Breaking News

Columnists

Taking a good thing too far

Success breeds failure. Policies and practices well suited to society at one juncture in history are often poorly suited to the world they have beneficially transformed. If you carry a good thing too far, it can turn out not to be a good thing anymore. Case in point, one of the most successful public policies in U.S. history, the World War II G.I. Bill, which financed college educations for military veterans. Signed by former President Franklin Roosevelt, it embodied New Deal generosity even as its chief backers included the racist Democratic Mississippi Rep. John Rankin and the ...

EPA, EPW Collaboration

When you reflect on the history of the Mountain State, the words “West Virginia” and “energy” are inextricably linked. Coal was first discovered in West Virginia in 1742, natural gas was first struck in 1815, and the state’s first oil-producing well was completed in 1860. Each of these discoveries happened before West Virginia was recognized as the nation’s 35th state. In fact, West Virginians were enjoying public electric streetlamps a full three years before electric lights were installed in the White House in 1891. When it comes to energy, West Virginia has always led the ...

Then and now

Given the political tensions in the United States, perhaps it might be useful to revisit the dilemmas of the 1850s. During that period, “moderates” labored mightily to avoid slavery. Usually, “compromise” meant acceding to anything favored by the South. One of the casualties of such maneuverings was the party system. The Whigs particularly come to mind with their leaders, most notably Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, trying to forge faux unity. Webster, more than Clay, attempted to avoid the “impending crisis”. His support of the fugitive slave law, part of the Compromise ...

Familiarity can breed complacency in business

Have you heard that most car accidents happen close to home? It’s often because the driver’s familiarity with the roads leads to complacency.  The same happens in a community. Citizens get used to something the way it is. Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns encourages people to walk their community. When I do this, I see things that I don’t experience in a car. For example, I might see a power pole in the middle of a sidewalk that makes it very hard for a person in a wheelchair, or with any other ambulatory challenge, to travel safely (if at all). Or maybe I notice an intersection ...

Snatching defeat from jaws of victory

Democrats in the Senate managed to do the impossible, snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory. Now, not all Democrats voted to advance legislation that would end the government shutdown; only eight did the deed. Their timing was outrageous when they were on the verge of forcing Republicans to at least address Democratic concerns. Despite conventional wisdom that initiating the shutdown was political suicide, Democrats succeeded in the off-year elections, strengthened their arguments, and even the most hardened GOP operatives were admitting defeat. They had nothing to fear, as it ...

Harman charter proposal

Earlier this year, I wrote a bill to help save the Harman School, and it passed. Last December, I authored a detailed article about how to save the school while simultaneously avoiding the financial problems the county is facing. This was to be accomplished through the charter school program in West Virginia. However, by the time discussions about closing the Harman School began last year, the deadline had already passed. It was a no-go. A school that seeks to become a charter school must submit its application the August before the school year begins. Recognizing the urgency of ...