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Hoppy’s Commentary Archives


TodayNovember 1, 2024

West Virginia: blue geysers and red waves

If the past is prologue, the election map in West Virginia will look almost entirely red with just a few spots of blue after all the votes are counted from Tuesday’s election. West Virginia has turned heavily Republican over the last 25 years, and the GOP now dominates local and statewide races. Forty six of

YesterdayOctober 31, 2024

Our politics can still be civil

The debate between Republican gubernatorial candidate Patrick Morrisey and Democrat Steve Williams Tuesday night had just ended. The microphones were turned off and the cameras shut down. The production crew was breaking down the set in Wallman Hall on the campus of Fairmont State University. Morrisey and Williams had just spent an hour under the

TuesdayOctober 29, 2024

Jim Justice is taking the Senate race for granted

West Virginia gubernatorial candidates Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Huntington’s Democratic Mayor Steve Williams will debate tonight in Fairmont. The debate will be broadcast over the MetroNews Radio Network with the video stream on the MetroNews TV app and carried on several TV stations in the state. Morrisey is a heavy favorite to win

MondayOctober 28, 2024

America is not ‘like a garbage can.’

Once upon a time, not all that long ago, the leader of the Republican Party and the conservative movement in this country was Ronald Reagan, and I miss him. You could disagree with Reagan’s policies, and many did, but his unfailing optimism and his belief in American exceptionalism were contagious. I keep thinking about that

ThursdayOctober 24, 2024

Another warning about future power shortages

The operator of the nation’s largest power grid has issued yet another warning about possible electricity shortages. The cautionary advisory came earlier this month from Aftab Khan, executive vice president of operations at PJM Interconnection in testimony before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC)  annual Reliability Technical Conference. PJM is a regional transmission organization that

WednesdayOctober 23, 2024

Polls, prognostications and post-election plans

Two weeks from today, we will know who the next president of the United States will be. Or maybe we won’t. Or maybe we will know the results but will be unwilling to accept them. The pundits and the polls all say this baby is just too close to call. As former CBS News anchorman

TuesdayOctober 22, 2024

More West Virginians are voting early

West Virginia’s General Election in-person voting begins Wednesday with early voting. By law, early voting begins 13 days before Election Day and lasts for ten days. The last day to early vote is Saturday, November 2. Early voting has grown in popularity since the state adopted it more than 20 years ago. The 2004 election

MondayOctober 21, 2024

The lowdown on Amendment One

When West Virginia voters go to the polls for the General Election, they will be asked to think about life and death. The ballot will have at the bottom Constitutional Amendment No.1: The title is “Protection of Persons Against Medically Assisted Suicide.” The summary of purpose reads as follows: “The purpose of this amendment is

FridayOctober 18, 2024

Another fight with the EPA over coal and natural gas is heating up

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scored a significant victory this week when the U.S. Supreme Court refused a request for an emergency order blocking the agency’s plans for curbing emissions from coal and natural gas power plants from going into effect. A number of energy states, including West Virginia, are challenging the rule that was

ThursdayOctober 17, 2024

The enormous Trump factor in WV

It is a foregone conclusion that Donald Trump will carry West Virginia in the November General Election and claim our four electoral votes.  The MetroNews West Virginia Poll in August had Trump up 27 points over Kamala Harris, 61 percent to 34 percent. Trump received 68 percent of the vote in the race against Hillary

WednesdayOctober 16, 2024

Neal Brown’s comments… in context

Social media erupted with criticism of WVU head football coach Neal Brown after his weekly press conference Monday.  The issue was Brown’s comments when a reporter asked him what message he had for the fans after three disappointing losses. Here is the part of the answer that triggered the heat: “I get that they want

TuesdayOctober 15, 2024

The flow of federal dollars to individuals is on an unsustainable course

The amount of income from the federal government directed to individuals in this country has exploded in recent years, and few states have received more in benefits than West Virginia. A comprehensive study by the bipartisan Economic Innovation Group determined that “Americans received $3.8 trillion in government transfers in 2022, accounting for 18 percent of

MondayOctober 14, 2024

Get the facts

Often when writing or talking about a topic, a reader or listener who disagrees will tell me that I “need to get all the facts” before forming an opinion. It is a valid point, because fact-based opinion has greater value in the public discourse than an opinion based on partial information. But I’m not alone

FridayOctober 11, 2024

The Greenbrier is up for public auction… again

The financial problems of Governor Jim Justice and his family businesses never seem to end; they just keep popping up like dandelions in springtime. For the second time in recent months, a legal advertisement has appeared in the West Virginia Daily News in Greenbrier County setting a date for a public auction of the Justice

ThursdayOctober 10, 2024

Sen. Maroney faces pressure to resign, but Senate President Blair is waiting for blood test results

Senate President Craig Blair (R, Berkeley) says he is waiting for the results of a blood test on Senator Mike Maroney (R, Marshall) before the Senate decides Maroney’s political fate. Maroney has been arrested twice in recent months—once in August on a charge of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct at a video lottery parlor in

WednesdayOctober 9, 2024

The joys of being stuck in traffic

In my line of work, I deal with a lot of upsetting news, controversy and conflict.  It can be emotionally exhausting, so I make a habit of trying to find small joys where I can. One of those happy places, believe it or not, is in traffic. While driving home from work, I often try

TuesdayOctober 8, 2024

WV Republican lawmakers lay the groundwork for challenging the 2024 election

Republican Donald Trump will carry West Virginia easily in the upcoming presidential election and claim the state’s four electoral votes. However, a handful of Republican House of Delegates members* in West Virginia want the state to have an even bigger role. The five delegates have introduced House Concurrent Resolution 203 stating that “The West Virginia

MondayOctober 7, 2024

What happens when Governor Justice fails to plan

The archives of history are filled with bits of wisdom from business and political leaders about planning. Here are a couple of good ones: Thomas Edison said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets planning.” Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four

FridayOctober 4, 2024

Celebrating the Centenarian Club

The country took note this week when Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday, becoming the first former American president to live a full century. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Carter is among an estimated 101,000 Americans who belong to the centenarian club. The average lifespan for Americans has leveled out over the last few

ThursdayOctober 3, 2024

Grid operators warn of power shortages

The operators of four of the major power grids in the United States contend that the Biden administration’s proposed rules limiting carbon emissions will threaten the reliability of the supply of electricity. The dire warnings are included in friend of the court briefs filed on behalf of the four regional transmission organizations challenging the new