West Virginia editorial roundup

Recent editorials from West Virginia newspapers:

Nov. 10

The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register on federal funds set aside to repair dams in West Virginia:

Eight of the 10 small-watershed dams deemed to be at-risk for failure are located in the Northern Panhandle, as we reported recently.

State officials emphasize the risk rating system does not mean every dam listed is about to fail. The ratings are based on the number of people downstream of the impoundments, not necessarily the dams’ condition. Still, many dams in West Virginia are in need of repair.

In 2016, Congress recognized that many states have numerous dams in poor condition - and cannot afford to make repairs. A bill enacted that year established the “Rehabilitation of High Hazard Dams” program to take care of that.

At long last, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been given money to begin repairing dams throughout the country. West Virginia has been awarded money through the initiative.

FEMA will be giving our state - wait for it - a whopping $277,019. Pardon our sarcasm. That amount, to be handed out by the state Department of Environmental Protection, may be enough to make minimal repairs to three or four dams. Our guess is that spending that much will not even compensate for a year’s worth of normal deterioration.

Don’t blame FEMA, however. The agency was given just $10 million for high-hazard dams this year. That will not make a dent in the problem.

Either deteriorated dams are a problem or they are not. West Virginia officials understand they certainly are. We suspect there is similar concern in many other states.

Congress is very good at enacting legislation intended to address problems - but not so good at providing adequate funding for remedies. We realize the federal budget is stretched tight as it is, but, again, either hazardous dams are a real worry or they are not, in the minds of federal officials. If there is concern, it needs to be matched by a realistic funding approach.

Online: https://www.theintelligencer.net/

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Nov. 10

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel on a government study addressing adverse childhood experiences:

Should one need further proof that the federal government and its bureaucracy are dangerously behind and out-of-touch with reality, take a look at the “revelation” presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week.

It turns out, childhood trauma - or Adverse Childhood Experiences, in CDC jargon - can lead to physical and mental health problems later in life. The CDC knows it’s true because it finally got around to conducting a study, which found those with a higher number of ACEs had significantly higher numbers of health and lifestyle issues like obesity, heart disease, depression, and even drug or alcohol abuse, as adults.

Those results came as no surprise to those working in wellness and healthcare fields here in the Mid-Ohio Valley. But, they are fully willing to take advantage of the federal government’s new awareness, as they continue to try to tackle to the problem.

“It’s been an eye-opener,” said Pamela Santer, wellness coordinator for West Virginia University at Parkersburg. “A lot of us have championed the cause for years, and then all of a sudden, boom, it’s taken off.”

What a shame that it takes the federal government’s stamp of legitimacy on decades worth of observations by those actually working with at-risk kids before real change can take place.

But Santer knows that CDC gravitas may mean more resources for programs that could make a difference; and another tool in talking to others who work with struggling children.

“This is a health issue,” she said. “That’s the next step, getting the doctors and pediatricians on board. I think (the CDC study) is going to change the way we approach things.”

While it is infuriating to realize we have become so dependent on the federal government telling us what is true, rather than using our own critical thinking and common sense, it is good to know the feds have caught up, at least on this one. Here’s hoping it truly will make a difference.

Online: https://www.newsandsentinel.com/

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Nov. 8

The Charleston Gazette-Mail on new support for an effort to shore up pensions and health care benefits for coal miners:

Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., are to be applauded for gaining traction with their effort to shore up pensions and health care benefits for coal miners.

Under their bill, money from the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program would be moved to the miner’s pension plan, which is facing the stark reality of running out of funds. If enacted, the legislation would secure pension benefits for about 92,000 miners and health care benefits for 13,000. It’s vitally important to do this now, as five coal companies, including Murray Energy, have filed for bankruptcy this year, which could put pension plans at those operations in jeopardy.

Manchin and Capito have been fighting this battle for years, but the bill’s sudden momentum is thanks to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., signing on.

That’s right, the man who embraces the nickname “Grim Reaper” because his legacy is one of killing legislation and stalling out the opposition, suddenly wants to get the ball rolling on something. Not just something, but something that would help the working class.

McConnell is a known, cold-blooded calculator with self-preservation topping his list of needs. The play here could be chalked up to a few things, not the least of which was Kentucky Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s narrow defeat earlier this week in a state President Donald Trump carried by 30 points. Trump even conducted a huge rally for Bevin the night before the election. It either wasn’t enough or, perhaps more frightening for McConnell, had no impact at all. Maybe it even had a negative impact. (Bevin is calling for a recanvass, but it’s unlikely that will change the result.)

Although the race was close, Bevin was one of the most unpopular governors in the country, and that had to give McConnell pause. For one, McConnell himself is deeply unpopular in Kentucky, with approval ratings fluctuating between the mid- to high 30s, depending on the poll. Even when he was at a relative high of 38 percent, according to a summer Morning Consult poll, he still ranked as the least popular U.S. senator in the country.

The Grim Reaper is in survival mode, and parts of Kentucky have been hit just as hard as West Virginia by coal’s decline. Funny how a little political pressure can get someone to actually do something that benefits their constituents.

Online: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/

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