tax to start down the road to economic growth in West Virginia. We need to change.

Ron Paul Redux

In my last commentary on Ron Paul, I was twice invited by "anonymous" to read Ron Paul's site. They apparently thought I had not done this in the first place. I did go back and look again at his positions and came away with the same feeling I had before. Some of his ideas are solid, but a few would put the country in danger.

Smaller government that puts more freedom into the hands of the people represents a positive good. We definitely need to roll back liberal cuts in property and education rights. As far as domestic ideas on individual rights are concerned, Ron Paul has good ideas. Fortunately Fred Thompson and other Republican candidates share Paul's desire to protect property rights, gun rights, and the right of every unborn child to live.

Paul's foreign policy ideas are, however, disastrous. They run absolutely contrary to the actions of the Founding Fathers when they assumed the presidency. Paul believes that military force ought not be used without a direct declaration of war by Congress. Again, the Founders themselves did not believe that this was reasonable. George Washington launched three wars against the Shawnee Nation and after his presidency supported an undeclared war against France launched by John Adams. Washington's Farewell Address warning about entanglements referred to alliances with Europe and most likely was meant to be a short term warning. Washington's actions throughout his life reflected those of a man who was flexible and adaptive to changing situations, never dogmatic.

Congress did not declare war against the Barbary Pirates in either the Jefferson or Madison administration. Each one of these men supported military action without the direct assent of Congress. Madison and Washington wielded powerful influences over the creation of the Constitution. If any men understood what it meant, these would be two. Jefferson advocated a very limited role for the chief executive, but still sent the Navy and Marines into action to protect US interests.

Paul's position on Iraq has no basis in reality and shows an appalling lack of any kind of sense about geopolitics. References to creating more enemies simply do not hold water and do not reflect the shifting and complex nature of society and politics in the Middle East. National Security means that the US needs to be involved in regions throughout the world. If a grease fire started in your kitchen, would you put it out immediately, or wait until your entire home was threatened? "No win police actions" and other uses of the military that Paul disdains head off more dangerous conflicts down the road. If we had the same foreign policy in the 1930s that we do now, millions of lives and trillions of dollars would have been saved. Paul has forgotten the lessons of 9/11, much less Munich and Pearl Harbor.

As far as NAFTA is concerned, neither the Canadians nor the United States want a European Union style system. Canada very jealously guards its cultural and political independence from possible US encroachment. That being said the EU represents a powerful economic competitor as a unified economic zone. Paul points out that France has blocked sales of US products. So be it. The best way to react is through a coordinated response with our primary trade partners. The European Union already shows signs of strain due to its increasingly socialistic regulations and is no model to follow. When BMW shows that Spartanburg, South Carolina is a better place to manufacture cars that their own country, it demonstrates that our system works. That being said, it is right to remain vigilant to make sure that Eurosocialism does not creep into our methods of doing business.

When it is all said and done, Paul is an idealist. Ideally the world's nations conduct their affairs reasonably, each nation peacefully advancing their own interest. In such a world Paul's ideas on foreign policy would be fine. The world has never reflected such a state. In both warfare and trade, the rest of the world does not play by the rules we would like to follow. We must follow a variety of strategies to protect our economic and political interests. Paul's ideas do not reflect reality. It is hard to tell what is more of a threat, Paul's dangerously ineffective idealism, or Obama's absolute vacancy. Likely we will never find out in either case.

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By the way, some over the years have bemoaned the fact that big money often exercises influence over politics. This is especially true in West Virginia. For the most part, convention delegates whether committed or uncommitted paid their own fees and travel expenses. The exception lies in Paul's delegates. As was reported by Gary Abernathy and Vic Sprouse, Ron Paul's campaign paid many of the delegate fees. Some of the travel expenses were also covered for Paul delegates. Imagine that, the outsider candidate trying to purchase a convention victory in West Virginia. They did nothing illegal, but it does explain why they hold a lead in "committeds." Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and others could not afford to send a bunch of folks on a paid junket to Charleston.

Paul's campaign may be one of outsiders, but they learned some inside tricks in West Virginia politics fairly quickly.

The Mortgage Bailout...Again

http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/103997/What-the-Mortgage-Bailout-Means-for-You

What it means for most Americans, nothing good. I especially like the last paragraph where the negative effects are mentioned.

Who stands in the way of such an effort?
Investors in mortgages and mortgage-backed securities. If homeowners are going to pay less on their mortgages than originally planned, then somebody is going to lose money. These aren't just fat cats on Wall Street—although many such firms have invested in these securities—they're also pension funds for teachers, firemen, and police, as well as mutual funds whose clients include all sorts of individual investors. They probably even include homeowners who are facing the prospect of higher payments on their adjustable-rate mortgages.

So what is the answer? Not a seven year freeze on interest rates as some Democrats are calling for, the answer is a return to Conservative Politics and less government interference with the economy. No matter how you slice it, the people who are facing losing their houses, chose their mortgage plan. If they were mislead or lied to when they got their mortgage, the mortgage company has Errors and Omissions insurance and the mortgage company should be held liable for any problems their associates caused. But that's not the case, the problem is that the people bought too much house. There is no accountability with this plan. Next the government will have to address the complaints of investors (like pension plans, mutual fund holders, etc) who will be negatively affected by this plan, and so on and so forth.

Next, remember that the economy is a cycle. Ups and downs are a simple fact of life and help to balance everything; such as money, people, resources, etc. Home prices are ridiculously high in some areas, that's an OPPORTUNITY for young people and people looking for a fresh start to relocate to an area (like Mineral County) and build a life for themselves and their family. Isn't that how this country started? The poor and/or ambitious moved across the pond to start a life for themselves and their families? What happens to our area when our tax dollars are used to subsidize the lives of our urban counterparts? Without subsidies for housing and transportation, our area would look much more attractive than it does. We have a lower cost of living, you can buy a home with some land for less than it costs to rent a 1 bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a building in DC. Without subsidies and programs like the mortgage bailout how many people might move to the lower cost areas, start businesses, use services, pay taxes, and boost our numbers? In a democracy, numbers count for a lot.

Perhaps Mineral County and for that matter WV, should change the slogan to "Build Your Life" and focus on passing the message to people 25-40 years old who are starting to have kids and looking for a place to raise their kids that they can call home. You know a nice house on a 1/2 acre or so, white picket fence, dog and a chance to be a pillar of the community and have an active role in their kids lives. There are plenty of those people out there. One problem is the "Math" problem. When I graduated from college and moved to WV, I made less from a dollar point than most if not all of my classmates. Within a year I owned a 3 BR home on a corner lot, a 4 unit apartment building (for sale in Shinnston, WV if anyone is interested), two cars, and a boat. I was also a board member for Big Brothers/Big Sisters attending black tie "Make A Wish" dinners. When I compared my lifestyle to that of my Columbus and New York counterparts, I greatly preferred my lifestyle and had more toys and financial freedom than many of my friends. But I made $10,000-$20,000 per year less than they did. If I had compared job offers from a pure dollar point of view, I would have never come to WV, but I saw the opportunity.

I feel that WV's greatest asset is that people can build their lives here, and build a place that their family can call home. When I need to get my fix for Big City living, I drive 2 1/2 hours to DC. Halfway through the first night when people are walking on the sidewalk 10 feet away from where I am sleeping, I remember why I love living in WV so much...there's room to grow.

Another Failure of the West Virginia Ruling Party

The complete failure of the Democrat controlled government in West Virginia has never been more apparent than in the past week. Kanawha County must somehow absorb a shock to its economy. Tens of millions of dollars now regularly pumped into the region will shortly disappear.

Dow Chemicals is transferring a large number of jobs out of its South Charleston research center. These are not simply service jobs, but six figure salaries paid to Phd's. Losing these jobs ought not come as a surprise to anyone because this facility has hemorrhaged employment since the 1970s. Dow does not plan to cut these jobs but transfer the positions to the Gulf Coast or overseas.

Obviously Dow needs these positions. The problem according to Dow lies in the fact that they cannot obtain cheap supplies of natural gas in this region. An incredible statement considering much of West Virginia sits atop natural gas deposits. However the Byzantine nature of state and federal regulation laid atop the state tax structure means that West Virginia has lost its competitive edge in retaining these crucial jobs.

It all sounds familiar. West Virginians generally support the kind of development that leads to good jobs. Unfortunately they continue to elect people that block that very situation from occurring. Locally we have seen almost insane, Chicken Little style efforts to block development. In the midst of a month long period where we have seen good amounts of rain and snow, people actually have argued that we should block all development or face running out of water.

It is simple. To retain and create jobs we need a good business climate. To achieve that we must elect people that truly understand how to build and maintain one. Over the past seventy eight years the vast majority of Democratic leaders have proven that they know better how to dismantle rather than sustain one.

Giddiness Over Iran

The media is giddy. Democrats are giddy. Even Iran is Giddy. What is the source of all this giddiness?

The National Intelligence Estimate laid what has been touted as a bombshell, that Iran has not actively tried to produce a nuclear weapon since 2003. Harry Reid of course used it to promote Bush as a warmonger trying to start a conflict with Iran for no real reason. The media, Nancy Pelosi, Ron Paul, the Iranian president and every other opponent of Bush's policy will pile on, once again touting a Bush failure, but hold on a second.

Seems to me that this 2003 date seems vaguely familiar. Why on earth would Iran select 2003 as a year to fall into line with the world's demands (minus France, Russia and all else making money off of Iran) to stop pursuing nuclear weapons. Did Iran just pick this day out of the clear blue? The Democrats and the media may have missed it, but I doubt thinking people have.

Cause and effect. We invaded Iraq in 2003 over the issue of weapons of mass destruction. Even the mullahocracy has a sense of self-preservation even though they discourage it in others. They understand the possibility of the United States targeting their regime next and shut down their program.

For four years they have not had an active program, but that does not mean they do not pose a threat. Iran continues to produce for its nuclear reactors the kind of enriched uranium that can be used for weapons. George W. Bush's policy in the Middle East once again has borne fruit. First Libya committed to disarming, now we see that Iran did the same. Only continued pressure and the threat of force will keep Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Once again President Bush should receive the credit for removing a potential threat to the United States before it becomes too dangerous.

Two setbacks for the anti-war movement

It has been another nice weekend on the home front. Our troops should know that thanks to their hard won victories, Americans are beginning to see the light.

Firstly, NBC reversed their decision to not allow this ad to air.

Secondly, a key early critic of the Iraq War has changed his mind. Major General John Batiste, a member of the infamous antiwar group VoteVets.org (a front group for MoveOn.org), has now decided that he was wrong. He writes an op-ed in today's Washington Post with Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom:

First, the United States must be successful in the fight against worldwide Islamic extremism. We have seen this ruthless enemy firsthand, and its global ambitions are undeniable. This struggle, the Long War, will probably take decades to prosecute. Failure is not an option.

Second, whether or not we like it, Iraq is central to that fight. We cannot walk away from our strategic interests in the region. Iraq cannot become a staging ground for Islamic extremism or be dominated by other powers in the region, such as Iran and Syria. A premature or precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, without the requisite stability and security, is likely to cause the violence there -- which has decreased substantially but is still present -- to cascade into an even larger humanitarian crisis.

Third, the counterinsurgency campaign led by Gen. David Petraeus is the correct approach in Iraq. It is showing promise of success and, if continued, will provide the Iraqi government the opportunities it desperately needs to stabilize its country.

This follows up the recent begrudging admissions from Democrat Congressmen John Murtha and Earl Pomeroy that the surge is working.

2007 has certainly been a better year than 2006.

Hat tip: Rob at SayAnything , Drudgereport, and the Weekly Standard

Sean Penn Points to Dennise Kucinich as Free World Leader

Actor Sean Penn is expected to announce Dennise Kucinich is his choice for president. Among Penn's credentals for picking the president of the United State is meeting with Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Return of Jerry Mezzatesta?

Because of the relevance of the saga of the fallen former Hampshire County Delegate Jerry Mezzatesta to the Eastern Mineral County and the Potomac Highlands, I have re-posted the following from my post at the Think Tank this morning:

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The Return of the Mezz?

Well, hopefully not.Former Delegate Jerry Mezzatesta is trying to get old job back at Hampshire County Schools. The Daily Mail reports:

Bailey urged Taylor to uphold the grievance board's decision, while Bruce asked that Mezzatesta be allowed back in his previous position and awarded back pay, Bailey said.

Back pay? Does this fellow have ANY shame?

Aside from diverting $35,000 in education grants to a local fire department, the Mezz and his wife pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of destroying and altering legislative computer records in Kanahwa County in 2004.

And of course, the Mezz wanted the taxpayers to foot the bill for his trip to the magistrate as Eric Eyre reported back in December of 2004.

Former House Education Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta wants the state to reimburse him nearly $1,000 for a three-day visit to Charleston during which he cleaned out his office, said goodbye to friends, and pleaded no contest to a criminal charge in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.Mezzatesta has requested "duty day" pay for this past Saturday, Sunday and Monday at $150 each day. He also put in for $115 in expenses for each of those days, and $192 for mileage to and from his home in Romney.

If you don't recall or weren't around for the fall of the mighty former House Education Chairman (who was also former Speaker Bob Kiss' right hand man), you can read about it here in this award winning series by Eric Eyre at the Charleston Gazette.

Speaking of Don Surber

When he is not blogging, Don Surber has a weekly column at the Charleston Daily Mail, which is the closest thing we get to relief from the morning paper here on the banks of the old Kanawha.

Just like most Thursdays and the occasional Saturday, Don has a column out today, in which he demonstrates that Bush deserves credit if Iran is indeed abandoning their pursuit of nuclear arms. Here is my favorite line:

The real danger to the world is not a strong commander-in-chief. It is a weak
one. A mealy-mouthed one. One who worries more about world opinion than he does about the world's security.

His columns are often humorous and entertaining to read, but he has a knack for understanding history and how current events will be woven into its fabric.

Hello, Everyone!

Hello, I am Charles Bolen, Vice-President of the West Virginia Republican Club. I am above with the love of my life, Crystal. You can visit my MySpace page at: http://myspace.com/charlesbolen

I live in Charleston, and am also occasionally known in the blogosphere as the unofficial chief of the "South Hills Bureau" of Don Surber's world famous blog at the Charleston Daily Mail (closing in rapidly on 2 million served - click on his counter and look at where all the hits come from. It is amazing.)

I was invited to participate by my good friends at the Potomac Highlands Republican Club, and I hope to be able to share some interesting news and commentary in the future.

To learn more about the West Virginia Republican Club, you can visit our website at: http://wvrepublicanclub.org/ and you can visit our blog "Think Tank" at http://blog.wvrepublicanclub.org/. My good friend Gary Howell will also be posting there from time to time.

O, O, it's Magic? No.

Oprah Winfrey has thrown her hat into the ring. Sort of.

Winfrey has emerged as a very public supporter of Barrack Obama in the past couple of weeks. Her media empire and friends have geared up to try and place the young whippersnapper into office despite his lack of experience and occasional zaniness. The question is, why?

The question of the United States having a black president is resoundingly when. Certainly it is likely that this is an issue Winfrey cares deeply about and she has decided to place her influence behind Obama. However, is this merely an issue of a black media figure supporting a black politician? Likely not.

Obama as a senator from Illinois has served in a position to help the Chicago based Winfrey if possible. Since Obama presently trails by a considerable margin in the polls, if he somehow emerged as a winner, this bolsters Winfrey's stature considerably. The president would be beholden to Winfrey as a result. Since Winfrey and the shirtless dancing twit are involved it is packaged as fresh and hip. Really it is old fashioned power and media politics.

Winfrey may be able to sway book sales and movie viewership, but her effect on voting is likely not going to be overwhelming. First, she backed a dud. If this was merely a question of "it is time for a black president" then Condoleeza Rice is the most qualified contender. A more seasoned Michael Steele in the future would also be a prime candidate. However it is unlikely that Winfrey could exercise influence over either of these people.

Most likely Winfrey will experience a slight backlash. Celebrities such as Winfrey gain influence because people see some of themselves in the media figure. Perception is shaped by the idea that "she is like me." Politics represents one of the most divisive issues of any democratic state and Winfrey risks alienating part of her audience. Celebrities don't understand that their audience watches them to escape stressful issues such as politics. Winfrey's audience watches her because she is not Olberman or O'Reilly. Some are Republicans and likely quite a few support Hillary Clinton (many of them because they feel "it is time for a woman president"). Once she breaks that boundary, she becomes another political hack.

Obama will get less of a bump from Winfrey than Mike Huckabee has gotten from Chuck Norris. Winfrey's touch in this case will not produce any magic.

Senator Weeks' new book blows lid off WV government lies and malfeasance

(Press Release) BECKLEY — Former State Senator Russ Weeks has written a new book about his four years in the West Virginia Legislature, blowing the lid off various cover-ups, lies and examples of malfeasance in state government.

In "No Strings Attached," Senator Weeks exposes the corruption, duplicity and self-serving interests of the politicians who hold West Virginians hostage.

Senator Weeks, a Navy veteran who ran for office believing one man could make a difference, exposes the hypocrisy of state government in the Mountain State, and reveals an insider’s account of the true story behind:

• Governor Joe Manchin’s handling of the Sago tragedy and the real reason behind the emergency mine legislation that followed the event.
• The cover-ups and government interference regarding serious allegations at a West Virginia healthcare facility, and the heavy-handed efforts to stop Senator Weeks from pursuing the truth.
• The charade of the lawmaking process, and how bills are often changed long after being approved by the legislature.
• The real reason West Virginia ranks last in almost every category.
  

"No Strings Attached" is a riveting first-hand account of government malfeasance at its most shocking, told by the man who held the same Senate seat once occupied by Robert C. Byrd.

And Sen. Weeks issues a challenge to readers: “Now that you know what’s going on with your elected officials, what are you going to do about it?” You can order the book by clicking here.

Former state Senator Russ Weeks is a lifelong West Virginian who served in the Navy, where he was directly involved with the Cuban Missile Crisis. After a career in private business, he was elected to the West Virginia Senate.

He and his wife, Helen, reside in Beckley, West Virginia.

Shelley Moore Capito Delivers on National Security Again

The nightmare scenario that few of us want to think about and that the liberals want to pretend won't happen is all too possible. Imagine a WMD strike on Washington DC, turning the metropolitan area too "hot" for habitation. Hundreds of thousands flee the stricken area. Our region turns into the front line of the war on terror.


In such a situation, those guarding the ramparts ensuring our safety become our National Guard, state troopers, and fire fighters. That is why Representative Shelley Moore Capito's work to secure a $66,500 grant for the Capon Springs Volunteer fire department is so vital. As Capito explains, “The Capon Springs Volunteer Fire Department is vital to the local community, but faces challenges with limited financial resources." The equipment such grants help these departments obtain will prove vital whether these men and women respond to a local emergency or regional disaster. According to Capito, “This grant will help purchase a much needed mobile compressor trailer that will service all fire departments in the area. These are volunteers that willingly serve their neighbors in need and it’s important that they have the resources to do their job.”


Once again our Republican Representative in Congress has shown that her office can bring home needed help for some of our most necessary organizations, even when hers is the minority party. We should be thankful for Representative Capito. While liberals in the House of Representatives raise the bar on foolishness, for example debating articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney of all people, at least Representative Capito and other Republicans get some real and important work accomplished.

Unions’ Power Grab Threatens Democracy, Funds Left

The text is a spotlight article in the Townhall Forum. I have occasionally seen mention of this scheme elsewhere. No doubt it will be coming soon to the West Virginia legislature.

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Did you know that the radical Left and its labor union allies have a scheme to dump billions of new money into political races in support of left wing candidates?

Their plan is to end the requirement for secret ballots in unionizing elections and to substitute a process called “card check” that would let union organizers intimidate and coerce workers into joining a union by signing cards publicly, instead of casting ballots in private.

Union leaders like Andy Stern are crowing that “card check” will mean “unions will grow by 1.5 million members a year, not just for five years but for 10 to 15 straight years.” That’s why organized labor expects up to $5 billion in new forced dues as unions organize thousands of additional workplaces.

This windfall will provide labor and the far left with unprecedented political resources and power. The federal government will grow, taxes will rise, social entitlement programs will swell, and free-market policies will be eliminated.

In 2007 unions successfully passed a “card check” law through the House and convinced a majority of Senators to vote to eradicate workplace democracy. Only the threat of an extended filibuster stopped their drive in the Senate. But the unions expect to have enough Senate votes after the 2008 elections.

But there is good news. When asked which system they prefer, the public overwhelmingly chooses secret ballots over “card check” (78%-12%). Yet few Americans are aware of organized labor’s back room lobbying that threatens to push “card check” passage in early 2009.

Unless the public hears about this potential hijacking of democracy in their workplace, they won’t object to it. And they need to hear about it soon and often.

That Ron Paul Thing

Depending on who you ask, Ron Paul is either a minor blip on the Republican radar or a force with the capability to derail both our state nominating convention and the presidential race (at least as far as Republicans are concerned.) Paul runs for the Republican nomination on ideas of isolationism and staunch economic libertarianism. His supporters tend to show tremendous zeal and uncompromising enthusiasm for their man and his stands.

Count me as one not worried. Ron Paul's ideas sound like the platform of James A. Garfield or some other GOP nominee from over a hundred yeas ago. Less government and less regulation I can support to an extent. However the Great Depression proved that free trade is essential to maintaining prosperity and security for America in the world. Paul's supporters want to return to the old "Fortress America" concept of isolation. Who would they rather guide the affairs of the world? Russia? China? In an age of ICBMs and terrorists, America will never be safe in an isolated cocoon. The evil doers of the world hate the example of freedom we set. No amount of non involvement would save us.

Paul does have zealous supporters and gained a strong foothold in West Virginia's state Republican presidential convention. However, as Gary Abernathy points out, the declared delegates are all Paul will get. Paul's supporters will not go uncommitted. It is unlikely that more than a small handful of uncommitted will choose a non mainstream candidate except as perhaps a protest vote. Republicans do not tend to protest.

Nationally some worry about Paul forming a third party and siphoning votes from the GOP nominee. The fact is that someone like Paul runs in every presidential election and that party has remained in existence a very long time. The Libertarians are not, as some put it "Republicans that smoke pot," but they do share values with free market GOPers. At the end of the day, as usual, many Libertarians will choose what they see as the lesser of two evils. They will vote against Big Government Hillary.

Paul does have committed and hard working supporters. They have effectively marketed him in the new media. Over time mainstream candidates in both major parties will study Paul's campaign and try to emulate the positive features. However, Paul's campaign (if indeed he does move to a third party candidacy) will likely not pose a strong threat to Republican chances IF the nominee can charismatically and effectively stand behind true GOP principles this spring, summer, and fall.

Scare tactics used against Mineral County residents

Thursday night I attended one of the 6 comprehensive plan meetings in Fort Ashby. This is actually the first one that I have been able to attend because of scheduling conflicts with the other events.

One of the things that was repeatedly mentioned was that the whole of Mineral County is running out of water. One person even stated that we should put a moratorium on development, because we don't have any water to support additional growth. It was also stated that there are only two sources of water used for drinking in the county, Patterson Creek and New Creek.

All of these statements were completely wrong. There were several county officials both elected and appointed in the room. County officials just allowed this incorrect information to go unchecked. There were people that left that meeting believing that Mineral County has run out of water. That is wrong and that is a failure of the county government to properly inform the public. This was the 5th meeting so the county had plenty of time to have the correct information at the meeting.

Keep in mind this was a public input meeting on the development of the new comprehensive plan. The public was then using this incorrect information to make suggestions. Suggestions in many cases based on the fear of running out of water. One of those suggestions based on this incorrect water information was the one requesting a moratorium on new development. Think about that for a minute stop new development in a county that has a major job shortage.

Let's look at the real facts that county officials know:

The statement was made that Mineral County gets all its water from two sources Patterson Creek and New Creek. That statement is incorrect and was not corrected in the meeting. The Real Water Source Facts:

• Keyser & New Creek Water Systems - Source: New Creek
• Piedmont Water System - Source: Savage River in Garrett County, MD
• Fountain & Unfinished Burlington Systems - Source: Wells
• Fort Ashby Water System - Source Patterson Creek
• Carpendale - Source: Well
  
• Ridgeley, & Wiley Ford - Source: Evetts Creek in Allegany County, MD and Bedford County, PA.
• Elk Garden Water System - Source: Reservoir in Grant County

Letting people believe the entire county is only serviced by two sources of water creates fear. The drought in Georgia was brought up several times to increase that fear. The reality is much different.

According to the USGS, the average water usage per person in United States is 100 gallons. According to the 2000 Census there were 27,078 people in Mineral County. Working out the math that means that Mineral County on average uses 2.7 million gallons of water a day.

According to the USGS the median (average) discharge over a 68 year period is 61 cubic feet per second at Headsville, which is above the Fort Ashby water filtration plant. That works out to 456.28 gallons per second, or 39.4 million gallons a day. So 6.8% of the average flow of Patterson Creek could supply the entire county and it is not asked too nor will it ever be asked to supply the entire county.

Now Mineral County does not use Jennings Randolph Lake as a water supply. According to the US Corp of Engineers, the design of the dam allocates 41,000 acre feet of water storage for water supply. 1 acre foot of water is 325,851.42 gallons. If the Potomac River was to stop flowing today that 41,000 acre feet of water supply is enough to supply Mineral County for the next 13.5 years!!!! Jennings Randolph Lake holds a lot more than 41,000 acre feet. It holds an additional 51,000 acre feet for water quality control. And additional unused 36,200 acre feet are allocated for flood control.

Below the dam at Barnum in 1976 the lowest Potomac River flow was recorded at 142 cubic feet per second. To put that in perspective 10% of the lowest recorded flow could be supply water to a population of just under 100,000 or roughly 4 times the population of Mineral County. 10% of the average flow could supply the daily needs of around a 1/4 million people, and this is all from a source of water we currently do not use!

Is there a water supply problem in the county? No, water is our most abundant resource. There is a problem with the older water systems needing to be upgraded and a distribution problem.

18 miles of piping can connect the current water systems in county together. This would allow transfer of water between systems if needed. If one systems runs low on water or has quality issues, then another system could supply its needs on a temporary basis. In West Virginia the average cost of laying a mile of water pipe is around $200,000. That means the 18 miles of pipe could be laid for around $4 million. To put that in perspective, the sewer project in the north end of the county is a $40 million project. In addition to those 18 miles of pipe about another $4 million in modernization and pipeline upgrades is needed. All is doable and Homeland Security even has money available for connecting systems together to provide water system security.

So why is the public being instilled with false sense of fear that we are running out of water? One of the statements made in the meeting tells the story. When the person said, we should put a moratorium on development, that was the goal of those pushing the myth we are running out of water. There are people in this county that want no economic growth. They do whatever they can to stop businesses from moving into Mineral County and by scaring people by creating the myth we are running out of water is their latest attempt to stop economic development.

Thanksgiving in WV tells the Economic story

Last week in my travels I ran into a lot of friends in for the holiday's. It was good to see old friends, but at the same time it was kind of sad. The reason I only see these old friends on the holidays is because they had to leave the area for work.

Driving last week I saw a lot of out of state tags. For the most part those tags tell the story of West Virginia's economy. Each one of those tags represent the failure of the states economy to provide for our own. Since 1950 the West Virgina population has dropped from 1.3% of the US population to 0.6%. That represents the state being cut in half.

For over 60 years the state has been making the wrong economic decisions. It is time for a change. We can no longer afford to make the same choices. We need to get away from government intervention in the economy and more to the free market. How bad does it have to get before we make the necessary changes?

CNN Admits they didn't do their pre-debate homework

Proof Is In The Record

Is your Democrat Delegate Really Pro-Life?

By Lisa Peana, WVRC President
http://www.wvrepublicanclub.org/

Many legislative Democrats claim to be pro-life. They run pro-life ads and send out mail pieces promising to protect the unborn.

But for some reason, once they enter the Capitol building, they have a sudden change of heart — until the next campaign.

What actually takes place in the Capitol is what really counts, not campaign ads. Roll call votes are how we know where legislators really stand on the issues.

By looking at the one of the most recent pro-life bills to go through this process: the Parental Notification Bill (SB-519), we can learn the truth about these so-called pro-life House Democrats.

The passage of SB-519 would have closed a gaping loophole in state law that allows a doctor to waive the parental notification requirement before a minor undergoes an abortion. Under current law, at least one parent or legal guardian is supposed to be notified in advance, but the law can be easily circumvented by using the doctor’s waiver loophole.

If parental notification truly needed to be waived, SB-519 would have required that decision to be made by a judge.

SB-519 would have helped place child rapists behind bars, and helped detect pregnancies due to incest as parents would be notified before evidence of the abuse was aborted.

If only a parent in these instances would have known that their young daughters had been violated, it would have helped bring more pedophiles to justice.

When the parental notification bill previously failed in 2005 due to a closed-door House Democrat caucus vote, pro-life legislators promised to bring it back in 2006.

As in the past, when House Democrats went back home, they preached a pro-life message, and when they got their questionnaire from the WV Family Foundation, they vowed to fight for parental notification in writing.

However, on March 7th, 2006, House Democrats abandoned their pro-life promises in favor of their liberal base. Pro-life House members brought a discharge motion to the floor to force consideration of SB-519 as pro-abortion committee chairman Jon Amores and his allies had once again kept it from being considered in the Judiciary Committee.

Sadly, only five of the 68 House Democrats elected at the time (Eustace Frederick, Tom Louisos, Tim Miley, Kenneth Tucker, and Sally Susman) voted to bring SB-519 to the floor for consideration and true parental notification was killed once again.

Of those five Democrats who fought for SB-519, two are no longer in office, as the liberal base that control the Democrat Primaries made sure that Sally Susman lost her bid for the State Senate and longtime Delegate Tom Louisos lost his re-election bid.

Even more outrageous, twelve House Democrats who claimed to support parental notification in their WVFF questionnaire voted to keep SB-519 off the floor.

After the 2006 election, pro-abortion activists and the trial lawyers helped Rick Thompson win the Speaker’s race over pro-life Democrat Scott Varner.

Why? Because Thompson would appoint Carrie Webster to chair the Judiciary Committee, and with Webster holding the gavel, pro-life legislation will never see the light of day.

As with Kiss and company, we once again have a House Speaker and Democrat caucus that profess to be pro-life in their districts, but allow the abortion supporters to always have their way in the House chamber.

Pro-abortion ideologues like Webster and Virginia Mahan (HD-27, Summers) are in positions of leadership, because at the end of the day: Democrats are the party of abortion on demand.

So which one is it? How much longer can we allow the ruling party to campaign on a pro-life platform only to have their minds changed by their leadership once they get in the Capitol building?

Pro-life rhetoric from Democrat Delegates doesn't save one single unborn child. Voting to kill pro-life bills is what aids in the continuation of their death.

If your Democrat Delegate is really pro-life, then it is way past time to work with like minded Republicans to make true parental notification for underage abortions the law of the land.

The following Democrat Delegates claimed to support Parental Notification legislation in the 2006 Family Foundation Candidate Questionnaire and then voted to block consideration of SB 519 (Roll Call # 343 – 03/07/06)

- Bob Beach, Monongalia, H-D 44
- JD Beane, Wood, H-D 10 (No Longer Serving)
- Brent Boggs, Braxton, H-D 34
- Kevin Craig, Cabell, H-D 15
- Richard Iaquinta, Harrison , H-D 41
- Marshall Long, Mercer, H-D 25
- David Perry, Fayette, H-D 29
- John Pino, Fayette, H-D 29
- Dale Stephens, Cabell, H-D 16
- Speaker Rick Thompson, Wayne , H-D 17
- Ron Thompson, Raleigh , H-D 27 (No Longer Serving)
- Jack Yost, Brook, H-D 02

WV Family Foundation 2006 Candidate Questionnaire: http://www.wvfamily.org/pdf/2006_House_FVQ_Results.pdf

Roll Call:
http://wvrepublicanclub.org/documents/Parential%20Notification%20Rollcall%20-%20SB519-RC343.pdf

How laws and sausages are made

Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made. Prince Otto von Bismarck

Over the past several months I have had the pleasure of working on the Mineral Coutny Clean Up Committee. The purpose of the committee lay in trying to formulate a law to address abandoned and unsafe buildings. Many on the committee had ideal responses to this issue formulated in their heads before getting to work.

Include me among them. Private property counts as one of the most sacred rights granted to man. Not the right to have it, but the right to work to earn it, then enjoy the rewards of that work. Interference with property rights ought to only occur after careful consideration. Property gives a man, or a woman, or a family a sense of stability and permanence. It is their rock against the slings and arrows fired by life in the real world. I saw no purpose in the ordinance myself (on that point I agreed with Gary Howell and many others), but felt that working with the committee might help create a law with less problems for average owners.

The real world often intervenes with how we view the world ideally. The county commission had a strong interest in seeing an ordinance established. Governor Manchin pushed these actions at the county level by threatening to withold funds. An ordinance would occur in some form or another. The key lay in getting a law that would be as fair as possible to property owners.

Regardless of how the press covered these meetings, they were at times contentious. Gary Howell and his supporters fought hard for a law that would limit government authority, strictly define its actions, and provide maximum protections for property owners, especially the poor and middle class. Others wanted a law that granted more robust powers and a more loosely defined authority to the county. Verbal battles raged over these issues and others. Like almost any heated discussion, the real fight lay over what fundamental principles would serve as the foundation for this law. It was agreed at one point to use a similar ordinance created by Raleigh County as a template and change it to fit Mineral County.

At the end of the day both sides got some of what they wanted. Many irrelevant terms such as "blighted area" and "junked vehicles" were expunged from the ordinance. Otherwise they might have opened a slight crack in the legal door for laws that could affect people's rights in other areas. The most obnoxious parts of the Raleigh County law lay in extremely oppressive fines, but these were mitigated somewhat. However Howell and his supporters were unable to secure a specific sliding scale of fines and time needed to complete repairs based upon income. Proposals to grant special grace periods to the disabled and those in federal poverty programs were also rejected.

Serving on a committee such as this one was a rewarding experience. Everyone who has the time, patience, and the concern for their community ought to participate in something like this at least once. Like Chancellor von Bismarck tried to explain, this was not always a pretty sight. However raised voices, argument, and dissention mean that at least two people care about their community and the people in it. Bismarck said it is better not to see laws being made, but on the other hand he did not govern a country that valued democratic republican government as we do.

I can't speak for sausage making, but take the opportunity to watch a law being made. Whether or not you like the experience, you will definitely learn a lot.