LANSING, W.Va. — Governor Jim Justice’s Roads to Prosperity tour brought a crowd to Smokey’s Steakhouse at Adventures on the Gorge.
The Fayette County stop was one of his last before the special election on Saturday, October 7.
“You’ve got neighbors, you’ve got kids, you’ve got grandparents, you’ve got all kinds of resources to bring others to the poll and get them there,” Justice said encouraging attendees to tell everyone they know to vote.
Justice started the meeting by stating his concern about low turnout for early voting. He cited only about three percent of West Virginia electors have participated so far. This also worried some in attendance, including District 9 Senator Sue Kline.
“The last 25 years behind us, look what we’ve done…nothing, with millions of dollars. We still have no roads. That’s what’s gonna happen if we don’t do this now.”
After speaking for roughly 20 minutes, Justice took questions from community members. Issues ranged from out of state workers to increased taxes.
The most common question asked was the allocation of funds for southern West Virginia. Many believe the bond money will go toward other parts of the state. Justice reinstated his southern
West Virginia roots and promised he would not leave them out.
‘I promise you there’s no way in the world that I’m gonna let southern West Virginia get the short end of the stick,” said Justice. “The turnpike monies have to go with the 10 county area. Monies from the other parts are going to the southern counties, and the turnpike monies have to to go the southern counties so they’re gonna get a leg up not a leg down.”
Justice wrapped up the meeting by asking the crowd if they were tired of being “dead last in everything coming and going”. The only way he sees the state begin to climb from the bottom is through passing the road bond referendum.
“We’ve got to quit singing these sad stories in West Virginia. There’s something you do at a funeral and that is you walk slow and you sing. The singing and slow walking in the state has got to stop.”
Governor Justice’s final town hall meeting for the road bond will be Friday in Bluefield.