West Virginia

West Virginia Republicans
by Christina Sheddrick

            Welcome to West Virginia, the Appalachian home of mountainous parks and hard-working laborers. With Charleston as its capital, West Virginia in 1863 became the 35th state admitted to the United States, after remaining loyal to the Union while the rest of Virginia seceded on the brink of the Civil War. The mountains, forests and rivers of West Virginia have historically been better suited to mining and manufacture than to plantation-style agriculture. The lodes of coal and timber provided ample resources for West Virginians during westward expansion and the industrial revolution, but as the peak of the steel industry passed, so did much of West Virginia’s prominence in the national economy. West Virginia has seen the closing of mines and factories force many of her citizens into unemployment and out of the state in search of a better life. West Virginia’s population in the 1990 census was 1.79 million, down eight percent from just ten years before. The drop in population symbolizes more than just a statistic – with fewer people, West Virginia lost a seat in the House of Representatives, and her number of electoral votes was reduced from six to five. West Virginia remains one of the poorest states in the nation, but is making a comeback: jobs based on the technology of yesterday are being replaced by the technology of tomorrow, in electronics and transportation.
            West Virginia has been encumbered by new times replacing old industrial times, such as federal legislation impeding on West Virginia’s coal industry. The Clean Air Act of 1990 has significantly reduced the demand for West Virginia’s high sulfur coal. Furthermore, the nation's unwillingness to regulate illegal foreign steel dumping has hampered West Virginia’s steel industry.
            What’s a state to do? Mark Hannan, Republican Governor Cecil Underwood’s campaign manager, says he understands the reasons for the policy; nonetheless West Virginia continues to struggle. Many West Virginians already have packed their bags and West Virginia wants to stop the mass exodus now! Governor Underwood has somewhat reduced this trend, according to Hannan, by implementing technological opportunities for West Virginians.
West Virginia has whole-heartedly accepted federal offices such as NASA, National Institute of Occupational Safety, and the FBI, which have provided $1.5 billion to West Virginia. In 1994, the government sector produced $4.7 billion compared to the mining industry, which produced $3.4 billion (Hornor 393). Many West Virginia workers are trading in their hard hat for a work tie.
            Underwood has also encouraged tax breaks to corporations as an incentive to move jobs to West Virginia. Corporations such as NGK Spark Plugs, Toyota, and Georgia Pacific, along with federal offices, replenish jobs lost in the mining industry. Federal jobs are not the only benefit that West Virginia has received from the federal government. In terms of infrastructure, one of the most beneficial disbursements the federal government has given to West Virginia has been highway money. For such an extremely mountainous state this chartered a costly expenditure.
            On other issues, the West Virginia Republican Party’s platform is in favor of facilitating lower taxes by reducing government spending. The West Virginia GOP believes that reducing unnecessary spending would do away with excess “red tape” and bureaucratic nonsense, while putting money back in the pockets of the people. They want to eliminate administrative positions, like Super Secretaries for West Virginia’s Department of Corrections, to allow state and federal offices to operate more efficiently. Diminishing red tape on one end would allow for the funding of more worthwhile expenditures, such as more police officers and equipment on the other end.
            Other such schemes include cutting a regressive food tax to give large businesses a competitive advantage with out-of-state firms. While this action may hinder the development of small businesses in West Virginia, at the same time, the West Virginia GOP plans to implement policies to benefit small businesses. The Small Business Work Force Program, for instance, would absorb the cost of training small business employees which would alleviate the financial burden for the employer. Two Small Business Development Centers have also been established to cater to various small business needs for ten surrounding counties. The Minority Business Task Force has focused efforts for increasing more minority and women owned businesses.
            Programs such as the Minority Business Task Force and other, non-related federal programs were enacted to encourage business incentives for minorities. The West Virginia GOP feels these programs have made more headway in promoting minority business development than Affirmative Action legislation. Affirmative Action is not an economic topic of interest for this party. However, social policy enveloping equal rights is, with “hate crime” legislation in the books.
Universities are addressing equal rights with slogans like “Building Equality Through Education;” However, no major policies are seen to have enacted towards this goal, either by the state or by school institutions. Broader education issues involve raising teacher standards with incentives for teacher certification, and to provide technology training for teachers, paid for by federal innovation grants. Fully equipping students with the tools of the Internet, virtual classes, and various multi-media software, West Virginia’s Republican leadership has redefined the state’s educational expectations. Programs like SUCCESS plan to have trained students in computers for thirteen years before high school graduation. Headstart contributed some federal money, but most of the funding for schools’ improving technology has come from computer companies.
            The fact that corporations like Cysco and Bell Atlantic have affiliated themselves very tightly with the SUCCESS program fully supports the West Virginia Republican theory that public programs are more efficient and more effective when run by private interests rather than by costly bureaucracies. It makes sense that corporations have an interest in investing in the education of their future employees. Other social policies do not see such corporate investment; however, the West Virginia GOP does not seek it. What they do seek is independence in social policy decision-making, free of federal mandates.
            Welfare and health care are important social issues to the Republican Party; Republicans want to continue with the federally funded programs, but eliminate federal mandates that direct the disbursement of funds. The elimination of federal mandates would give flexibility to the state to run federally funded programs to the best efficiency in accordance with the demands of specific state needs.
            There exists a bit of irony in the Republican platform’s wanting state initiatives to replace federal mandates, because their stance on the environment rejects state regulations that exceed those set by the federal government. The explanation for this irony maintains a logical quest to represent the industry of West Virginia. The interests of West Virginians on certain National and foreign policies are rooted in their professions; the West Virginia GOP represents the interests of the industry and so too the work force.
            As Hannan points out there resides a considerably large population of veterans and active military in West Virginia. Hannan’s position on America maintaining her defense needs fosters the logic of wanting to maintain West Virginian jobs. In international commerce the same can also be said. West Virginia does not have to agree with certain international legislation. At the same time, West Virginia would not oppose America’s roll in the world economy, when West Virginian workers heavily occupy themselves in the international trade arena. The West Virginia GOP continues to form relationships and investments abroad. Underwood in particular has meet with Japanese, Swedish and Chinese officials to expand West Virginia’s opportunities in the future. The West Virginia GOP regards national issues and international issues as they pertain to West Virginia.
            As for constitutional issues of campaign finance, for twenty-six years West Virginia has had some of the toughest campaign finance laws in the United States. Statewide, candidates in West Virginia can receive from each supporter only $1000 in the primary election and $1000 in the general election, with all corporate giving restricted. Hannan remarked that campaign spending limits are a big issue, but for West Virginia both the parties have had to come to terms with the campaign spending limits enacted so long ago.
            The West Virginia Republican Party maintains a focus on providing for the hard-working citizens of a state that has seen some bad times, but has a bright future. The best interest of West Virginians are served by a government that follows the lead of Governor Underwood by helping spawn business and jobs. The West Virginia GOP envisions a government that is not overly bureaucratic but is tightly run, that conducts sensible spending while reducing the tax burden on West Virginia corporations and citizens. The state has always been wild, but with the help of its Republican Party, it can become “Wild Wonderful West Virginia.”