Posted on 09/10/2005 4:46:12 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
Lincoln holiday on its way out
By Phil Kabler Staff writer
A bill to combine state holidays for Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays into a single Presidents’ Day holiday cleared its first legislative committee Wednesday, over objections from Senate Republicans who said it besmirches Abraham Lincoln’s role in helping establish West Virginia as a state.
Senate Government Organization Committee members rejected several attempts to retain Lincoln’s birthday as a state holiday.
State Sen. Russ Weeks, R-Raleigh, introduced an amendment to instead eliminate Columbus Day as a paid state holiday. “Columbus didn’t have anything to do with making West Virginia a state,” he said. “If we have to cut one, let’s cut Christopher Columbus.”
Jim Pitrolo, legislative director for Gov. Joe Manchin, said the proposed merger of the two holidays would bring West Virginia in line with federal holidays, and would effectively save $4.6 million a year — the cost of one day’s pay to state workers.
Government Organization Chairman Ed Bowman, D-Hancock, said the overall savings would be even greater, since by law, county and municipal governments must give their employees the same paid holidays as state government.
“To the taxpayers, the savings will be even larger,” he said.
The bill technically trades the February holiday for a new holiday on the Friday after Thanksgiving. For years, though, governors have given state employees that day off with pay by proclamation.
Sen. Sarah Minear, R-Tucker, who also objected to eliminating Lincoln’s birthday as a holiday, argued that it was misleading to suggest that eliminating the holiday will save the state money.
“It’s not going to save the state a dime,” said Minear, who said she isn’t giving up on retaining the Lincoln holiday.
Committee members also rejected an amendment by Sen. Steve Harrison, R-Kanawha, to recognize the Friday after Thanksgiving as “Lincoln Day.”
“I do believe President Lincoln has a special place in the history of West Virginia,” he said.
Sen. Randy White, D-Webster, said he believed that would create confusion.
“It’s confusing to me,” he said.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, suggested that the state could recognize Lincoln’s proclamation creating West Virginia as part of the June 20 state holiday observance for the state’s birthday.
Proponents of the measure to eliminate a state holiday contend that the numerous paid holidays - as many as 14 in election years — contribute to inefficiencies in state government.
To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, use e-mail or call 348-1220.
States Rights, Non? Lots of folks slinging mud on this thread, but this fact has escaped them!
Not all Dems think ill of Lincoln either (as mentioned on this thread by others) - that Obama guy was quick to associate himself with Lincoln at the DNC primaries.
Considering that West Virginia was created by a tyrant that STOLE it from the Sovereign State of Virginia without it's consent........:)
A new moron speaks up.
Agreed, you should always introduce yourself to these threads that way.
Considering the fact that you hail from the land of the "Tyrant"......why am I NOT suprised by your comment....
But that was help against other foreigners from across the sea. Jeff Davis and his gang wanted French and English help against their fellow Americans. The Rebs would have been quite happy to have a French army in America killing Americans if it would help preserve their slave empire.
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln wanted a strong peaceful and united America to keep the New World from being a plaything of the Old War. The CSA did not care about creating continental chaos as much as do anything to preserve the right to hold their chains and whips over the slaves.
I don't think that the South and the Confederacy are synonymous. There were a lot of Southerners from all over the region in the 1860s who did not drink the Confederate Kool-Aid. It's sad that the latter-day myth of the "lost cause" promotes a non-existant wartime "Solid South" that now tries to make Southerners feel like regional traitors if they don't feel sympathy for the slave owners' rebellion.
West Virginia 1-0
Virginia 0-1
When the U.S. Army marched into Knoxville, Tennessee in 1863, cheering residents waved American flags they had hidden at risk to their lives (yes, possessing the Stars and Stripes was a hanging offense for the Confederates) and placed rebel flags on the street for their liberators to walk on.
We did that for a while here in Kalifornia, for many years lumped two birthdays together to make Pres day, we are back to the two separate holidays again.
Each president was responsible for separate accomplishments. Washington father of our country and first president, Lincoln, the pain and suffering of the Civil War, issue of slavery and States rights. These men were heroes in their own right and deserve recognition.
Who's a bigger tyrant, the man who throws someone in jail for 90 days, or the man who holds someone in chains for life?
Here is what George Mason said about slavery:
"Every Gentlemen here is born a petty Tyrant. Practiced in Acts of Despotism & Cruelty, we become callous to the Dictates of Humanity, & all the finer feelings of the Soul. Taught to regard a part of our own Species in the most abject & contemptible Degree below us, we lose that Idea of the dignity of Man which the Hand of Nature had implanted in us, for great & useful purposes."
The other consequence of splitting Tennessee would be that we would now have 51 states. How do you arrange the stars on the flag? 51 is divisible only by 3 and 17...you could treat it as 21 + 30 (just as the current 50 stars are treated as a combination of 20 + 30), but that still doesn't lead to a neat arrangement of stars.
Fortunately for the United States, the French were otherwise engaged--trying to deprive the Mexican people of their freedom. The Union government didn't have any problem with recruiting Irishmen and other Europeans to come over to America to kill "rebels."
There was a proposal in Congress during the Civil War to revert the rebellious states to territorial status, establishing a Territory of the South, after which the area would be carved into new states, with two states created in Appalachia while merging North and South Carolina. Fascinating!
I was born in Wv and the one thing that stands out in my memory is a picture in our 8th grade Wv history book showing General Robert E. Lee astride his horse, Traveler; the caption informed the reader that the horse was born in the part of Virginia that became Wv after the war.
The North freed the slaves, Gen. Lee's horse and imprisoned the Confederate soldiers; in time they all went home and to pasture.
as my grandfather always said: "Scratch a DAMNyankee & RACIST blood will flow from the wound."
free dixie,sw
free dixie,sw
i'm just not in the mood to argue with a PROPAGANDIST for the DAMNyankee cause.
that is ALL you are & almost everyone with a "higher than room temperature IQ" knows that.
free dixie,sw
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