CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston Mayor Danny Jones today blasted the state House of Delegates and House Speaker Tim Armstead as obstacles to resolving the state budget.
“This is the Speaker from the ‘Land of No’ – no plan, no budget, no progress, no nothing,” Jones stated in a release from the mayor’s office.
“He demanded to be included in the Governor’s meetings on the budget, but once there he was little more than an errand runner to and from his caucus. If the Speaker cannot provide leadership toward a workable budget solution, we will share the facts and the House roll call votes with everyone who contacts our office to complain about a state road or bridge in Charleston that continues to deteriorate.”
Jones, who also is the unpaid host of a radio show on 580 WCHS, made similar comments during his 9 a.m. program today.
“Today the West Virginia Legislature goes in special session to deal with the budget – again. The Governor and the State Senate have agreed on a budget, but the House of Delegates is stuck,” Jones stated in the release.
“Since I have been Mayor of Charleston, the leader of the House of Delegates, Speaker Tim Armstead, has opposed us on every good project and proposal we have dealt with to invest in our city and to make West Virginia’s capital city a more vibrant and attractive place to live, visit and work. The list includes building the ballpark, introducing Home Rule, use of the hotel motel tax, funding for our civic center, fixing our own uniform pensions, and more. Now, because of no state budget, any opportunity we have of getting state roads paved in the city becomes nil.”
The Legislature came back into special session today after a 10-day recess to consider a state budget plan. The House of Delegates twice voted down a bill considered a key component of the budget during the first two days of the special session.
Armstead earlier said the House was shut out of negotiations between the state Senate majority and Gov. Jim Justice. The governor has disputed that account, but has added that he finds Armstead unwilling to move his position, at one point likening talks with the speaker to negotiating with a blowup doll.
The Republican majority in the House of Delegates has said it prefers eliminating exemptions to the state sales tax, rather than an outright increase in taxes.
Recent versions of the budget proposal would raise the state sales tax and later lower the personal income tax, a proposal backed by Senate Republicans. The House Republicans have said the sales tax and other taxes are raised to much to justify the tradeoff.
Armstead offered his a response to the mayor’s comments today.
“Danny Jones has accused me and the House Republican Caucus of having a ‘twisted ideology.’ With all due respect, there are few people I have met in two decades of public service who have exhibited a more ‘twisted ideology’ than Danny Jones,” Armstead stated.
“It’s no surprise that Danny Jones would launch such a baseless and classless attack on the House Republican Caucus, who have been steadfast in their effort to protect the people of our state from tax-and-spend politicians like Mayor Jones.”
That was a reference to the final paragraph of Jones’ news release, asking citizens to express dissatisfaction.
“As citizens of the state of West Virginia, we should demand accountability,” Jones stated. “The Speaker has never been of fan of putting the needs of citizens or communities ahead of his narrow, twisted ideology, unless of course, the flood waters reach the basement of his home.”