...and for the sake of the KIDS

Thursday, November 2, 2006

Don Surber, Charleston Daily Mail:
Manchin's penny-ante plan is an insult
Voters should reject his effort to save Democrats

MY reaction to Gov. Joe Manchin's food tax plan was sung by Peggy Lee many years ago. Her song was "Is That All There Is?"

As part of his tax "reform" plan, Manchin is calling for a penny-per-dollar reduction in the food tax next year and maybe the year after that.

Is that all there is?

And will it be a tax cut? The West Virginia Tax Modernization Project proposed a number of revenue measures as well.

First the facts, then the opinion.

Manchin increased state spending by 14 percent this year alone.

State general revenue spending rose from $3,190,336,810 last year to $3,629,100,000 this year.

That is a one-year increase of $438.7 million. Need I say it is the largest single-year spending increase in the state's history?

Now for the opinion.

But I really do not have to give my opinion. Daily Mail readers are smart enough to figure this thing out.

Manchin is not a conservative, pro-business Democrat. He is just another spendaholic governor in the mold of Jay Rockefeller, Gaston Caperton and Bob Wise.

Give business a slogan -- "Open for Business" -- but extend state government's reach around the throats of the people.

After 25 years of newspapering in this state, I have finally figured it out:

The powers that be in the state like the state to be down and out and poor.

They no more want to end poverty in West Virginia than they want to end vote fraud in Southern West Virginia.

Both conditions keep them in power.

I hope Manchin's food tax ploy is too little way too late. I hope this is the election that turns state politics on its head. I hope Republicans take over the Legislature for the first time since 1932.

Coal baron Don Blankenship is leading the charge of the elephants.

He spent more than a million bucks of his own money to blast Democratic deadwood in the Legislature. He is doing it by telling voters how the Democrats voted.

How that must hurt them.

Manchin is trying to head Blankenship off at the pass on the food tax.

This year, 18 years after it was enacted, the Democratic Legislature finally rolled it back a penny on the dollar to 5 percent.

Some observers called this prudent.

It was not. It was a farce. It was a charade.

The Democratic governor and the Democratic Legislature increased the budget by that $438.7 million and socked away a surplus of $300 million to $400 million, depending on whose press release is to be believed.

Only then did they knock the food tax down by $25 million.

Maintaining the food tax is imprudent, because that tax hurts grocers all along the Ohio and the rest of West Virginia's borders.

Manchin's sudden call eight days before the election to take a second penny off the food tax shows that Blankenship's campaign must be working.

Manchin's yes-men and yes-women in the Legislature must be polling poorly. Otherwise, Manchin would have waited until after the election to announce his tax "reform" plan.

His plan is just another excuse to increase taxes. I suspect any tax cut will be offset by a larger tax increase elsewhere.

Not one penny will be cut from state government.

The plan by Manchin is the same one used by Rockefeller, Caperton and Wise: State government will tax our way into prosperity.

Do I really have to remind people where we rank among the states in per capita income?

Remember those ancestors who came here to escape the potato famine in Ireland?

Ireland's per capita income now is higher than West Virginia. The Emerald Island has slashed taxes, cut regulations and attracted new businesses.

That could happen here.

But not with Democrats running the Legislature.

Don Surber may be reached at donsurber@dailymail.com.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Don Blankenship
Vote to eliminate the food tax

A BIG ISSUE in the news is whether to eliminate the food tax in West Virginia. It’s really amazing to see the Sunday Gazette-Mail ask in a headline, “Who says food tax hurts the poor?” Essentially, writer Phil Kabler says people making under $16,092 are on food stamps and don’t pay food tax anyway, so the poor aren’t helped by eliminating the tax. Unfortunately, Kabler makes no mention of the working poor.

Kabler also says, “There may be compelling reasons for eliminating the food tax, but the idea it will provide tax relief to the poor doesn’t fly.” His column goes on to debate whether seven states or 19 states actually tax food, since some states allow local governments to tax groceries.

Kabler misses the point. Food is fundamental to life. The state of West Virginia has a $400 million surplus, despite horribly wasteful spending practices. A state budget surplus is not fundamental to life. The people of West Virginia were told when the food tax passed in 1989 that it would be temporary — i.e., until there was no longer a state budget deficit. Border county West Virginians are driving to other states to buy their food and lots of other items in the process. Most importantly, working families earning $25,000 per year with children need a tax break and local communities need grocery stores.

Communities in border counties are on the verge of disappearing due to unfair taxes and frivolous lawsuits. Schools, churches and businesses have disappeared at an alarming rate since 1989 when the food tax was passed. Wayne County, for example, is one of the most negatively impacted counties, and yet Wayne County Delegates Don Perdue and Richard Thompson helped keep the 5 percent tax on food.

One also has to wonder how Tom Witt, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at WVU, can ask (concerning elimination of the food tax) in a separate Gazette article: “Do you really want to encourage people to buy more groceries?” Now that’s a creative mind at work. Is Witt suggesting we should deal with the obesity problem in West Virginia by taxing food?

Also, in the same article, Cal Kent, a good fellow in my view, says “in the short run, tax cuts always have to be made up with program cuts or other tax increases.” Has Cal never heard of economic growth?

Anyway, I am encouraged in knowing that so much is being debated about eliminating the food tax. Most importantly for many of you reading this is that if you vote for the right candidates next month, there likely won’t be a food tax when the next election rolls around.

Also, many of you may have read that the Wheeling and Parkersburg Chambers of Commerce have broken ranks with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce over the food tax. It seems that the people in Charleston just don’t get it when it comes to the devastation border counties are experiencing due to the food tax and the anti-business laws that are supported by lifetime politicians.

In my view, there’s a much bigger reason for various local Chamber of Commerce associations to break ranks with the West Virginia Chamber. The reason is the incredibly failed candidate endorsement policy of the state chamber. Their endorsements are clearly not based on creating a better business or job climate in West Virginia, which is supposed to be the core purpose of the Chamber.

For example, the state chamber endorsed Doug Reynolds, a lawyer who received thousands of dollars from personal injury attorneys. That is an odd team: the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and plaintiff attorneys. The state chamber also endorsed liberal Joe Talbott from the Webster/Nicholas County District, another plaintiff lawyer candidate.

Perhaps worse than some of the chamber’s awful endorsements was their failure to endorse many pro-business, pro-job candidates. They failed to endorse any pro-business newcomer challengers in Raleigh County. They failed to endorse pro-business, pro-job candidate Ron Morris in Marshall County. They also failed to endorse conservative candidates Jay Wolfe and Danny Hamrick. Their opponents, Ron Fragale and Richard Ianquinta, are supported by thousands of dollars of trial lawyer money.

In Hampshire County, the state chamber failed to endorse Ruth Rowan, a solid pro-business, pro-job proponent. Ruth is a symbol of the changes West Virginia needs. Perhaps worst was in Raleigh County, where the state chamber endorsed Mike Green, although Russ Weeks is clearly the best state Senate candidate for job creation.

Yes, politics (not business and job climate improvement) are in play at the state chamber, and local chambers are starting to take notice. The state chamber’s position on food tax and its endorsement policy are both wrong for West Virginia. Of course, so too was their endorsement of the $5.5 billion bond that would have indebted our children for decades.

We need for politics to change in West Virginia and at the West Virginia Chamber.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Blankenship appears in his political group's ad
Jake Stump,
Charleston Daily Mail

Massey Energy Chief Don Blankenship is saturating TV stations and popular Web sites with his political group's newest ad, featuring the man himself.

Simply titled "Blankenship Intro Ad," the 60-second spot shows Blankenship introducing himself in front of a scenic West Virginia mountainside and discussing the plight of the state's children.

Blankenship, representing his ‘And for the Sake of the Kids' political committee, paid for the ad, which started airing on TV stations statewide this week.

The ad is also available on the popular Internet site YouTube.

Blankenship said Thursday that he wanted to appear in the ad to show a human side to his efforts.

"The false accusations for over 20 years that I'm from out of state, that I do bad things, and that I only care about coal or myself compelled me to try and humanize my effort," Blankenship said. "Part of that was letting people see me personally at my home in West Virginia."

"And for the Sake of the Kids" had already released several Internet ads targeting the state Democratic Party and incumbent legislators. Blankenship had vowed to spend whatever it takes this year to oust long-time Democratic lawmakers.

Blankenship himself had not appeared in any of the ads until now, excluding ones featuring previous media interviews with the coal baron.

The Internet ads are all available on YouTube, a free video-sharing site that lets users upload and view video clips.

"My staff is young and computer savvy," Blankenship said. "I'm neither. They interact with people who are young like they are; hence, they use the YouTube. It's their choice."

A Williamson native, Blankenship likened his childhood to the ones still experienced by many West Virginia children today.

Blankenship is a multi-millionaire force to be reckoned with in West Virginia politics.

But he grew up next to a gas station and grocery store where his mother worked 90 hours a week. He never knew his father.

"The fact is that I was not born into this world as a coal mine manager," he said. "Rather, I was born into it as an Appalachian kid with many of the same challenges our children face today. Anything I can do to make sure people know the roots of my thoughts will, I believe, cause them to be more supportive of my efforts."

His latest ad says West Virginia is second only to Louisiana in having the worst job climate in the nation. It also claims that West Virginia leads the nation in child abuse and neglect deaths.

A child born in the state is more likely to die before 18 than anywhere else in the United States, a female voice states in the ad.

"For too long, our children have had less --less education, less protection and less opportunity," Blankenship says in the spot.

Near the end, he says, "This year you have a chance to vote for the sake of the kids."

The ad, however, does not endorse, attack or even mention any candidates.

Blankenship said he simply wants voters to know the real issues to influence them to make the right decision at the polls in November.

His political group is heavily pushing to remove the entire 5 percent food tax in West Virginia, impose parental notification laws when an underage girl has an abortion, and bolster drunk driving laws.

Blankenship is also hammering away on issues such as lawsuit reform and protecting children from sexual predators.

He said a major ad blitz on TV would begin next week. Some ads will highlight the voting records of targeted candidates.

"If the kids in West Virginia are to have a future here, we need to succeed," he said about his intentions. "If the ‘And for the Sake of the Kids' effort fails, the state will continue to rank first in child abuse and last in family income. We cannot afford to fail. Therefore, we have to afford television ads."

Contact writer Jake Stump at 348-4842.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Guest Article for Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Some of you remember our typing classes back in the 1960's and 1970's. We were asked to repeatedly type, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." Although this was a typing exercise then, it was also a true statement. Today it's even more true than it was then.

But in West Virginia, the statement might more appropriately say, "Now is the time for all good men and women to vote for the aid of their state." Of course, it's actually long past time. As a state, we've been on the decline for decades and each election the politicians tell us it's getting better.

We're used to the rhetoric. We're used to the promises. We're used to the untruths. We're even used to the corruption. But we're at least partly to blame. We've historically voted for friends, promises, a little favor or a slogan. Now it's time to vote for West Virginia, for kids, for jobs, and for real change.

At my house, I have a 1950's style antique typewriter and a rotary dial phone. The other day a nine-year old was visiting and he looked at the typewriter and said, "What is that?" He then saw the phone and said, "Is that a telephone?"

His questions caused me to reflect on how quickly things change. This kid can work circles around many of us on a computer, beat us at video games and set the time on the VCR. But he doesn't know what a typewriter is.

But despite the advances in phones, typewriters, computers, pagers, TIVO's, microwaves, et al, the illicit politics of West Virginia has endured without much change. Straight ticket voting hasn't changed even though we now vote on computers. Slates are still around, too. West Virginians are fiercely loyal to incumbent politicians. That hasn't changed either.

But just like the manual typewriter and the rotary phone have been left behind, so has West Virginia. We trail all states in family income, and court fairness. We are unable to compete because we still hold on to old ways of thinking and voting. We're as non-competitive as a typewriter matched up against a computer.

It's really ironic too. Our great state was separated from Virginia on June 20, 1863. The actual document that President Lincoln signed to create West Virginia is still in the Supreme Court building in Charleston. The table the state constitution was signed on is there too. Among the actions taken at the time was that West Virginia adopted all the laws of Virginia effective immediately.

Today Virginia law allows Virginia to be number one in the entire country in terms of job climate. Yet today West Virginia is last or next to last depending on the survey you see. Can you believe that we've elected and continue to elect politicians that are responsible for destroying jobs and prosperity in West Virginia?

I've been quoted as saying that "we simply need to go down to the Virginia State Capitol and get their law books and do again what we did in 1863." Pass a bill or constitutional amendment that says we hereby adopt the laws of Virginia. If we would do that, maybe our children wouldn't have to move to Virginia to find a job. Why not live under Virginia law here rather than in Richmond?

What's the point of voting for the same old ideas that have put our state in the cellar? We need to give our kids the same chance at a future as the kids in Virginia have. Who can argue with that? The answer - only the politicians. "The politicians that keep telling us that things are getting better." They tell us they're "being responsible." They tell us they're "a team."

It's time to upgrade our government and our laws. I hope West Virginians do on November 7. Remember when you see that computer in the election booth that typewriters, old style politics, and straight ticket voting should all be relics of the past. Vote for the sake of the kids by voting for the candidates that will reduce taxes, protect children and pass job-creating laws.

Don L. Blankenship

Friday, October 6, 2006

Don Blankenship Puts Protection of Kids Above Partisanship

For Immediate Release: Contact: Rob Cornelius
Friday, October 06, 2006 (304) 699-1009

Charleston, WV—Earlier this week, Don Blankenship proved that he cares about kids more than any political party in his weekly column that ran in the Wayne County News on Wednesday. Nick Casey, Chairman of the Democrat Party of West Virginia, then issued a press release yesterday challenging Mr. Blankenship to ask Speaker of the United States House of Representatives to step down.

Mingo County resident, Don Blankenship has embarked upon a campaign this year to educate the West Virginia public on votes taken by the liberal career politicians in Charleston who have voted to make it easier for drunk drivers to keep their licenses, who have voted to keep the 5% tax on food (including baby food) despite the state enjoying several hundred million dollar surpluses, refused to make it illegal for doctors to perform abortions on underage girls without their parents knowledge, who vote for more lawsuits instead of more jobs, and who would not allow the people of West Virginia to vote on a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Don Blankenship said, “Nick Casey has said I should call for the Republican House of Representatives leader Dennis Hastert’s resignation. However, all I know about what Hastert knew or did not know about Florida U.S. House of Representative member Mark Foley’s emails is what I read in the paper and see on television. Therefore, I have no dependable information on which to base an opinion.”

Mr. Blankenship continued, “However, I heard conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s comments personally and directly on the radio. As a result, I wrote the attached three days ago, which I believe, should satisfy any concern Nick Casey has about my priorities. Simply put, the protection of children always trumps political party.”

Mr. Blankenship said finally, “Most importantly, we should know the truth before we express opinions about others. Mr. Casey should learn that lesson since he has a habit of spreading untruths about me and then having to retract them.”

(Click here to read the column that ran in the Wayne County News earlier this week)
(Anyone interested is welcome to reprint)

###

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Guest Article for Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Today I listened to Rush Limbaugh talking about the Florida Republican House of Representative Mark Foley’s sexual oriented emails to underage boys. Rush seemed to be saying that disclosure of the inappropriate emails was somehow a liberal leftwing plot to embarrass the Republican Party a few weeks before the election. His commentary, in my view, was totally ridiculous and way off the point.

It shouldn’t matter why Republican Foley was exposed. The key and good thing is that he was. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat, or a Whig Party member. You have to applaud the exposure of anyone who might be attempting to sexually abuse children.

Politics and political ideology should have no role in anyone’s commentary about child molestation. It’s simple. We shouldn’t care what political party someone belongs to or why they were exposed. I don’t care who is exposed or why. If they are preying or attempting to prey upon children, we should be for their conviction.

Rush Limbaugh’s comments are prime examples of why we should vote for individuals and not for political parties. Rush is wrong to focus his listening audience on the potential reasons for Foley’s emails being made public. He should instead focus on the evil of a person who would use his position in the U.S. House of Representatives as a cover for his sexually deviant behavior. This should have been Rush’s sole focus.

In West Virginia, the same is true. It shouldn’t matter which party a candidate belongs to. If a politician is for drunk driving and you’re against it, you should vote against that politician. The same is true on everything from abortion to tax policy.

If Rush Limbaugh were running for office today, I would vote against him. The reason is simple - there is nothing more important than protecting, educating and providing opportunities for our children. Whoever exposed Republican Foley and for whatever reason, I applaud them.

As West Virginians, we have a chance this fall to protect and help the kids of this state. Let’s hope that, unlike Rush Limbaugh, we don’t miss the chance to do just that. Let’s not confuse politics and children’s issues. Next month, vote for the sake of the kids and not for the sake of politicians - no matter which party they belong to.

Don L. Blankenship

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Guest Article for Wednesday, September 27, 2006

There’s an old saying “out of sight out of mind.” Maybe this saying explains why so many of us seem so unconcerned about the fact that West Virginia has the highest rate of child abuse and neglect deaths in the nation. Perhaps since our own child hasn’t been abused and we’ve not personally known one that has, we just brush the fact off as a statistic.

Maybe “out of sight out of mind” also explains why we accept the laws in West Virginia which allow a teenage girl to get an abortion without her parents’ knowledge. Amazingly, our laws don’t allow the same teenager to get a tattoo, or an ear piercing, or even to take a Tylenol at school without parental approval. You see (maybe we don’t see) if our daughter hasn’t had a secret abortion, then the law hasn’t affected our life. So we just go about our daily lives unconcerned. We have so much else on our minds that “parental notification” isn’t a priority for us.

Perhaps “out of sight out of mind” also explains our acceptance of the lax enforcement of West Virginia’s drunk driving laws. Most of us were unaware that our state was one of the last few states to lower the blood alcohol level that defines a driver as drunk from .10 to .08. Most other states made this change long ago. Incredibly, even this year many West Virginia Delegates voted to allow drunk drivers to keep their licenses if they plead “no contest.” Effectively, this offset the value of having lowered the blood alcohol level that defines a drunk.

If we’ve never had a close friend or relative killed or severely injured by a drunk driver, we’re perhaps not very concerned about drunk drivers. If a child of ours isn’t abused, we’re not motivated to take any action or to vote in any particular way. If our daughter hasn’t had a secret abortion that we’ve later become aware of, then we’re not particularly concerned about parental notification. We may be so unconcerned about these issues that we won’t even vote in the upcoming November election.

Statistics say our state is the worst in child abuse. Statistics say a child born in West Virginia is less likely to live until their eighteenth birthday than if born anyplace else in America. But statistics are different than our individual experiences. We are the product of our experiences. Yet, we all need to know the statistical facts in order to behave and vote in a manner that reduces our chances of becoming a statistic. We also want to lower the chances that our family will become a statistic.

This year in my county of Mingo, a drunk Asplundh truck driver under the influence of drugs hit a school bus. The children were very lucky. None died, although several were injured - at least one or more seriously. This accident occurred just a few weeks after our legislature had voted to make it easier for drunk drivers to keep their licenses. I guess since no one on the bus was killed, the public didn’t react strongly. Our politicians continue to think that they can help their lawyer friends by letting drunks stay on the road. The politicians probably figured we wouldn’t care about or even notice their vote.

It seems that as human beings it takes a direct hit on us personally to impact our actions and change our votes. As an example, it was always a mystery to me why Kentucky closed their schools at the least sign of bad weather but West Virginia would keep their schools open on some fairly snowy days. Later I learned that a Kentucky school bus had slid off the road and into a lake in the winter years ago. Many children drowned and hence Kentucky is now more sensitive than West Virginia to bad road conditions. It shouldn’t take this type of incident to change our views but sometimes it just does.

All this reminds me of other old sayings. One is that “a recession is when your neighbor is out of work and a depression is when you are out of work.” Another saying is that “minor surgery is only when the surgery is being done on someone else, if it’s being done on us it’s always major surgery.”

The point of this letter is that leading the nation in the incidence of child abuse, drunk drivers killing two West Virginians on the highways each week (on average), and the frequency of abortions being performed on teenagers needs to cause us to pause from our busy schedule and think. Do we really want to run the risk that someday we or a family member will be the victim? Why not improve our odds. Think about it as the November election draws near. If we vote correctly, at least we know we’ve done what we can to improve our chances of not being a victim.

Don L. Blankenship

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Guest Article for Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Freedom of speech is a sacred constitutional right in America. It’s also a right that is fundamentally necessary if we are to keep our other constitutional rights. In fact, our most sacred right - the right to vote - depends on our right to free speech.

This past week or two, some of the state’s political leaders have been making malicious comments about my exercise of free speech. They seem to have forgotten that all of us have a right to speak out on the issues. If we don’t agree with how our elected Delegates vote, we can say so and they as elected Delegates and representatives of the people have no right to call us names, or to treat us differently than they treat others. But that’s exactly what they’ve done in my case.

Unfortunately, elected West Virginia politicians have developed a habit of slandering those that disagree with them. It’s not unlike their old habit of buying votes in southern West Virginia. It becomes so routine and commonplace that they forget it’s a violation of the law. As government representatives, they can’t legally place someone who disagrees with them under additional government scrutiny. They also aren’t allowed to say someone who disagrees with them “wants to do things illegally” as they have said about me lately. They forget that I have a right to publicly disagree with their legislative votes and that they should defend those votes rather than attack me for disagreeing with them.

My view is that our elected Delegates were wrong when they voted to allow drunk drivers to keep their licenses by getting a lawyer and pleading no contest. Their response is that I am trying to buy West Virginia. What does my publicizing their votes on drunk drivers have to do with buying West Virginia?

My view is that since the majority of West Virginians strongly oppose gay marriage that the Delegates should not have voted to keep the issue off the November election ballot. But they did. The majority House of Delegate members voted overwhelmingly not to have a full House vote on making gay marriage unconstitutional in West Virginia. What does my view on this vote have to do with their statement that I want to build an illegal coal silo? If I wanted to build an illegal coal silo, why would I be trying so hard to get a permit to build it?

Many incumbent legislators also voted to keep the five percent tax on food in West Virginia and they apparently plan to increase the gasoline tax another five cents per gallon. I totally disagree with increasing gasoline taxes and with our being one of only seven states to tax food. The politicians respond that I disagree with President Bush spending billions to rebuild Iraq. Again, where’s the connection between my belief that West Virginia’s taxes should be reduced (not increased) and the amount of American taxpayer money being spent to “rebuild Iraq?”

The House of Delegate majority members also voted in the last session not to allow a full House vote on parental notification of a teenager’s request for an abortion. My view is that if a teenage girl requests an abortion, the doctor should inform her parents. Those West Virginians that are pro-choice would still likely want to know that their fifteen year old has asked a doctor to perform an abortion on her. The same teenager would have to get her parents’ approval to get her ears pierced. In response, the politicians go out and say that I don’t care about coal mine fatalities. Again, they make crazy statements to take attention away from their vote. You or I should be able to disagree with their votes and not have them maliciously attack us with such false statements.

The liberal Delegates vote for drunk drivers, plaintiff attorneys, and higher taxes and then they try to keep me from publicizing it. They should instead be explaining these votes. Their view of me is not what the November election is about. Their slander is simply designed to keep those that disagree with them quiet. Their whole effort is to keep you from knowing how they have voted. If they’re successful, my constitutional rights and yours will have been taken from us.

Go to www.AFTSOTK.com and see how each Delegate voted on key issues this past legislative session.

Don L. Blankenship

Friday, September 8, 2006

Grocer says axing food tax benefits all
Jake Stump, Daily Mail Staff

While the state's largest business organization calls for keeping the 5 percent tax on food, one prominent grocery store owner says killing the tax would benefit both consumers and entrepreneurs in West Virginia.

Last week, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce approved a policy agenda that included a proposal to keep the state food tax at 5 percent.

Don Tate, who owns 20 Fas-Check and six Save-A-Lot markets across the state, wouldn't mind seeing the entire tax axed.

Tate supports the instant elimination of the food tax over any gradual reductions, which Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed.

"Doing it immediately would work best for us," said Tate, who's independently owned supermarkets for 41 years. "Every time it changes, it costs us $150 to reprogram the computers and scanners. For 20 stores, that's a $3,000 bill for each percent reduction."

Tate believes West Virginia grocers along the border would get a boost in business if the state abolishes the tax. All surrounding states do not impose a food tax, except for Virginia, which levies a 2 percent tax.

"I think it would certainly be good for our industry and especially the working class to not have an extra 5 percent added to the price of groceries," said Tate of Charleston.

Tate says many of his customers come into his stores on a tight budget.

If a customer has only $40 to spend, they may have enough money for an additional item or two without a food tax, he said.

"I think the generally public would like to see it go away," Tate said.

Another prominent businessman who's strongly opposed the food tax for more than a year is Massey Energy Chief Don Blankenship.

The coal baron has even played a hand in state politics, vowing to spend whatever it takes to oust legislators who do not support his initiatives.

Elimination of the food tax tops Blankenship's list.

He also scoffed at the Chamber's recent stance to keep the tax.

"Nothing the West Virginia Chamber does surprises me," Blankenship said. "It's ridiculous for the Chamber to take that position, and I hope legislators would ignore it."

The Chamber believes giving low-income families a break on income taxes would benefit them more greatly than abolishing the food tax.

Blankenship urges the removal of the tax on his political group's Web site at www.andforthesakeofthekids.com.

On the site, he states that the Legislature could eliminate the tax now because the state has a budget surplus of several hundred million dollars.

Last year, legislators reduced the food tax from 6 percent to 5 percent.

Other West Virginia interest groups have not publicly taken a position on the food tax. Larry Matheney, secretary of the West Virginia AFL-CIO, said his organization hasn't taken a definitive stance on the issue, and the West Virginia Retailers' Association did not return phone calls.

Blankenship says it's a no-brainer.

"People need to realize that a family paying $100 in groceries pays more tax on it than corporations pay while making a profit from those groceries," Blankenship said.

"I've given up on these current legislators. I'm hopeful that significant change of the incumbents will result in the food tax being eliminated."

Wednesday, September 5, 2006

Guest Article for Wednesday, September 5, 2006

The plaintiff attorneys and lifetime politicians in West Virginia have apparently chosen their 2006 election strategy. They have decided to launch a personal attack on me. Their clear hope is that this attack will somehow divert attention from the real issues of poverty, a lack of jobs, child abuse, drunk drivers, drug abuse, and the politicians' failure to represent the social values of the majority of West Virginians with their votes in Charleston. Their attacks are childish but at the same time evil. They claim I don't care about the safety of coal miners, that I want to do things illegally, and that I want to buy West Virginia. The truth is that we have done more than perhaps any mine managers ever to improve coal mine safety; that we do the best we can to not only meet but exceed legal requirements and that I have no need or desire to buy West Virginia.

The company I have managed for fifteen years has had some accidents and environmental issues. All successful coal companies and, in fact, all companies occasionally do. If you have 6,000 people on the payroll, they will make mistakes and have accidents. We try very hard to prevent all accidents but no one has ever achieved this goal. We also have many safety equipment enhancements and safety policies that far exceed the law. Environmentally, West Virginia regulators are just now considering the implementation of many environmental controls we implemented at our company long ago.

The political elites’ criticism of me is not being done with a purpose of improving West Virginia. The politicians seem totally unconcerned about child abuse, drug use, teenage pregnancies, drunk drivers or protecting West Virginia's social values. If we are to have any hope of making life better for average citizens and the kids of West Virginia, the politicians have to address real issues instead of defaming the manager of the largest capital investment in the history of the West Virginia coal industry.

The real problem the elite liberal lifetime politicians and plaintiff attorneys have with us is not the occasional mining issues. Additionally, they are not afraid that I'm trying to buy West Virginia. Their real problem is that I'm not willing to be a part of their political games. You see, they do want me to buy something. They want me to buy their support and their favor just like businessmen and others have been required to do in West Virginia for decades. It's always been easy to buy political favors in West Virginia. All you have to do is buy things from their family's businesses; donate to their political candidates; or hire their friends and relatives.

I've lived in West Virginia most of my life and if I wanted to buy political favors from incumbent legislators, I'm well aware of how it works. We've all watched it for years. Politicians want people to give them money and turn their head to the poverty, child abuse, loss of jobs, drunk drivers, etc., in West Virginia. If I did so, I'd be as popular as they are. I'd also be just as wrong as they are.

But my goal isn't to bathe in the Governor's $62,000 bathroom that you paid for with your taxes; or to go to their parties; or to go to their meetings at luxury hotels. Instead, I would like to see West Virginia move down from first in child abuse and up from last in job creation. If West Virginia is going to improve, it will take courage, leadership and change. The liberal politicians and plaintiff attorneys already have it pretty good in their world and so they fear change. They also fear the truth.

Yes, the problem politicians have with me is an obvious one. I won't play their game with them. The one thing that you can count on is that they could be bought cheap. That has always been the case. That's the reason they accuse me of trying to buy West Virginia. In their mind that's what they've always done so their first thought is that I'm trying to buy the state out from underneath them. Simply put, if you don't play along with the politicians, they say bad things about you.

Most of you reading this know how politics work - so do I. But again, I have no interest in playing their political games. If I did, the price to play in their game would only be a few thousand dollars, not the millions I've spent trying to help our state and the people that live in it. Mean spirited politicians can sometimes change what people think of you or of an issue. But they can't change what's right or wrong.

Don L. Blankenship

Friday, September 1, 2006

Don Blankenship's Response To Criticism By The Charleston Politicians

On Wednesday, August 30, Nick Casey flew around the state again as he did a few weeks ago. It was not a surprise that he chose to attack me personally rather than to address the issues. It’s understandable since trial attorney politicians like Mr. Casey are the issue.

Mr. Casey says I promised in 2004 to establish a charity called “And for the Sake of the Kids” and to raise an amount of money “similar to $1.7 million” to help the neediest children of West Virginia. Actually, I did say in 2004 that it was my “intent” to start such a charity. However, I later decided that instead I should invest more than $1.7 million to help West Virginia’s neediest kids. I now expect that I will spend millions more trying to change the circumstances that cause the children to be so needy. However, in addition, I have contributed and continue to contribute many thousands of dollars directly to charities.

My conclusion after the 2004 election was that the future for our children in West Virginia cannot be improved solely with charity. Tax-deductible charitable donations are great. However, the question I asked myself was which is better – donating to assist impoverished, hungry, abused children or seeking to prevent their hunger and abuse? My choice was easy. It was that I had to try to change the laws and the judiciary that cause child poverty and allow kids to be abused. Hence, more spending on my part, not less. Naturally, my decision has resulted in more and more criticism of me by the liberal lifetime politicians and by the rich plaintiff attorneys. After all, they’re the ones that benefit from the current West Virginia political system.

Mr. Casey goes on to reference several Charleston Gazette articles. He said that I want to build an illegal silo near a school where there is an impoundment holding back toxic chemicals, including mercury and arsenic. He knows better and it’s truly a discredit to everyone associated with him that he would say such things. These types of statements are so full of hyperbole that one can hardly respond rationally to them. Mr. Casey and anyone who cares to think rationally and anyone familiar with coal knows that silos decrease dust emissions versus open stockpiles. They also know that this impoundment has been in use for decades and that it is safer today than it’s ever been. Mr. Casey knows that his statements are just campaign rhetoric. The same rhetorical lies his political friends and predecessors have used to win elections and to continue their stranglehold on West Virginia for decades. Mr. Casey and his political friends pose more of a risk to West Virginia’s kids than any coal silo ever will.

Mr. Casey then goes on to talk about what he calls my “frivolous lawsuits.” Time will tell whether any lawsuit I’ve filed is frivolous. The bottom line is that our parents and grandparents were right. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. He asked whether you believe I’m a hypocrite for filing lawsuits while complaining about West Virginia’s court system. Again, it’s difficult to provide a rational response when a liberal plaintiff attorney is suggesting I’m a hypocrite for filing lawsuits.

Mr. Casey is actually very concerned about the lawsuits I’ve filed against his friends. He said so on television. He, in fact, said he was “chilled” by them. He should not be so chilled by what he believes to be frivolous claims.

Sadly, Casey goes on to say “how many deaths does it take?” Perhaps this is a new low for Casey and his political friends. He asks whether you believe I’m correct when I say that the Sago and Aracoma mine deaths are “statistically insignificant.” First of all, this comment they attribute to me may or may not be exactly what I’ve said in the many interviews I’ve granted. But, at best, it’s totally out of context.

Every person’s life or death is most significant. But statistics are not life and death. Statistics can be used to help save lives and prevent death. That is what responsible people do. We use statistics to allocate time and resources and to help identify tangible changes that will prevent tragedy, death and injury. Some politicians, on the other hand, try to win the approval of the public by playing on their emotions. They then frequently pass laws that distract attention from real safety improvements.

The industry usually goes along with these emotional political processes to avoid being singled out. It’s always easier to go along with the crowd than it is to do the right thing. It’s no different than our kids – it’s easier for them to go along with the crowd and risk getting in trouble than it is to stand up for what’s right and risk being singled out. It’s called peer pressure and often kids, like adults, do the wrong thing to avoid these pressures. Sometimes it’s not easy to do what’s right when it’s not popular, or politically correct to do so. On the other hand, I believe life is too short and my responsibility to coal miners is too great to be part of doing the wrong thing when it comes to their safety.

Mr. Casey talks negatively about another of my safety related statements that “miners carry the burden of looking out for their own safety.” Ironically, this is exactly what some of Casey’s friends say when they refer to the dozens of fatal accidents on ATV’s in West Virginia. Every coal miner, every automobile driver and every airplane pilot knows that ultimately they have to be alert and look out for their own safety. Industry and engineers can make any working environment safer but nothing is more important than an individual behaving responsibly and looking out for their own safety. Anyone that believes brakes, seat belts, air bags, and road signs will keep you safe only needs to fall asleep at the wheel to learn differently.

Mr. Casey goes on and on. He even cites an internal Massey memo wherein I urged our managers to focus on running coal rather than on construction jobs, etc. The business of coal mining is very complex. Oftentimes, the construction of overcasts and other infrastructure can be done on a production cycle at the expense of production, or on off shifts, or in the future. Several of our mine managers had recently interrupted their production to build overcasts that would not be used for years. My directive to them was to run coal in the near term and to delay the construction of optional overcasts, etc., to a later date. Coal mine managers understand – politicians do not.

Mr. Casey goes on to question my pay as if he somehow is a better judge of what’s fair than those that employ me. His criticism of me, the manager of the largest capital investment in the history of West Virginia coal, certainly does not support his open for business slogan. If the liberal politicians in West Virginia want to set executive pay, they’ll likely not create more jobs. It seems that the lifetime politicians and plaintiff attorneys that Mr. Casey represents would rather destroy the coal mining jobs in West Virginia than to deal with the real issues of child abuse and poverty. My pay has nothing to do with either.

Mr. Casey then goes on to talk about more Charleston Gazette quotes. He refers to the debate over the safety of coal trucks. Again, he goes very low or you might say “over the top.” He represents a group that voted to allow drunk drivers to keep their licenses by hiring plaintiff attorneys like himself and pleading “no contest.” Drunk and drugged drivers kill 13,000 people a year in the United States. Hundreds have been killed in West Virginia. The coal truck weight debate is old news but it is a fact that coal trucks pose far less risk to West Virginia drivers than drunks do.

Next, Mr. Casey moves on to my views on the United States level of spending in Iraq. He quotes me as asking, “How can we justify spending $87 billion to build something (in Iraq) that didn’t exist before.” He then rhetorically asks recipients of his questionnaire if they agree with my view. The most ironic part of this is that his political friends have run ads supporting my view. Union television ads and my comments have questioned both the use of United States taxpayer’s money to build public water systems, etc., in Iraq. Mr. Casey’s liberals now want to raise your gasoline taxes another 5 cents so that you can have a road. My view is that we should build the roads with taxes we are already paying. My question is at least a fair one to ask. Perhaps Casey should answer for me and the union why he thinks it’s so outlandish to ask how much is enough to spend in Iraq. Is it $87 billion, or is it $87 trillion, or is there no limit?

Nick Casey is at the end of the day a plaintiff lawyer and a politician who hasn’t had to deal with reality. He’s good at asking questions like “when did you stop beating your wife?” It seems that to him it’s all a game but to abused and impoverished children, it’s life and death.

We all look forward to Nick’s next flight. Maybe he’ll have some of his friends like Lidella Hrutkay and Randy White along with him. They may best represent what Nick Casey stands for.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - Huntington Herald-Dispatch

The liberal left just doesn't get it
by Don Blankenship

Diane W. Mufson's column in this paper on Thursday, Aug. 24, was typical of the liberal left. It was full of meaningless rhetoric and untruths. It often seems that liberals such as Mufson believe that their cause is greater than truth. Of course, nothing could be further from the real truth.

She writes in her column that she has a brochure written 30 years ago called "Who Owns West Virginia?" Well, the answer to this question has been plaintiff attorneys and politicians who believe that no matter how they vote in Charleston, they can win re-election by hook or crook. She seemingly confuses my efforts to inform the public with the habits of those who buy votes and elections.

She refers to the 30-year-old brochure as if it were an authority on West Virginia's problems. Liberals love to write books that refer to other liberal books as if they were somehow authoritative. She writes of the state being owned by "out-of-state interests" just a few lines after saying she moved here from Illinois.

She is untruthful when she says I have announced that I am "aiming to take control of the West Virginia Legislature" by seeking "to elect" my "candidates."

The truth is that I hardly know any of the delegates personally or those who are running against them.

What I do know is that in the 30 years Diane Mufson has lived in West Virginia, the state has lost 100,000 students from its public school system, become the state with the lowest family income and has become the nation's leader in child abuse.

It's not that Mufson is responsible for what's wrong in our state. However, her way of thinking is much to blame. Coincidentally, on the very day her column appeared in this paper, a separate article recounted yet another incident of possible child abuse at a local motel. Other articles routinely appear ranking West Virginia last or near last in many economic categories.

Mrs. Mufson refers in her column to my request that West Virginia doctors financially help certain House of Delegate candidates. Doctors are, in fact, helping many conservative House of Delegate candidates financially, because after the defeat of liberal Warren McGraw, a former chief justice of the State Supreme Court, (due partially to my efforts), they can now afford medical malpractice insurance. Better yet, hundreds of new doctors are now moving to West Virginia.

My efforts have nothing to do with taking control of the West Virginia Legislature. My publicly announced objective is to let voters know that our legislators frequently vote against West Virginia's values and West Virginia's children. The voters will decide which House of Delegate candidates they want to elect.

My hope is that most West Virginians will vote for the sake of the kids and not for the sake of drunken drivers, plaintiff attorneys and pedophiles.

There are 2,399 convicted child sex offenders living in West Virginia. Check the registry to see how close they live to you at www.wvstatepolice.com . Also, check at www.AFTSOTK.com or www.andforthesakeofthekids.com for information on how each delegate recently voted on several legislative issues.

Sunday, August 27, 2006 - Beckley Register-Herald

Blankenship says ‘corrupt politics’ motivated him
By Mannix Porterfield, Register-Herald Reporter

It might be tough for some to believe that on the day before a payday, he once was reduced to $1.37, half a dozen Oreos, about a pint of milk and a car with a gas tank pointing to E.

Hunger loomed larger than the prospect of thumbing a ride 15 miles to work in Chattanooga, Tenn., so he spent his last cash on a hamburger.

For Don Blankenship, the harrowing trials of that early job back in 1972 proved a valuable experience in life.

And that is just one reason why the Massy Energy chief says he decided to get involved in West Virginia politics.

From such a meager start in the work world, Blankenship has grown to the point of nearly unrivaled success in West Virginia. Last year, his total Massey compensation package was nearly $13 million.

Without question, Blankenship has evolved into a major force on the political scene.

His nonprofit vehicle, “And For The Sake Of The Kids,” proved key in the 2004 defeat of Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw. Last year, the leader of the nation’s fourth-largest coal producer took on Gov. Joe Manchin and helped defeat a bond issue aimed at retiring a massive state debt.

Blankenship is at it again, reviving “The Kids” to promote the defeat of certain Democrats in the House of Delegates with a vow to spend “whatever it takes” to replace them — a threat that has ignited the ire of state Democratic Chairman Nick Casey.

Casey has accused Blankenship of attempting to “buy” this year’s election and of flooding the judicial system with “frivolous” lawsuits.

In a recent column prepared for The Wayne County News, the Massey leader recalled leaving West Virginia to find work after getting an accounting degree at Marshall University.

“My grades at Marshall weren’t particularly good and accounting firms didn’t consider it likely that I would ever pass the CPA exam,” he said.

“In fact, one Huntington CPA firm told me firmly, ‘You’ll never pass,’ as they refused to hire me.”

Blankenship says he ultimately passed the CPA exam on his first attempt, taking the test with people from a number of “prestigious universities.”

“Given that I was from a town of only 400, being tested as one of 2,000 was a little intimidating anyway,” he recalled.

“But I learned that day that a person from the ‘sticks’ of West Virginia could do it.”

Patriotism is another reason for his involvement in politics, Blankenship said, pointing to a father and eight uncles who served in World War II, and a brother in Matewan who survived murderous Hamburger Hill and has two Bronze Stars.

“My family clearly believes in our rights as Americans to speak out and they have fought in the wars that protected that right,” he said.

Blankenship also cited his upbringing in an Airstream camper behind a family-owned store. Indoor plumbing and air conditioning were luxuries for other people. His bed was positioned about 80 feet from railroad tracks.

Pitching in to help manage the store, Blankenship says he got to know coal miners struggling to pay bills. His mother often extended credit, running up bills that never got paid at times because of layoffs and strikes.

At 19, the future Massey leader was a dues-paying member of the United Mine Workers of America and once was off work two days in a strike over a cause he cannot remember.

“We used a butterfly hand drill then,” he said. “I helped run the drill, helped on the cutting machine and shot coal. I still remember the powder headaches.”

Expanding on his political crusades, he wrote, “Some would say that my nature has always been to try and do what I’m told I can’t. Well, West Virginia lifetime politicians say they can’t be beat. They say that West Virginia nor its politics will ever change. They say the people will vote for them regardless. But it’s West Virginia politics that kept me in poverty for the first 20 some years of my life.”

“It’s bad politics that keep our state in poverty. It’s horrible politics that make us first in child abuse and last in family income. It’s that same politics that drove me out of the state, along with 400,000. It’s the same politics that endangers our way of life in America and the freedoms members of my family and yours fought to safeguard. It’s the same politics that drove my family’s businesses out of business.”

This same climate has closed schools, let child rapists off the hook, left drunken drivers behind the wheel and allowed teenagers to get abortions without parental knowledge, he said.

Blankenship said “a core reason” for his involvement in politics is to improve life in West Virginia so the young can remain here.

“But in the end, my objective is to let you, the public, know about the votes and behavior of the politicians,” he said.

“They say they can’t be beat. They’re definitely right that I can’t beat them, but you can. I believe you will beat them and it will make life better in West Virginia, particularly for today’s kids that will be looking for jobs here in the future.”

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - Wayne County News

Guest Article for Wednesday, August 23, 2006

This writing is in answer to a question I am often asked – i.e., why do I involve myself in West Virginia politics. In fact, those I sometimes oppose routinely suggest I’m up to something inappropriate. Please bear with my somewhat lengthy answer as to why I’m involved.

We all have things or happenings that we remember and will for our entire lives. Those that today are eighty or so years of age might remember the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and where they were or what they were doing when they first heard of the attack. Those my age remember where they were when President Kennedy was shot. Most of us remember where we were or how we learned of the World Trade Center bombing on September 11, 2001. As a Marshall student, I remember vividly where I was when I first learned of the Marshall football team’s plane crash. Certainly, regardless of where our political loyalties lie, we all agree that these were all horrible and unforgettable events. We also know that they have impacted our opinions and our actions ever since we learned of them.

All of us also have our individual memories. The births of our children. The passing of loved ones. Graduations. Marriages. Perhaps vacation trips or even the day we got our first car. Many in West Virginia remember the loss of a good job; the loss of their pension; or the day the kids packed up and moved because they couldn’t find a job in West Virginia.

But then there are other things that for some reason stay in our memories. One of my personal ones occurred in October of 1972. After graduating from Marshall with an accounting degree, I left West Virginia to find a job. I couldn’t find one here at home. My grades at Marshall weren’t particularly good and accounting firms didn’t consider it likely that I would ever pass the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam. In fact, one Huntington CPA firm told me firmly, “you’ll never pass it” as they refused to hire me.

It is not unusual for people to say to others “you can’t do it.” You can’t win this game. You can’t get that job. You can’t get into that school. You can’t make that team, and yes, you can’t pass the CPA exam. Still today, thirty years later, many of our kids are being told they “can’t.” But I’m here to tell you that they can.

But back to what I remember in October of 1972. It was the difficult decision I faced. The job I had found when I left West Virginia was in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It paid $650 per month. On Thursday night before Friday payday, I had a dozen Oreos left in the bag, a half quart of milk and one dollar and thirty-seven cents. I was three meals from getting my paycheck on Friday at 5:00 p.m. The other problem was that my gasoline tank was on dead empty and I lived 15 miles from work.

Well, I figured eating was more important than gasoline. I bought a hamburger and the next day I ran out of gasoline, hitched a ride to work, eventually got paid and bought some gasoline. The hitching of a ride wasn’t difficult. At Marshall, I had gained a lot of experience hitchhiking through Wayne County back and forth from Mingo.

Later, I ended up passing the CPA exam on my first attempt and being accepted to attend, but never attending, the University of Chicago; Denver University; and Florida State. Although I had hoped to enroll at each of these schools, the promotions and transfers came too fast in the business world to allow me any opportunity to further my education.

Speaking of memories, I remember sitting at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago with two thousand others taking the CPA exam. Those taking the test were from the University of Illinois, Loyola, Chicago, Wharton and similar universities. These prestigious universities I feared had better prepared them for the exam than Marshall had prepared me. Given that I was from a town of only four hundred being tested as one of two thousand was a little intimidating anyway. But I learned that day that a person from the “Sticks of West Virginia” could do it.

It might also be helpful to know in understanding why I do what I do that I came from a family that believes in our country. Eight of my uncles fought in World War II as did my father. My brother who still lives in Matewan carries two bronze stars from Vietnam – i.e., Hamburger Hill. My family clearly believes in our rights as Americans to speak out and they have fought in the wars that protected that right.

Another part of answering why I’m involved might be that I was raised (yes I wasn’t reared) in a small family owned store in West Virginia. We actually lived in an airstream camper behind the store my first several years of life. We didn’t have indoor plumbing or air conditioning. The bed I slept in was eighty feet or so from the railroad track. The store provided us what we needed but not a lot more. Working in the store at a young age I learned the challenges of doing business in West Virginia. I also got to know the people, the coal miners, and learned of their day-to-day struggles with work and bills. My mother often let them have items on credit. Sometimes layoffs and strikes prevented them from ever being able to pay her.

My teenage years took me into the coal mines. Believe it or not, as a United Mine Workers’ member at the age of 19, I was out on strike for two days. But to this day I don’t even know what the strike was about. We used a “butterfly hand drill” then. I helped run the drill, helped on the cutting machine and shot coal. I still remember the “powder headaches.”

But back to the question of my involvement in politics. Some would say that my nature has always been to try and do what I’m told I can’t. Well, West Virginia lifetime politicians say they can’t be beat. They say that West Virginia nor its politics will ever change. They say the people will vote for them regardless. But it’s West Virginia politics that kept me in poverty for the first twenty some years of my life.

It’s bad politics that keep our state in poverty. It’s horrible politics that make us first in child abuse and last in family income. It’s that same politics that drove me out of the state along with four hundred thousand; it’s the same politics that endangers our way of life in America and the freedoms members of my family and yours fought wars to safeguard; it’s the same politics that drove my family’s businesses out of business.

It’s the same corrupt politics that has damaged or even destroyed the area many of us grew up in. It’s the same politics that has eliminated many of our schools and that has failed for decades to provide basics like public sewage systems and a public water supply. It’s the same politics that today lets child rapists go free; drunk drivers remain on the highways; teenagers get abortions without their parents’ knowledge and that repeatedly fails our children.

My reasons for being involved had not been something that I had thought about a great deal. But upon reflection, the daunting challenge of helping make our state a better place now and for our kids in the future is a core reason. It motivates many of us when we’re told it can’t be done. Our memories of tough times of the past and our desire to make it easier for others plays a role, too. My family’s business being put out of business is also a motivation for me and many others. We’re all tired of going to Kentucky to buy groceries and gasoline. We miss our schools and our friends and family members who’ve moved to other states.

But in the end, my objective is to just let you, the public, know about the votes and behavior of the politicians. They say they can’t be beat. They’re definitely right that I can’t beat them but you can. I believe you will beat them and it will make life better in West Virginia, particularly for today’s kids that will be looking for jobs here in the future.

Hopefully, this writing tells you why I’m involved. But why I’m involved isn’t really important. It’s only important that we move our great state up from last in family income and down from first in child abuse. After all, college football is important but given a choice, I’d rather it not be our highest ranking.

Don L. Blankenship

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - Wayne County News

Guest Article for Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Last week, I wrote to you about voting for individuals and not voting a straight party ticket. Many people respond to this with “why vote at all, the politicians are all the same. None of them are any good.”

Well, we have to hope that’s not true. The truth is we have just not demanded very much from our elected officials. Additionally, corruption in West Virginia politics is undeniable; buying votes has been commonplace. Also, undeniable is that many people vote for a politician they know or in response to a favor a politician has done for them. Apathy, corruption, and voting for favors all work against electing good government.

But West Virginians have strong values and beliefs. Many of those beliefs are very sacred to them. In fact, our social beliefs are what distinguish us from many other areas of the country and the world. We believe strongly in loyalty to our country as an example. A great majority of West Virginians are devoted church members, charity workers and advocates of other worthwhile causes.

Oftentimes West Virginians are so involved in their work or the other aspects of their lives that they pay no attention to politics. They vote or don’t vote without a great deal of thought or information. This is fully understandable but it allows a small minority of political activists to put in place their values in place of ours or to promote their self-interest without the general public being aware.

Let’s consider the truth of this point by reviewing the particular voting record of just one politician from Logan County versus West Virginia’s majority beliefs. This particular individual benefits a great deal from both straight ticket voting and the fact people don’t have the time to focus on her votes as a Delegate in Charleston. You individually may or may not agree with many of her votes but I doubt that the majority of the people voting for her agree with her. Her name is Lidella Hrutkay, she is an attorney in Logan County.

Let’s look first at drunk driving. Most West Virginians believe that drunk drivers are a risk to public safety and should be kept off the highways. Thousands of people are killed by drunk drivers on American highways every year. But Delegate Hrutkay voted this past March to allow drunk drivers to keep their licenses if they simply hire a lawyer (she’s a lawyer) and plead no contest. Do we agree with her?

Lidella has also voted to legalize video slot machines. Many other Delegates voted not to legalize video slot machines. Do you favor or not favor video slot machines? Opinions vary, and clearly there is a difference of view among the Delegates we have elected as to gambling.

Many Delegates wanted the law to be that criminals who commit violent crimes against pregnant women would be sentenced on the basis of the injuries to the woman and to her unborn child. Lidella disagreed. She voted against having an unborn child’s injury or death considered in sentencing. What’s your opinion? Should injuries to the unborn child be considered in sentencing? Delegate Hrutkay apparently thinks they should not be.

Many Delegates voted to change West Virginia law so that a doctor would be required to inform a parent before performing an abortion on a girl under 18 years of age. Lidella voted that the House of Delegates should not take up the bill on the floor of the House meaning that effectively she voted to continue allowing doctors to perform abortions in West Virginia without parental knowledge. How do you feel about this? It’s illegal for a teenage girl to get a tattoo without parental consent but legal for her to get an abortion.

Let’s look at what is called the “Marriage Amendment.” Many Delegates wanted to put on the November ballot this year an amendment that made it unconstitutional for members of the same sex to marry one another. Lidella again voted not to allow a vote about this on the House floor. Therefore, it remains “constitutional” (although not legal) for people of the same sex to marry one another. In many other states, same sex marriage is unconstitutional. Liberal court systems all over the country are overturning state laws to legalize gay marriage. Be aware that the West Virginia Supreme Court recently awarded custody of a three year old child to a deceased woman’s lesbian lover as opposed to the child’s grandfather. Do you agree or disagree with this?

Lidella voted with 13 other Delegates not to cap medical liability claims, even as doctors were being driven out of state because they couldn’t get insurance. She receives a lot of her campaign funds from personal injury attorneys and as noted earlier she is an attorney. Lidella opposes most legal reforms, despite the fact that our legal system has been ranked last in the country for fairness by major job providers.

Her now ex-husband pled guilty to election fraud and admitted he illegally paid to get Lidella on a political slate. He was sentenced to one year in prison. How should we feel about this?

Lidella is running for office again this fall. She won in the Democrat primary in May. Many other West Virginia Delegates running for office this fall have similar votes. Many challengers running against these incumbents have pledged to vote differently on many of these same issues.

Clearly, all politicians and elected officials do not see things or vote the same. They are not all the same. Some vote more often than others the way you would vote were you the Delegate. Some vote their values and their self-interest. Others trying to get elected may vote more in line with your beliefs than the ones in office now.

If you want to see how your Delegate voted and you have a computer, go to www.AFTSOTK.com. But regardless of whether you vote or how you vote - be aware that not all politicians vote the same in Charleston. Some represent you and your values, whatever they are, and some don’t.

Don L. Blankenship

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - Charleston Daily Mail

Editorial: Democrats should worry in W.Va.
Blankenship's challenge could force a new day in state politics

IN 1933, West Virginia had a per capita income of $259 per year. That was higher than 17 states. Today, all but one of those states have passed West Virginia by.

Democrats took over the Legislature in 1933.

The party has held on to it ever since, as all those other states did better than West Virginia, including the two states that were added to the union in 1959.

This year, things could be different. Don Blankenship, president and chief executive officer of Massey Energy, has promised to spend his own money trying to replace current legislators with new ones.

Blankenship has contributed to 41 Republican candidates, although one returned his check for $1,000.

The challenge from Blankenship has apparently made Democrats nervous, which is a healthy development. The party's state chairman, Nick Casey, blasted Blankenship for trying to buy the state.

"It's almost a throwback to an era where coal barons controlled pieces of legislation. Now we have a coal guy trying to control the entirety of the Legislature," Casey said.

Of course, Democrats never complained when millionaires Jay Rockefeller and Gaston Caperton poured their monies into state politics.

Then there is the outright purchase of votes. Federal officials recently successfully prosecuted nearly a dozen Democrats who bought votes in Lincoln and Logan counties.

Blankenship's entry into the race is welcome if it gives voters a choice among candidates.

Democrats do raise legitimate questions about what Blankenship wants. His agenda of business and social issues will miss the mark with many voters.

But Blankenship's questions about the management of West Virginia's economy are legitimate, too. Being 49th in income interests most West Virginians.

What would Republicans do to change that?
Many Mountaineer voters would like to know.

The ruling party is wise to worry about the direction that discussion could take. After all, the track record of the ruling party is clear.

Thursday, August 10, 2006 - Beckley Register-Herald

Call to focus on issues, not personal attacks

In the Monday, July 31, edition of The Register-Herald was an article that reported our U.S. Congressman calling Republicans “evil” and a Democratic State Senate candidate referred to Republicans as “port-a-johns.”

I would like to issue a call to focus on issues and not personal attacks. Apparently, “ugly” is alive and well. Let’s look at the Democratic record on the issues.

The Democratic state legislature refused to vote on parental notification for underage girls seeking abortions, they refused to vote on a state constitutional amendment to define marriage as that between one man and one woman, they refused to vote to eliminate the food tax, and they refused to vote on making Public Service Commission members elected.

Recently, Democrats have complained about Don Blankenship’s involvement in politics and his support of some of these issues. Democrats have accused him of trying to “buy” this year’s election. These issues have been in the Republican platform for years — before Mr. Blankenship’s involvement. Mr. Blankenship happens to support some of the same issues the Republican Party has been advocating for years. As a West Virginia citizen and business owner, Mr. Blankenship has the right to voice his opinions and support candidates of his choice. If anyone is trying to buy a West Virginian election, look at the thousands of out-of-state gambling dollars being poured into the campaign coffers of a Democratic candidate.

The Republican Party seeks to return control of state government to the citizens of West Virginia and away from a handful of power brokers in Charleston. Money is political power. I want to return money and power to the citizens from whom it was taken.

The state legislature has caused West Virginia to have one of the highest tax rates and lowest per capita incomes in the nation. We need to give the working poor a chance to lift themselves out of poverty by making more and better paying jobs available, raising the exemptions on personal income taxes, and eliminating the food tax. Eliminating the food tax would provide each family with an additional 18 days of food — a significant savings, especially for those with lower incomes.

I resent the Congressman representing us in Washington, D.C., calling me and all Republicans (including at least one third of his constituents) “Evil.” Saddam Hussein is evil. The governments of Syria, Iran and North Korea that provide money and weapons to the terrorist organizations of Hamas and Hezbollah are evil. Remember we have heard the Democratic Party call for an end to name-calling and personal attacks.

I and other Republican candidates have requested debates for House of Delegates candidates to focus on the issues. Our constituents deserve to hear each candidate’s stand o

Thursday, November 2, 2006

Don Surber, Charleston Daily Mail: Manchin's penny-ante plan is an insult Voters should reject his effort to save Democrats MY reaction to Gov. Joe Manchin's food tax plan was sung by Peggy Lee many years ago. Her song was "Is That All There Is?"

Friday, October 13, 2006

Blankenship appears in his political group's ad Jake Stump, Charleston Daily Mail

Massey Energy Chief Don Blankenship is saturating TV stations and popular Web sites with his political group's newest ad, featuring the man himself.

Grocer says axing food tax benefits all Jake Stump, Daily Mail Staff While the state's largest business organization calls for keeping the 5 percent tax on food, one prominent grocery store owner says killing the tax would benefit both consumers and entrepreneurs in West Virginia.

Don Surber, Charleston Daily Mail:
Manchin's penny-ante plan is an insult
Voters should reject his effort to save Democrats

MY reaction to Gov. Joe Manchin's food tax plan was sung by Peggy Lee many years ago. Her song was "Is That All There Is?"

Blankenship appears in his political group's ad
Jake Stump,
Charleston Daily Mail

Grocer says axing food tax benefits all
Jake Stump, Daily Mail Staff

While the state's largest business organization calls for keeping the 5 percent tax on food, one prominent grocery store owner says killing the tax would benefit both consumers and entrepreneurs in West Virginia.