Recent editorials from West Virginia newspapers:
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Jan. 27
The Parkersburg News & Sentinel on state employment figures:
Gov. Jim Justice is justified in bragging about our state’s economy. “This is something all West Virginians should be proud of,” he said last week.
As the governor pointed out, 2019 was “our best year of job numbers in West Virginia in more than a decade.”
Go just slightly beyond a decade back, however, and the plain truth is evident: Our economy in terms of employment continues to lag behind most of the rest of the country.
Employment last year averaged about 759,000 people, WorkForce West Virginia reports. The year ended with a 5 percent unemployment rate, compared to the national 3.5 percent.
But average employment in 2008 was about 777,000 people, also according to WorkForce West Virginia. That is 18,000 more than the 2019 average.
A deeper look at the numbers reveals that one factor in our improved unemployment rate during the past several years has been that there are fewer people in our state seeking jobs. WorkForce West Virginia puts the available workforce for last year at 797,800 - compared to 812,900 in 2008.
We are making a comeback from the “Great Recession,” as Justice noted. The current 5 percent unemployment rate certainly beats the 8.7 percent recorded in 2010.
Still, West Virginia’s economy has undergone a seismic shift during the past 20 years. The coal industry never will rebound to the employment levels of the past. If our children and grandchildren are to have realistic hope for the future, something needs to change.
State government’s role in economic progress is more limited than some politicians would have us believe. Their opportunity is restricted, for the most part, to keeping taxes on job creators as low as possible and cutting burdensome regulations.
West Virginia legislators and Justice need to keep up the good, if limited work, they have done in that regard.
Online: https://www.newsandsentinel.com/
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Jan. 24
The Charleston Gazette-Mail on some legislators’ moves to change anti-discrimination codes:
LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and there are some differing interpretations for the last letter. Some put a plus sign on the end.
What does that really mean, and why do some seem so afraid of it?
Again, some in the West Virginia Legislature are trying to change state code so that anti-discrimination law accounts for sexual orientation and gender identity. Again, the same tropes that insinuate deviancy and play on fear are being trotted out to swat the notion down.
What is the LGBTQ community? They’re people. It’s not like they get special cards and discounts, like the AARP. They don’t wear hoods and burn crosses, like the KKK, although some woefully misinformed legislators have made those comparisons.
It’s not Scientology. Nor is it a government agency. They don’t meet in town halls and record minutes. Sure, there are gay or trans advocacy groups that meet and lobby just like the coal folks do. They aren’t under some massive LGBTQ umbrella operation overseeing an agenda steering toward world domination.
It’s an acronym for defining a group of people who see themselves a certain way. That’s it. It’s no different than calling someone black or white or Asian. They don’t all think the same way. They don’t all want the same things. They’re your neighbors, friends and co-workers. What most of them want is to know they can’t be fired, denied a job, refused services or denied housing because of who they are, and who they love.
So, why are some people so afraid of giving them those rights? The answer had better not be biblical in nature or based on morality, because there’s a long list of things legislators in West Virginia have done that fly in the face of that type of argument.
Are people worried they’ll be sued? Treat them like you’d treat anyone else, and that won’t happen.
This perpetual issue, whether failing to enact changes to state law or trying to take away municipal law that offers such protections - as was the case last year - makes West Virginia look exactly like some of the worst stereotypes about this state.
West Virginia can’t grow by exclusion. It’s time to start working on fairness, and turning the Mountain State into a place people want to be.
Online: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/
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Jan. 24
The Exponent Telegram on legislation to release nonviolent offenders on personal recognizance bonds:
House Bill 2419, which has passed on second reading in the Judiciary Committee, is common-sense legislation that should become law.
The bill would require magistrates to release those charged with nonviolent offenses on a personal recognizance bond, which means little to no money is needed.
“The idea is to basically try to reduce the number of people that are being sent pretrial,” House Judiciary Chairman John Shott, R-Mercer, told the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
“In other words, they’re being incarcerated before they’ve been convicted of anything. It’s intended to try to reduce that flow in certain situations, but not to totally remove the discretion of the presiding officer, the magistrate or the judge.”
The Gazette-Mail reported that state officials have looked at the numbers and it is disturbing to think that more than 600 inmates sit in jail awaiting trial on misdemeanor offenses.
Why should someone that hasn’t been convicted - and that isn’t charged with a violent crime - have to await trial behind bars?
They shouldn’t.
And the practice is creating problems, both in the jail system and for the counties that have to pay the jail bills.
As the Gazette-Mail reported, state numbers as of Jan. 21 showed show more than 5,100 inmates in regional jails built to hold 4,265. That means almost 900 inmates have insufficient bedding and space, creating cramped and dangerous situations.
Imagine having three to four adults shoved into cells meant for two. Imagine the heightened risk for violence and disease.
Add in the insufficient staffing that’s a problem at most regional jails and it’s a wonder the state hasn’t had to deal with even more jail violence and potential liability.
From a fiscal standpoint, at about $48.25 per day, those 627 inmates held awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges are costing taxpayers more than $30,000 a day.
Lawmakers believe pressure to appear “tough on crime” lead magistrates to set bail instead of releasing a person charged, even though the current law allows it.
“Keep in mind, magistrates are elected by the people, and some of them feel pressure to appear to be tough on crime,” Shott said. “Sometimes, they overlook the fact that the purpose of bail is to assure that the person appears for their court appearance and doesn’t constitute a threat to others in the community or to property, and so forth.”
Preston County, though, appears to be between a rock and a hard place when the proposed legislation is applied.
On the one hand, the cost of dealing with crime in the county continues to increase. County commissioners increased the county’s jail fee budget to $925,000 for the 2019-20 fiscal - taking slightly more than 10% of the entire budget.
On the other hand, Prosecutor Mel Snyder said crime in the county continues to increase and has grown more violent. Even a decade ago, the majority of criminal activity was non-violent - mainly property crimes.
“Now what we have are murders, rapes, arsons, attacks, strangulations, stabbings, shootings, malicious assaults. It’s crazy,” he said.
While the proposed legislation may not have as much of an effect locally as it would in other parts of the state, every little bit helps. Even if 5% of alleged offenders were released on recognizance for nonviolent charges, it would save Preston County tens of thousands of dollars in jail costs.
Requiring magistrates to release those charged with misdemeanors of a non-violent nature, unless the prosecution can show cause why the person should be held, seems like a prudent step that is better for those charged, the judicial and correctional systems.
Lawmakers should give it strong consideration during this legislative session.
Online: https://www.wvnews.com/
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