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Education emergency in Randolph

In early August Randolph County Board of Education had a visit from state Board of Education efficiency experts explaining why our county has Emergency status now. Our BOE must create a plan to trim the RCS budget over the next five years or the State will take over the management of our schools. Alexandra Criner, Director of the WVDE Office of Accountability, suggested that the local board form a collaborative leadership team to work with Superintendent Dilly in order to create a plan for consolidation of county schools by December 2025. I believe this leadership team should include ...

Coercive tactics

In the category of oldies but goodies is the long-forgotten non-aggression pact. The most famous was the one agreed to by Germany and the Soviet Union in August 1939. Now it has been revived in a peculiar way in the form of tariff agreements. President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on India simply because they purchased Russian oil. Add to that Brazil, which insisted on placing its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, on trial for an attempted coup. Trump, playing the role of a Republican Wilsonian, also hiked tariffs on a country with which the United States enjoys a trade ...

Today’s workplace needs a little more ‘Gung Ho!’

My wife, Rishy, and I are owners of the Beloit Sky Carp baseball team, the high-A minor league affiliate of the Miami Marlins. I received a nice note from an employee saying they liked that I had ended an email with the words “gung ho!” I replied with a group message explaining a little more about the term and how it sums up what we want in the Sky Carp culture: an enthusiastic atmosphere created by an energetic group of people working together.  After some reflection, I felt this subject might make a good column. Most organizations can use more of the “gung ho” ...

Meeting with Putin

Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin will be crucial in determining a new world order. The Ukrainian imbroglio remains a barrier to understanding between the two nuclear powers. China, Taiwan, and Europe will feel the impact. But the negotiations are fraught with pitfalls and could potentially lead to world conflict. Trump will be under pressure to shield Kyiv even if it frustrates his desire for a comprehensive peace settlement. The neo-conservative wing of his party, led by Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton, no doubt wants Trump to make no concessions. The Democrats, led ...

A quiet week of news

Last week was a slow news week when it comes to my specific beat of West Virginia state government news. Reporters who cover the same beat had similar opinions when I talked to them. There are weeks when it is not uncommon for me to write as many as 15 stories per week or sometimes four stories in one day. I certainly don’t mind a busy week, but last week was mostly quiet. Sure, there was the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia’s summer meeting at the Greenbrier Resort at the beginning of last week, which saw many state elected officials address the group and talk about West ...

Learning from America’s immigrant past

When debating current issues, it’s helpful to avoid inaccurate depictions of past policy, especially on immigration, in which both opponents and advocates of President Donald Trump’s policies have views based on not altogether accurate renditions of the past. Many opponents of Trump’s policies seem to believe the president wants to cut off legal immigration altogether, to shut America’s gates. But in recent times, around 800,000 individuals have taken the oath to become American citizens. In addition, about 1 million people have been granted green cards each year, making them ...