Breaking News

Letters to the Editor

Our piece of the pie keeps getting small

The Free Dictionary defines the phrase “a piece of the pie” as a share in an amount of money or a business regarded as something to be divpided up. You want, and expect, your fair share, especially when you’ve paid into that business. In this case, I am not referring to a business, I am referring to the United States, the country we pay taxes into. Congress is running it and they are about to run us right out of business. The last three pandemic relief bills have gone to projects that have nothing to do with the COVID-19 outbreak. The problem is, the piece of pie the average ...

Reader opposes bills before Legislature

Dear fellow West Virginians, The 85th West Virginia Legislature will soon be voting on very important bills: House Bill 2715 and Senate Bill 318, which will probably affect your life in some way. This bill will eliminate the publication of legal notices in newspapers, and place them on a government controlled website. I oppose this because: 1) Many people in West Virginia do not have tech access, or knowledge thereof. I want to know of items which affect my life. One very important example would be utilities seeking rate raises from the West Virginia Public Service Commission. ...

Current events prompt questions from reader

Last week, March 11, I endured 20-plus minutes of the most agonizing blathering I have ever experienced. Our wonderful president stood in front of that TV camera and told one whopper after another and didn’t bat an eye, so to speak. The only people who believed his lies were those who fawned over him from day one and those who would vote for Satan himself as long as he was a registered Democrat. Do any of you readers know anybody like that? Perhaps a neighbor or someone who works with you? This country is in a lot of trouble, more than I ever imagined. I am not a conspiracy ...

Grateful to volunteers

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all the volunteers who have made the COVID vaccines possible at the Phil Gainer Center in Elkins. Whether you were behind the scenes, a parking lot attendant, a greeter, a table sanitizer, kept the paperwork, or gave the shots, it could not have been done, or run so smoothly, without you! Thank you for your willingness, care and concern for the people of Randolph and surrounding counties. May God bless you. Jill Snyder Harman

Should state elections be under federal control?

In February, the U.S. House of Representatives began consideration of House Resolution No. 1 (H.R. 1) that would establish federal mandates in the administration of state elections. Last week, I joined other Secretaries of State from throughout the nation in a letter to members of Congress opposing H.R. 1. H.R. 1 is a dangerous overreach by the federal government into the administration of state elections. I believe that each state legislature, not the federal government, should have the freedom and flexibility to determine practices that best meet the needs of their respective states ...

Considering income tax elimination

First let me say, all taxes are bad because they distort economic activity. This suggests to me that to maximize human happiness, a.k.a. prosperity, governments should remain as small as possible and tax in the least distorting way possible. Everyone hates paying taxes. So why don’t we all live in one of the nine states without an income tax? But, of course, no state is perfect. Those states without an income tax still have to pay for roads, schools and public service, so residents still have to pay other taxes to keep the state running. And most often those other taxes can be ...