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Gas tax pause won’t help, but neither does blaming Biden

The gas price situation has become so dire that President Biden has now asked Congress to consider a three-month gas tax holiday. As we’ve said before, a gas tax holiday won’t provide much relief at the pumps. That said, if the federal government suspended its 18 cent tax and the state suspended its 35 cent tax at the same time, consumers would save more than 50 cents per gallon. And that would add up to noticeable savings quicker than a state or federal holiday alone. But a gas tax holiday still presents the same problems: A huge loss of tax revenue and no guarantee companies ...

The answer to gun violence isn’t to turn schools into prisons

In the last couple weeks, local schools have been testing their new weapons detectors, and area high schools plan to have them up and running for daily use come fall. Take a moment to digest that. Guns and extremist rhetoric have become easily accessible nationwide. Now, the scourge of school shootings that once seemed improbable — something that happened to other people in other places — has become very possible here. So possible that our schools are bracing for what now feels like an inevitability. How did we get here? To weapons detectors at school doors? To ...

How to celebrate Juneteenth

Today is an odd confluence of holidays: The beloved perennial Father’s Day and the new-ish (at least to the official registry of national holidays) Juneteenth. We, of course, wish all fathers and father-figures a happy Father’s Day. As for Juneteeth, this is only its second year being recognized, both federally and statewide. Juneteenth commemorates the day Gen. Gordan Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, technically freeing the last of the slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation had been signed two years before, but the lack of Union soldiers’ presence had made Texas a ...

Slew of hate crimes show we need Pride

Even in the face of a litany of atrocities, it is still hard to fathom how people can hold so much hate in their hearts. Last month, it was the Buffalo shooter who put his racist screed into action when he targeted Black shoppers at a grocery store, killing 10 of them. This month, it’s the various attacks on Pride events and LGBTQ+ individuals. On Saturday, a Good Samaritan informed police of what looked like a “little army” loading into the back of a U-Haul in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Police acted on the tip and pulled the van over not far from its intended destination: a ...

How to save EMSs

The lack of emergency medical services (EMS) — and strain on those remaining — is a national crisis, but we feel it keenly in our area. Between 2019 and 2021, West Virginia lost nearly 30% of its certified EMS providers: approximately 1,643 emergency medical technicians and 258 paramedics. Recently, Star City Volunteer Fire Department announced it’s suspending emergency medical services, and Preston County has lost two EMS operations. Forest Weyen, Mon EMS executive director, spoke before the Joint Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services in May ...

Economic reality check

This past Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice scoffed at a WalletHub ranking that put West Virginia’s economy last overall in the nation. Specifically, he called it “political garbage” from a “bunch of liberal fruitcakes.” While Justice likes to brag about the state’s surpluses (which he never puts to good use), the situation on the ground doesn’t look so rosy. WalletHub’s ranking for West Virginia in its three main categories were 49th in economic activity, 42nd for economic health and 51st (including the District of Columbia) for innovation potential. These three main ...