"To Succeed W.Va. Can't Be Infatuated with Misery"

Rightwing Republicans (0.00 / 0)

As I've said before, there are solutions to the state's economy that need fixed but the rightwingers don't want to be part of the process coming up with solutions. They want to break the state and turn it into a "freemarket paradise" like they did Iraq.

The people most infatuated with the state's problems are the rightwingers with their extremist political agendas. They're not interested in the process of making the state better. I've never seen so many rightwingers eager to badmouth their own community and hurt the state's economy for their own political motives.

When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

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by: Carnacki @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 18:53:49 PM UTC

Looking For The Gilded Age (0.00 / 0)

Carnaki's got it right. Sobel's book told the tale with one concept - no minimum wage. Guaranteed to start a limbo contest of low wages amongst the people who cannot or will not ever leave. As far into this coal boom we should be having the same problems as Montana (and I read about that before Slurper wrote about it). A lot of our problems come from the fact that there is always somebody willing to work for $7 an hour. Like aircraft fuelers at Yeager - $7 an hour!! That's insane!! The Movers and Shakers want to move us back into coal camps and shake us down.

Next time a leader talks about a diversified economy call 'em a liar.

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by: Jesco Pernicus @ Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 21:36:55 PM UTC

WV (0.00 / 0)

Having just recently moved here, I have come to learn that West Virginia has a lot of problems and our tax rates are among the highest in the country. 

But, lets be honest about the state of the staet and who is responsible.  This is a one party state.  We must blame Bush and the GOP for the problems in Washington, and we must do our part to get a new Congressman in 2008.  I wish we had a progressive candidate, but it seems Unger is the best we will get.

All that being said, when it comes to the state, the blame rests with the Democratic party.  They have controlled state governmnet for ever.  We need a balance of some more free market ideas and some traditional Democrat values.  But, the unions and trial lawyers have to accept some blame for the current state of our state. 

I am not sure I can survive here, but I am going to try.

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by: eastpanhlib @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 03:03:37 AM UTC

eastpanhlib (0.00 / 0)

It's not that we have a one party state - there are plenty of DINO's in WV and they advocate for Republican principles. The  problems arise from a one industry state that gives a patriarchal aspect to growth. Need something? Go see your daddy, Big Coal. The Golden Rule is 'He who has the gold makes the rules'.

If an economy is defined as more people spending more money then you need to get on board and help us hold the coal industry to account. If mining was done according to law, the same amount of coal would be extracted with twice as many people earning a paycheck. If Don Blankenship earned $6 mil  last year instead of $12 mil that would be 50-60 high wage reclamation jobs right there. Multiply that by 20 or 30.

Voting Repub gives people like Bush political capital they need to roll back what little environmental, safety, and societal we've won already. But welcome to our state! We're glad your here.

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by: Jesco Pernicus @ Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 12:31:51 PM UTC