WV-2016: A Thread

[DINGO Joe]

[DINGO Joe]

The Demographic collapse of WV is quickening:

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20151121/GZ01/151129887/1419

Same pattern as with everything else.  Eastern panhandle and WVU county increasing, everything else collapsing.

[DINGO Joe]

What the hell. For what reasons could West Virginia have over twice the disability rate of the national average?

Well, the banking industry in WV is incredibly dangerous.  Except for the East Panhandle, and govt and university, there aren't white collar jobs in WV--you mine, you drill, you log, you make chemicals.  On top of that WV is old and has high rates of diabetes and smoking.  Bad things start happening to people as they cross 50, especially if they have poor health habits.

There may be some level of fraud too, but whether it's higher there than elsewhere I don't know, but given their public health levels, age, and occupations, it's not unreasonable to expect WV to have a substantially higher disability rate than the country as a whole.  WV used to turn out a crapton of kids to replace all the workers they burned through, but that's not the case anymore.  And nobody immigrates to WV, unless they had to for a federal job Sen Byrd dragged into the state, and he's dead. 

[DINGO Joe]

It don't matter whether coal or coaler is driving this lemming car, their road only goes in one direction.

[DINGO Joe]

I thought I was negative on the future of CAPPalachian coal but Evan Kurtz at Morgan Stanley makes me look like a pollyanna

http://www.platts.com/latest-news/coal/houston/coal-consumption-in-2016-could-drop-to-636-million-27051412

If I had anything other than a Fed job in WV, I wouldn't be spending a dime this Xmas.

[DINGO Joe]

Apparently Booth Goodwin is going to join the Governor's race

http://wvmetronews.com/2015/12/23/source-very-confident-booth-goodwin-will-run-for-governor/

[DINGO Joe]

Kind of humorous story in the state lege.

State Sen Dan Hall, who switched parties after the 2014 election to give the Rs control of the state senate, was offered a job with the NRA, which he intended to leave the Senate to take.  Now, the job itself sounds like good old fashioned graft--a nice reward for his party switching, but there's a fly in the ointment -- WV doesn't hold special elections to replace openings, the party of the exiting sen/rep submits three names to the governor and the governor chooses the replacement.  The twist is that since Sen Hall was elected as a Democrat, there is some debate as to which party gets to submit names for a replacement (though it looks like the law indicates it would be the Democrats who get to submit names).  So, Sen Hall has had to tear up his resignation letter and go back to Senate until the issue can be resolved.  Hopefully this costs him a tremendous amount of money. 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20151230/hall-says-hell-stay-in-wv-senate-until-replacement-plan-is-set

(I like how the link drops the apostrophe from he'll)

[DINGO Joe]

The latest Rex Repass Metronews poll on the Govs race.  Didn't put in the poll board cuz  I don't take time to figure those things out.  WV may be the only state where radio is still relevant enough to pay for a poll.

http://wvmetronews.com/2016/02/18/justice-leads-pack-in-governors-race/

Justice leads the three way primary race by 7 over Goodwin and leads Cole by 10 points, Goodwin and Cole would be a dead heat and Cole would lead Kessler by 5. 


Still going with a 100% chance of WV being doomed no matter what.

[DINGO Joe]

Manchin endorsed Justice.  Too lazy to find a link.