In every election, and I mean every election, one candidate always wins. "Did not vote" is the perennial winner. I think "did not vote" is the all time champion because of several reasons. Negative ad campaigns about candidates concerning issues that voters don't really care about drives down voter turnout. Parties focusing all their time and attention on divisive issues that have little meaning, while "kitchen table" issues like jobs/wages/health care/the opioid crisis get ignored. Voters end up having the belief that Democrats and Republicans are all the same, so why bother? With this blog article, I want to shine a light on the "kitchen table" issues, that really matter to everyone. Regardless of race, gender, orientation, age, etc. etc., these issues matter to you. I then want to bring up local candidates and their solutions for them. At the end of this article, I hope you agree that West Virginia needs a change, and are willing to vote for it.
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm#HD01
1. West Virginia's opioid crisis continues to get worse.
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/health/number-of-fatal-drug-overdoses-in-surpasses-mark-in-wv/article_29ce51d5-df65-59ea-8816-642091e6490f.html
Senator Stephen Baldwin from the 10th Senate district wants to make the pharmaceutical industry pay for flooding our state with opioids. The money would be used for treatment and recovery. He introduced a bill in the state senate to do just that. Unfortunately, it wasn't voted on.
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Senate1/lawmaker.cfm?member=Senator%20Baldwin
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Senate1/lawmaker.cfm?member=Senator%20Baldwin
Major Richard Ojeda, who is running for the US House of Representatives in the third district of West Virginia, was the lead voice in getting medical cannabis through the West Virginia Senate, and wants to legalize medical cannabis nationally.
My opinion: If doctors are able to prescribe patients cannabis to begin with, we will have fewer patients who end up addicted to opioids, because they will have another option. Patients who are addicted to opioids may be able to use medical cannabis for recovery purposes.
https://voteojeda.com/platform_item/medical-cannabis/
Democratic Delegate Mick Bates from the 30th district in Beckley, introduced legislation to legalize cannabis this past session.
My opinion: The more people pick that the safer option of smoking marijuana over the more dangerous drugs such as alcohol, Meth and opioids, the fewer overdose deaths West Virginia will have. Hey Beckley! Pick Mick. http://www.pickmick.com/#about-mick
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/house/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Bates
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/house/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Bates
The Democratic candidate from the 27th district Lacy Watson wants to decriminalize cannabis. With decriminalization comes less people in prisons, meaning a cost savings for the state. With fewer people in jail, more people will be able to live their lives working and paying taxes. https://www.lacywatson.us/
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
P.S. It may seem like I mention Cannabis often in this article. Its because Cannabis can be a tool in our tool box that we use to work against the opioid crisis, that we arent using. In terms of dollars, the Opioid crisis costs West Virginia's economy 8.8 billion dollars a year. Its time for West Virginia to get serious about the Opioid crisis.
2. West Virginia has the second highest unemployment rate in the country. while the poverty rate keeps getting higher.
https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/west-virginia-s-poverty-rate-increases-to-percent/article_e6d75fd2-abb1-5e9f-bc55-dc45a3673b94.html
Jobs, jobs, jobs right? Sound familiar? Well, after 2 years of Jim Justice and the Republicans running things in the state legislature, we aren't 50th in jobs, we are 49th.
Richard Lindsay is running for the State Senate in the eighth district and wants to raise the minimum wage, which will cut down on the poverty rate.
https://www.lindsayforwv.com/
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
Bibi Hahn, who is running for House of Delegates in the 58th district wants to raise the minimum wage, enact an "earned income tax credit" for working class West Virginians and wants to legalize recreational Marijuana which will bring thousands of new jobs to our state, which will drive down the unemployment rate.
https://www.bibihahn.com/economic-disaster-recovery-plan
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
3. Social Security benefits in West Virginia are taxed at the highest rate possible, while the Republicans in the state legislature continue to dream up new ways to give the wealthy more tax breaks.
http://time.com/money/4502741/social-security-state-taxes/
Democratic Delegate Tim Miley from the 48th district says he wants to eliminate the state taxes on Social Security benefits. Delegate Miley is currently the Democratic leader in the WV House of Delegates. If the Democrats take back control of the House of Delegates, I'd bet a tax break on Social Security benefits will happen.
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/West-Virginia-Republicans-and-Democrats-prepare-for-2018-legislative-session-468523643.html
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/House/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Miley
I can also tell you that Democrat Cindy Lavender-Bowe who is running for the West Virginia House of Delegates in the 42nd district also wants to cut taxes on Social Security benefits. https://www.cindyforwv.com/
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
As does Democrat Tom Tull from West Virginia's 38th district. https://www.tomtullwv.com/issues
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
The Democratic candidate for the 14th Senate district, Stephanie Zucker, also wants to give social security benefits a tax break. https://www.zuckerforwv.com/let_s_put_seniors_survival_over_corporate_tax_breaks
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
4. West Virginia is last in the nation with "Labor Force Participation Rate."
http://lmi.workforcewv.org/ http://wvmetronews.com/2017/05/29/west-virginias-economic-recovery-restricted-bloomberg-columnist-says/
To bring in thousands of new jobs to West Virginia, and to allow people who use marijuana to join the workforce without fear of failing a drug test (so they can join the labor force), Delegate Mike Pushkin wants to legalize recreational Marijuana. The more people earning a paycheck, the more tax revenue for the state. http://www.timeswv.com/news/rallying-for-recreational-marijuana/article_13c4e744-f847-11e7-92c7-4b7400cf683d.html
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
Major Richard Ojeda, who is running for the US House of Representatives in West Virginia's third Congressional district, wants to decriminalize Cannabis nationally.
My opinion: If this happens, people who use Cannabis will be able to find a job without fear of being rejected due to a drug test. Thus, it will raise our "Labor Force Participation rate" and West Virginia will have more people going to work every day, paying taxes.
https://voteojeda.com/platform_item/medical-cannabis/
5. West Virginia has the second lowest amount of college graduates, and tuition keeps rising due to less funding from the state. In today's economy, its becoming more and more important to have a college degree, yet West Virginia is doing little to help its citizens attain the training they need to be successful.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/23/the-10-most-and-least-educated-states-in-2018.html
Delegate Andrew Byrd from the 35th district introduced a bill this last session that would have given a tax break to people repaying their student loans.
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/house/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Byrd
https://www.byrdforwv.com/
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/house/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Byrd
Democratic Delegate Larry L. Rowe from the 36th district introduced legislation to create a student loan forgiveness program for certain degrees and situations.
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/house/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Rowe
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/house/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Rowe
Major Richard Ojeda wants to make college more affordable for middle class families by lowering interest rates, and expanding federal aide to include more middle class families.
https://voteojeda.com/platform_item/college-affordability/
6. Even after the raise that the state legislature begrudgingly gave, Teachers and State employees are still paid at a very low rate. The five percent pay raise for teachers is about 2,000 dollars. That takes WV from being 46th in teacher pay, to tied for 44th. Just above Arizona, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Oklahoma. https://blogs-images.forbes.com/niallmccarthy/files/2018/05/20180509_Teacher_Pay.jpg You should note, that West Virginia is in competition with Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvannia, Maryland and Kentucky. We are still losing to our neighbors. The five percent pay raise will not stop the flow of teachers leaving our state.
Democrats Sandy Shaw and Andrew Evans from the 28th district know Teachers and State employees need another pay raise to remain competitive with West Virginia's border states. They also know we have to permanently fix PEIA, a freeze is not good enough.
http://www.register-herald.com/news/state_region/primary/candidate-profile-sandy-shaw-west-virginia-house-district/article_16168c51-6a4d-5598-b0fc-3ed27531e6e2.html
http://www.register-herald.com/news/state_region/primary/candidate-profile-andrew-evans-west-virginia-house-district/article_ca0d481a-50a4-11e8-ab5b-bba08ad2fdfd.html
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
7. West Virginia's unions are continually weakened by our state government. The "Right to work" was designed to cripple unions.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/west-virginia/articles/2017-09-15/west-virginia-top-court-clears-right-to-work-law
Democratic candidate in the first Senate district William Ihlenfeld wants to repeal the "right to work" legislation that hurts our unions and citizens wages. See his facebook page for more.
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
The Democratic candidate from the 14th Senate district, Stephanie Zucker, also wants to repeal "right to work" legislation. https://www.zuckerforwv.com/making_west_virginia_work_for_working_people
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
8. West Virginia's state skilled workers have taken a pay cut, due to the repeal of "prevailing wage" which guaranteed a living wage for workers employed by the state.
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/West-Virginia-House-to-vote-on-repeal-of-prevailing-wage-366679441.html
Democrat Tom Tull from the 38th district wants to reinstate prevailing wage, because our tradesmen and women in this state have skills that West Virginia needs, deserve a living wage.
https://www.tomtullwv.com/issues
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
Democrat and Doctor Charles Sammons from the sixth Senate district wants to restore the Prevailing wage as well. Check out his facebook page for more.
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
Democrat Laura Finch from the 11th Senate district also wants to reinstate the Prevailing wage. See her facebook page for more.
http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Districts/maps.cfm
9. West Virginia's Medicaid program continually faces potential cuts by the state legislature, and the US government continually threatens to take away health care from millions of citizens. Attorney General Morrisey, if elected, will vote to repeal the ACA, including the Medicaid expansion in West Virginia. Attorney General Morrisey also has a lawsuit against the US government that will repeal the affordable care act, including the Medicaid expansion.
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/wv-budget-analysis-senate-cuts-to-medicaid-made-up-elsewhere/article_57e1c1f1-09f1-554e-a503-432a0acf4e84.html
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/jun/26/joe-manchin/did-patrick-morrisey-join-lawsuit-allow-insurers-d/
West Virginia's Senator Joe Manchin has already voted to defend health care for West Virginians, and will continue to do so. He voted against the repeal of the ACA, which includes the Medicaid expansion in West Virginia. For more, go to https://joemanchinwv.com/the-issues/
Major Richard Ojeda wants to create a "Public option" for people to be able to buy health insurance through the US government, on top of the insurance they can already purchase on the Affordable Care Acts market place. The public option would be more affordable than the private insurance families can buy now. For more, go to https://voteojeda.com/platform_item/healthcare/
10. West Virginia can do better.
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/wvcbp/pages/502/attachments/original/1511178460/WVCBP_SOWWV2017-FINAL-.pdf?1511178460
That's the point I want to make with this blog. West Virginia can do better, but only if we vote for it. To the progressives who are worried if the Democrats are worth showing up and voting for, this blog proves that they are. To the independents who wonder if the Democrats will actually stand up and work for the working class, this blog proves that they will, and have. To the working class voters who rarely vote, the Democrats have made helping the working class the priority in their campaigns. If you want a better West Virginia for all working class citizens, regardless of age, gender, religion, race, or orientation, then please, show up and vote for Democrats this election cycle. The fate of all working class West Virginians is in the balance.
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