These are the substantive policy issues missing from the discussion<\/strong> \u2013 they can\u2019t get air to breathe in this election for all the hogwash being spewed.<\/p>\nWhere is Team Morrisey\u2019s plan for that? Where are the mailers from his side on how to fix those problems? Where are the new policy ideas to bring the state forward?<\/p>\n
The governor frequently touts more than $12 billion in recent investment announcements across the state \u2013 a way to say we\u2019re on the right track. But much of that investment was already in motion before he took office. Think of it this way: if the governor were a salesman, he would not receive the commission on these deals because he didn\u2019t originate them. A salesman is paid for what he sells, not what comes in from the work of others.<\/p>\n
FirstEnergy\u2019s proposed $2.5 billion gas-fired power plant was already under consideration through the company\u2019s integrated resource planning process before Morrisey became governor.<\/p>\n
The governor also points to roughly $1.44 billion in planned coal plant upgrades. Those projects are supported largely through federal Department of Energy loan programs. Important investments? Certainly. But one-time federal dollars are not the same as landing sustained private-sector investment that generates long-term wages and recurring tax revenue. Conservatives once argued government dependency was a problem. When did federal grant reliance become an economic development model?<\/p>\n
The $1.2 billion natural gas project involving Kindle Energy and Blackstone was also moving forward before Morrisey took office.<\/p>\n
The Fidelis project in Mason County predates this administration as well.<\/p>\n
The Penzance data center project in Berkeley County? Give the governor some credit there, alongside significant contributions from local officials.<\/p>\n
And Google\u2019s Putnam County investment officially became public during Morrisey\u2019s term, but much of the groundwork and negotiation began well before he entered office \u2013 nearly a year before. Those Google leaned on most are legislators, not the governor.<\/p>\n
Sewer investments are government responsibilities \u2013 why should spending citizens\u2019 tax dollars on infrastructure citizens routinely expect from government be a win? That\u2019s a duty met, not a growth plan.<\/p>\n
You get the drift.<\/p>\n
The Decision Belongs to Voters<\/strong><\/p>\nSo, if the social issues are largely settled \u2013 and they are \u2013 West Virginians are left with a more consequential question: do they support a political operation built around ideological warfare that is a farce, out-of-state money and mudslinging, or do they support lawmakers focused primarily on economic growth and long-term prosperity?<\/p>\n
My take?<\/p>\n
Preferable are people who have actually signed paychecks, negotiated deals, and built and managed companies before. Those with a track record of achievement beyond political nonsense. Those whose campaigns are fueled by fellow West Virginians, not out-of-state billionaires.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll see what happens Tuesday. Either way, the next battle \u2013 the \u201928 election \u2013 begins bright and early the next morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n