End the Addiction Crisis:

West Virginia was ground zero for the opioid epidemic for the last decade and our elected leaders have done little to address it. Cities are constantly dealing with homelessness, crime is on the rise, and the money for treatment is woefully inadequate. But it is possible to end this plague affecting our state.

 

1. Increase drug treatment and homeless assistance efforts. If we just drove the homeless and addicted out of WV we would only be pushing our problem on other states. I don’t believe in that. These are human beings in a bad place. We need to solve the crime problem but we also can’t turn our backs on them. Any solution must meet BOTH needs.
2. Drug recovery programs needs to be exponentially increased. And these must be state funded because local governments are overwhelmed as is. Far too many of our brothers and sisters are lost to this epidemic and we need to bring them out of addiction.
3. Work training programs SPECIFICALLY FOR RECOVERING ADDICTS. A history of drug use is almost a complete bar to getting a job. Without work people will fall back into crime and addiction. Other states have select businesses that employ ONLY recovering addicts. It takes special training and special rules to run one of these businesses as recovery is never a straight line. But without it there is no pathway back into society.
4. Businesses also need to adapt and be more flexible in hiring people with a past drug history. This is the area where business needs to compromise to help solve the problem. Far too high a percentage of our population has a drug history for them to simply be unemployable. It's not ideal and businesses will struggle with this compromise. But for the good of our society I think it's a compromise worth making. And I stand ready to assist them with whatever resources and training they need as we seek to bring everyone back into the workforce.
5. Get rid of absentee landlords. This problem is endemic throughout WV. We need to put teeth into laws that make sure land owners are actively taking care of their property. We also need to do something novel … we need a change in the tax code. Land and buildings that are just sitting there not contributing to the well-being of the community need to be taxed at a much higher rate than productive properties. This provides a major disincentive for out of state land owners to just sit on their property.
6. Cities need to implement Public Nuisance sections to their city codes. Section 8-12-5(23) and Section 8-12-5(13) of state code allow municipalities to "prevent injury or annoyance to the public or individuals from anything dangerous, offensive or unwholesome." Cities can then sue and declare properties public nuisances and seize them in court. This is a strategy Detroit effectively used to combat its abandoned property problem. And with a good lawyer court costs can be borne by the abandoned property owners, making this a very cost effective solution.
7. Create Land Banks. This is something Charleston is setting up and works in concert with the Public Nuisance law above. Land banks take abandoned property and then sell it to people willing to redevelop them. And you can set it up so that it ONLY sells to local people actually willing to live and/or have a business there.
8. Right now cities pay a fee to house inmates at Regional Jails. This is causing financial strains on our cities. It also limits the number of people cities send to prison. I am in favor of the vast majority of housing costs to be borne by the state. The state is better able to bear the costs and wealthier areas of the state can support financially struggling areas. We need criminals off the street and money should never be an issue in the decision to send a dangerous person to prison.
9. Above are all the structural changes that need to happen. But what REALLY needs to happen isn't related to laws, its related to leadership style. ALL stakeholders need to be brought into a room together and figure out a solution together going forward. There are efforts out there to address this problem but what is lacking is coordination. Everybody gives a little, aim for a solution that meets everyone's needs, and the problem will be solved. And that's the key thing about governing that doesn't fall into neat categories or policy proposals. Sometimes its about WHO is leading and how they do it.

Revitalizing West Virginia's Economy:

For all of my lifetime, 40 years, West Virginia has lagged behind the nation in economic growth.  We are currently one of the few areas in the nation losing population and this must stop. I support the WV Can't Wait Small Business Revolution plan. You can click on the menu link above to read the full plan in detail or read below for some highlights.

 

1. Invest in Ourselves:  No one is coming to save us.  Not the Federal Government, not some other state, no one.   If we are going to have a new West Virginia then it is up to us.
2. Local businesses are the heart and soul of any diversified economy. And right now WV ranks dead last in the nation in ease and support of starting a small business. That needs to change drastically.
3. Increase the amount of money for low interest loans and grants to start up new businesses.  West Virginians need jobs and need new businesses to diversify our economy.  By giving loans to our own citizens to start up businesses we kill two birds with one stone.
4. A One Stop Agency to help guide new business owners:  Its a difficult thing starting a new business in West Virginia.   We need to streamline the red tape.   But more than that we need one agency that can guide and train new business owners in how to succeed.  Access to a database of lenders, grant opportunities, sites available for development...everything necessary to make a business succeed.   Because when businesses succeed, West Virginia grows.
5. West Virginia Fund of Funds:  This is an idea that Utah has proven works to bring in outside investment capital.  By providing generous tax breaks for investment capital it encourages business development.   And as it relies on tax breaks, no upfront money is required.  Utah has proven it works and we should follow their lead.
6. Tax breaks for companies that invest or hire in West Virginia.  I see no need for companies that take their profits out of state to receive tax breaks.   But if a company wants to help build up West Virginia then I believe we should do everything possible to help and assist that.   If they are a good neighbor to us, then we'll be a good neighbor to them.
7. Go out and get them:   Dept. of Commerce currently has a very small budget to go out and recruit outside investment into West Virginia.   This is woefully inadequate.   Our current Legislators seem to have an allergic reaction to any mention of spending money.  None of them would run their own businesses that way.   If it's a good investment you make it.  This is a good investment that will pay dividends for generations to come.

Support West Virginia Teachers:

As someone who works closely with teachers I have seen how much they care, how much they struggle, and how many financial sacrifices they make for their students. It is inspiring but it is also a major flag showing the failure of our government to properly manage a public school system. No teacher should ever have to pay out of pocket for classroom expenses. No teacher should ever have to sacrifice their own financial well-being to teach in this state. No school building should be falling down. No student should ever go hungry.

 

1. Teacher salaries need to be raised. We need a long-term compensation strategy that addresses our recruitment problems. This should include making our salaries competitive with surrounding states and a review every 5 years to make sure they stay competitive.
2. Empower teachers. The school system, just like every single bureaucracy in West Virginia, is top heavy and rules heavy. We need to treat teachers like the professionals they are and give them the freedom and flexibility to teach.
3. Fully fund the education system. We need not only better teacher salaries but we need more funding for operations of our school system. This includes supplies for students and building maintenance. We have a constitutionally mandated obligation to fully fund the public education system. This is not an area we can cut. It is shortsighted, it is immoral, and we have an obligation written in our state constitution to do so.
4. Innovate. We live in difficult times. Addiction is rampant. Depending on county, somewhere between 30%-70% of all elementary school children have someone other than a parent as their guardian, primarily due to the addiction crisis. The school system needs new types of supports because the needs of our children have changed. We must have a culture of innovation willing to try new things and learn from other places.
5. Counselors in our schools. We need more. We need a lot more. Because of the addiction crisis we need counselors, social workers, and all types of other professionals in our schools. Schools must become more than places of learning. They must become places of healing for the next generation.
6. Meet the physical needs of students. We must meet not only the mental needs of students but also their physical. No student should go hungry. No student should lack for clothes or a warm home. If a student is hungry or cold or scared of home, they cannot learn and will always struggle. If we are serious about improving education then we must meet the basic human needs of individuals so they can learn and grow to their fullest potential.