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The Republican Gazette
MONDAY DECEMBER 8, 2008
Caruth, Armstead back for another round leading GOP
DON CARUTH
TIM ARMSTEAD
Republicans in the state legislature will be led by the same team as the last two years, following caucus meetings Sunday that resulted in GOP members of the Senate and House nominating their two leaders from last time.Sen. Don Caruth of Mercer County was nominated to return as Republican leader in the Senate, while Del. Tim Armstead of Kanawha County was tapped to again lead House Republicans. Caruth will have fewer charges under his leadership, as the GOP lost three seats due to John Yoder's decision to seek a circuit judgeship, Vic Sprouse's retirement to focus on a career in the private sector, and Andy McKenzie's departure to become mayor of Wheeling. Democrats won all those seats on November 4th. Armstead, though, will have one additional GOP delegate to work with, since Patrick McGeehan of Chester picked up the 1st District seat vacated by Democrat Joe DeLong, who ran in the Democrat primary for Secretary of State, losing to eventual General Election winner Natalie Tennant. Republicans now hold 8 of 34 Senate seats, and 29 of 100 House seats. As recently as 2006, the GOP held 13 Senate seats and 32 House seats.
MARK
PLANTS
Plants speaks at Center-Right meeting tonight
Mark Plants, who won the Kanawha County prosecutor's race last month, will be the guest speaker tonight at a meeting of the Center-Right Coalition.Plants will discuss the election and his plans to improve the office.The meeting wil be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Kanawha City Shoney’s (3600 MacCorkle Ave. near the 36th St. Bridge).Social Hour" will start at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner. Anyone interested in attending should call 304-274-1791.It has become very apparent that the United States does have a major influence on the world economy contrary to some previous global analyst opinions. The cold hard facts are: If we thrive, the rest of the world thrives. If we flounder, the rest of the world flounders. Remember in the early eighties when the oil cartels were withholding oil thus inflating the price and when U.S manufacturers were inefficient and uncompetitive? American industry and workers rose to the occasion and addressed the many inefficiencies and became more productive. As a result, we experienced economic growth throughout the nineties and most of the two thousands and generally speaking, life was prosperous and good.As a country, we’re at that point again. We must become more efficient. This time though it’s a little bit different. It’s our government that has made our economy weak and unstable. And, to add insult to injury, government has constantly been spending beyond the means of our tax base. In my opinion, here are a few things that government needs to reform:1. Eliminate or at least accurately recalculate Davis-Bacon and Prevailing Wage. This government mandate drives up the cost of every road, bridge, school, government building, water line, sewer line, virtually any project that has government/taxpayer funding. This change will save billions and allow more workers to be employed and more infrastructure projects to be completed.2. Mandatory drug testing for recipients of Welfare, Food Stamps, Unemployment, etcetera. Nowadays to get a good job, employees must submit to a drug test which is fine. Yet there is no testing for those who receive government assistance. The tax dollars saved would be twofold, fewer resources would be expended on the war against drugs and those who don’t pass the drug test will have a limited amount of time to rehabilitate or they will lose their assistance. Again, billions upon billions saved!3. Businesses in this country are at a competitive disadvantage because of Workers’ Comp. And, to make matters worse, healthcare costs continue to go through the roof. Workers in most cases are double insured, whereas most self-employed workers elect not to be covered by Workers’ Comp and choose high deductible health insurance with disability. A hybrid Workers’ Comp/Healthcare package can and must be implemented in this country. The savings would be tremendous and the end result will be more jobs and better healthcare.4. The cost of our prison systems has reached the point of ridiculous. I’m actually surprised that more people don’t commit crimes to take advantage of the free housing, education and healthcare opportunities. In West Virginia, the average cost of a prisoner’s healthcare is about $4,300 per year. Drastic changes need to be made now.
Time for government to tighten its belt
By
Del. Craig Blair
---
Ireland speaking at Dunbar meet
BETTY
IRELAND
Secretary of State Betty Ireland will be the guest speaker at the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee Christmas reception and meeting on Tuesday.The event will take place at the Dunbar Women's Club, with the reception from 5:30-7 p.m., and the regular meeting following at 7.The event is open to the public. Ireland is finishing her term in the SOS office, having chosen not to seek reelection.TUESDAY DECEMBER 9, 2008
Monday night I watched the series finale of "Boston Legal," which has done well mixing drama with comedy, although it sank deeper and deeper into liberal ideology in its closing days, particularly when ultra-conservativfe, gun-toting super attorney Denny Crane, played ingratiatingly by William Shatner, indicated he had voted for Barack Obama, much to the delight of his best friend and liberal law partner, Alan Shore, played by James Spader with appropriate leftwing moral superiority.The friendship between the political opposites Crane and Shore has been a developing subplot on the show for several seasons, to the point that every episode in recent times has ended with the pair engaging in philosophical debate while sitting on the law firm's balcony and enjoying cigars and brandy.On the show's final night, the relationship was taken to its illogical extreme when the pair decided they should simply get married. What with same-sex marriage being legal in Massachussetts, and Denny Crane suffering from increasingly noticeable Alzheimer's disease and wanting to leave his fortune to someone he trusted without it being eviscerated by estate tax laws, the union almost made sense.Remember, the characters of Crane and Shore are devoutly heterosexual, and through the years have taken much joy in their personal conquests of the opposite sex. There were no sexual overtones between them whatsoever in their decision to marry; it was a strictly financial arrangement (although the two often profess their platonic love for each other). Upon applying for a marriage license, they were quickly hauled into court by a gay rights group who claimed Crane and Shore were making a mockery of gay marriage, since neither man was gay, and the marriage was only one of convenience. But a judge rightly ruled in favor of the law partners, pointing out that a litmus test on being gay was not in the law, which in Massachussetts simply permitted same-sex marriage, no questions asked.Given "Boston Legal's" extreme liberal bent (it goes so far as to mock Antonin Scalia by having him perform the wedding ceremony), there is little chance the producers and writers of the show intended to send a message sympathetic to conservatives. And yet, they did just that on two points.First, they pointed out the devastating effects of tax laws that eat up family money through estate taxes. Only by one spouse leaving his or her fortune to the other spouse could such taxes be avoided. Second, they exposed the complete nonsense of laws designed to create minority status for gays and lesbians. While in fact same-sex marriage laws have been enacted here and there specifically to allow gay couples to marry, there is absolutely nothing in those laws that can prevent heterosexual men from marrying other heterosexual men, or straight women from marrying other straight women, purely for economic or any other reasons. Unlike every other recognized and protected minority in America -- black, Hispanic, Asian, female, etc., etc. -- being gay is a matter of behavior, not birth (regardless of the age-old argument of whether one is born gay or not; either way, it is the homosexual act that defines gays, not their appearance, like being black, etc. defines other minorities, which can indeed lead to discrimination). Defining gays as minorities is the only such definition bestowed upon people because of what they do, rather than because of who they were born as. It completely defies all logic. That lack of logic was exposed perfectly on "Boston Legal," which was undoubtedly attempting to make some sort of liberal statement, but in so attempting, ended up closing its run by instead producing an excellent commentary on the absurdity of where an increasingly liberal society has found itself today.
Liberal 'Boston Legal' makes great conservative points in the series finale
Nonsense of Crane-Shore nuptials points out absurdity of legalizing gay marriage
Characters played by James Spader, left, and William Shatner celebrate their marriage with a dance on "Boston Legal."
'Merit selection' of judges worse than the current system
One hates to disagree with such an astute legal mind as John Yoder's -- and I say that sincerely, because he is a friend whom I admire greatly -- but I must take issue with his promotion of the merit selection of judges, as reported Monday by various news outlets.Yoder, a current Republican state senator who was recently elected a circuit court judge, says he favors merit selection because "what it does take out is the money -- the appearance that justice is for sale," according to a story in Monday's Charleston Gazette.Under most merit selection plans, apparently including one supported by Yoder, judges are no longer elected. Instead, they are chosen by the governor, who makes his choice from three individuals recommended by a Judicial Selection Committee. Then, after serving whatever the length of his or her term may be, that judge stands for a "retention election," in which that judge's name appears alone on ballots. If he or she does not receive a certain percent of the vote -- usually 50 percent is the prescribed number -- he or she is removed, and the process starts over. Even Yoder admits that merit selection does not remove politics from the equation. If fact, I will take it a step further by proclaiming merit selection to be even more beholden to politics than partisan elections. At the end of the day, "Judicial Selection Committee" or not, the governor operating in such a system always ends up appointing exactly who he wants, much like he does now when filling a legislative vacancy, even with the show-and-tell process of a similar selection committee in that case. The opportunity for a governor to stack judges across the state -- much as presidents are accused of doing through federal appointments -- is irresistable. Further, Senator Yoder buys into -- pardon the expression -- the notion that campaign money in a judicial election is a bad thing. It is, of course, the high-profile state Supreme Court elections which have focused attention on this subject in West Virginia, a worry which has always been particularly absurd given the 12-year terms of Supreme Court justices. The last thing justices on West Virginia's highest court need to worry about is currying favor with donors, since the likelihood of a majority of the same set of donors being in the picture when reelection time finally -- finally -- rolls around more than a decade down the road are odds Vegas wouldn't take.The best system would be the non-partisan election of judges. It is not perfect, but we know it is good because Democrats in West Virginia are so adamantly opposed to it, which is a litmus test that can usually be applied when questioning whether an idea is good or bad.Obama lost in WV votes but won state's money race
The continuing evidences of the non sequitur of the last election as it pertains to West Virginia is further highlighted by fundraising totals that reveal that even though Barack Obama was literally creamed by John McCain in the Mountain State on Election Day, donors from West Virginia gave more than twice as much money to Obama than to McCain.According to Federal Election Commission records, Obama scooped up more than $715,000 from West Virginia donors, compared to just $289,000 for McCain. In fact, even Hillary Clinton came away with more West Virginia dollars than McCain, taking nearly $400,000 from the Mountain State.Among Republican candidates, McCain did lead the pack, followed by Rudy Giuliani, who raised about $187,000 from West Virginia. Ron Paul, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney all ended up in the $35,000 - $40,000 donation range. Ironically, Mike Huckabee, who won the state party's presidential convention, only raised about $18,000 from here. In total, West Virginia gave $1.8 million to all presidential candidates combined -- an even one dollar for each resident. By comparison, Ohio gave nearly $19 million, Virginia $43 million, Pennsylvania $29 million, and Maryland $31 million. Kentucky almost matched West Virginia's frugality at $5 million. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10, 2008
“I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I’m saying? And if I don’t get what I want and I’m not satisfied with it, then I’ll just take the Senate seat myself.”
--Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich
Blagojevich's lesson is likely not lost on Manchin
A vacant U.S. Senate seat being filled thru the appointment of a governor who is believed to aspire to it himself? If it sounds familiar, it should, but Joe Manchin may already have seen the pitfalls that are taking down his Illinois counterpart
Almost since the moment he became governor of West Virginia, rumors have swirled that Joe Manchin was keeping one eye on the U.S. Senate seat held by the aging Robert C. Byrd, and that the moment Byrd was no longer able to fulfill his duties, Manchin -- who, as governor, would have the responsibility to appoint Byrd's replacement -- would maneuver things to end up with the seat himself.A similar set of circumstances has landed Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich smack in the middle of a federal probe that alleges he essentially attempted to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, and if he didn't receive the type of political or financial renumeration he wanted, "I'll just take the Senate seat myself."To be sure, no one has ever suggested that Manchin was planning to engage in the kind of political hostage holding that Blagojevich is accused of attempting. But there is sometimes a thin line between accepted political back door deal-making, and the outright holdup caper that has snared Blagojevich. Fuel was thrown on the perceived machinations of Manchin in regard to the Byrd seat back in 2007 when the State Journal reported that West Virginia's first lady, Gayle Manchin, admitted that she and the governor had discussed a scenario wherein she would be appointed to replace Byrd. The accepted political logic following that hot item was that Gayle would be a placeholder in the seat until the 2012 elections, when Joe would finish his second term as governor, then run for the Senate himself.Indeed, fewer people today than a couple of years ago now think that the governor would appoint himself to the seat, should it become available before 2012. Manchin himself went to great pains during the last campaign to distance himself from that notion, going so far as to proclaim in a debate in Morgantown that he absolutely would not appoint himself (and adding slyly that he fully expected Byrd to be campaigning for reelection in 2012).
Technically, Manchin cannot actually appoint himself, since he cannot hold two offices at once. He would first have to resign as governor, then be appointed to the Senate by his successor, who as of now would be Senate president and Lieutenant Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. But that's a deal easy enough to make, since Tomblin is widely perceived as coveting the governor's office, and having a head start on the 2012 election by actually sitting in the governor's mansion for a couple of years first would certainly lead Tomblin to agree to such a bargain. But the entire Blagojevich affair must now send shudders through any governor faced with making such a high-profile appointment. More scrutiny than ever will be focused on such appointments, along with the deals that might go on behind closed doors. Manchin so far has been somewhat of a Teflon governor, adept at skirting whatever scandals or controversies envelope those around him. If Byrd does fail to fulfill his term for any reason, Manchin will have to make doubly sure now that whatever appointment he makes to fill Byrd's seat is not tainted by anything that crosses the line from accepted political maneuvering, and ventures instead into the kind of dark and murky waters of illegal quid pro quo that have rocked Blagojevich. In that light, it is ironic that actually working a bargain to take the appointment himself might end up being the least suspicious and cleanest deal he could make.Blagojevich is in hot water over process of replacing Obama.
Manchin could face a similar situation someday over Byrd.
In the first gubernatorial debate between Russ Weeks and Joe Manchin, Weeks caused a minor controversy by claiming he had evidence of a serious conflict of interest within the Department of Highways. Weeks later refused to reveal specifics, citing the need to protect his sources from retaliation.But this week, an outside audit commissioned by the State 
Audit finds conflict of interest, a reminder of allegation by Weeks
RUSS WEEKS
Legislature found that "the Division of Highways district assigned to the Northern Panhandle mishandled at least some of the $23 million in federal funds provided to help clean up after two rounds of flooding earlier this decade," according to The Associated Press.
Among other problems discovered by the audit were "undisclosed conflicts of interest by unnamed Highways employees..." It will be interesting to see whether those conflicts are finally revealed.Duncan calls on Obama to address Blagojevich issue
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan issued the following statement Tuesday:"Leaders of both political parties have a responsibility to clearly condemn the actions by Governor Rod Blagojevich as alleged by federal prosecutors today. Americans expect strong leadership, but President-elect Barack Obama’s comments on the matter are insufficient at best. Given the President-elect’s history of supporting and advising Governor Blagojevich, he has a responsibility to speak out and fully address the issue.”Mike Duncan seeks reelection as RNC chairman
In an online video, Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan announces his intention to seek reelection, citing record fundraising and voter outreach during the 2008 campaign cycle.
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan made his bid for reelection official this week, saying, "Serving as Chairman of the Republican National Committee has been the most gratifying work of my career. I am proud of RNC accomplishments in fundraising, technology, and grassroots over the past two years. More importantly, I am optimistic about the future opportunities of Republicans."Duncan added, "The path to a reinvigorated Republican Party begins with a recommitment to our core conservative principles. We will once again be the "Party of Ideas" and the power of those ideas will guide our victories."Duncan, who is from Inez, Ky., is a 30-year political strategist and veteran of Republican politics, and was elected as the 60th Chairman of the Republican National Committee in January 2007. Duncan has worked for and advised Republican candidates and parties at the local, state and national level his entire adult life. He has held a wide variety of positions at the RNC, most recently as General Counsel and before that, Treasurer. During his career, he has served on the campaigns of five Presidents, including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. He has been a delegate to six Republican National Conventions and is one of the few persons ever to serve on four standing convention committees. Duncan’s service has extended to the federal government. In 1989-90, during a sabbatical from his banking career, he worked in the George H. W. Bush White House as assistant Director of Public Liaison. President George W. Bush appointed him to the President’s Commission on White House Fellows in 2001 and nominated him to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board, a position to which he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in March 2006.Duncan has been equally active in his home state of Kentucky, where he helped in the successful campaign to win back Kentucky’s statehouse for the first time in 36 years. In 1998 he took a leave of absence from his business and chaired Jim Bunning’s successful U.S. Senate race. In addition Duncan is a long-time supporter and fundraiser for Senator Mitch McConnell. A civic capitalist, Chairman Duncan is active in numerous professional and nonprofit organizations. He served as board chairman of a state university and a private college. He is a Trustee of the Christian Appalachian Project, the 15th largest private social services agency in America. His public service has been recognized with several distinctions, including honorary degrees from the College of the Ozarks, Cumberland College, and Morehead State University. His student-mentoring program, in its 28th year, has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Los Angeles Times.The Duncan family is the principal owner of two community banks with five offices in eastern Kentucky. Chairman Duncan has served as President of the Kentucky Bankers Association and as a Director of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank Cincinnati Branch. Mike Duncan and his wife Joanne are 1974 graduates of the University of Kentucky College of Law. They live in Inez, Kentucky and have one son, Rob, an Assistant United States Attorney in Lexington, Kentucky, who is married to Valerie Ridder of Springfield, Missouri.Duncan announces bid for return to RNC chairmanship
The list of people who Barack Obama has known for years but has no real knowledge of continued to grow in recent days to include Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Just like with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and terrorist William Ayres, Obama swears he is oblivious to the words, actions and nature of Blagojevich, despite the governor previously being described as one of Obama's closest advisors.If Obama really knew more about all these folks but kept their associations anyway, it's disturbing. If he really was completely unaware of the things they said or were involved in, it's frightening that a man soon to take the oath of office of President of the United States could be so oblivious to everything happening around him.The federal indictment against Blagojevich contains the following excerpt from a tapped conference call:"ROD BLAGOJEVICH asked what he can get from the President-electfor the Senate seat. ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that Governor General Counsel believes the President-elect can get ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s wife on paid corporate boards in exchange for naming the President-elect’s pick to the Senate. Governor General Counsel asked, 'can [the President-elect] help in the private sector. . . where it wouldn’t be tied to him? . . .I mean, so it wouldn’t necessarily look like one for the other.'” And then there's this ("Harris" is chief of staff): "HARRIS re-stated ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s thoughts that they should ask the President-elect for something for ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s financial security as well as maintain his politicalviability. HARRIS said they could work out a three-way deal with SEIU and the President-elect where SEIU could help the President-elect with ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s appointment of Senate Candidate 1 to the vacant Senate seat, ROD BLAGOJEVICH would obtain a position as the National Director of the Change to Win campaign, and SEIU would get something favorable from the President-elect in the future. "Naturally, the President-elect is oblivious to all this. After quickly rising to the very top via a career in Chicago-style politics, he is like Sergeant Shultz: "I know noth-ink!"Right.Obama is the Sergeant Schultz of Illinois politics
THURSDAY DECEMBER 11, 2008
After seeing a serious slowdown in his ability to bring home the bacon, Rep. Alan Mollohan is at it again.The watchdog "LegiStorm" reports that Mollohan in 2008 "sponsored two defense earmarks worth $2.4 million for Science Applications International Corp. LegiStorm's trips database shows SAIC also helped pay for Mollohan, his wife and two staffers to travel to Spain in 2004. That widely publicized trip has come under scrutiny from watchdogs and the House ethics committee."Back in 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives stripped away $1.5 million in funding for the Canaan Valley Institute that Mollohan had slipped into the appropriations process.The earmarks had made it through the Appropriations Committee, but on the House floor Rep. David Obey, a Democrat from Wisconsin, recommended they be deleted because "we had determined that because they were in controversy, for the good of the House, they should not be considered at this time." But time has passed, it seems. Read the details. Mollohan back in earmark biz again for backer of Spain trip
(Press Release) West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Doug McKinney announced Thursday that he has named Gary Abernathy executive director of the state GOP.“Gary’s seven years of hands-on experience at the state party level gives us what we need right now to rebuild our party and get ready for the important elections of 2010,” said McKinney. “I look forward to working with Gary and all Republicans across the state as we develop the tools we need to win at the state and local levels.” Abernathy previously served as communications director for four years at the Ohio Republican Party, then as executive director of the West Virginia GOP from 2001-2004. He has served as a newspaper reporter and editor and a consultant for candidates and grassroots issue initiatives. “I’m excited to work directly with Chairman McKinney to revitalize the party and make it as strong as possible for 2010,” said Abernathy. “We have a great pool of talent in the Republican Party, and we want to reach out to all Republicans to shape the vision and goals of the party in the coming months.”McKinney and Abernathy said that a comprehensive plan spelling out the party’s initiatives and goals for 2009 would be unveiled in January.“Dr. McKinney has worked hard to eliminate the party’s debt and make sure that the party’s fundraising can be focused on future victories and not past obligations,” said Abernathy. “We both share a goal to work with our current officeholders to recruit the best candidates for the 2010 legislative races. But we also want to recruit Republicans who may not want to run for office, but have other talents and contributions that can help the party flourish in the months and years to come.”McKinney said that fundraising and communication are the party’s first needs, and Abernathy will focus on a plan to make sure the party has the resources necessary to put the technology and manpower in place to meet the needs of candidates, county chairs and grassroots activists. Abernathy said he looks forward to working with Dr. McKinney and existing party staff to make sure the party is seen by Republicans as inclusive and receptive to everyone who wants to be involved, and the programs unveiled in January will focus on achieving those ends. “The more you work in this business, the more you understand that no one has all the answers,” said Abernathy. “We can’t be successful with only a small circle of people doing all the work or making all the decisions. I want the party to reach out to every Republican who wants to have a voice in the GOP’s future, and I want them to know that their opinions, advice and contributions will be valued and appreciated.” Abernathy said he has spoken with many of the party’s elected officials, donors and activists, and that there’s a common belief that a strong state party is essential for future GOP success.“I believe we’re well positioned to turn the corner and charge full steam ahead,” said Abernathy. “With the help of Republicans across the state, we’ll be ready for battle when the 2010 election draws near. Dr. McKinney and I share that goal. We both wholeheartedly agree that the state party exists for one reason only – to elect more Republicans to office. We’ll work hard in the months to come to position the party and its candidates to achieve that goal.”McKinney announces hiring of Abernathy as executive director
Let's work together and win some races
FRIDAY DECEMBER 12, 2008
Weeks shares concerns about Pinecrest with Manchin
Former State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks met with Gov. Joe Manchin on Thursday to share concerns he has about Pinecrest Hospital and the tuberculosis issue and patient care at the Beckley hospital.Also in the meeting were DHHR Secretary Martha Walker and attorney Rocco Fucillo, both of whom said some of Weeks' concerns were already being addressed. Manchin asked Weeks and Fucillo to keep communicating about the subject, which both agreed to do.Still awaiting my Christmas invite
Every year, I moan and whine a little bit about the fact that Gov. Joe Manchin has never yet invited me to one of his Christmas parties. I mean, I know we have our differences, but hey, in the Christmas spirit you would think that extending the hand of goodwill might be just the thing to warm up the relationship. Every day around this time of year, I hurry to my mailbox hoping against hope that this year, the golden invitation might be awaiting me, only to be devastated by disappointment. On Thursday, I was particularly optimistic, because I was going to be meeting personally with Mojo, accompanying Russ Weeks on his visit to discuss Pinecrest. I thought to myself, "I'll bet Joe is going to surprise me! He's going to hand me my invitation personally!" As the meeting ended and I shook the governor's hand, I even lingered for a few moments giving him an extra chance to spring the invite on me. But no! I read that the theme this year for the governor's Christmas parties is "Hope," but for me, it's fading fast. Christmas is fun when you get to be Mojo Claus!
Having
Fun
With
Mojo
Hey kids! Mojo here! Do you like Christmas? I do! But I bet it's even more fun for me than it is for you! You know why?Cause I get to be Mojo Claus! That's right! It's kinda like Santa Claus, but better! Every year around this time, I make a list of all the state legislators, and I see who's been naughty, and who's been nice!
To be on the nice list means that they voted with me on every issue, and campaigned for me in their districts, and pretty much did everything I told them to do! And everyone on the nice list gets lots of presents! They get state grants for their districts, and special pictures with me for their local newspapers, and even designated drivers for my Christmas parties! People on the naughty list got there by voting against my issues, campaigning against me, or even giving money to my opponents at election time! It's usually a pretty short list, and mostly it's those mean old Republicans! But sometimes even Democrats are on that list! They don't get much money for their districts, and I always campaign for the people running against them! And if they come to one of my Christmas parties, we keep them there a long time, then walk them to their cars and let the State Patrol know their license numbers!Hey kids, sing the Mojo Claus song with me, ok? Ready?OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, You better watch out, you better not cry,You better vote right, I'm telling you why,Mojo Claus is coming to town!He's making a list, checking it twice,Gonna remember who's naughty or nice,Mojo Claus is coming to town!He sees you when you're voting!He knows when you complain!He knows when you don't make a goodDonation to his campaign! 000000000000000You better watch out, you better not cry,You better vote right, I'm telling you why,Mojo Claus is coming to town!Do you need a bridge, or maybe a road,Or maybe a change to the state legal code?Mojo Claus is coming to town!He comes into your district,And guess what he has found?Some gifts to help the trainingOf your favorite racetrack greyhound!OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYou better watch out, you better not cry,You better vote right, I'm telling you why,Mojo Claus is coming to town! The three solutions I outline below will do three significant things to our healthcare system: 1) increase affordability of health insurance and healthcare, 2) increase availability of health insurance and healthcare, and 3) increase the portability of health insurance benefits. 1) Affordability – Enact a tax credit up to $8,000 for purchasing health insurance directly. Health insurance costs are taking up more and more of family budgets and the cost of healthcare is outpacing the rate of wage growth and inflation. In order to increase the affordability of health insurance and healthcare, we need to enact a tax credit for purchasing health insurance directly. In WV, we can give our citizens an $8,000 tax credit. Allowing people to receive a tax credit for purchasing health insurance directly will reduce the burden of healthcare costs tremendously.2) Availability – Allow people to “opt out” of the state’s “menu of mandates”. If you have a pre-existing condition, health insurance may be so unaffordable you never purchase it. For instance, you may not be able to afford health insurance because of your past kidney disease, but you want coverage in case you have cancer or a heart attack. Due to a state mandate requiring all health insurance plans to cover kidney disease, you cannot “opt out” of the kidney disease coverage in order to get coverage for cancer and heart attacks. Allowing people to “opt out” of the coverage of their choosing from the state’s “menu of mandates” will make health insurance more available.3) Portability – Encourage greater use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSAs are a new type of health insurance plan that couple a high deductible health insurance policy with an IRA/401-k style of savings and investment account. They are catching on in the private sector after being created in 2003. About 20% of the health insurance market is HSA plans, and the use grows every year. HSAs have a triple tax advantage: contributions to the HSA are tax deductible, healthcare expenditures from the HSA are tax exempt, and the earnings on your HSA deposits are tax free. HSA plans cost on average 50% less than other health plans, they encourage personal wellness and responsibility, and your HSA deposits and earnings are portable from job to job.Each of the above solutions will make health insurance and healthcare more affordable, more available, and more portable. These solutions do all of this not by raising taxes, government mandates, and cutting benefits, but by giving you more of your own money to make your own decisions about your own healthcare. In the end, we know what is best for our own healthcare, not the government. 
Solving our
healthcare woes
By Del.
Jonathan
Miller
