ROUTE 50 IN FREDERICK COUNTY, VA WILL HAVE MAJOR CLOSURES

ROUTE 50 IN FREDERICK COUNTY

Closures will be March 28-31 and April 18-21

STAUNTON – Motorists traveling on Route 50 near the Virginia border with West Virginia should be alert for two upcoming temporary but major traffic pattern changes.

The first closure will take place beginning at 4 p.m. on March 28 and lasting until 5 a.m. on March 31. Both eastbound lanes of Route 50 (Northwestern Pike) in the Gore area of Frederick County will be closed. This location is approximately .1 mile west of Route 752 (Knob Road) and is near the Virginia and West Virginia state line.

The closure is due to railroad work being performed by the Winchester and Western Railroad in the Gore area. All work is weather permitting.

The detour for the Route 50 eastbound closure from March 28 to 31 is as follows:

Traffic traveling east on Route 50 from any point west of the Gore area, including West Virginia, should head west on Route 50 into West Virginia and turn right onto Route 29 north to Route 127 east and continue to Route 522 south. Motorists should stay on Route 522 south until they reach Route 37. To get back on to Route 50 travelers should head south on Route 37 to the next interchange, which is Route 50.

Passenger vehicles can use an alternate shorter route at Route 703 (Whitacre Road) located west of Gore. This alternate route uses several secondary roads which are not suitable for tractor trailer traffic.

The second closure will be from April 18 to 21 at the same location. Both westbound Route 50 lanes will be closed beginning at 7 p.m. on April 18 and lasting until 5 a.m. on April 21. VDOT will send out detour information at the beginning of April.

Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. In areas where 511 is unavailable, dial 1-800-578-4111. (TTY/TDD users, call 711). Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at 511Virginia.org.

Highway safety is everyone’s responsibility. Virginia’s highway safety partnership — the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Virginia State Police — challenges you to help prevent highway fatalities. Buckle up. Avoid distractions. Share the road. Drive drug- and alcohol-free. Obey speed limits. For more information on the Highway Safety Challenge and things you can do to avoid becoming Virginia’s next traffic fatality, visit www.safeVAhighways.org.

The Energy Answer is Under Our Feet

Of all the states, West Virginia’s economy ranks at the bottom while we sit on mountains filled with energy in the middle of an energy crunch. Our economy should be booming, yet it is not. One reason is that we have a tendency to look to government for solutions and not to ourselves. Ronald Reagan once said, “Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.” His words hold true today. Everyday as we fuel up our vehicles paying close to $4 or more per gallon we are reminded government has not solved the problem, nor will it.

Government officials hold meetings and conferences, form committees and coalitions, but then all that happens is they talk about the problem and get their pictures in the media. One conference referred to the “New Technology of Coal Liquefaction.” For the record Friedrich Bergius developed one of the first processes for turning coal into gasoline almost 100 years ago.

Government doesn’t even know how old the processes are; are we sure we want it in charge?
One of the ideas being floated is a Private-Public Partnership, where government becomes a partner in the construction and operation of a coal liquefaction plant. The problem is government becomes the dominating partner in these ventures; the project becomes bloated, inefficient, and politically influenced to the detriment of the private business partner, the taxpayer and the consumer. History also reveals that the term “corporatism” was coined by Benito Mussolini to describe Private-Public Partnerships, which were used as a way to maintain government control. This is not a road we want to go down.

So what should be government’s role? Government’s first and most important goal should be to make as level and competitive playing field as possible. We must give West Virginia’s businesses a competitive advantage through business friendly tax and legal reforms. Half measures like eliminating the franchise tax by 2015 is not going to give us a competitive advantage anytime soon. It is like getting in a swimming pool one toe at a time instead of jumping in all at one time, getting wet and starting to swim. We must enact the needed tax and legal reforms wholly and fully now — get the initial shock out of the way and then begin to swim in increased jobs and tax revenue as our economy expands because West Virginia will be economically competitive.

So if government’s job should be to provide a level playing field for the competitors, then how do we move forward? The free market will always seek the lowest price and if fuel made from coal is cheaper, then the market will purchase fuel made from coal instead of oil. While we know we can currently make fuel cheaper from coal than oil, the problem is in regard to the cost and time of building the coal liquefaction plant. That cost is estimated at around $2 billion with about 2 years of construction. Some company has to be willing to risk the investment in the plant and take the chance that oil prices will remain high long enough for the plant to pay them back with interest.

Sometimes the only nudge the free market needs is the spark of an idea. Consider that CSX Corporation in 2006 purchased $1.2 billion dollars worth of fuel and you know from your own visits to the pump its 2008 numbers are substantially higher. What if the West Virginia coal Industry sits down with CSX Corp and says, since CSX already services 130 active coal mines and purchases billions of dollars worth of fuel, together we can build a profitable coal liquefaction plant. The plant could provide CSX with lower cost fuel, provide West Virginia coal producers with a new market outlet, provide high paying jobs across the board, give the state increased tax revenues and pump billions of dollars into the West Virginia economy.

As a state loaded with natural resources we have an opportunity, but only if we are willing to make the necessary political changes to make it happen. If we are not held back by Charleston’s bad economic policies, then West Virginia has an answer to the nation’s energy challenges. That answer is under our feet.

Teachers

I have held this post for a while, but recently read an article about how Preston County teachers are concerned about low wages compared to their counterparts in neighboring states. The solution from the Education department is always pay more, spend more, vote for our $15 million levy. Unfortunately we are a low income state that needs a better solution. Our teachers are not underpaid because they are undervalued, they work in a low income, low cost of living state. If your customers can't afford to pay for your product, it's time to adjust the product. When you lack the money you think you need, it is time to adjust your strategy. Is more money the solution to this problem? I would be tempted to entertain that notion if someone could tell me a) how much is being spent on education today and b) how much more to achieve the goals set forth.

The National Education Association reports that WV teachers have an average salary of $40,531 which is $10,000 less than the national average. What does the statistic leave off? A little math. This isn't meant to be a criticism of what teachers get paid or the status of our schools, just to ask the question, how much more is needed? After all, levies are constantly being proposed and denied, surely there is a solution out there.

The average WV primary earner brings in around $36,000 per year. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/medincearnersandstate.html I like this listing by number of earners in the family because it better reflects what the average family is living with. I have heard numbers as low as $20K for the average WV income. As you become a two and three earner family the statistics get a little skewed by part time workers, kids living at home and working, etc.

Most people are more familiar with what they are paid per hour. I ran these numbers past a friend who teaches and they already knew this to be true. The school year runs 180 days, most people with 2 weeks of vacation work 250 days. The school day runs about 8-3, with a lunch and at least one planning period, let's call that 6 hours per day. That comes to 180days x 6 hours = 1080 hours per year. To be overly fair, let's add in some bonus hours for in service and general planning, what the heck, lets add 120 hours of "extra" work time. That gives a work year of 1200 hours. Now, $40, 531/1200 = $33.63 per hour. That's 7x the current minimum wage. This doesn't include benefits and pension, and assumes no sick days or snow days that don't get made up for. The national average is over $50,000 per year which means the national hourly rate for teachers is $41.66 per hour. Compared to a non-teacher counterpart in 52 week per year work force with the same annual salary we see that they work 9-5 or 7 hours per day, 50 weeks per year (allowing 2 weeks for vacation) and thus make $40.531/1750 hours = $23.16/ hour. The average WV earner making $36K brings in about $20.51 per hour of work. Roughly $13 per hour less than our teachers.

Think a little about these numbers the next time you see a pending strike from teachers or hear complaints about how underpaid our teachers are. Then try to put this math to the salaries of college professors...just for fun. You might discover the major reason that the cost of higher education is skyrocketing.

Compared to the nation our teachers are underpaid. But isn't that true of everyone in WV? Compared to their fellow WVs they are some of the highest earners in the state. Most of us make less than our counterparts in the rest of the country.

Today the US Supreme Court Heard a 2nd Amendment Case

While we will not know the outcome from some time, the fundamental question is whether or not the right to bear arms is a collective right or an individual right.

The 2nd Amendment states, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." To any student of history it is clear that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right, but some believe it is not.

Over 200 years ago the people of the American Colonies petitioned the Crown and their calls fell on deaf ears. In the Declaration of Independence it states, "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States." Our forefathers understood what Tyranny was, they lived under it, most of us have not.

When they wrote the Bill of Rights, these men understood what was necessary to preserve freedom. First they understood that a free people needed the ability to speak openly about government and more importantly the ability to disagree with government. That is why the first amendment is the Guarantee of Freedom of Speech.

These men had also knew what happened Freedom of Speech is taken away and they got it back my force of arms. Without the Right to Bear Arms, there would be no United States. My ancestor John Moore was one of those men that took up arms against the crown and helped form this nation. These men that formed our nation understood the true cost of freedom.

Many of us understand that the 2nd Amendment is to protect both the 1st Amendment and to allow individuals to protect themselves when government can't. Should government try to take away freedom of speech from the people, the people have the ability to keep it as long as the right to bare arms is not infringed. A free people should never fear its government, government should aways fear its people.

Those that wish to give up the Right to Bear Arms will ultimately give up the right to free speech. The 2nd Amendment is an individual right.

WV GOP out of debt

State Party Chairman Doug McKinney proudly announced that the WV GOP is out of debt, at the Winter meeting held in South Charleston Saturday.

Many in the state party worked hard to pay of the debt lead by Larry Pack and Jim Reed. Bob Fish and the crew of the state Presidential Convention also deserve credit from bringing positive cash flow.

Many candidates were on hand for the event including US Senate Candidate Jay Wolfe, Gubernatorial Candidate Russ Weeks, Attorney General candidate Dan Greear, Secretary of State candidate Charles Minimah, and Agriculture Commissioner candidates Lawrence Beckerle and Michael Teets. The party is upbeat and ready to take on the Democrats in November.

The PHC Celerbrates its first birthday

One year ago today a group of us decided that a voice was needed to get out the correct information that often goes unreported in the Potomac Highlands, and sometime around the state. With a year under our belt and over 10 contributors providing content we have successfully gotten much needed and accurate information out the people of the state.

One of the success stories was the exposing of the myth that Mineral County is low on water resources in the article "Scare Tactics Used Against Mineral County Residents."

Another was Christy Barnett's story "Does Mineral County Want Economic Development?"

I would like to take this time to thank all those who have contributed to the blog and to our loyal readers that stretch from the Potomac Highlands to Charleston to Washington. Without your support we could not have been the success that we have become.

Another Issue That West Virginia Democrats Do Not Understand: Two Year Colleges

If it ain't broke don't fix it. That is the tried and true engineer maxim. One of the few things in West Virginia that ain't broke is the college and university system. However, Senate Education Chairman Bob Plymale seems determined to fix it.

His target is West Virginia University at Parkersburg. Somewhat like Potomac State College, WVU-P is a branch campus of West Virginia University. It serves students in Wood and at its own branch in Ripley. Like Potomac State students, many in the mid Ohio Valley want to get a degree from West Virginia University eventually, but do not want to make the complete leap from high school to mega campus. Campuses such as WVU-P and Potomac State give state students more options. A student can earn a two year terminal degree or go on to WVU. In the smaller campus they have a wide range of majors to pursue. The trend recently has seen WVU's two year schools expand their offerings in both two and four year programs.

This not only allows for more choices, if allowed to continue it ensures continued economic development in these communities at less cost to the state over time. As the cost of tuition in the Northeast rockets to amazing heights, these small colleges increasingly serve out of state students and earn their mother institutions more money. Imagine the benefit to Keyser and Mineral County as a whole if Potomac State becomes a four year school? Parkersburg is another former industrial city that could use such a shot in the arm.

Plymale has his own very limited vision for state two year schools. He sees them as useful for workforce development alone and wants to slice away WVU-P from its mother campus. Sorry all you history, literature, and political science majors who are not quite ready for a 30,000 student campus. Senator Plymale says small colleges are for workforce development only. Potomac State's relationship with WVU is much tighter and is likely going to remain unaffected, at least for now. Who knows what plans Plymale has for the future?

Basically Plymale seeks to limit the options available to state students because he thinks he has a better idea. Liberals often do prefer to think for others since the common people surely cannot decide such important issues on their own. Fortunately WVU-P has Republican allies in the Legislature such as Frank Deem and Donna Boley. Boley accuses Plymale and others of "back room" dealing.

Deem and Boley need help if they are to save WVU-P from having to break from WVU. Marshall University also has a major branch campus in Point Pleasant and they need to watch these developments closely. WVU president Mike Garrison needs support from his peers as well as Governor Manchin to ensure that the Legislature keeps its hands off institutions such as WVU-P.

Senator Clark Barnes and the Law of Unintended Consequences

The law of unintended consequences is a fact of life in West Virginia. Our Democratic leadership has unleashed this draconian condition time and time again because they rarely think through the effects of the laws that they create. Here is one example from several years ago. Sweeping anti-drug laws remove the prerogatives of school principals to deal with their own students, resulting in children expelled from school for illegally passing a Halls cough drop.

This is how it all starts. The people come to their legislators with a problem, such as poor attendance and dropout rates in West Virginia schools. Now everyone wants to increase school attendance and keep kids in school until they graduate. That point is hard to dispute. The law says that kids can opt out of school after age sixteen, so what leverage do we have to keep these kids on track to graduation? The answer is a state driver's license. Licenses are privileges, not natural, or constitutional rights (although most liberals rate it above the right to use a gun to protect your family.) The state Legislature wants the dropout rate to improve so driver's licenses are revoked on minors that are not attending school.

Terrific! Watch the school attendance rate rise and we feel much better about ourselves. We used the power of government to create positive social change.

But we forgot something. We forgot to think it through. We forgot about the exceptions to our scenario of lazy kids just ducking school to play video games. Some sixteen and seventeen year olds are not in school for a good reason. They have to work to help put food on the table. Some have children of their own. In Clark Barnes' district one minor mother has a child with a severe birth defect. The defect is so severe it requires constant monitoring. The mother made the right decision and put her child first. The law said that she could not have a driver's license, but she sometimes has to rush her child to the hospital from her rural home.

When a concerned citizen brought this to Senator Barnes' attention, he immediately went to work and got the Senate to amend the law. Luckily he acted in time. However what if the child had a severe problem before he acted?

We should all thank the humanitarianism of Senator Barnes because he did work to change a fairly popular law. However the lesson here is that we need to think very carefully before using the power of government to adjust the non criminal behavior of individuals. This usually does too much damage to warrant the assumed good.

Secret Denunciations Soon to be Legal in Mineral County

When the Mineral County Clean Up Committee finalized its discussions on the proposed clean up ordinance last fall, one thing was made clear. Those who file complaints would have their names included on the complaint. Our legal system recognizes that those facing accusations must know the name of those making the complaint. It is only fair to the accused.

The Mineral County Commission just altered the proposed ordinance so that unidentified complainants can get the enforcement official to file the complaints on their behalf. This performs an end run around the spirit of the ordinance and of our legal system itself by encouraging secret denunciations. Those who support this measure would claim that having the enforcement official file the complaints on behalf of those who would remain anonymous serves as a sort of vetting process. A reasonable official, they would state, would eliminate unreasonable complaints. However what if the enforcement official is unreasonable, incompetent, or corrupt? Such scenarios have happened in the history of this state.

What is particularly galling is that this was passed to protect complainants who would hesitate to step forward because they were elderly, handicapped, ill, or feared reprisal. When measures were proposed that would protect property owners who were poor, ill, or otherwise vulnerable, these were rejected as "reverse discrimination" against the rich. Now the county commission is proposing that the ill, handicapped, elderly, etc. need extra protection so long as they are not the target of the complaint!

If we are going to have a law err on the side of protecting anyone's rights, it ought to be the property owner. Indigent, ill, disabled, or other property owners have no protection whatsoever. Supposedly vulnerable accusers, however, are accorded protective status over and above that of even victims of criminal acts. The latitude of free speech rights is rightfully extensive. assumed to cover almost any form of pornography or dissent. Other natural rights such as those regarding gun ownership and property are not taken nearly as seriously. This is the case because these rights limit the power that government has over the people.

Sometimes issues of security do need protection for those making official reports. If suspicious people are seen boarding a plane, it is important to get the information quickly so authorities can determine the validity of the threat. Since unused barns are less likely to escape the property line to wreck havoc and terror in various parts of the nation, this is a case where government power needs to be restrained.

We've Been Here Before . . .

A presidential race should be about a lot of things. It should reflect an intelligent discussion of the issues between experienced candidates. The people should take in reasonable arguments from both sides and make an informed choice. Presidential elections ought not be a beauty contest where feel good rhetoric overwhelms sensible discussion.

The Democratic contest right now reflects a struggle between those who support a candidate who has positions on real issues versus a guy campaigning on good looks and a fairly vague message of hope. Conservatives (Karl Rove included) seem to gravitate towards their old enemy Hillary Clinton and increasingly see Barrack Obama as a nightmare scenario. Republicans have actually switched parties to help Clinton win primaries.

The media says this happens because Republicans see Clinton as more vulnerable. Actually Clinton is the tougher candidate for McCain to beat because they appeal to the same moderate swing voters who likely would not go to Obama. Many Clintoncrats would tend to vote for McCain if their candidate lost. Many Republicans want Clinton to obtain the nomination because if worse comes to worst, many would rather see another President Clinton than a President Obama.

America has been here before. In 1920 the Republican Party ran Senator Warren G. Harding. His main characteristics were a congenial nature, good looks, and the vague idea that America needed to "return to normalcy." Harding had almost no real experience. Party officials supported him because they figured women would turn out in droves to support an attractive male (some did more than just vote for him.) Harding asked America to turn tail and run from the mess in Europe and disengage from the problems emerging there. We voted for the good looking guy who appealed to our emotions rather than our heads.

Harding was in over his head. He failed to prevent the Battle of Blair Mountain in which thousands of Americans fought each other on a thirty mile front over labor issues. Harding failed to even address the issues. Unlike the staunchly Republican President Grant two generations before, Harding failed to tackle the reformation of the Ku Klux Klan than terrorized blacks, Jews, and Catholics. He could not even manage his own friends as they used their position to enrich themselves at the expense of the public. Worst of all, America's disengagement from Europe set the stage for it to descend into the hell of World War II.

Obama wants to be president very badly (at least Harding had some misgivings about his lack of experience and knowledge.) This is not the right time in history for someone like this to end up in the White House. The United States faces challenges from terror groups as well as established powers such as Russia. We need to hammer out an energy policy to secure our nation and its economy. Poor decisions by large numbers of individuals have destabilized the economy. Obama wants to raise taxes considerably while pulling the US out of the Middle East so that the evil forces therein have free reign. Under such plans our economy and security suffer tremendously.

It's not time for a neophyte. It's not even time for a Clinton. It's time for McCain. Only a Republican has the principles proven over time to set it right.

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Prayers should go out to Senator Robert C. Byrd. We all hope that he makes a speedy recovery and returns to his post soon.

Financially Illiterate

Auto loaning just reached a new milestone recently. Some credit outfits now offer nine year loans to purchase new automobiles. While this helps consumers to negotiate much lower payments, it also benefits the credit firms who will bring in much more on interest. Unfortunately the value in a car at a certain point declines so quickly that many will find themselves owing more than the car is worth or paying on a car that died. This comes from a credit industry currently reeling because they greedily encouraged marginal buyers to make poor decisions on home loans.

The answer does not lie in more regulation. People got what they paid for and reaped the rewards of their judgment. To help consumers make good decisions, education is needed.

West Virginia currently requires four years of math to obtain a high school diploma. This contains an element of absurdity currently because most students never need higher math, not to mention the fact that advanced math subjects must have lower standards to ensure a decent rate of passage. What West Virginia and every state needs to do is to offer an alternative real life mathematics course for seniors. Few students ever need trigonometry or calculus in their chosen fields (although you should never stop offering these subjects.) Every student needs to know how to balance a checkbook, create a household budget, figure up a tip, do their income taxes, negotiate loans on a limited budget, and other real world skills.

Is it not amazing that schools have thoroughly embraced the idea that fifth graders need to know every last detail about sex, but they have not given the same attention to finances? Poor decisions about sex can ruin a life, so can uninformed financial decisions. Our economy is experiencing problems because entire generations have gone uninformed about how serious credit decisions can affect their lives. It is time that every high school in our state offer a math course on how to deal with the real world.

Vice Presidential Nominees?

John McCain's first question as nominee is the most difficult. Who will share the ticket?

Geographical logic points to the South to balance McCain's western origins. He needs to shore up a very questioning southern base, especially if Clinton rebounds and gains the Democratic nomination. A southern conservative would be extremely helpful.

Mike Huckabee looks like a good choice on the surface. He campaigns well in the South due to his impoverished childhood and religious beliefs. Huckabee brings to the table a man experienced in domestic issues. However in this race the GOP should shy away from a "two white guy" ticket. George W. Bush produced the most diverse administration in the history of the country. The Republican Party has done a great job in the past ten years developing female and minority leaders. Who could fit the bill?

Elizabeth Dole currently serves as the US Senator from North Carolina. She formerly ran the Red Cross and ran for president in 2000. She brings assets to the table, such as her congenial husband Robert who ran for president in 1996. Robert Dole also suffered serious wounds in combat and was a leader in the Senate for many years. Dole has avoided the limelight for the past eight years. This could help or hurt.

Senator Mel Martinez from Florida has great influence in that state's powerful Cuban community and could help sway moderate and Hispanic voters elsewhere. California could come into play for the GOP in 2008 and Martinez would only help. Martinez has the confidence of the RNC and has worked very hard to help the national party leadership.

Michael Steele from Maryland has electrifying charisma and energy. When he ran in the last election, civil rights groups in his state showed their hypocrisy by pelting him with Oreo cookies. He also showed an ability to connect with conservative Western Marylanders. I remember in 2006 speaking with some rather confused older voters in West Virginia who expressed the hope that "you help Steele beat Byrd." Steele also holds strong conservative credentials. His ability to make such a strong impression on Western Maryland and Eastern West Virginia means that Steele could find receptive audiences elsewher ein the South. However his national exposure has been limited.

McCain also has an asset in Rudolph Giuliani who has his own backing. For many reasons, he would make an unsuitable vice presidential nominee, but might help the ticket as a proposed Secretary of State or Attorney General. George W. Bush benefited from early speculation that the respected Colin Powell would be his chief diplomat.

The vice presidential nomination is one of McCain's most important choices and will go a long way towards determining whether or not he wins come November.

McCain Wins Nomination

As of Super Tuesday, the Republican Party received the news it had expected for some time. John McCain is the party's nominee for president.

A couple of months ago, this prospect unnerved many conservative Republicans. McCain does differ in opinion from conservatives on some issues. He, along with other Republicans in border regions, has a different idea about immigration than most. McCain's joke about being a "conservative liberal" probably did not help.

That being said, Republicans have not won elections by selecting doctrinaire nominees. Dwight D. Eisenhower campaigned on "compassionate conservatism" that sought to soften the edges of free market economics. Richard Nixon engaged in heavy handed economic controls to try and right the ship after the disastrous Johnson presidency. Neither George Bush could be called right wingers when one examines their policies. Ronald Reagan even evoked savage conservative criticism when he embarked on a peace path towards Mikhail Gorbachev's Soviet Union.

We are conservatives, but we also reason and speak freely. This is why the media loves to pick on conservatism, because we are never unified and our debates usually happen in public. Liberals have ousted their own free thinkers, such as Joe Lieberman (you could call him the Democratic version of John McCain.) Liberals started tearing away at Angelina Jolie's statement that US troops are needed in Iraq to prevent humanitarian disasters. They cannot tolerate deviations from their increasingly left wing agenda.

John McCain is not a 100% right wing conservative, this is true. Neither was any other GOP president. We win elections because we choose and support moderate candidates who think and act on their principles instead of the party line. McCain has sacrificed a great deal for his country and he is the only candidate left that America can trust in a crisis.

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Has Mineral County run out of water yet? Just checking. It would be best to keep any other businesses from coming in just in case.

It's not brain surgery...or wait...yeah it is

http://www.freemarketcure.com/brainsurgery.php

This is a short film about the resulting "efficiency" of government, single payor health plans. Health insurance for all sounds great. Who wouldn't love to help provide everyone with health care? It is heart breaking to see a person with cancer or other terminal illness as their health degrades. It is further frustrating to see the family struggle financially, emotionally, and spiritually. Those who oppose universal health care do not oppose it because we don't want to see people get treated, we oppose it because universal health care doesn't mean that we all get universally great health care, it likely means that we all get universally poor health care as highlighted in this video clip.

At the end the health broker asks where his clients will go for surgery if this plan comes to the U.S. Get ready to pack your bags for India.

As Gary Howell says " With government health care you get all of the caring of the IRS combined with the efficiency of the Post Office".

Republican group decries legislator pay increase

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lisa Peana

March 3, 2008 304-730-4599

Republican group decries legislator pay increase

Leader calls raise ‘an arrogant slap in the face to our working families’

Charleston, WV – Last week, the West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 4076 which granted its members a five-thousand dollar increase in base pay. “In the biggest display of arrogance and disregard for fiscal responsibility, Democrats in the House and Senate putting their own interests ahead of many more important priorities they should be addressing,” said Lisa Peana, President of the West Virginia Republican Club.

“This bill not only increases the cost of Government to our taxpayers in West Virginia, it also allows for more citizens to become career politicians.”

Awaiting signature by Governor Joe Manchin, the base pay for legislators in both chambers will increase from $15,000 per year to $20,000 per year. The bill also increases per diem pay for legislators staying in Charleston from out of town from $115.00 per day to $130.00.

“According to the Federal Bureau for Economic Analysis , the average West Virginian earns $27,897 per year. A typical West Virginian will have to work 261 days to earn what a Legislator is paid in 60 days in base pay alone.

“It is an arrogant slap in the face to our working families that legislators feel that granting themselves a pay increase is more important that finding ways to cut taxes and bring jobs to our communities.”

House Bill 4076 passed the House of Delegates on Tuesday with 62 yeas, 36 nays, and 2 not voting. The bill was approved by the State Senate on Friday, with 20 yeas, 13 nays, and 1 not present. Governor Joe Manchin has recently indicated that he supports the pay raise and will likely sign it into law, which would grant the legislators their pay increase in 2009.

Related Links:

HB4076 Bill Text

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2008_SESSIONS/RS/BILLS/HB4076%20ENG%20SUB.htm

House Roll Call

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bulletin_Board/2008/RS/House/Votes/00210.pdf

Senate Journal

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bulletin_Board/2008/rs/Senate/S_DAILY_JOURNAL/sdj-52nd%20day.htm#HDO

Per Capita Income by State (2006 estimates, 2005 actual)

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2007/xls/spi0307.xls

McCain won't raise taxes?

McCain told ABC's "This Week" that under no circumstances would he increase taxes, and added that he could "see an argument, if our economy continues to deteriorate, for lower interest rates, lower tax rates, and certainly decreasing corporate tax rates," as well as giving people the ability to write off depreciation and eliminating the alternative minimum tax.---http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mccain_taxes/2008/02/17/73372.html?s=al&promo_code=4568-1

This seems a little odd since he voted against the Bush tax cuts, but I am encouraged to hear that he can at least occassionally sound conservative. Thus far my understanding is that in November we will be choosing between a liberal Republican or a Socialist. Even though I don't share the "suicide voter" mentality as illustrated by Gary Howell in a prior entry, I do share Rush Limbaugh's point that McCain should not try to appease Conservatives by pretending to be Conservative on several key issues. Most Republicans are going to vote for McCain and, hopefully, the idea of Obama or Hillary (note:Hillary used to come first when referring to the duo) in the White House is enough to scare moderates to vote for McCain.

I can't help but to feel that many Republicans are voting with an apologetic mentality. There seems to be a need to make a peace offering with the left by offering a candidate that many on the left can approve of in order to "make-up" for the Bush years. If this is to be the case, McCain may be a good choice for an apology candidate. Afterall, offering a candidate that both sides can live with is certainly better than handing the Democrats the White House by offering a sacrificial, weak candidate.

Keeping it Real

"I don't believe Bible-believing Christians should participate in the mainstreaming of Mormonism." -- Brian Bigelow, Fayette County Delegate (and Huckabee voter) to the West Virginia GOP Convention on February 5, 2008, as quoted in USA Today.

Is this what our party stands for? Mindless sectarian fear of another faith as a basis for electing (or not electing, in this case) the President of the United States?

I don't know who Brian Bigelow is, except that he originally supported Rudy Giuliani. So, for Mr. Bigelow it's more important to defeat--gasp!--a Mormon than to defeat someone who supports abortion rights and the gay agenda? Is that what "Bible-believing Christians" stand for?

I more than realize that the issue is more or less moot with the exit of Governor Romney from the presidential race, but this is something that we--as a party, as a conservative movement--must confront and defeat. Someday there will be another Mormon running for president. Someday, a Mormon will run for your county commission, or for the legislature, or for a statewide office. Are we going to allow this same hate to torpedo those future candidacies as well?

Will evangelicals of Mr. Bigelow's ilk require future candidates to sign off on a particular creed or statement of religious beliefs? Does a candidate have to be a young-earth creationist to get his OK? What about a rejection of UPC bar codes? Mark of the beast, you know.

Maryland, what a neighbor

I have had a couple of run-ins with the state of Maryland and I am growing more and more irritated with MD's state government.

The first happened shortly after my tags expired on my vehicle. I had moved in the time period that property taxes are calculated (July 2006) and thus had not received my property tax bill from Harrison County, and did not have records on file for Mineral County. I knew that I needed to renew my tags, but had neglected to do so as I hate paying my property taxes 2 months early just to renew my tags. The Sherriff's office helped me to find my bill, but phone payment was not an option. I was going to be passing through Harrison county in the next week, so I decided to pay in person on my way to Charleston. While I waited to get the highly coveted paid receipt so that I could renew my tags my wife had a baby. I drove my vehicle between Keyser and Oakland in order to watch my daughter at home and be with my wife and new baby at the hospital. On the final trip I was pulled over by a MD state trooper because one of my three brake lights was out. He noticed that my tags had expired earlier in the month and wrote a $60 citation for expired WV tags. I took the ticket because, like most, I am an easy target for the police to pull over and fine. I still don't understand why I should pay MD $60 when I had been working on the issue, which in WV is not as easy as going to the DMV and paying to renew your tags. It takes several steps and visits to the assessors office, the sheriff's office, and then the DMV to get your tags renewed. I believe that a WV trooper would have understood and possibly cut me a little slack since my wife had just had a baby 2 days prior.

Next, a recently discharged employee and WV resident filed for MD unemployment. I questioned why the filing was in MD and asked how this could affect me since I don't have a MD unemployment account. I was given a phone number to call and proceeded to do so on 3 occasions. After 1/2 hour wait times I would hang up in order to continue working. Today I was called by MD Unemployment and threatened with a fine if I did not immediately fax the form that I received back to them. Correction: a staff member was told to pass this message on to me and direct me to immediately return their call. I explained why I had not already done this ( I needed to know what, if any affect this would have on my payroll withholdings and whether this would create a MD unemployment account), to which I received vague answers of "it won't, don't worry about it", and an explanation that wait times for their division are usually fairly long. I went ahead and faxed the form to avoid a fine and penalty from our neighbor to the north. Yet another unpaid obligation that is levied against small business people. It took roughly 1/2 hour to complete the form and fax it, plus the 2 hours of phone calls. I am tempted to send an invoice to MD for services rendered. Perhaps I can get my $60 vehicle fine back.

Senate candidate Howell signs no-tax pledge

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Howell

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 304 790 9292

Senate candidate Howell signs no-tax pledge

KEYSER — Gary Howell, Republican candidate for the 14^th State Senate District, today announced he has signed the State Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.”

The pledge is promoted by Americans for Tax Reform, which was founded in 1985 by Grover Norquist at the request of President Reagan.

“Promising to oppose taxes is an easy call for me,” said Howell. “The people of West Virginia are already over-taxed and over-regulated. Burdensome taxation stifles growth and smothers entrepreneurship. By reducing and cutting taxes, our economy will grow and good jobs will come to the 14^th District and the rest of the state.”

Howell knows about growing a small business. For more than 17 years, he has been the owner and operator of Howell Automotive in Keyser, a leading supplier of auto parts. In 2003, Gary was named “Exporter of the Year” by the U.S. Small Business Administration. He was honored by the West Virginia Motor Sports Council in 2005 for promoting West Virginia across the country. Last year, he was honored with the Governors Commendation for International Market Entry, recognizing his success in completing sales with the Philippines, South Africa, Aruba, Belgium, Greece, Spain and Sweden.

A lifelong West Virginian, Howell received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from Frostburg State University's School of Business in 1990. He is seeking the Senate seat being vacated by Jon Blair Hunter.

The 14^th Senate district covers all or parts of the counties of Barbour, Grant, Mineral, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor and Tucker.

Rob Kessel

As many of you know local business man Rob Kessel perished in a plane crash last week. I served with Rob Kessel on the Mineral County Planning Commission and got to know him.

He served the community in many ways that were seen and many that were unseen. When he served on the County Planning Commission he had a good eye for looking out for the public welfare. His various housing and commercial projects around the area greatly benefited the local economy.

May God bless your family and friends. You will be missed.