Proposed laws will drive out more people
Every day I wake up with the same sense of dread of what the West Virginia Legislature is going to do to impede progress in our state.
The Republican supermajority would rather pander to the fearmongering right-wing media and their brazen lies than take steps to lift our state from the bottom of every major category, including infrastructure, health care and education.
At this rate, 400,000 people will be moving out of West Virginia rather than 400,000 moving to the state because of the proposed elimination of the state income tax. Why would people, especially young people, want to live in a state where the Legislature is passing bills to discriminate and penalize them? Elections have consequences, and we are seeing the drastic and regressive consequences firsthand from our state Legislature.
Recently, HB 3293, which prohibits transgender youth from participating in sports, passed the House on a 78-20 vote. Why are Republican lawmakers demanding that children provide their birth certificate and a genital check as part of their sports physical? Why are Republican lawmakers so concerned about policing what is in children’s pants rather than providing services that can benefit all children, such as better funded public schools and food security?
West Virginia has the highest rate of transgender youth in the country, and denying trans individuals the right to exist as their true selves is a denial of basic human rights. In the words of Chelsea Handler, “The world is only getting browner and gayer, so you better hop aboard or you’re going to miss the bus.”
Cal Shamberger
Morgantown
City shouldn’t cut firefighters shift diff
I worked on shift for 11 years. That was followed by another 10 years managing shift workers. The public statement by the City of Morgantown regarding firefighter shift pay is both outrageous and reprehensible.
Our work was the mission critical control center for a global satellite fleet operator. These types of positions are staffed by highly trained and skilled workers. The term “essential worker” has been used a lot since the pandemic began, but this mission criticality is a primary element of essential. Add the responsibility for human life and the criticality increases.
Our staff worked a 12-hour shift. The “day shift” carried over beyond the “normal” work day such that day shift staff received four hours of “shift differential” pay. Night shift got the full 12 hours of differential.
Likewise with holiday pay. All shift workers received eight hours of pay whether they worked on the holiday or not. The luck of the shift rotation does not negate your right to the pay benefit. I say that as one who is well experienced in missing Christmas or Thanksgiving with my family. Eventually, we enhanced the benefit to 12 hours of pay since the normal shift was a 12-hour day.
A classic metaphor justifying shift worker compensation is to compare them to firefighters. They are the reason we can all sleep at night. And here we are trying to prevent the dissolution of an established benefit.
What the report presented to the city manager should have recommended was not reducing firefighter benefits, but ensuring that all city employed shift workers are fairly and properly compensated.
John Sofranko
Morgantown
West Virginia should be part of the ‘zoom boom’
Following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdowns, the U.S. saw a “zoom boom” — young, city-dwelling professionals flocking to more spacious, outdoor-friendly living situations while working remotely. We’ve seen it in states like Montana, Colorado and Utah. West Virginia deserves to be at the top of this destination list.
Whether it’s options for affordable living near the quiet of nature or access to outdoor activities like hiking, whitewater rafting or skiing, West Virginia has it all. With the state’s population dropping for decades, we should be encouraging young talent and families to live here. Gov. Justice’s plan to cut income taxes will help do just that.
Cutting taxes and bringing new people to the state only helps the West Virginians who have lived here their whole lives. Thousands already commute here for work from states like Ohio and Virginia, and they would be able to plant roots here and help grow our economy. A growing workforce means an increase in business and job opportunities.
If we care about the future of West Virginia, we need to think ahead. An income tax cut sets us up for success for generations to come.
Craig Behr
Morgantown
