The WV budget battle is raging. Legislative leadership wasted time debating whether to pollute our water and scurrying to do industry bidding, rather than taking care of important budget business during the regular session, as they should. (You can let them know how you feel about the disastrous Cancer Creek vote here.)
So not only are we inflicted with more polluted water in order to make their industry donors happy at our expense, we’re paying yet again for the expensive special session. And those folks who have been working to do industry bidding rather than do their jobs? We’re paying them extra for the privilege.
Ugh!
That said, there are some who have been fighting for us. And Senate Democrats just did that—all save for Senator Ronald Miller representing Greenbrier, Fayette, Summers and Monroe counties. The rest of the Senate Dems voted against the most recent budget, since it increased taxes on 80% of us to pay for tax breaks for the rich.
“[S]hifting the burden from the rich to the poor — is not right,” Explained Senator Prezioso, who represents parts of Monongalia and Marion counties.
And Senator Romano of Harrison county descried it as a “trickledown economics bill” putting the burden on the rest of us to give the wealthy tax breaks at a time we need to be increasing revenue.
But without hearing from us, they may succumb to the political pressure. Governor Justice actually called their vote to protect us “petty politics” and “despicable.”
Call to Action! Take two minutes to tell the WV Senators who stood up for us THANK YOU—and keep at it!
Because even if the Governor and some legislators succeed in taxing the poor to hand money to the rich—something WVians are against (take our poll on how we want the WV budget fixed!)—we’ll remember in 2018 and act accordingly.
If we don’t let them know how we feel, they’ll NEVER fight for us. And for those that hear us and still want to work for their donors? We have to hold them accountable at the ballot box!
After all, why should WE be told to hand our money over to millionaires?
We just want good jobs, good roads, and the opportunity to do well by our families through hard work.
Don’t take that away from us.
The Appalachian Oracle 