West Virginia editorial roundup

Recent editorials from West Virginia newspapers:

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March 6

The Intelligencer Wheeling News-Register on a tax break for seniors:

State legislators and Gov. Jim Justice may find themselves scrambling this week to keep all the promises made to West Virginians during the past several months. Pay raises for public employees, new subsidies for their health insurance program, a tax break for coal companies and new initiatives against drug abuse were among the pledges.

And there was that vow to give older people a break on their state income taxes.

Acting on that promise, House of Delegates members, in a 96-1 vote, approved a bill to exempt Social Security old-age benefits from state income taxes.

Now the state Senate has the bill, HB 2001, and budget realities are setting in. Too many promises were made. Keeping them, while balancing the budget, will be difficult.

Two-thirds of the way through the fiscal year, income for the general revenue budget was $53 million ahead of estimates at the end of February. That sounds good, and in many ways, it is. But at that rate, there are serious questions about whether the state will take in enough new revenue next year to cover all the expenditures being envisioned now.

Exempting Social Security old-age benefits from state income taxes alone would cost the state about $50 million a year.

Still, a promise was made to older West Virginians. State Senate negotiators may have found a way to keep it, at least partially.

Senators are poised to approve HB 2001, but with amendments. One of them would phase in the tax exemption over three years. During the first year, 35 percent of the tax would be eliminated. The second year, 65 percent would be exempted. Then, the third year, senior citizens would get the full benefit on their state tax returns.

That version of the bill would cost the state only $10 million to $16 million the first year. That is doable, even with concern over balancing the budget.

Is the Senate bill a perfect solution? Many senior citizens will not think so. But it is a responsible start toward keeping the promise and, as such, House of Delegates members should accept it.

Online: http://www.theintelligencer.net/

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March 4

Charleston Gazette on civility in the state Legislature:

The West Virginia Legislature made national news again last week, and again it was because of hateful public statements from those affiliated with the state Republican Party.

This time, on “GOP Day,” a group displayed a photo of the World Trade Center aflame during the 9/11 terrorist attack juxtaposed to a photo of newly elected U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota who is Muslim. Delegate Mike Caputo, D-Marion, was so incensed by the display that he kicked open a door where Republican leadership was meeting, accidentally injuring a staffer. The same day, House Sergeant at Arms Anne Lieberman was called to the display by concerned legislators and allegedly said all Muslims are terrorists. She now disputes this is what she said, but she tendered her resignation just the same.

Put together, it’s a mess that gives the state another black eye.

The other eye was blackened and bruised earlier in the session when Delegate Eric Porterfield, R-Mercer, went on a multi-day bender of public anti-gay comments that got worse and worse, until he eventually implied he would drown his own children if they were gay.

In last week’s case, the state GOP, as it did with Porterfield, issued a statement condemning hate speech. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said the Legislature needed to get back to the basics of civility.

On Monday, Caputo, who offered up a sincere, public apology for his actions, was stripped of all committee assignments for the final week of the session. That would seem an appropriate punishment. But it smacks of hypocrisy when no disciplinary action was taken against Porterfield beyond a couple of news releases condemning his remarks.

Indeed, the state GOP seems to have adopted the visage of the national GOP under Donald Trump, where insulting discourse and bullying and belittling those who are not in lock-step are part of the daily routine.

When Trump calls for unity or civility, it’s a sad joke, because he spends so much time and effort pulling people apart and setting them against each other.

Porterfield never offered anything approaching an apology for his remarks. If anything, he’s doubled or even tripled down. The state chairwoman of the West Virginia Republican Party once called Democrats “godless.” When given a chance to back off during subsequent interviews, she stood by her remarks.

Divisiveness as a political strategy can be successful, but you can’t then look to all the people you’ve torched and ask them in good faith to return to being civil.

Caputo understands he did something wrong and someone literally got hurt. Punishing him is the right call. But what does that say to someone like Porterfield? What does it say to the people who made that atrocious sign? Politicians keep saying this isn’t who we are in West Virginia, but West Virginians keep finding themselves here because of the people who are supposed to represent them.

Civility is a two-way street, and state government can only get there by holding everyone accountable to the same standards.

Online: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/

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March 6

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel on a pitch for Amazon’s second headquarters:

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was right last week to ask Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to consider the Mountain State as a location for the company’s second headquarters. Amazon pulled out of plans to build in New York City.

One would hope Bezos appreciated Manchin’s gentle dig that choosing Long Island in the first place “lacked the forward-thinking that has marked your career.”

Now, because NYC showed its true colors and Bezos had time to change his mind, there is an opportunity.

“You now have another chance to have a lasting impact on not just a city, but an entire region,” Manchin told him.

Manchin did not sugar-coat West Virginia’s challenges. He acknowledged our struggling economy and its failure to transition, diversify and thrive; he mentioned our substance abuse epidemic. But he told Bezos what we all already know.

West Virginia is so much more than our challenges - and the few headline-grabbing individuals who do NOT represent what is in most Mountain State residents’ hearts.

Manchin told Bezos about our “incredible potential,” and the beauty and quality of life our state can provide. (He also mentioned our business-friendly tax and regulatory structure - and wouldn’t it be nice to see that structure benefit a broader range of employers than those we have always known?)

Manchin should not be standing alone in this pitch. Gov. Jim Justice, the commerce department and local officials in regions that meet Amazon’s needs should be pitching themselves, as well. We should all extend an invitation to Amazon officials to visit - to meet some real West Virginians, experience all our wild and wonderful land has to offer and build a relationship that would do good things for everyone involved.

Online: http://www.newsandsentinel.com/