Jan 8, 2013

Is it any wonder that when I picked up our local rag on Friday, I see that in December 2012 another 69 people have gotten concealed weapon permits in Greenbrier County?  As you might remember from a previous post, in November 49 people got CWPs.  Now I read this. On January 8, 2013 the West Virginia State Police issued this statement: On January 7, 2012 at...

Dec 21, 2012

Note:   This is a repost from July 22, 2012.  At the time it was written, I never expected this would happen in an elementary school and 26 kids and their teachers would be lost to another senseless act of gun violence.  Hopefully, we learn from Newtown that this cannot continue.    Call your legislators, your Senator (listen carefully to Joe Manchin...

Nov 11, 2012

Dear Mr. President: Congratulations!  The people spoke.  You are our president for the next four years.  So, what should your agenda be now?  Here’s my take (in no particular order): 1.  Strengthen Obamacare by working out the kinks. 2.  Reject the Keystone pipeline. 3.   Decriminalize marijuana.  Or legalize it and then tax it (we need more...

Oct 23, 2012

Written by Paul Detch, Staff Writer for The Democratic Connection.  Reprinted with his permission. “This election may be one of the most important in our lifetime.  Wealthy individuals and  big corporations can now pour unlimited money into political campaigns.  Attack ads can and do distort the truth. The rich and powerful can use such diversions as...

Oct 19, 2012

West Virginia became its own state in June 1863. Since then West Virginians have been voting and it has an interesting voting history.  Although the state has gone Republican in the last 3 elections, including a 56% to 43% win by John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008, the state is primarily Democratic at the local and state levels. Of the presidential...

Oct 5, 2012

According to an article in The Charleston Gazette the WV Board of Education – specifically Gayle Manchin (who, by the way, should have resigned her post when her husband was elected Senator) – advocates for contracting with Teach for America (TFA) to supply the state with teachers.  TFA is not the answer to the teacher shortage and, in fact, could...

Sep 30, 2012

Can’t believe that ten years have passed since the DC snipers – John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo – terrified the residents of the DC metro area with their random shootings in October  2002.  During the  21-day spree, Muhammad and Malvo killed 10 and wounded 3 innocent bystanders just going  about their day-to-day business....