Governor (West Virginia)
Russ Weeks
Contact:
Website:
| Name: | Russ Weeks |
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| Party: | Republican |
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Biography:
I was born May 12, 1942 in Beckley West Virginia. Educated in Raleigh County public schools and enlisted in the US Navy in 1959. Married Helen Peterson in July 1967, 2 children, 3 granddaughters. Retired from the Navy in 1978. Served in West Virginia State Senate from 2002-2006.
Personal Statement:
- With more and more West Virginians lacking health insurance coverage, what would you do as governor to assure that affordable health care and prescription drug coverage is available and affordable for all West Virginians?
- When I was in the State Senate, the legislature approved a pilot program allowing clinics to develop a healthcare package suited to individual groups. One such clinic in Wheeling, called Primary Care One, provides basic healthcare for a cost of $83.00 per individual or $125.00 per family. This includes prescription coverage. This same coverage could be provided to small businesses.
Coverage includes anything the clinic can do itself. For specialized care -- OB/GYN, Cardiac Care, etc. -- patients would see a specialist.
For that program, my plan is to allow insurance companies to develop a package that would include these coverages, which would get the government out of the healthcare business and allow competition to set the costs. I am familiar with insurance companies that have indicated they would love to have that opportunity and felt they could bring this in at a lower cost than say PEIA is charging now.
- What do you think needs to be done to address teacher shortage in subjects such as science, math, special education and foreign languages?
- I plan to offer teachers a compensation package that would provide incentives for them to stay in West Virginia and work until age 65-70. That development would take a lot of pressure off the Teachers Retirement System. Teachers now go 'hat in hand' begging for 2-3 percent increases each year, something that is degrading and leads to low morale. Our teachers are highly educated, dedicated individuals who the state treats worse than the old land barons treated their serfs.
- Please define your education agenda, prek-20, for improving the education system.
- Our teachers deserve pay equal to teachers in border states, where the average is $50,000, compared to $38,000 here. Attracting and keeping great teachers is imperative for the education of our students. We must remove politics from higher education governing boards to prevent such things as the WVU degree scandal.
- How would you balance the increasing demand for developing West Virginia energy resources while improving the quality of life and the environment?
- We must invest in clean coal technology and other ways of making the energy industry safer for the environment. As someone who has worked for coal companies, I recognize the progress that has been made, and the improvements we need. But WV must be an energy leader in America.
- According to Forbes Magazine, West Virginia is 50th in business climate. How do you plan to improve the situation?
- Instead of chipping away at reducing taxes, I would completely eliminate the food tax, business franchise tax and inventory tax. Only by taking drastic and decisive action will we begin to compete with other states that are more welcoming of business and industry. We can and will do better.
