MORGANTOWN — “I want to start by saying something bold … 27-24, WVU,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Friday, drawing applause from the West Virginia University Board of Governors.
Morrisey, who will attend Saturday’s 108th Backyard Brawl alongside Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, then spent the next 50 minutes or so delivering a pre-game pep talk on how the state of West Virginia can out-compete its competitors in the “economic Backyard Brawl.”
Part of that, he said, is establishing open, reciprocal relationships with resource hubs like WVU, Marshall University and other institutions, both public and private.
“There are a lot of talented people here in our state. When I think of Team West Virginia, it’s about how we get everyone in the same room together to excel,” Morrisey said. “That’s how a small state rises. It rises through speed. It rises through unity. It rises through flexibility.”
He said the state must be nimble and doggedly pursue development – with a focus on energy and information technology – by offering a low tax burden and little red tape.
“I believe for us to compete successfully, we need to have the lowest tax burden in the nation. Period. How do you do that? The Backyard Brawl is all about competition. So, for us, that means when you’re looking at taxation; when you’re looking at regulations; when you’re looking at infrastructure, you have to be better than your competitors,” Morrisey said, adding, “One of the ways we are going to defeat our rivals is we are going to be faster than any other state on economic and regulatory matters. I’m fond of saying, and I’ve said this a lot in my career – speed matters. If we’re known as the best state in the country at cutting red tape, that makes a big, big difference. That’s what we’re striving for.”
While Morrisey conceded that it’s going to take some time and a lot of work to get all the pieces, or fundamentals, in place, the cost of not changing is a continued decline in quality of life for the state’s residents, which results in population decline.
As Morrisey put it, “We have to grow, or we have to die.”
On that front, the governor challenged WVU to aggressively push to raise enrollment numbers.
“WVU, your number one goal is you have to grow your enrollment dramatically, and I urge you to think big … I would look for you to set high targets. Should your enrollment be 35,000? Should it be 40,000? I think you need to think big. You have the resources. You have the space,” he said. “Then, selfishly I might add, maybe, just maybe, a lot of those wonderful kids come in and know they have a place to call home and they’re going to stay in West Virginia.”
Board Chairman Robert Hutson said he believes Friday’s remarks may be the first time a sitting governor has addressed the university’s board of governors.
WVU President Michael Benson said he believes the state and its Land Grant university can align their efforts.
“We’re working on our strategic plan right now. The last letter in our, ‘Let’s Go,’ is ‘outwork and outperform,’ and that’s what we’re going to do as an institution and that’s what we’re going to do as a state. We’re ready to partner with you.”
Morrisey said he’s ready and willing to work alongside the university.
But in the meantime, “We need to win tomorrow,” he said.
