Some tough and timely questions for county, state and national candidates

By Mark Brazaitis
As Morgantown’s deputy mayor, I am proud of our city’s progress over the past nine months. But I understand we cannot succeed fully without strong cooperation from other public officials. With this in mind, I am looking to the upcoming elections — in May and November — with keen interest.
If I could ask one question (plus a follow-up) to candidates for Monongalia County Commission, House of Delegates, state Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, they would be the following.
Candidates for County Commission: Morgantown has identified annexation as one of its top priorities. Offering residents outside our borders access to top-notch fire and police service, protections from unregulated development and improved roads — all at little to no additional cost — seems like a no-brainer. Great cities don’t spring up by accident — they are planned — and population pressures at Morgantown’s borders clearly make annexation an urgent issue for the overall health and prosperity of our community.
Do you agree with the West Virginia Municipal League’s position: “Without workable annexation methods, not only will cities suffer but, perhaps more alarming, the entire region will be affected.”
Follow-up: Of the nine major goals in addition to annexation outlined in Morgantown’s strategic plan, including the creation of a vibrant downtown and affordable housing, are there any you don’t whole-heartedly support?
Candidates for House of Delegates: Morgantown has identified green-space maintenance and purchase, including a green belt around the city, as a priority. This dovetails with West Virginia’s “wild and wonderful” reputation — and would have economic and health benefits.
What would you do to preserve and enhance our community’s forests and green spaces — especially if doing so might conflict with the political might and lobbying capacity of developers and the extraction industry?
Follow up: Morgantown committed itself to reductions in its carbon footprint, and therefore cost savings and a healthier environment, by signing on to the Paris Climate Agreement. Do you think the state could likewise benefit, both economically and in health outcomes, by reducing its carbon footprint?
Candidates for state Senate: Our community’s — and our state’s — future success depends on an educated citizenry. Earlier this year, we witnessed a historic work stoppage — a strike, in effect — by West Virginia’s teachers, who have long bemoaned their low pay and the less-than-ideal resources they are provided to do their jobs. Did you support the teachers’ strike?
Follow up: Do you support increasing state support for public education at all levels, including our colleges and universities?
Candidates for U.S. House: Like our country, Morgantown and Monongalia County are grappling with an aging infrastructure, especially deteriorating roads and bridges. While Morgantown is seeing a significant improvement in its streets and roads, thanks to a $3 weekly user fee, conditions are problematic across our state. President Trump campaigned on a platform to fix infrastructure but so far has failed to deliver.
If you support a revitalization of our state’s — and our country’s — infrastructure, how would you use your position in Congress to do so?
Follow up: What do you see as our region’s most important infrastructure needs and how would you address them?
Candidates for U.S. Senate: Inequalities in wealth in our community, as in our country, are staggering. Most economic experts see the recent $1.5 trillion tax cut as disproportionally beneficial to the wealthiest Americans — and, because of inevitable cuts to Medicare and other safety net programs, likely harmful to the rest of us. In an effort to lead by example, Morgantown raised the minimum wage for full-time city employees to $15 an hour.
Do you support a national $15 minimum wage?
Follow up: In 2015, the International Monetary Fund released a study that warned of the debilitating impact of wealth inequality on economic growth. (Wealth inequality makes us all poorer.) What measures would you propose to close the gap between the country’s wealthiest people and the rest of us?
Those are my questions. What are yours?
Mark Brazaitis is a WVU English professor and is Morgantown’s deputy mayor. This commentary should be considered another point of view and not necessarily the opinion or editorial policy of The Dominion Post.