Politicians often ask: “Are you better off now than you were before?†Constituents who are not happy with their current situation will then, of course, support the “change†candidate. This is especially true in years of high inflation, war or other calamities.
While I was not born in West Virginia, I like to say, “I got here as soon as I could.†Most of the people I know in West Virginia are kind and considerate. I mean, even drivers going the opposite way in downtown Lewisburg will waive you on to turn at the light in the center of town. Try that in New York City and you will hear honking and cursing. We also have a bounty of mountains, national or state parks and rivers that are breathtaking.
Unfortunately, West Virginia does have challenges. Despite its abundant resources, it relies heavily on federal financial support. More than 50% of our state budget comes from the federal government, about $9.63 billion. Moreover, the state is facing a $400 million budget deficit that was racked up by the previous governor and Legislature (without public knowledge). West Virginians have one of the lowest standards of living, highest poverty rates and health disparities, and some of the worst roadways in America. There are single-lane roads throughout the state, so drive at your own risk.
Of course, these conditions did not happen overnight. While outsiders were getting rich off West Virginia forestry and coal, and politicians were reaping their cut, the ordinary citizens’ living conditions rarely improved. So, in a very real sense, the answer to the question if West Virginians are better off now than before is, “We have never been as well off as we should have been.â€
That’s the past, but how does the future look for West Virginians under the new federal and state administrations? We are only a few months into a new president’s and governor’s administrations, but things are not looking so good for us West Virginians.
We still face a $400 million state budget deficit, with no publicized plan for how to address it.
If you are a federal employee and you haven’t already been fired, you might be terminated at any time, thanks to the Department of Government Efficiency, so, not so good for them, their families and loved ones. And if you were relying on those federal employees to guide their program funds to you, not so good for you, either.
If you are a farmer, federal assistance is questionable for any federal program that supports your success during these challenging climate conditions. In addition, funds for the farm-to-school and food bank programs have been cut. So, not so good for farmers or those struggling to feed their families.
The situation will surely worsen with the president’s inflationary tariffs. If you are one of the fortunate few who have enough money to play the stock market, even this is not looking so good, at least right now. Oh, and bonds are paying lower interest rates, just in case you want to go that route.
Then there are the poorly maintained roads. No improvement there, now or in the foreseeable future. And if you are a veteran, benefits and support continue to be cut.
Last, but certainly not least, if your child requires educational support in school, well, the federal agency (U.S. Department of Education) designed to assist you in that is being eliminated.
And the above is just a partial list. With every day, we get new announcements of federal DOGE cuts.
To sum it up, no one appears to be doing better than before, and before was not so good. Moreover, things are looking very bad for the future. Sorry to be such a downer, but these are the real facts.
So, what are the remedies? First, stop believing the politicians that are trying to sugar coat the bad actions of the federal and state governments. Tariffs will cause rampant inflation, destroy our good relations with our allies like Canada and greatly hurt West Virginians.
Cuts to federal programs and federal employees will hurt West Virginians. Cuts to infrastructure, like the $1.2 billion broadband governmental funding “pause,†hurt West Virginians. Cuts to food assistant programs will hurt West Virginians. Cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will hurt West Virginians. Removal of child care and after school care funding will hurt West Virginians.
Eliminating environmental and mine safety laws will hurt, and likely kill, West Virginians.
Here’s the point: Things were not that great for the average West Virginian previously due primarily to inflation, and many West Virginians thought things would get better with a change in federal leadership. Well, they are not. They are worse and getting much worse.
So, please, tell your state legislative representatives you want them to balance the state budget without punishing West Virginians for the mismanagement of the previous governor and previous Legislature; and tell your federal legislators you don’t want DOGE cuts, tariffs and billionaires running the country into total chaos.
I am a proud West Virginian, and I know we can do better. When politicians stop trying to make themselves look good and honestly address the challenges we have before us, we will certainly be better off than we are now.
