Promises Promises,

Being cynical this earlier on the Governor’s legislative agenda spells trouble for West Virginians and the company’s that employee us. The Governor campaigned on the promise that he would not tax his way to prosperity. Then, the first thing he did was raise taxes on the extractive industries. They will tell you that the markets for coal and gas are so strong that the industries can afford this. What they will not tell you is that consumers, businesses and people alike, will be the ones who ultimately pay the price. Both the gas and coal industries were already the highest taxed in the region. Now they will become even less competitive in the market place simply because of the tax increase. West Virginia coal and gas will be at a disadvantage to coal and gas produced in other states. Sound familiar?

At a time when both industries were trying to grow and give better wages and benefits to it employees, the government steps in and stops the growth with a tax increase. Until recently, both industries have been losing jobs for decades. Unlike, the airlines and steel industries who fell on hard times, the energy sector has been left to handle their problems alone. All efforts to pass a national energy policy have failed, but as soon as the industry begins to turn around and do better, you can count on politicians to intervene in the progress people are making. Both the coal and gas industries in West Virginia have been doing their part to make the state a better place economically and create jobs that pay well with good benefits. The thanks they get is a tax increase that will at a minimum, stall growth.

While the Workers Comp bill addresses an issue that clearly needs attention, what would do more for the people of this state is real judicial reform. The Governor’s proposed civil justice reform is not near enough. Judicial reform is far more important than tax increases and will do more to help West Virginia than anything else. He, like some legislators, are reluctant to take on the powerful trial attorneys who have the financial wherewithal to fund enormous campaign coffers against anyone who opposes them.

For West Virginia to be truly “open for business” as proclaimed by the Governor, to come here and stay here, to create jobs and sustain them, meaningful civil justice reform must be enacted immediately. We the people, must insist on our legislature and the Governor to get behind serious tort reform or the people of this state will continue be disadvantaged.

This is about the people of West Virginia getting behind the companies they work for and promoting a better place for us all. The less our employers have to pay the government and trial lawyers, the more they can pay us, create more jobs and generate more business. That is how you increase your tax base, not by raising tax and letting frivolous lawsuits run good businesses out of the state. The guarantee of fair justice will bring jobs and lower insurance rates to the state. That will do more for the people than tax increase ever will