Gubernatorial Control Over Legislature

The Governor appears to have figured out that he has more control over the legislative process in a special session than he does during the regular session. By moving the more controversial matters to a special session where the Governor sets the agenda, legislators loose significant power to advance the will of the people and to best represent their constituents. Legislators should not permit this to happen.

All significant legislation should be dealt with in the normal course of the legislative process so that the balance of power is not shifted to the executive branch as the administration desires. It is virtually impossible for the legislature to override a gubernatorial veto during a special legislative session. Therefore, legislators are more likely to compromise their position when there is pressure to pass legislation presented by the governor and under an agenda set by the Governor. The legislature simply needs to do its job and special sessions should only be used in an emergency as it was intended to only be used.

The economy is strong both nationwide and here at home in West Virginia. This apparent strength has nothing to do with any policies of state government and any attempt to claim accolades for same by government should be summarily dismissed. The current state of the economy is the result of the American worker and the entrepreneurs who employ them. It really is that simple and any attempt to raise taxes and fees in this strong economic environment should be thwarted. The state is already enjoying the benefits of this economy with the receipt of additional revenue. Record revenues are coming into state coffers. There are massive budget surpluses and we need to remind our legislators not to increase spending just because they now have the money. We need to make the government work with the resources it has and force them to plan better for the future.

No longer should we permit the “Create a Crisis Politics” to cause legislators and voters to react to crisis that does not exist.

Create a Crisis Politics

Unemployment in West Virginia is at an all time low. Employers are now paying in to the unemployment compensation fund enormous amounts of money. If you combine the incremental money’s being paid into the system with the fact that low unemployment rates are resulting in fewer claims, one would have to wonder why it would be necessary to raise taxes on small businesses for this purpose.

That is exactly what is being bantered around Charleston as the legislature heads into session. It seems that some think it is necessary to increase that tax burden on businesses by as much as 50%. I am sure they will find a way to spin this to make us believe there is a crisis at hand that needs immediate action. This could be accomplished in much the same manner as when the then reported $3.5 billion dollar Workers Compensation unfunded liability was used to raise taxes on the extractive industries last year. This year, they want to change the law that created that tax burden because by the miracles of accounting, they have now discovered that the $3.5 billion unfunded liability was actually less than $1 billion and perhaps as little as $750 million. They are not proposing to lower the tax burden as you would think, but are attempting to relax the law as to how the money raised from this tax can be used. This should be appalling to West Virginians.

Now it appears this deplorable tactic was so successful, that there will be efforts to accomplish similar results with other created crisis’. The unemployment compensation fund may be the next created crisis.