‘Even in govt., Job No. 1 is to pay your bills’
Sen. Capito has been playing partisan games long enough.
The most urgent issues deal with budget processes such as the debt limit and a “reconciliation” bill.
Capito voted for huge tax cuts for billionaires, then voted for massive spending, but now votes against raising the debt limit, risking a default by the federal government. Analyses show this would wipe out trillions of dollars of net worth, raise interest rates and likely spark an economic recession.
The debt limit has always been a bipartisan policy process, but Capito is now deferring to partisan Republicans who want to score political points. Capito voted for the tax cuts and the spending, but now refuses to pay for it. Even in the government, Job No. 1 is to pay your bills.
The reconciliation bill has numerous provisions to reignite West Virginia’s economy, but Capito opposes that, too. It seems like she wants to keep West Virginia locked into the current, last-place economy, instead of giving us a meaningful chance to transform our economy and create thousands of good jobs.
We Republicans used to be financially responsible and good for our economy, but Capito does not want to do that job. She should support West Virginia getting the investment we need.
Jim Kotcon
Morgantown
Dear The Dominion Post Editorial Board,
I ask that you please do not ever again submit an open letter to my representatives on my behalf (DP-10-02-21). I, as many of your publication’s readers, do not share many of your views.
I never presumed to be the most intelligent person in the world, or even in the top 25%, but I do consider myself capable of thinking and speaking for myself. I don’t appreciate the media, movie stars, professional athletes or members of any self-promoting group trying to force their ideas and opinions upon me or including my thoughts with theirs.
A final note to my representatives: Please, please, before you think that I and a large number of the residents of this beautiful state agree with the opinions of this editorial board, ask us yourself how we feel about open borders, illegal immigration, deficit spending and canceling out independence on energy.
After all, we are the ones who end up paying for these things, and this $3.5 trillion give away is one of many things we don’t agree with.
Lew Ault
Reedsville
W.Va. needs the Build Back Better proposal
As a practicing neurosurgeon in West Virginia, I wish to strongly echo Dr. Winstanley’s plea for Sen. Manchin to support the Build Back Better proposal in her recent guest essay, “To beat the opioid crisis, lift people out of poverty.”
A huge amount of my practice is operating on life-threatening spinal infections arising from drug use. In my work caring for these people, I’ve seen first-hand the power of my patients’ love for their children, which drives their resolve to do better and be better, for them.
We need the anti-poverty policies of Build Back Better in West Virginia to grow out of and overcome the opioid crisis and improve the future for all West Virginians.
Cara Sedney
Core
We need an act of statesmanship
While it is not a traditional war of shooting, our country is clearly at war. It just happens to be fighting a war against a submicroscopic particle called SARS-CoV-2, which we refer to as COVID-19.
I have read that more Americans have died from the effects of this war (or pandemic) than all of the shooting wars in U.S. history. Even if that is not the case, tragically, over 700,000 deaths have been attributed to this virus and its variants.
Medical experts have stated that the only way this war will end is if enough people get vaccinated to stop its deadly continuation. As we all know, many people have refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, threatening to prolong this misery indefinitely.
While our governmental leaders have generally spoken out in favor of vaccinations, I wonder what the effect would be if all of our living former presidents, as well as our current one, would come together and have a special TV broadcast, as well as taking out pages in as many newspapers as possible, encouraging all Americans to get vaccinated and providing the scientific/medical evidence to support that action.
Just maybe this would depoliticize the issue and have a positive effect on those opposing vaccination. What an act of statesmanship that would be!
Mark Reasor
Morgantown
David Weil bad for small business franchises
I’m writing in response to the Sept. 30, 2021, article entitled “Readers ask about Sunday full-page ad opposing Biden nominee” named David Weil, and I completely agree with the advertisement.
Weil is a professor at Brandeis University and previously was a deputy at the Department of Labor. Now President Biden has nominated him to return to the same role at Labor, and if confirmed, he would have authority to regulate nearly every small business in America. The problem is Weil’s long-term opposition and inaccurate views on franchise small businesses like mine have the potential to negatively affect nearly 5,000 franchises in West Virginia that are still struggling to recover from the pandemic’s economic upheaval.
David Weil’s nomination is based on his work as a researcher and writer, and yet his views show a misguided bias toward the franchise sector he would again regulate. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito should reject the Weil nomination.
Amanda Donovan
Morgantown
A message to Manchin from a constituent
Sen. Manchin, please vote for the Build Back Better bill!
This bill will benefit my family, friends and neighbors by way of senior care, health care, child care, skilled education and, most of all, cleaner air for all of West Virginia.
Manchin was always quick to support coal mining in West Virginia that spewed coal dust from one end of West Virginia to the other, causing lung disease. The least he could do now is give West Virginia residents the help they want and need.
I hope that West Virginia residents are more important to him than his dark money supporters.
Please vote to clean up the damage that coal companies have caused. I am from Scotts Run and know firsthand about lung disease. Several of my friends, family and neighbors suffer from lung disease.
West Virginians would benefit from clean air and from the jobs that this bill would create.
Please vote for the Build Back Better bill!
Nancy Coles
Osage
