Mansion no good for Manchin

The Legislature convened in special session yesterday with four pieces of legislation to consider. They are:

HB-101 - A government reorganization bill which gives Governor Manchin greater authority in the hiring and firing selected agencies.

HB-102 - A bill to authorize using excess inaugural funds to enhance the Governor's mansion. This amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

HB-103, the Workers' Comp bill - The bill attempts to create some new funds from raising taxes and commandeers funds that were otherwise used elsewhere. The following is where the funds are to come from:

• $90.2 Million from severance tax increases (already overtaxed industries that are taxed at rates higher than any other state in the area).

• $45.0 Million from Workers Comp Surcharge (coal industry gets a rate decrease, then ad a surcharge for everyone else to pay to offset it).

• $30 Million from the tobacco settlement (money is used for many programs that will not longer be funded).

• $45 Million from lottery excess funds (this is where matching funds come from for water and sewer projects. This will all but eliminate infrastructure growth and construction jobs).

• $20 Million from Racetracks (reduce payouts - racetracks are going to eat this cost).

HB-10 Ethics Bill. (badly needed)

This is a special session and the Governor wants more money, more power and authority and better living conditions. The Mansion no good for Manchin.