State of the State …

Jump to Comments

I stopped for a grande mocha latte this morning (whoopee) and picked up a copy of The West Virginia Record, a legal journal serving all of West Virginia.  There were a couple headlines that caught my eye.

The first was McGraw gives OxyContin money to Morgantwon truancy agency.  The short version is that our state attorney general, Darrell McGraw, gives away settlement money to whatever cause he favors.  It doesn’t matter that it’s not his agency’s money, but the money of the people, he gives it away.  There is a lawsuit about this and I hope McGraw and his cronies get their little fannies spanked!  Money won for pharmecuticals should go back into medical programs, not truancy programs.  And money won from the tobacco industry should go into treatment programs for diseases related to smoking — the reason for the lawsuit in the first place!

Another headline that is quite timely is that there the declaration by Forbes that West Virginia ranks last in  Forbe’s Best States For Business.  Then, as I was skimming Lincoln Walks at Midnight, I see a link to The Center for Public Integrity’s story on grading state’s on the degree to which they disclose private financial interests of their governors to the public.  West Virginia didn’t do so good there either. 

But, according to our governor, West Virginia is Open For Business. 

Riiiiiigggghhtt. 

 People are stealing copper from the power company and the gas company.  Our local school board is actually arguing whether drug testing all employees is a good thing. ( This, even after principals and teachers have been arrested for possesion and possible intenet to distribute in one case. )  And, students are suing because they don’t get scholarships.   

Granted, this is just a cursory review.  There are some good things about West Virginia.  But with things like this happening all around us, it’s no wonder successful businesses aren’t locating here.

1 Comment

Filed under State