Confused about West Va. (Elkins, Harman: tax, live, move)

[David Kennedy]

Your idea is a foriegn as the beginnings of these people when they came here and took this land from the indians...its about adaptation and education...its not been in the best interests of the political leaders to educate the people...Wv is the most socialist of all the 50 states...the failure of the 'War on Poverty' has effected almost every doorstep.
and now that the entire country is experiencing the breakdown of the family, the old resourxe that kept us safe and secure is diminishing too...I cite the birthing of illigemate children into almost everyones family now...no direction, no focus and almost no hope for this coming generation...will add more later as I'm sure our great posters will too...your question will rankle some minds for thought as will my comments...Snorpus?

[paige1974]

Alot of us do embrace an economic reform, we understand it is necessary for the stability of our local economy and support of our families. I for one am more than happy to sell a 200,000 vacation home to some city folk. The point I was trying to make is that the change is hard. As I am in my younger 30's I can see where it would be even harder on those who are older, those who have shed blood sweat and tears on the land that is being broken up for shopping malls, resorts or housing developments. From the position I sit I hear Realtors and home sellers crying all over the country about litterally 100's of foreclosures a DAY going through thier local courthouses. Here its not like that we have buyers coming to us daily, and a good house at a good price is bringing multiple offers in a days time on the market, even though our population doesnt stand up to these other places our market is still steady here our cities are still growing and we havent felt this housing crunch the media hypes about. We should really be thankful for our blessings and welcome the changes. Just for some folks it might take a little more time to adjust.

[Passthru]

Change is always difficult and it's a very personal thing for people...and there are never quick fixes, especially for a region and culture that's so mature as WV. It does feel though like there is an opportunity to elevate the conversation a bit at the grass roots level. The one thing that would be disturbing though is if because of complacency (I mean that in the most respectful way) the machine (big business) does what it wants, because it did not get adequate push back. I get that there is a lack of education...one thing that resonates with me from my trip, is the sparcity of schools...but maybe at the ground level some seeds can be planted. Some of the most successful changes started with a simple idea from every day people.

[David Kennedy]

We have sent generations to the outside world...in the 1930's, the 1940's (ww-2), the 1960's, the mid 1980's and again now. We have a need for a limited number of schools because we have sent four generations of our young people away to survive. They are only now returning because of the old life style and retirement. They are bringing outside ideas back with them and the authority has had to march to a higher standard because of them.

Business is unchecked because: It may be the only job in the area...or it may be the tax base for the local government.

The problems of West Virginia will not be solved.
As a smaller plateau is reached in Wv..the entire country leaps forward in some manner or another. We are always behind and nothing yet is available to remedy that situation.
All things given...it is a place of safety and great beauty...remote and untraveled...Its people are its greatest gift...they have found the will and the way to work their own personal system and survive...that's all most of them will do...
and I cite a bell curve example here...porportionatly, great minds and intellects come from this mass of humanity...I hope that one will come forward with a solution to the poverty of circumstance and lack of education that keeps so many of us enslaved...
The despair must be sent away with a new vision of personal self worth...that is the common denominator of the culture...we have been beaten down for so long that we have become the objects that others say we are...

[paige1974]

Passthru, the area you visited is a more primitive area of WV. The schools of course in that area would be few and far between. In Beckley alone there is offered MSU (which has doubled in admissions in a year) the Southern WV Higher Education Center is under way...we have the Appalachian Bible College, Bluefield State, Concord, New River Community and Valley College Plus a Technical center. There are 4 hospitals in Beckley alone and Our median house price range is 130,000. Property taxes here are the among the lowest in the nation. We locally accomidate a world class golf resort a ski resort, 2 local state parks, awesome white water rafting AND we enjoy the best climate in the country. The way I see it if someone lives here and is below poverty level (with the exclusion of our underpaid teachers that rank 48th in the country) something is wrong with them or they are too attached to the welfare check at the first of every month.

[Retired Navy]

Passthru...You mentioned you were reading some books about our fair state. I strongly recommend "When Miners March" by William C. Blizzard. There is a wealth of history in this book that sheds a lot of light on how the wealth was (and is) stripped from this state and why some of our folks are somewhat distrustful of "strangers". It also adds perspective to the self fulfilling prophesy to which David alluded. I finally returned to West Virginia after 21 years in the Navy and another 10 years working in Illinois. If I ever leave again they'll have to tie a bone to my butt and chase me out with dogs!!! I think we are the best kept secret in the United States.

[snorpus]

Originally Posted by Passthru

I hate, hate to say it but we are in a larger culture were the kind of environment you describe, milking cows, planting, canning, ect. are quaint ideas. Again from an outside perspective, if the folk of WV don't embrace some economic reform it will only get more depressed for them and their children. Moreover, wouldn't it be better for these folks to embrace the help and assist in shaping it, guiding it, and overall be the stewards and owners, so that way they have a direct and guiding hand in what happens to their communities, and most important culture. I think being of the mind set that we don't want change or we will change at our own pace is unrealistic, because the machine will bulldoze unless stoped intelligibly...

I am not convinced that West Virginians want the kind of economic assistance you're thinking of. There is a deep-rooted distrust of government in the state, going all the way back to the Whiskey Rebellion. In some sense, West Virginians may be the original Libertarians.

LBJ's "War on Poverty" gave WV three things: Moon Over West Virginia, a welfare mentality, and the pity (oft disguised as compassion) of the rest of the country. Today, the government spends billions on research and subsidies for energy sources that will make only marginal contributions to oil independence, and relatively little on safe mining and clean combustion technologies which would benefit coal (and thus WV).

As a result of the export of our young to other states (myself included, 40 years ago), our "voting power" in Congress has diminished. While I disagree with Sen. Byrd on many things, at least he has played the Washington seniority game to the benefit (usually) of the state. Is Jay still the other senator? It's been years since I've even heard his name mentioned.

And I'm not sure that West Virginians would make the trade-offs that come with the kind of economic growth seen elsewhere. (The Amish have a nice term for it... any place that's not within their community is simply referred to as being "Away".)

Do they want WV to look and be like Orlando? Atlanta? Dallas? Washington DC?

Do they want an Interstate to run from Morgantown to Elkins to Marlinton to Alderson to Bluefield? How about from Seneca Rocks to Devil Anse's cemetery plot? Or along the side of the mountains, from Wheeling to Huntington?

Do they want windmills atop every ridge from Thomas to Lewisburg?

I'm just speculating, of course, but by staying in the state, I think many West Virginians are implicitly saying "Thanks, but no thanks... excuse me now, but I'm going fishing."

Snorpus

[David Kennedy]

Dear Snorpus...the farm is doing well this year...1200 new windmills on the ridge betwix Thomas and Lewisburg...so quaint...just a roar from them...like the cows lowing in olden days...the traffic up the mountains snarled...and the trucks hogging the roads are all from California too...over 16' wide as the generators for the 'turbines are huge...wing span when operational, at least 80's wide and 100' high and colored white. Somehow they have missed destroying the west ridge of the Canaan Valley...but the 'farm' is not completed...hundreds of millions of dollars here for these huge white battery chargers...

If these were efficient in any way, Allegheny Power would have them as part of the 'Mother Corporation Power Grid'
I'm sure that company will be forced to buy the power and surcharge us for the additional generating cost...as it is, we, the consumer seem to always pay the burden of these fiasco's....am I wrong here?

Senator Rockefeller? Summed up in a few words...'A shame to us' Could have done so much in his career.

A friend in authority said this the other day..."West Virginia, Open for Business? That means we are up for grabs again."

[snorpus]

DK, some observations from my recent stay in Watoga. Some things haven't changed (yet).

Marlin's Bottom is mourning the loss of the depot, but I'm sure it will be rebuilt someday. The Gin-Sengers performed in the Pocahontas Opera House Saturday night.

Lewisburg was THE place to be Saturday, for the Chocolate Festival. We maxxed out at 6 or 7 samples, but would have tried the chocolate covered strawberries had they not all been eaten already. By the way, there must be some money in Greenbrier County somewhere... haven't seen so many art galleries and antique shops since Sewickley. So many people in town, the 1765 Inn ran out of food.

And I'm sure y'all (yinz) will appreciate this sign that WV is still WV. We participate in a State Parks program (VIPP) that entails visiting a large number of parks and state forests. Last year, we tried to get to this one place in March, but the snow was too deep for my 4WD Trailblazer. So we tried again this year. I won't mention the park/forest name, but it's between Pickens and Mill Creek.

As we frequently do, we purchased a T-shirt and a sweatshirt. When Barbara went to pay by Visa, the machine wouldn't work. So the ranger says "Y'all just take your stuff, give me a call when you're back home in a few days, and give me the card number over the phone, and I'll ring it up then." Doubt that happens often at Macy's.

[GottaHerdOn]

Kennedy I assume you know about the wind farm proposed along the Randolph-Barbour County line. ? 5 or so miles from Elkins, and 5 or so from Belington