Our senators should speak out on IRA vote
The Dominion Post Aug. 18 editorial encourages Sen. Manchin to accept the invitation of a state senator to come before the West Virginia Legislature to explain his support for the Inflation Reduction Act. I expect Sen. Manchin would have no qualms about doing so, considering that he did something similar in a round-table discussion in Charleston later that week.
But I would go a step further. I would suggest that the state senator issue an analogous invitation to our other federal senator, Shelley Moore Capito. She might then wish to explain to the Legislature (and to the people of West Virginia) her votes against lower prescription prices (including capping insulin at $35/month), improved health care in general, investments in green energy, cutting federal deficits and bringing down inflation. It has been amply documented that any funds spent in the short term on health care and energy result in net savings in the future, as well as improving the lives of all concerned from the present onward.
Sen. Capito might then also wish to answer to the Legislature and the people of West Virginia the often-voiced criticism that members of her party, in both wings of the Capitol, vote “nay” not because of any intrinsic defects in the legislation before them, but simply to deny President Biden what they consider a victory, even if it means depriving West Virginians of improvements in the quality of their lives.
The Republican masters of our Legislature ought to consider that what is sauce for the goose ought to be sauce for the gander!
Dady Dadyburjor
Morgantown
Mon County must say ‘no’ to Amendment 2
Constitutional Amendment 2, which will be on the ballot in November, is a power grab by Charleston politicians that will take $24.5 million out of Monongalia County communities every year and give almost all of that money to profitable, out-of-state corporations.
While the Senate leadership in Charleston says it will replace the money, their plan to do so is nothing but smoke and mirrors and far from guaranteed funding after the current budget surplus is spent. In fact, if the Senate plan had been in place during the past decade, there would have been a significant budget deficit every year. The “replacement” money simply does not exist.
The individual residents of Monongalia County will be paying the price for Charleston’s folly through the significant loss of funding to the county schools and to items paid by for the county government and municipalities — public safety, emergency response and senior services, to name a few.
Additionally, all of the services funded by levies will be negatively impacted in a significant manner — including the library, transit, volunteer fire agencies, EMS and parks and trails. The voters of Monongalia County have supported these levies, but Charleston politicians want to revoke that local control.
I urge the Monongalia County Commission to issue a resolution outlining the problems with Amendment 2 and stating its intention to decline to offer its support of the amendment. The county commissions in Kanawha, Raleigh, Mercer, Braxton and Jackson counties have already issued similar resolutions.
Finally, I urge the voters of Monongalia County to vote against Constitutional Amendment 2 in November.
Larissa Cason
Morgantown
Respectfully dispose of tattered American flags
As I drive through Monongalia and the surrounding counties, it saddens me to see so many American flags being displayed that are dirty, tattered and almost completely frayed.
Our flag represents, to me, a beautiful emblem of a united, democratic people working cooperatively for the betterment of us all.
If your flag is suffering from age or neglect, please consider giving it the dignity it deserves by disposing of it in the proper and respectful manner.
There is information online at StarSpangledFlags.com as to the proper disposal of a worn flag. The website also lists businesses and organizations that will accept your worn flag for proper disposal. Let’s all protect our flag.
Cathy Barger
Morgantown
