What in the hell is the matter with those people?? Truly I don’t get it! At a glance:
*Taxes paid by the coal industry and by utility companies that make electricity using West Virginia coal account for two-thirds, or over 60% of business taxes paid in our state.
*The coal industry pays approximately $70 million in property taxes annually.
*The Coal Severance Tax adds approximately $214 million into West Virginia’s economy.
*Twenty-four million dollars of coal severance taxes collected each year goes directly into the Infrastructure Bond Fund.
*All 55 counties, even the non-coal producing counties receive Coal Severance Tax funds.
*The coal industry payroll is nearly $2 billion per year.
Coal is responsible for more than $3.5 billion annually in the gross state product.
With all the stats floating around why in the hell would the citizens vote in a democrat. Particularly when the marxist in office is shutting down mines?
What is it? ARE THEY STUPID???
/rant temporarily off
62% in, down four.
The Dem machine is strong in WV, but at least the Repub made them work for it.
The problem in West Virginia is that the Republican party is not as organized from a grassroots level up as it should be. We need candidates to come from a grassroots level.
The Democrats in WVA are almost all pro-coal of course. They promise to fight the White House on it. Remember Manchin shot a bullet through the Cap and Trade bill in one of his final ads in 2010. People are gullible. Sad but true. The state is moving more and more towards the Republicans - especially in national elections. Unfortunately, people in WVA are used to voting for their favorite Democrat and the Dem/union machine is very, very strong. Very hard to overcome in a low turnout election. I'd love for us to win this one, but I highly doubt it. We had momentum. Given another week I think it could have been a different story.
What is it? ARE THEY STUPID???
Yes, but there is a long history to Democrat loyalty in WVA. Unionized mine workers have a long antipathy for mine owners. There is a lot of unrepaired damage from historic mining practices that really does affect people. West Virginia is a very poor state, one that has a significant addiction to pork (via Robert Byrd) and welfare. Mines are highly automated today, meaning that there really aren't as many jobs in the industry as there used to be.
QED
well, the smartest ones are...the rest are retarded.
Not stupid., Freeloaders. WV is the Welfare State.