Chinese Toy problem and WV can't take advantage

It hasn't been that long ago that West Virginia was a major player in the toy manufacturing market. Louis Marx toy company was the largest in the world and at one time had its largest plant located in Glen Dale, WV.

If your 30 or older most likely you had a Marx toy as a kid growing up. I had a Big Wheel like the one in the picture.

All of that is gone now like much of West Virginia's manufacturing. Now many will say that Marx being sold and cheap Chinese imports played a part in the demise of the company. For the most part they would be right, but West Virginia's poor business climate played a part as well.

If West Virginia had a good business climate we could take advantage of the problems in the current toy industry. Right now the consumers are demanding US made toys for the safety of their children.

Toys are a business opportunity for a company in the United States, but West Virginia is the last place you would want to start a business. West Virginia has everything going for it to start a business the best people and workers in the nation, the best location for shipping, and abundant natural resources. The reason West Virginia is the last place in the US is because of the business climate. The following things need fixed to help our economy.

• Tax Reform - West Virginia's tax structure runs off business and prevents new business from locating here. Since 1950 WV has fallen from 1.3% of the US to 0.6% of the US population because nobody wants to run a business here.
  
• Worker Comp Reform - West Virginia has the highest workers comp rates in the nation, double the second worse (California). Those rates prevent businesses from locating here. Cost are simply to high.
• Tort Reform - West Virginia has been identified as the Judicial Hell Hole of the US by the US Chamber of Commerce. That is not a dig on WV, that is a respected organization telling the people of this state what needs fixed. Foxnews on Thanksgiving Day made a comment about how bad the legal system was in WV.

It is not a secret what we need to fix. To most people around the US is obvious. The only ones that can't seem to see it are those in control of the state legislature. Those in control of the state legislature should listen to Winston Churchill when he 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." Let's trough off the restraints on the states businesses and let them pull the economic wagon forward.

An Armed Population Is a Free Population

When approaching the next election, many Americans will make their decisions based in part upon which candidates will more soundly defend their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms.

Opponents try to argue away the notion that an armed population is desirable or necessary in the modern age. An academic in the 1990s tried to argue that there was actually no tradition whatsoever of Americans or English adhering to such a belief. Attacks on gun ownership are attacks on freedom. If the Second Amendment can be subverted the rest can be as well. Additionally the Second Amendment guarantees that citizens can protect their own rights when it comes down to it. It is a check in the hands of the people on the power of the government. This was why Thomas Jefferson liked this amendment more than any other.

The Second Amendment did not just arise from nowhere. In 1181 Henry II legalized English traditions in the Assize of Arms. From the time of the early Middle Ages, English citizens maintained personal arms and served in a militia known as a fyrd. The king could call upon these men in times of severe danger. Henry II was an autocrat without a doubt, but did not interfere much in the liberties of his people. The Assize of Arms did not simply encourage, but demanded that men arm themselves. Few other kings have seen an armed population as anything but a threat, but Henry II and his successors had faith in the English people. Many of them also paid close attention to the issues and problems of their kingdom. Almost no European rulers at that time held so much concern. It could definitely be argued that the armed condition of the population encouraged the king to look more closely at the needs of the people.

The emergence of a tyrant in the 1600s, Charles I, convinced the people of England that they needed to be armed to fight their own government when necessary. Charles I proved that even a British king can overstep his bounds. When he did so, the people needed to bring their government back in line. American colonists in the 1700s combined this idea with the fact that frontiersmen needed to be armed in case of Indian or French attack.

Second Amendment rights go beyond the need for property protection or national defense. The right to keep and bear arms reflects the relationship between the government and the governed. A government that promotes liberty and property rights need not fear an armed population. When the government decides that natural rights must be systematically violated and that arms must be taken away, it is saying that it fears the people and their freedom of action. The taking away of arms almost always precedes a dictatorship that abuses the people.

The Founding Fathers emphasized the right of a population to remain armed because it reminds the government of where sovereignty actually lies.

Economics 101

When we talk about being in the Global Economy, the illustration as the right is a great visual aid. It shows what the US economy would look like broken down and states put side by side with their comparable country in regards to economic output. Click here for source. You can also click on the map to enlarge.

Preserving West Virginia's History

One of the greatest treasures maintained by the State of West Virginia lies in its official Archives kept in Charleston at the State Cultural Center. Over the past few years, historians and genealogists have grown uneasy about the future of the facility.

Plans have developed under Governor Manchin's administration to transform the current State Archives reading room into a cafe and have patrons utilize a lending library to examine documents. To those knowledgeable about the importance of documents and archives, this potential development sets off red flags.

Some of the documents in the care of the State Archives have real monetary value. An entire underground economy centers around the secret (and sometimes not so secret) trade in valuable signatures. In the past couple of years the State and Regional History Collection at West Virginia University had to make more strict its security procedures. They discovered some of their rare and precious documents on Ebay. Security would be even more difficult at a lending library.

Additionally concerns have been raised over the storage and serving of food in the same building as these documents. Experts fear that food will attract rodents and insects that could damage the documents. Governor Arch Moore rejected the placing of food service in the Cultural Center for that reason. The state has issued assurances that the highest standards of cleanliness will be followed. West Virginia University recently opened a coffee shop in the same library building that houses its important collections.

What raises most concern is the sudden sacking of longtime director Fred Armstrong. Under Armstrong, service at the State Archives facility was always timely and enthusiastic. Governor Manchin did not issue clear reasons why the thirty year employee was dismissed. Commentators from as widely varied political viewpoints as Gary Abernathy (The Republican Gazette) and Phil Kabler (The Charleston Gazette) have questioned this move on the part of the administration. I remember one of Marshall University's most prominent history professors, the late Robert Maddox, speaking very highly of him several years ago. The situation is certainly strange. This follows a series of odd moves by Manchin, such as his intervention in West Virginia University's football schedule, removal of political signs in the 2006 elections, and the infamous "open for business" signs, that raise questions and create negative attention.

At the end of the day preservation of West Virginia's history represents and important and vital trust. We hope that the decisions concerning that trust reflect the fact that preservation will remain one of the state's most important priorities.

WV Democrats set up the WV Republican Executive Committee?

One Sunday afternoon I had a long political conversation with Tommy Phillips about the direction of the Republican Party in the state. We were just throwing around ideas about what had worked in the past, and what might work in the future to bring the Republican Party back to power in the state to benefit all West Virginians. During the conversation I asked Tommy, "Do you realize the WV Democratic Party set up the structure of a major part of the WV Republican Executive Committee?" Tommy asked if I was serious. I said yes, and began to explain.

68 members of the Republican Executive Committee are all based on the states senatorial districts. Those 17 districts were drawn by the Democratic controlled legislature. They were gerrymandered to limit Republican power in the state. Think about that for a minute. The WV Republican Party is using districts designed by Democrats to limit the power of Republicans as a basis for a large portion of the Republican Executive Committee. Does that make any sense?

It goes further. Under the Republican party platform; I The Government, O. Providing legislative reapportionment with no gerrymandering by the majority leadership, with 100 single-member House of Delegate districts and 34 separate State Senatorial districts that respect community boundaries for increased accountability. OK that is our position, but because we are using the Senatorial Districts drawn by the Democrats we have the very overlap in the 8th and 17th Senatorial Districts we are taking a position against. Does that make any sense?

The Senatorial Districts drawn by the Democrats do not even represent equal numbers of Republicans. 4 Executive Committee Members in some districts represent a large number of the states Republicans, and in others the 4 only represent a few. Does that make any sense?

Our goal as Republicans is to make the state a better place for all West Virginians. Should we look at implementing our own values and our own ideas in our own executive committee?

• 17 Separate - 4 member executive committee districts
• Equal number of Republicans in each executive committee district
• or County Districts with members allocated by Republican Population
  
• No overlapping executive committee districts
• No use of districts designed by the Democratic Party

People fear change. Some may see the idea as radical, some will only see it as common sense. Some may fear loss of power, while others will see opportunity. I only put the ideas on the table to create discussion, for through discussion we will find solutions to challenges.

Lisa Peana enters District 17 House Race

PRESS RELEASE Contact: Lisa Peana
Monday, November 19th, 2007 (304) 730 - 4599

PEANA ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY

Wayne County Republican to run on Tax Reform, Justice Reform and Sunshine Laws

Ceredo, WV – Lisa Peana has tossed her hat into the ring for a seat in the House of Delegats, District 17, Wayne County.

“We need a change in Charleston”, Peana announced, “ We need Fair Taxes for our citizens and businesses, we need severe Justice Reform to bring the courts back into balance and Sunshine Laws to allow transparency so the public knows how their government is operating.”

Peana is a Real Estate Agent for Metro Properties. As a business woman Peana has seen first hand the impact of unfair taxes, and unbalanced courts both on individuals and businesses. “We have a bloated government bureaucracy in West Virginia, and the only cure is to have comprehensive reform both in our tax code and judicial system. When the size of our government grows at a rate faster than the average household income, you have a problem.”

Peana vowed to fight for social issues as well. She said that she makes a promise to push for legislation that will protect the unborn, traditional marriage and gun ownership rights.

President of the West Virginia Republican Club, Peana is the wife of an Air Force veteran, Jamison Jeffrey. They have a son, Anthony who is in grade school.

Free Market doing its job

During my trip out west at the beginning of the month I saw the Free Market doing its job. I have driven across the continent many times and I usually see these oil pumps sitting idle. This time it was different. Most of the pumps were bobbing up down looking like giant birds picking up corn.

The reason is because oil prices are at record highs. The Free Market is bringing these wells online to fill the demand for oil. The supply and demand curve is infallible as price increases more people are willing to supply product.

The few pumps that were not running seemed to be waiting in line for repair crews to arrive, and we saw many repair crews working in the fields. We also saw drilling rigs drilling new wells, especially across southern Indiana and Illinois.

All of this is evidence of the Free Market responding to consumer demand. As the oil from these wells begin to fill the pipeline (both figuratively & literally) oil imports will drop helping the US economy and the price at the pump.

Now many people forget that West Virginia is an oil producing state. In fact we are the second state that oil was discovered in, but our government is holding us back from taking advantage of it. Bad policies by the government cause us to lag behind.

If Del Nancy Guthrie (D-Kanawha) has her way, there would be no business at all in West Virginia. People like Guthrie don't understand how Free Markets work and they fear it. She actually wants more government control over you life. To the point Karl Marx would be proud.

Can you imagen how bad this would be if the government was in total control? The Free Market brought those oil wells online quickly. If we had to wait on government to do it, then I'm not sure if they would have even began to study what to do yet. After year or so of study, they would determine that we would need to start up the old wells, something the free market did automatically.

Government can never do what the Free Market does. The best expertise in the world can never anticipate what the market will do. The head of IBM in the late 70's never saw a need for personal computers, but yet we all have them today. The ability of the Free Market to react to changes in the market place is essential to economic growth and that is something that central planning can never replace.

Our Veterans

November 11th marks the date on the calendar that we honor our veterans. We gather in our towns, watch the parades with ROTC members, Veteran local organizations, civic groups and the occasional Uncle Sam on stilts. Whether or not we agree with the War on Terror, on that day, we join together, wave our American flags and enjoy the local marching bands and all those that participate to honor our veterans.

Our veterans are those that have fought before us to preserve our freedoms that we enjoy today. Their selflessness makes it possible for us to be able to enjoy our work, religion and life in general without fear.

The military has been a great way for our youth to serve our country. They voluntarily sign up, and go off to training. They leave their families and communities to go down an honorable road where they become the educated and well-disciplined individuals that we are so proud of.

Everyday that our men and women in the armed forces serve, they leave their families behind and go into harms way. They never know when get up in the morning what will await them when they walk in the front door of their duty station office or when they walk onto the battlefield.

And today, there are thousands of our men and women who serve on our soil but also overseas to fight against those who want nothing more but to harm us here at home.

Many of our soldiers that go off to battle return as combat veterans. They sometimes return as wounded, or worse, in a box draped by a flag. They leave and do not know the fate that awaits them.

They don’t do it for the glory, fame or money. In fact, many of our service men and women don’t make much at all in way of monetary compensation.

They do it because they care. They care about their families, their communities and their country. They want to make sure that the safety we have today, we will still have tomorrow.

So today, as we wake in freedom, we raise our flag, and say a prayer for our military. And when we see a veteran, we can’t thank them enough for what they have sacrificed so that we can have everything we dream of.

Should the affluent be allowed to rule the Middle Class?

Should the affluent be allowed to rule the Middle Class? I think we all subscribe to the notion that all men are created equal and would answer that question with a resounding; NO, the affluent should not be allowed to rule any class.

The founding fathers certainly felt this way when they wrote "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Those also sought to secure property rights. One of the original drafts of the Declaration stated in their list of grievances that the King incited the citizens with the allurements of forfeiture & confiscation of our property. The founding fathers in the Bill of Rights added the protection of the 5th Amendment in the states, "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation" and the 14th Amendment further defines the protection with "nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

Let's face it our property rights are what separate us from the 3rd world countries. Property rights are the foundation of our economy. Without solid property rights business cannot operate. In his book, The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx stated, "The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property."

The founding fathers were heavily influenced by the writings of Adam Smith. In his book, The Wealth of Nations he wrote, "Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of property, is in reality instituted for the defense of the rich against the poor, or of those who have some property against those who have none at all."

In Mineral County the Rich are on the offensive against not only the poor but the Middle Class. The evidence is piling up if you choose to look.

In the October 19th, 2007 issue of the News Tribune and article entitled "Zoning could be part of the Mineral Co. Plan" it states, " areas around Keyser and Fort Ashby need to be zoned, but places like Lakewood did not." Interesting comment about the Mineral County plan. Consider that the areas around Keyser and Fort Ashby are predominately middle class neighborhoods. According to the real estate website Trulia the average home price in the Keyser area is $182,522. This past year the Mineral County Planning Commission approved two building permits for $2 million, both of these homes are located in Lakewood.

On October 30th the Clean Up Mineral County Committee disbanded after handing a proposal for an ordinance to cover buildings that were abandon or had structural defects to the Planning Commission.

There are two interesting facts about this meeting. The first is; prior to this meeting the Clean Up Mineral County Committee had met the 4th Thursday of every month, but the final meeting was moved to the 5th Tuesday causing a schedule conflict for many property owner rights advocates. The second is; most of the protections for the Middle Class, Low Income, and Disabled home owners were removed from the proposed ordinance at this final meeting.

Had the meeting been held on its proper night, most likely the protections for the Middle Class, Low Income, and Disabled would not have been removed. The people that didn't want anybody but the rich to have their rights protected, simply would not have had the votes. No explanation for why the meeting date was moved was ever given, but the move worked to disadvantage of most Mineral County's citizens.

It is easy to see if you look at what is happening in the county that the wealthiest of the county are trying to impose their will on the rest of the population of the county. Adam Smith warned about his over 200 years ago. We are seeing ideas being put forth that will have an adverse effect on the middle class, low income, and disabled while having little to no effect on the richest citizens of the county.

Like the Declaration of Independence says; all men are created equal and if we do not act as equal partners in government, then we will only serve as surf's of the wealthy on our own land.

• Reference Link April 2, 2007 Post
  

Big Schools Bad for Students

Ironically I maybe one of the youngest people in West Virginia to go to a one room school house. It was only for kinder garden and shortly after the county closed the school for a modern open class room design that went K trough 8. What I do remember most is everybody knew everybody else, and that is a great learning environment.

Now statistics support my kinder garden experience. Nearly every study ever done says small schools breed better students. Across the state you will usually find the highest average test scores in small schools. When a student is not a number, they have a better learning experience.

The state and county have to achieve a balance between the money they have for schools and the needs of the students. Unfortunately the money has been winning out for years. We have gotten large nondescript buildings that end up being more a place to warehouse kids that to provide them a good learning experience. As we try to compete in the modern global market place we must provide a better place to learn.

We know the solution to provide a better education. That answer is small schools where the students have more one on one interaction with their teachers. Learning problems and special abilities can be identified early. This allows special attention to be given when needed.

The excuse for building large schools has been economies of scale, but we must look beyond that. In many cases increase maintenance may lower cost by keeping our older schools in good shape longer. When it comes to educating our next generation our money should go into best education experience, not the most cost effective building.

The Event of the Year

You’re invited to

The Event of the Year

The 30^th Annual Birthday

Of

Christy Barnett

Saturday November 17^th, 2007, 6:00 PM

At

HC 72 Box 230, New Creek, WV 26743

No Cover Charge

RSVP by Calling (304) 813-5746 or (304) 788-5095

Kicking It Off Right

Last Saturday the Potomac Highlands Republican Club kicked off its existence with an exciting dinner in Romney. The event featured Secretary of State Betty Ireland. Our Secretary of State is easily the most charismatic and energetic member of West Virginia's executive branch and last Saturday she definitely did not disappoint.

Her speech emphasized Republican unity and focus going into the 2008 election year and she presented it in her usual "take no prisoners" style. Ireland always challenges state Republicans to do more to support candidates as well as the party organization. Additionally she endorsed the idea of regional clubs such as the PHRC as models for the future. Ireland had strong praise for club president Christy Barnett's organizational skills and energy.

Senator Dave Sypolt handled the master of ceremonies duties with his usual grace and good humor. Apart from Ireland, he also was able to introduce GOP strategist Gary Abernathy who gave the assembled guests an update on the state presidential nominating convention. Following Abernathy's explanation of the convention process, Sypolt presented three presidential candidate representatives. Tom O' Neil described the ideas of Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney while Senator Vic Sprouse endorsed former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Finally Abernathy explained the virtues of former United States Senator Fred Thompson.

Senator Clark Barnes gave the final talk of the night. The feisty Barnes opened fire on critics of the administration of George W. Bush, reminding the guests of the president's many successes over the past seven years.

This dinner served as a key event to introduce the public to the PHRC. The club's most important goal lies in strengthening Republican involvement even in off years. Supporting candidates also remains an important function. Secretary Ireland emphasized the benefits of an organization that crosses county boundaries. Such a group can better assist those candidates who seek to represent multiple counties.

*******************************************************

The club wished to thank those who helped to sponsor the event: Bob Adams, candidate for governor; Gary Howell, candidate for state senate, Chris Wakim, the Grant County Republican Executive Committee, and two unnamed Democrats who decided to support the conservative values many of us share regardless of party. Of course one of the main themes of the night could be expressed in two words.

BEAT HILLARY!

Free Markets Work!

Recently, Del Nancy Guthrie (D-Kanawha) has made a few comments regarding her views on free market policies. She is under the misconception that free market policies do not work. She is wrong; the free market is working nationally, but their benefits come to a screeching halt at the West Virginia border.

She says that wages are down, we are losing the manufacturing industry, we in violation of the US Constitution’s Commerce Clause, and that we need more government intervention in order to fix this “crisis”. She is wrong on all four counts.

In fact, according to the National Bureau for Labor and Statistics, “More Than 8.1 Million Jobs Created Since August 2003 In Longest Continuous Months Of Job Growth On Record”.
They went on to say, “110,000 jobs created in September. September 2007 is the 49th consecutive month of job growth, setting a new record for the longest uninterrupted expansion of the U.S. labor market” and thanks to an $8.3 billion reduction in the trade deficit, our exports and Gross Domestic Product have grown 14.8 percent and 3.8 percent respectively.

And as far as the Commerce Clause in the U.S. Constitution and the rights of government to regulate International Commerce, it does that already through the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration. Their roles are to improve economic conditions, promote growth and trade with foreign states. The government further regulates trade by imposing customs, import/export taxes. The federal government also sets quotas. It states the amount of trade that is permissible with other countries.The only crisis here is that we are not seeing this growth within the boarders of the Mountain State .

The changes needed for West Virginia to become a thriving and prosperous state, begin with our legislature. Our businesses need a free-market environment in order to thrive; unfortunately, I do not think that a legislature where Delegate Guthrie’s point of view prevails will enact the prescribed reform.

The reason that we are losing the manufacturing base in our state is because of the poor business climate - just ask the owners of Weirton Steel and Fenton Glass. When you add the costs of regressive taxes and the worst legal climate of the 50 states, businesses simply smother and close their doors resulting more lost jobs.How are businesses expected to have capital to invest to improve their facilities, add more jobs, and raise wages if they are taxed so heavily on profit, on their inventory, and on the machinery and equipment which are necessities in order to make their product?

More taxes are not needed, instead we need a repeal of the Business and Occupational Tax, a repeal in the Business and Franchise Tax, and a repeal in taxes on inventory, machinery, and equipment.

In addition to our atrocious tax policies, our legal climate leaves much to be desired for in regards to attracting any form of business.

How do you expect a business to come to WV and invest when they know the vulnerabilities that await them the first day they open the door? Businesses simply do not trust our judicial system to be fair and balanced.

Our pro-plaintiff judicial system drives up the cost of liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Both high priced liabilities reduce our wages, and they threaten the survival of our employers.

We do not need more government “protectionism” advocated by Delegate Guthrie. We need to abolish Joint and Several liability to replace it with straight liability. The only people that should be forced to pay for damages done are those that are directly responsible for the actions that harm the victim.

We also need to eliminate lawsuits that can be filed without proof of injury. Anyone can enter into a place of business and file a lawsuit of injury without any proof that an actual injury occurred. This has turned our legal system into a lottery.

We have to stop taking baby steps to improve our business climate, and rather take leaps and bounds to attract business, create jobs, and allow current companies to grow creating even more jobs.

The government managed economy advocated by Del Guthrie and her colleagues in the ruling party has failed us for the past seventy-four years. We will never feel the effects of free markets in West Virginia until our government ceases to over regulate and over tax our people. The only alternative to the free markets is government control, which failed in Eastern Europe, and has failed West Virginia .

I'd like to thank President Eisenhower!

I recently completed a business trip to Nevada for the annual SEMA trade show. That is the largest trade show in the world and it just happens to be in the industry that I am in. Unlike most people that flew to the trade show, I chose to drive.

Yes you read that right. I drove from Keyser, WV to Las Vegas, NV. 2300 miles out in 35 hours, and 2300 miles back in 36 hours. We switch off drivers and drive non-stop. That would not have been possible just 40 years ago.

In 1919 a then Lt. Eisenhower was involved in a military experiment. A convoy left Washington, DC in route to San Fransisco, CA. It took over 2 months to drive across the nation. The roads were horrible. An excellent book American Road by Pete Davies chronicles the trip. I highly recommend reading it. Today you can drive that same trip in 48 hours by switching drivers.

In 1945 then General Eisenhower saw the Autobahns in Germany and how easily it was to move transport. The combination of those events in Eisenhower's life led to him signing the Defense Highways Act in 1956, which created the Interstate Highway System we enjoy today.

While we complain about the road construction, we have one of the best highway systems in the world. Sometimes we tend to take that for granted. During my trip of close to 5,000 miles I encountered very few problems. On they way back Interstate 44 through Oklahoma City was probably the worse piece of road. West Virginia actually had some of the best sections of Interstate.

It is easy to see that roads are essential to commerce when you drive the nations interstate system. At night across Kansas and Colorado on the way out, and across New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma the road became almost the exclusive domain of heavy trucks. While the travelers mostly stop at night, commerce keeps right on rolling.

The Interstate system lead to the huge growth in the US Economy since World War II, and for the most part that system is working well. In West Virginia we face a crisis in roads and we need to solve the problem. As we go deeper into the 21st Century we will need to look at new ways of funding our highway system. We need make sure the WVDOH is properly funded, but we must also make sure they are spending funds wisely.

Presidential Prerogatives

Secrecy versus the right to know has grown into an important debate in terms of the restriction of presidential papers.

During the Watergate hangover years, lawmakers sought to reduce the aura of secrecy that existed around presidential papers. After Richard Nixon's administration, zealously guarded secrecy was seen as a catalyst for presidential misdeeds. Perhaps if presidential communications saw more scrutiny, they might themselves act in a more transparent manner. Additionally historians rejoiced in the idea that they could access crucial records more quickly.

The last two presidents have come under fire for restricting access to their papers. The New York Times recently blasted President Bush for adhering to a family "mania for secrecy." Five years ago he wrote an executive order placing many of his personal papers under restriction for the immediate future. During recent Democratic debates, Hillary Clinton's competition of stuffed shirts blasted her refusal to release her personal correspondence between herself and her husband. Historians despise both measures because they want access to these documents as soon as possible.

Historians may be hurting their own efforts. Our record of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia was locked up for fifty years so that the participants could speak freely. What if they believed their thoughts would appear in print within a few years? This would alter what was communicated and written down. Future historians will not have those rare finds of politicians actually communicating their real unguarded thoughts. Because Franklin D. Roosevelt did not trust that his papers would remain inviolate, he communicated everything through speaking. We rarely have any idea what was really on his mind at any given point.

Additionally personal papers, especially those between a husband and wife regardless of position, are personal. Hillary Clinton and her husband wrote things to each other on important issues that I personally would be interested in seeing. However these are personal communications and so long as no criminal investigation exists, these papers ought to remain private for the time being. They especially ought not be fodder during a presidential campaign.

George W. Bush's communications come during wartime, something that liberals and the media seem to haver perpetual ammnesia about. They reflect strategies and ideas that could help our enemies if released, even after his term is over. Again, this is a situation where historians want to write their books and political folks want mud to smear.

Bush and Clinton both deserve the right in the short term to limit access to their personal papers so long as there is an eventual date that everything end up in the public eye. It may be years, it may be decades, but that is the price we pay so that these people can feel free to record their thoughts.

Holding Taxes Down

It seems that politicians always want to raise taxes. The reason is they like to spend money. It is easy to spend money when it is not your own. What we need are laws to control spending for those politicians that forget they should take greater care when spending other peoples money.

The way to do it is to limit revenue. If government gets an increase in revenue, they just spend it. In Mineral County personal property taxes have increased substantially, and the government just spent it all.

I would suggest that any budget increases within the county be limited to the previous years budget plus inflation and population change. The government doesn't need to grow any faster than inflation. This limits government to its current size. Allowing for increases based on population also is reasonable. Any increase in population will require an increase in services, but not an increase that is greater than the growth rate.

Now if the government receives more money than the increase from inflation or population allows, then government will be required to give that money back to the tax payer in the form of refunds. After all it is our money they are taking, they should be giving the access back.

This has worked in other states and should work here to control out of control tax increases and government expansion. It is only common sense to not take to much from the taxpayer.

Septimus Severus

The 100s AD were a good time to be a Roman (unless you were a Christian.) For most people in that empire, times were good. Rome enforced peace with liberty throughout its realm. Prosperity reigned everywhere because the government did not exercise large amounts of influence in the economy relative to other societies at the time. Roman citizens often did not suffer from a heavy tax burden but had the freedom to make economic choices. From the 100s BC until almost 200 AD, Rome enjoyed a society where class distinctions did not inhibit the material movement of most citizens.

It is true that Rome did lose its republican government in the century before the birth of Christ, removing the right of the people to choose the government. For most of the first century AD Rome's political leadership ruled in turmoil. Only in the 100s did this stablilize. Despite these problems, the economic freedom of Romans continued.

Economic freedom is vital to the strength and resilience of the economy. People must enjoy the freedom to make choices with their money. When the government restricts these freedoms through taxation or burdensome regulation, it reduces the dynamic nature of the system. Emperor Septimus Severus in the late 100s and early 200s AD chose to drastically reduce Roman economic freedoms. He raises taxes considerably and passed restrictive laws. Just as the modern United States, Rome constructed public works and maintained a welfare state. Often these issues went beyond practical necessity and became political debates. Septimus Severus passed laws enforcing an idea that those in the lower class must stay in their status, restricting their opportunities to better themselves.

Modern America faces these same problems. Hillary Clinton and Congressional Democrats make a political issue out of President Bush refusing to let the government pay for middle class children to have health insurance. Not poor as the local and national media insist, but middle class! Poor children already receive insurance coverage. Only through much higher taxes will an initiative such as this become law. Local liberals want to pass laws that will increase the power of the government to harass and dispossess people of property if some other individual for whatever reason shows disapproval over how it looks.

Lower taxes and sound protections for property are two major pillars of a dynamic economy. Liberals around the country fear an economy left to its own devices and seek to introduce restrictive planning. As in 200s AD Rome or the Soviet Union, excessive planning only ensures that the poor stay poor.

How did Rome fare after Septimus Severus? For the next hundred years it experienced economic decline and political turmoil. Emperors rose and fell, trade dropped, and the stage was set for even more restrictions on liberty and the final fall of Rome. Citizens lost their faith in their country because opportunity declined. In Rome at its height and the United States today, any citizen enjoyed the opportunity to better themselves provided they were willing to work and make good choices. We need to band together to make sure we do not elect our own Septimus Severus Clinton in 2008.

Potomac Highlands Funding Presidential Candidates

The following information is from official public records of the Federal Election Commission


Democrats

• Hillary Clinton has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands

• Amy Carpenter, Romney Employer: American Woodmark Contribution: $75
• Kermit Garrettson, Keyser Employer: Keyser Inn Contribution: $350
• Robin Dolly, Moorefield Employer: Mountain Medical Contribution: $1000
• Joanne Webster, Mathias Employer: Information Requested Contribution: $500
• Victor Wulf, Baker Employer: Retired Contribution: $250

• John Edwards has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• Robert Mayhew, Romney Employer: Information Requested Contribution $2300
• Barack Obama has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• Robert Erber, Baker Employer: Information Requested Contribution $200
  

• Bill Richardson has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• Robert Alcock, Lost City Employer: Lost River Woodworking Contribution $250

Republicans

• Mitt Romney has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• Jeffery Hott, Franklin Employer: Hott's AG Service Contribution $350
• Edith Shankle, Bloomery Employer: Retired Contribution $1250
• Fred Dalton Thompson has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• David Maher, Milham Employer: Self-Employed Contribution $250
• John McCain has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• Carl Smith, Moorefield Employer: Retired Contribution $300
• Ron Paul has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• Jack Mullen, Keyser Employer: Starcast South Contribution $800
• James Landis, Peterburg Employer: Conquest Publishing Contribution $1000
• James Gillmore has received contributions from the following persons in the Potomac Highlands
• David Bookman, Romney Employer: Retired Contribution $500

All records are public and on file at the Federal Election Commission

Thank You Secretary of State

I recently converted to a new type of business. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with how easy and FAST the entire process was. I have my new certificates in hand in under 5 business days. I was notified via email of each approval from the various departments involved. The website was fairly simple to navigate and use. Overall, I was very impressed...I guess we are Open For Business!!!



For more information on business registration visit http://www.business4wv.com/

Drought Response: Are we ready?

Prior to the recent rains the Potomac Highlands had been heading for a drought according to NOAA. The graphic explains how bad it was beginning to get here.

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue has been on TV asking the Federal Government to stop the release of water from Federal dams and reservoirs . It seems that even though the area is in an extreme drought the government is releasing water faster than it is flowing into the dams. The reason is Department of Natural Resources and US Fish and Wildlife is still maintaining flow rates based on requirements for wildlife instead of people.

At what point do the people begin to be more important than the wildlife? The Potomac Highlands is in a drought right now. Ours has not been as long as the one in Georgia, but according to NOAA the short term is bad.

The state should have a mechanism in place that says to our DNR, when water resources become critical the people take priority.