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Hey kids! Mojo here! I have some exciting news today! Next week I'll be unveiling a brand new board game called, "West Virginia - Open for Business!" It comes with three sets of dice, a roulette wheel and a deck of cards! It's kinda like Monopoly, except instead of buying and selling property, you get to apply for state and federal grants! More details coming soon!
Eastern Panhandle – I was really disappointed with the advertisement placed in the Journal last Wednesday (C-8) by Nick Casey Chairman of the West Virginia State Democratic Party. Casey’s barking at both the President and Congresswomen Capito was despicable. Our president’s Independence Day visit paid homage to the men, women and their families who have served our country faithfully. I was lucky enough to be invited and it was a great event by all standards and we truly do owe a huge debt of gratitude to all members of our military both past and present, whose personal sacrifices have preserved the right to publish such asinine ads.Mr. Casey attempts to claim that West Virginia taxpayer’s portion of the war expenses is over $1.2 Billion dollars and that this money would have been better spent completing Route 9building new schools, more water and sewer lines, Amtrak, etc. I’m actually glad to see that you’re concerned about Eastern Panhandle issues. Where have you been? It’s time to wake up Mr. Casey. West Virginia has had that amount in surplus state revenues over the past three years. The real questions are: Where are these funds today? What has your party’s elected officials done with them? I’ll tell you. Almost a half billion($490 Million)dollars are sitting in the Rainy Day Fund, Sunny Day Fund and the Civil Contingency Fund yet the leaders from your party can’t see fit to provide so much as a measly $8 million loan to help rebuild the Morgan County Courthouse. Could it be that Morgan County is predominantly Republican? I will give credit where credit is due and note that the other half billion has been used to secure future under-funded retirement obligations. (Another example of past mismanagement of our state government.)I would also like to point out that Mr. Casey has demonstrated through this ad, that West Virginia has no desire to solve its own problems, but continuously prefers to look to the federal government to solve all our state’s financial woes rather than adjust our tax structure to grow our economy and create an even greater tax base. And, let’s not forget about streamlining and reducing our state government to live within our means.One thing is clear, your ad was tacky and it soiled another opportunity for our soldiers to be thanked, recognized and honored. I only hope that your party makes you personally responsible to reimburse the funds expended for this advertisement. It had no place in our newspaper on Independence Day. It was disrespectful and partisan.
Anne Barth's decision not to seek the Democrat nomination for the Second Congressional District may have taken one challenger to Sen. John Unger out of the picture, but that doesn't mean the Democrats have given up finding a stronger candidate in 2008.Democrats are reportedly talking with others about getting into the race, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- which Unger has claimed "recruited" him to run -- is reportedly putting out the word that Unger is in fact not its first choice.Meanwhile, Charleston Gazette columnist Phil Kabler on Monday added his voice to those questioning how Unger makes a living. Kabler pointed out that since losing his job with WEPM, Unger apparently relies solely on whatever he makes with his position with the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, one of Congressman Alan Mollohan's pet projects that benefits greatly from Mollohan earmarks, as previously described here.Kabler added, "Which has raised some questions about how Unger supports himself financially, including maintaining apartments in both Martinsburg and Charleston. On top of that, Unger has yet to claim expenses for the 2007 regular session, which is a sizable amount of money, given Unger’s commuting distance from the Eastern Panhandle. Last year, Unger turned in $11,012.50 in expenses for the 2006 regular session, the most of any legislator."Unger so far has declined to discuss the matter, and often refers to his duties with NETL in hush-hush terms, as though he was "24's" Jack Baur protecting the world from terrorists. But just how a candidate for Congress makes his living is not a subject Unger will be able to avoid forever.Barth's decision not to run might be an indication that Sen. Robert C. Byrd is not in as failing health as some have speculated. In fact, Byrd's entire staff seems to largely stay intact, and if there's anything more important in Washington than loyalty, it's the next paycheck. If Byrd were seen as counting his days, staff turnovers would be happening, and a run for Congress would be a smart move for Barth. The fact she is staying put no doubt indicates she thinks Byrd is going to continue pontificating for quite some time.Last week, state Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey told Mannix Porterfield of the Beckley Register-Herald that he had indeed moved to Beckly in Raleigh County, even though state law prohibits two senators from the same county. Bailey was elected from Wyoming County, but defended his move to Porterfield by insisting that all he was precluded from doing was running for re-election (he is planning now to run for Secretary of State). He insisted he could continue to serve out his term, even though he now lives in Beckley. He made no effort to claim he still maintains any residence at all in Wyoming County. Until today.Actually, back in January, Bailey told Charleston Gazette columnist Phil Kabler that he did have a residence in Wyoming. Kabler wrote, "Bailey speculated that Republicans who don't want him to run against Secretary of State Betty Ireland are raising the fuss over his residency. However, Bailey said he maintains his legal residency in Wyoming County and he will keep his house in Pineville for as long as he serves in the Legislature."So why didn't Bailey explain all this to Mannix Porterfield last week? Apparently because he no longer has the Pineville house. In an update appearing in today's Register-Herald, Bailey finally took my advice and now says, "I’ve got a post office box in Pineville and I can claim a residence at my mother’s house in Alpoca.” Almost EXACTLY what I suggested he say! I should send him a bill.But was Senator Bailey grateful to me for helping him out of this mess? No! He took a few potshots at me and my party! The ingratitude! Again, why didn't Bailey explain his "residency" in Wyoming when asked about it last week? Probably for the simple fact that this is the same Billy Wayne Bailey who once showed up at a press conference driving a vehicle with a bumper sticker that read, "Jesus is a Liberal." And it's the same Billy Wayne Bailey who was personally responsible for funneling hundreds of thousands into the Wyoming Senior Center, all the while claiming that, even though he worked there, he had no idea what was going on with the money or with former center director Bob Graham. This guy is running for Secretary of State? This has to be a trick, some Democrat plan to lure Republicans into a false sense of security.As I said once before, the only sad thing is that Natalie Tennant or Joe DeLong will get to campaign against, and defeat, Senator Bailey before Republicans even get a chance. Why should they have all the fun?
