Human Rights Commission fights discrimination
The editorial on April 24 about the Pantry Plus More captured our attention and compelled us to offer our support of the editorial’s message as well as the Pantry and Christine Wang.
There are many groups, organizations and individuals committed to making Morgantown a safe, welcoming and inclusive city. The Morgantown Human Rights Commission is specifically dedicated to that endeavor.
In recent years, the Morgantown City Council passed two initiatives put forth by the Human Rights Commission that speak to this topic. The first is a Welcome Statement that welcomes all people regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, ancestry, age, abilities, blindness, economic, life situation or family or veteran status.
The second is the Non-Discrimination Ordinance that safeguards and protects the right and opportunity of all persons to be free from all forms of discrimination.
No one in Morgantown is to blame for the pandemic — especially not Christine Wang. She is working to help those in need due to the economic impact of the situation. We encourage the people of Morgantown to continue their fight against prejudice and discrimination in hopes that these louder voices will prevail.
Thank you to The Dominion Post for bringing this issue to light and supporting the spirit of individuals who truly care about the welfare of all of the citizens of Morgantown.
Jacob Powers
Morgantown Human
Rights Commission
Morgantown
Longview ‘experts’ don’t discuss greenhouse gases
The May 2 article on “Longview Power and the future of coal …” allowed three so-called “experts” to get by without addressing the elephant in the room.
How can anyone claim any credibility in talking about the future of fossil fuels and never mention climate change or the need to reduce greenhouse gases?
We have known for 30 years that we need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, yet nincompoops continued to buy fossil fuel reserves and now expect the ratepayers and taxpayers to bail them out.
The Sierra Club and our allies opposed the first Longview plant when it was proposed in 2003, because we need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Now Longview proposes to build another fossil fuel plant (Longview II) and wants another big tax break to do it, claiming that the plant would not be economical without huge reductions in property taxes and exemptions from state B&O taxes. Doesn’t that tell us something?
If the plant is economically marginal now, what happens when the needed carbon taxes or emissions limits are imposed?
A spokesman for the WV Coal Association said (apparently without irony) that science and economics will assure a place for coal in the future. But the scientific consensus is that we need to reduce fossil fuel emissions by half within 10 years, and be entirely out of fossil fuels within 30.
Pretending that there is a future for fossil fuels may help the corporations owning those fossil fuel reserves make money from their bad investments, but it will cost ratepayers and it leaves workers in those dying industries unprepared for the inevitable transition to a Clean Energy future.
The Dominion Post does a disservice to its readers by allowing these climate questions to go unanswered by the so-called industry experts.
Jim Kotcon
W.Va. Chapter
of Sierra Club
Morgantown
Show appreciation for federal employees
I am one of 19,054 federal retirees residing in West Virginia receiving a federal annuity. In addition, there are 15,172 active federal employees and 3,766 U.S. Postal Service Employees.
The employees work in the forest service, Army Corps of Engineers, Army National Guard, Air Force National Guard, Bureau of Prisons, Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Energy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Coast Guard, Customs and Board Protection, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Health Administration, Martinsburg VA Medical Center, Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center, Huntington VA Medical Center and the Social Security Administration.
All 37,992 of us are West Virginia residents who are taxpayers contributing to the state’s treasury.
Federal employees provide vital services that benefit Americans every day, yet much of this important work goes unnoticed. We see them when hurricanes strike, floods destroy communities and pandemics spread worldwide. We know they help land our planes safely and perform inspections to maintain a healthy food and water supply. But for every image you see on TV, thousands more work behind the scenes to keep this country running.
They process tax refunds, small business loans, stimulus payments, Social Security checks and loans for college students. They track biological threats and alert Americans to treacherous weather conditions, among other critical and life-saving tasks.
COVID-19 is the latest crisis during which we expect our civil servants to work tirelessly and often around the clock. I take comfort in knowing that our country is fortunate to have dedicated professionals who continue to selflessly serve their fellow man, all for the greater good.
Throughout the year, but especially during Public Service Recognition Week, May 3-9, we should gratefully acknowledge their service. While we remain shuttered indoors to fight the invisible enemy among us, let’s recognize and appreciate civil servants for what they truly are: The heartbeat of America.
Bill O’Field
Clarksburg
WVU students not taking coronavirus seriously
If WVU thinks its students will wear masks and practice social distancing, I feel they are sadly mistaken. Last Saturday (5-2-20) was an off-campus move-out day for WVU students.
I live in a typical Morgantown neighborhood which has its share of long-time residents and WVU student apartments, and I can say I observed only one mask being worn all day long. I commend our county commission for distributing masks in hopes of protecting permanent residents. However, none of the WVU students seemed to be wearing them.
The same day, there were numerous WVU students roaring up and down my street with speakers blaring. I could hear parties going on all afternoon, and I’m sure they were not practicing social distancing.
I feel these students are being selfish and self-centered with little or no regard to the Morgantown community. They are acting as though the virus has completely disappeared and now it’s back to business/partying as usual. I sense that the WVU students seem to feel that they hunkered down for the past two months, and it’s their right to go back to what they consider normal.
While they were shopping at grocery stores, pharmacies, Lowes, etc., who knows if they were spreading the virus, but why take the risk! They certainly didn’t seem to be taking any precautions to prevent it.
Most of us residents of Morgantown have rigorously adhered to the stay-at-home guidelines in order to flatten the curve and contain the spread of the virus in our community. Morgantown is still considered a West Virginia hot-zone, with over 100 confirmed cases of the virus. Can you imagine 20,000 students coming into Morgantown this fall from various hot spots such as New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania?
I would urge President Gee to continue to take the prudent path of offering on-line classes this coming fall semester. From what we have seen on TV, COVID-19 is far from over. My hope is that the university will continue to be diligent in its efforts to control this deadly virus and protect its students and the Morgantown community as a whole.
Bette Garrett
Morgantown
In support of Woody Thrasher for governor
While the upcoming June 9 primary election is a month later than usual this year, what a testimony for the West Virginia voters to have maintained the democratic process in the middle of a 100 year pandemic! People will look back years from now in wonder at this historic election year.
Just as when our state and nation held elections during war years, the determination that our way of government must persist is a unifying theme across the political spectrum.
West Virginia Republicans and Independents have another way to make election history this year. Removing an incumbent governor from one’s own party is a tall order.
However, GOP gubernatorial candidate Woody Thrasher, a businessman from Bridgeport, has been running a smart, issue-oriented race for a year now, with polls showing a close race.
This may explain why the current incumbent, Jim Justice, has been eagerly using his daily COVID-19 TV “briefings” to look engaged. Justice appears to have less substance in these free TV appearances of late.
Indeed, many have wondered if Justice is simply using the extra TV time in an attempt to advance his sluggish campaign by using his office.
Whether that is true or not, Justice will need more than these free TV updates to convince voters that he should have another four-year term.
Even before the current virus situation, three years under the Justice administration saw the West Virginia economy going nowhere in most areas of the state.
That means that the state will be looking to more prosperous regions like Greater Morgantown for the tax revenues needed to support our state government.
Justice’s main challenger, Woody Thrasher, served in state government as commerce secretary, where his daily job was to seek out companies to come and grow jobs in West Virginia. Thrasher has laid out some solid, job-creating ideas.
Gov. Justice has had 3.5 years to advance West Virginia’s economic development down field. It’s time for a change of strategy.
Stephen N. Reed
Kingwood
In support of Ben Salango for governor
In 2020, West Virginia voters will have the opportunity to select a new governor and his name is Ben Salango.
I have had the pleasure to work with Ben’s campaign for the past seven months, and I have no reservations concerning his vision for West Virginia and our citizens. Ben is a visionary for West Virginia’s current business and also going out and recruiting new industries. West Virginians need a governor with a proven record of getting things accomplished and who is able to work with both parties in moving our state forward.
Ben Salango has a record of getting things done on the Kanawha County Commission. He built the Shawnee Sports Complex, which is bringing in millions of dollars to West Virginia; he passed 12-week paid family leave for Kanawha County employees; and he started a program to jump-start small businesses in areas where coal has declined.
I would like for our Mon County voters to consider Ben Salango for governor, and I encourage all voters to learn more about him by going to BenSalango.com to see why I feel he is the best candidate for governor.
Bob Musick
Star City
Democrats wasted time and taxpayer money
The following candidates for the Washington, D.C., 2020 Don Quixote award for accomplishing nothing but fighting windmills persistently and with great hubris are Nadler, Schiff, Pelosi and the entire Democratic Party.
I salute all of your untiring efforts to destroy Donald Trump’s presidency. Those windmills all of you fought were monstrous. The Mueller Report, the Kavanaugh fiasco, the impeachment trial, plus many other schemes are all great examples of your misguided adventures.
While your actions on those topics were completely unsuccessful, your achievements of wasting the people’s time and money were completely successful. You wasted your own time, Congress’ time and also the valuable time and money of a significant number of the American people. Congratulations.
While you are all deserving of the Don Quixote award, only one can be given, and this year’s award goes to the entire Democratic Party. Your excellent dessert, the Iowa Caucus, was the clincher.
Once again, congratulations on winning the 2020 Don Quixote award. I wouldn’t be surprised if your organization is a repeat winner in 2021.
Michael Hogan
Morgantown
