- What are your plans to create jobs in your district? Are there any particular industries you would like to bring into your district? What kind of legislation would you create in order to bring in out-of-state companies into the district?
- 1. By proactively supporting and preparing for the type jobs that will be brought by the Prichard Intermodal Facility. To do this we must:
2. Embrace Marshall's CTC as an important player and use their direction to educate and place individuals for those job types critical to transportation. As well:
3. Enact legislation directed at providing any needed transportation infrastructure at that site.
- With less tax revenue expected to come in to the state, what should be done with the state tax system? What are your thoughts on state taxes, and do you have any plans to increase/decrease taxes in your represented district?
- I am not certain that less taxes will actually come to our state over the next 2-3 years. Traditionally the Coal Industry has been the economic driver and it presently (by virtue of the rapidly increasing cost of oil) is very strong, with many reports that it will be so for some time. The tax system needs a revamp, top to bottom, and we need to reduce our reliance on property taxes to support public education. I continue to support the tax reductions in Business Franchise, Corporate Net Income and Food Tax that our legislature has engaged and which are ongoing in nature.
- With crime, especially drug abuse, becoming a bigger problem in the area, what do you think should be done to cut down on drug activity in the district? Are there any pieces of legislation you would like to create to combat the rising local drug epidemic?
- First of all, the War on Drugs has resulted in huge casualty lists across our state and certainly in Wayne County. Apart from the criminal issues, the public health issues are becoming rapidly more costly and just as dangerous to the public interest. it is well past time when we committed increased resources to recovering these casualties. Creating at least four Healing Place sites (S/A Recovery programs) across our state would allow us to recover individuals and make them productive citizens, while at the same time reducing the number of inmates at our institutions and the recidivism that makes things exponentially worse. Every drug/alcohol addict, in my view, is walking wounded.
- Over the past 10 years, the housing stock in several cities has been slowly declining. What could you do, as a legislator, to create/improve housing in the area? Should the problem be solved locally or on the state level?
- As the only sponsor of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 5 years ago, I saw early on the advantages of funding to support this issue. If fiscally feasible, increasing the growth and utilization of financial resources through this Fund offers some solution. West Virginia leads the Nation in home ownership, but they are often deteriorating homes needful of remodel or rebuilding, and that takes capital.The problem has not only a local and state component, but now nationally as well with the mortgage lending crisis. Very shortly every political element will be engaged. As such I would propose a state-wide commission, including members of our congressional delegation to meet and offer suggestion for not only additional funding, but direction as to how it may be spent to both retire (where clearly necessary) and revitalize housing.
- What type of health care initiatives are you interested in introducing as a legislator? Do you believe the system is being utilized to its full potential, or can improvements be made? If improvements could be made, what are they?
- It is my belief that the system as it now exists has enough money in it to care for all of our citizens. We just don't effectively use it to the best advantage. Currently, as Co-Chair of special Subcommittee D (Health Issues)I am actively seeking any adjustments to state code that can result in real HealthCare reform. As for improvements there are many possibilities, including: 1. Revisiting the poorly favored Medicaid Redesign. 2. Restructuring DHHR to make it more efficient and to increasing not only employment but pay.3.Fully funding the Office of Oral Health 4. Make certain that all qualified MRDD waiver clients get services within 90 days. 4.Increase rates for Behavioural Health Providers by reducing the number of APS reviews from 4 per year to 1 and using the savings incurred. There are a number more.
- Marshall University regularly has to compete with other colleges in the state for research funding dollars. Do you believe research and the furtherance of higher education in your district is important? Why? What do you plan to do to bring more funding dollars to MU? What would you do to ensure that MU would have the opportunity to continue its research initiatives?
- Bucks for Brains is a tremendous initiative I was proud to support. "Technology transfer" is the byword of successful research institutions and we can make sure that we are seeing our share of those opportunities. Continued support of Bucks for Brains is imperative.
- What are the conditions of the roadways in your district? Are there any pieces of legislation you are interested in introducing to improve local roads?
- Poor at best, to be frank. This year we increased funding for roads to record levels, but costs due to inflation are outstripping even that huge increase. No legislation is necessarily required, but devoting more funding to a deteriorating infrastructure (both nationally and state wide) is crucial.
- How do you plan to work with the state's Division of Highways to improve roadways in your district? What road and bridge improvements need to be made?
- Continue to monitor progress on not only the major roadways, like I-64 but our county system as well. Act to regularly contact the County Engineer to see how I may assist him in gainiing what our county needs in the way of resources and to help identify any citizen concerns.
- How do you plan to improve recreational activities in the area? Are there any parks, trails or playground projects you would like to focus on? How would these new recreational activities benefit the communities?
- The Walking Trail proposed by the Rahall Institute (and currently being developed) is a substantial activity meant to improve recreational facilities in the Northern Wayne area. Elementary School playgrounds need to be upgraded and expanded throughout the county, and improvements to municipal recreational offerings assisted in any way possible.
- What areas of interest do you plan on focusing on as a legislator? Have you planned any legislation to be introduced?
- 1. Substance Abuse policy
2. Behavioral Health Initiatives
3. Revitalizing the old Industrial Roads Fund
4. Tourism
The answer is "yes" on all three, and has been for much of my tenure as an incumbant.
- REPLY IN FEWER THAN 50 WORDS: What do you think the Legislature can do to improve work force development?
- First; we need to audit local employers to ascertain what jobs are emerging in the market (an example might be the new Prichard Intermodal Facility); then use this information in concert with MCTC to proscribe curricula aimed at training students for those jobs. Second; Recognize that new or expanding employers may need some type of subsidization of cost associated with training for new job classifications in order to accelerate the realization of those jobs. This may be arrived at either by state or local economic development grants or low interest loans.
- REPLY IN FEWER THAN 50 WORDS: Many West Virginia cities are struggling with their long-term municipal pension obligations. What do you think the state should do to help cities deal with municipal pensions?
- It would be unfair to draw tax monies from the entire state to overcome poor management of pension funds by some municipalities. But there must be some recognition that those selfsame compromised municipal pension funds might well be the source of a major breakdown in local economies if the municipalities are forced into receivership. I suggest loosening all constraints possible to allow those cities to act for their own best interests, up to and including city/county consolidation of services where agreements to do so may be arrived at.
- REPLY IN FEWER THAN 50 WORDS: Students in West Virginia generally lag behind other countries in education. Do you favor more instruction days, adding merit pay for teachers, improving math and science instruction or some other option to improve education?
- Math and Science instruction, by all accounts, is where America in general, and West Virginia in particular, seem to be losing ground. One initiative I have sponsored is to increase media-based academic competitions among all schools in the state. While we spend untold dollars to televise and report on athletic competitions, we spend very little to promote the same kind of “state championship” competitions academically. This may sound rudimentary, but then I doubt anyone ever believed the Scripps Spelling Bee would be televised nationally (to the acclaim of millions) when it started.
