By SEÁN O'DONOGHUE
Managing Editor
CHARLESTON - Governor Jim Justice addressed lawmakers in the annual State of the State address, last week, with the focus of his remarks being the budget for the year set to begin on July 1, 2017. Lawmakers were gaveled into session, earlier the same day, Wednesday, February 8, 2017. The 60-day session will see legislators tackle a range of issues; however, the state's financial troubles are expected to dominate proceedings at the Capitol.
Justice literally took to the floor of the House of Delegates for his address. Traditionally, the governor of the day has addressed the joint sitting of lawmakers from a lectern in front of the House speaker's chair. Justice used a high stool when he sat, at time, at the lectern on the floor of the House, and moved to a white dry erase board a number of a times to deliver his points with a black marker. The governor did not appear to be relying heavily on prepared remarks, choosing instead to deliver his address in a less staid manner than previous chief executives; in fact, despite the generally bleak financial scenario facing the state, Justice managed to pepper his presentation with many moments of good humor.
It was the first State of the State for freshman Delegate Zack Maynard (R-Lincoln). Also representing Lincoln County in the chamber were Delegate Jeff Eldridge (D-Lincoln), Delegate Carol Miller (R-Cabell), and Delegate Sean Hornbuckle (D-Cabell), all of whom were re-elected last November. It was a familiar setting for Delegate Chuck Romine (R-Cabell), who was returned to the Capitol by the voters of Lincoln and Cabell after a break of several cycles. Lincoln County's senators were also on hand for the speech, including newly elected Senator Richard Ojeda (D-Logan) and Senator Ron Stollings (D-Boone).
"We've got issues. We've got real problems. So I want to tell you this. I don't mean this in any bad way, because I'm the one that signed up to run for Governor. But we've got an 18 carat dog's mess, don't we? We do. I didn't create the dog's mess. I have inherited the dog's mess. And I am telling you, you have to have real direction and real ideas and real cooperation together to be able to get out of this," Justice said near the beginning of his remarks to a packed House chamber.
Taking to the dry erase board, Justice began to describe his proposals. "Now I'm going to come around here and write. Here's what you gotta do. You gotta cut all that we can possibly cut. I've got to have everybody in this state pay a half of a penny in additional sales tax. There is no way around it. I've got to have you pay instead of $30 in DMV fees, I've got to have you pay 50. The other thing is this, in trying to be fair, in trying to just be fair. The people are here. Here is your people. Here's your people. Here's your businesses. I've got to have our businesses -- there's lots of different ways to look at this -- pay two-tenths of one percent in a tax that would be equivalent to a B&O tax. It is a tax that Ohio charges 25 percent -- or 25 hundredths. We would charge 20. And the other last thing I will talk to you about is I've got to have ten cents a gallon on gasoline. Now, I am telling you: If you don't do this, you're dead. You're dead beyond belief," said the governor.
The governor also focused on education. "Now, as far as testing, we are testing our kids t-totally to death. For what? I mean, here's the bottom line. Think about it. If we were knocking it out of the park -- you see, I'm all results oriented. If we were knocking it out of the park, you could argue with me we're doing the right thing. But for crying out loud, we're dead last. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. We got to be doing something wrong. That's all there is to it. As far as the testing goes, I am going to propose we throw Smarter Balance in the trash can and we go to ACT testing," said Justice. He also made a pledge to get rid of the A to F rating for schools, rolled out last fall for the first time by the West Virginia Department of Education. Despite the focus on cuts and the need for new avenues of revenue, the governor also urged lawmakers to approve a pay increase for educators. "Here's what I would do. I would submit a bill, and I will immediately, to eliminate any of the unnecessary bureaucracies that we have. We have got to return education back as much as we possibly can to a local level. I have put in my budget a 2 percent raise for all classroom teachers, and I am ashamed -- I'm ashamed that we can't do more," said Justice.
The governor directed a portion of his remarks to how some state employees appear." A lot of times our inspectors show up, and they show up -- and I hate to say this, because you're going to probably think, boy, has he really lost it now, but they show up with a T-shirt on and a pair of old jeans. They maybe haven't shaved forever. And they got a badge in their pocket. Now, listen, I think they ought to look like something. And the other thing -- and they will look like something, or we'll have them tending to Grisly Adams. But the other thing is just this. No matter what the request may be, I think that the first words out of their mouths should be: We're going to try with all in us to do what you want to do," said the governor.
With regard to tourism, the governor spoke of the potential the sector could deliver. "Tourism is so important to our state. We can knock it out of the park, back double triple. We probably need to reorganize the entire Tourism Department. There's ways to do that. And the other thing you just got to simply put more money in it. We better find a way to market ourselves. I said it a million times. I said it in the inaugural speech. For crying out loud, every time you turn the TV on it says: Come to Michigan. Every time. I said in the inaugural address, I said: Who in the world wants to go to Michigan? I mean, really? You know, what if I called up tomorrow and said, I tell you what let's do, let's get a bus and let's go to Detroit. But do we market us? We don't. We don't. We got to do that," said Justice. He also referred to the potential for furniture making in the state. "I will be submitting with Senator Capito and Senator Manchin immediately -- and I think that there's a real shot -- I will be submitting whatever the form of a bill may be to some way, somehow, try to drive furniture manufacturing, flooring manufacturing, cabinetry, back right in our lap to West Virginia. It can truly be done. We've got to do it through an environmental subsidy. That's what has to be done. You see I'm the agronomy end of our agriculture stuff. I know about trees. I know about how they eat all the carbon. And I know how when we take a piece of wood like this to a dry kiln, the carbon is right here. And I know when the tree falls on the ground and eventually the carbon will be released back in the sky, especially if you have a fire. And I know we only cut one-third of our growth in West Virginia. We are the perfect candidate for what President Trump wants to do in bringing manufacturing back to the United States, that today -- today all of our furniture manufacturing is in Vietnam, China and Mexico. I love Vietnam China and Mexico. From a distance. I want stuff for us," said Justice.
The governor rounded out his remarks on an optimistic note. "Now, it was folksy. It was just plain talk," he said of his speech. "That's all I know. We have an incredible, incredible obligation and an unbelievable opportunity. Now I would say with all these great people, all of you, together, with this great body, you can have my heart and soul. I will work with you with every ounce of being that I have," Justice promised. "Now, let me tell you just this and then I'll end. My basketball teams, a lot of times they say two words coming out on the floor. And they scream them. And do you know the other night Tom Brady led a comeback that was unbelievable, didn't he? Unbelievable. No one could have possibly imagined it. And you know what he did? He took the Super Bowl trophy -- I watched him do this -- he stood on that podium and he screamed, "Let's go!" After he had won. Well, I'd say to you: Let's go! God bless you all. Thank you," concluded Justice.