Legislature prepares to roll back progress on childhood immunizations

Seventy-one years ago this month, Dr. Jonas Salk, a virologist at the University of Pittsburgh, administered the first polio vaccine to children at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh. Dr. Salk had first given shots to himself and his family to raise public confidence about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.  It was a watershed

Patrick Morrisey’s big promises

A lot of thoughts occurred to me while watching Governor Patrick Morrisey’s initial State of the State address Wednesday night. First, it was actually a speech. That is a return to the normal way of doing business after eight years of Jim Justice’s annual musings. Justice’s addresses were more like folksy story telling by someone’s

Morrisey blames Justice, legislature for budget shortfall

The West Virginia state budget is a fascinating Rorschach Test for former Governor Jim Justice and new Governor Patrick Morrisey. When Justice looked at the ink blot of the state’s finances he saw sunbeams and unicorns. When Ogden Newspaper reporter Steven Allen Adams asked Justice back in December about a possible upcoming budget shortfall, Justice

House of Delegates rule change makes for more public input, not less

One of the hallmarks of representative government is the ability of the public to express their views to those in power. Generally speaking, the closer politicians are to the people, the more likely they are to reflect the views of their constituents. So, it is understandable that some private citizens and representatives of interest groups

Trump’s erosion of the rule of law

Donald Trump’s inauguration and his pardoning of January 6th rioters provides a lot to think about. Start with the fact that it was a remarkable moment; a former president, who lost the previous election and facing myriad legal challenges, returns to power. Trump’s critics have consistently made the mistake of underestimating his popularity and political

Morrisey’s week one overreach

New Governor Patrick Morrisey has come out of the blocks fast with a series of executive orders to implement his policies. Several of the orders are pretty straightforward; he wants state agencies to operate more efficiently, a review of state spending dating back to the start of the fiscal year, and an examination of state

Morrisey’s budget cutting challenge

West Virginia Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey promises to cut government. He said it repeatedly during the campaign and he emphasized it again earlier this month when he introduced his administration team. “Everyone here reflects an important goal of the administration,” Morrisey said. “We want to make sure that the people coming on board are going to

My last show

My entry into the radio news business started unexpectedly in 1974 with a manila folder. I wanted to be a big-time disk jockey, like the ones I listened to on WCFL in Chicago and WKBW in Buffalo when I was growing up on our family dairy farm near Summit Point, Jefferson County. I got my

Jimmy Carter and West Virginia

The news that former President Jimmy Carter has died got me thinking about his term in office (1976-1980) and his connections to West Virginia. Carter left office with only a 34 percent approval rating, but he was supported by a majority of West Virginians. West Virginia was one of just six states (West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Rhode Island,

The Christmas when the fighting stopped

(Editor’s note: This a reprint of a commentary I post every Christmas.)  Has there ever been a Christmas when there was no war, no fighting in any corner of our planet?   It’s difficult to imagine since the world’s history has been a series of conquests and defenses. But there was once a Christmas when

My message to WVU graduates

(Editor’s note: I was humbled to receive an honorary degree from West Virginia University Saturday. I was given a chance to speak briefly to the graduates and wanted to share with you my remarks.) “Thank you, President Gee for this incredible honor, and thank you for your service to this University and our state. Congratulations

Gov. Justice gives more taxpayer dollars to Nucor Steel

The West Virginia Economic Development Authority has approved another $75 million for Nucor Steel.  The allocation is on top of the initial $315 million promised by the state in 2022 when the company announced plans to build a state-of-the-art sheet steel mill in Mason County. The WVEDA approval came rapidly yesterday after a brief closed-door

My time has come

“I am retiring.” It is strange to write those words. Wasn’t it just a few short years ago that I graduated from WVU and went to work for WVRC Media station WAJR in Morgantown? Actually, it was almost five decades ago. I have been obsessed about this decision for a couple of years now. Many

The House of Delegates should not seat Joseph de Soto

The opening day of the 2025 West Virginia Legislature is scheduled for January 8. It is a ceremonial and organizational day where officers are elected, the 2024 election results are certified, and members take their oath of office. The business of legislating is then delayed until February 12, the first day of the 60-day regular

The unlikely homecoming of Rich Rodriguez

Rich Rodriguez has returned home. In the most unlikely of events, the favorite son of Marion County who once coached WVU football to the edge of greatness only to abandon the University and the state, has returned to where it all began for him. “It’s great to be home,” Rodriguez said at his introductory press

I’m off

Folks, I’m off this week. Dave Wilson is filling in.  Talk soon!  Hop

Remember Pearl Harbor… and Lt. Jim Downing

The December 7th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor always reminds me of Jim Downing.  He was among the sailors who acted heroically 83 years ago Saturday during and after the attack on the unsuspecting Navy fleet docked at the Hawaiian port. Downing happened to be on land that morning when two bombs

Baker promises to be “at or near” $20.5 million in revenue sharing money for athletes

The most significant news to come out of WVU Athletic Director Wren Baker’s news conference earlier this week was not the additional details about the firing of Coach Neal Brown or his search for a successor. Yes, that is what the public is most interested in, but his most important statement was about the University’s

Weighing West Virginia’s weight loss options

West Virginia’s Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) is in a bind.  Medical inflation continues to drive up health care costs and the PEIA finance board is looking for ways to save money while holding down increased costs to thousands of state and local government employees. One of the places PEIA has found savings was in

Can government really be more efficient?

Finding ways to run government more efficiently is all the rage these days. President-elect Donald Trump has charged Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with cutting federal spending. The pair said in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, “Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we won’t just write reports or cut ribbons. We’ll cut costs.”