Don't Buy Another Vote

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased Don't Buy Another Vote: I Won't Pay for a Landslide by Allen Loughry II. Touted as a virtual encyclopedia of political corruption in West Virginia, Don't Buy Another Vote chronicles virtually every major case of political corruption in our state's history and recommends a variety of solutions to reduce the prevalence of corruption in our state's politics in the future.

As a younger West Virginian who was not around for the JFK campaign, the Barron Administration, or the Logan Five and too young to remember the Moore Administration, Judge Ned Grubb, or the falls from power of Senate presidents Dan Tonkovich and Larry Tucker and Majority Leader Si Boettner, Don't Buy Another Vote was an excellent education in our state's history even for a Golden Horseshoe winner.

The Don to Reemerge on WV Political Scene; Launches Campaign Targeting Over 30 Incumbent Legislators for Defeat in General Election

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship will soon begin a major campaign to seek the defeat of numerous incumbent Democratic legislators in this year's general election.

In an interview today on Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval and a TV interview taped to run tomorrow and Sunday, Blankenship outlines his intent to spend several million dollars to defeat about 30 incumbent legislators whose voting records he says are out of touch with the people of West Virginia. On issues ranging from eliminating the food tax to protecting the traditional definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman, Blankenship says Democratic incumbents have disregarded the wishes and values of their constituents.

TV stations owned by West Virginia Media (WTRF 7 in Wheeling, WBOY 12 in Clarksburg, WOWK 13 in Charleston, and WVNS 59 in Beckley) will carry an interview with Blankenship on the weekly news program Decision Makers at 9 AM Saturday with a repeat at 8 AM Sunday. Information about this week's program can be found by clicking here.

Washington, DC Declares "Crime Emergency"

Yesterday, Washington, DC, our nation's capital (and also our nation's murder capital for many years), proclaimed a "crime emergency" in the city after 13 murders in the first 11 days of this month. This was enough to make my head spin.

Where have these Keystone Cops been for the last 30 years? Did they miss the once-annual headlines proclaiming the city the nation's murder capital while onetime Mayor for Life (and current City Council member) Marion Barry was taking crack of the streets one rock at a time? Barry, as you may recall, is the genius who once said that Washington, DC is a relatively safe town, "except for all the killings."

Washington, DC is a city where you or I cannot legally own a gun even in our own homes and the only means of security is iron bars over the windows and a prayer that should something happen, the 911 call will be answered before the guy who just kicked open the front door gets upstairs.

I suggest that the latest individuals to realize that there's a crime problem in our nation's capital consider importing Virginia's gun and crime laws. They may surprise themselves at what they could do with a nice old wooden chair for the criminals and legal gun ownership for law-abiding citizens who now face the same chances as a sitting duck when a burglar enters at night or a mugger appears from the shadows.