Editor,
It’s more than bad math when it comes to Dave Stemple’s article last week. He’s right about one thing: teachers and many public employees are angry. What he doesn’t tell you is that the very same people who are reluctant to vote to adequately fund PEIA are the same people giving humongous tax breaks to oil & gas companies that are reaping huge profits from our great state’s abundance of natural resources. They even have the gall to support the co-tenancy bill, a fancy word for trampling property owner’s rights. Blaming this situation on spending is just playing into the narrative that is peddled by the haves, who are battling the have-nots.
Dave is also right that it’s malarkey to tell the public that there isn’t enough to go around. WV has been an extraction state for many many decades. Where are all the spoils of those resources? Well, let’s just say they’re not in working families’ pockets and they sure aren’t in our schools. This is nothing short of class warfare. Trickle down economics is a myth purported by the very same folks that stand to gain the most from such an ideology. West Virginia has very deep roots of resistance, rebellion, and labor struggles. If you know about the iconic battle of Blair Mountain, you likely know where the term “redneck” originated. It was about organized resistance to crony coal bosses. It was about people over profits. And it’s coming back around again. A 5% raise wasn’t enough; now they’re saying it’ll be 4% over three years. They may fool some people but they won’t fool any math teachers!
If communities stay organized, support each other and vote for People over Party, then we can change things in our state. Until then, it’ll be more of the same. As long as some of our leaders pit us against our neighbors, they will win. It’s called divide and conquer and it’s a tried and true method of social control. The opposite of division is Union, which is what helped improve working conditions, wages, and safety for workers all over the nation. Government is supposed to be by the people and for the people. It’s our job to make it so.
Cory Chase
Dryfork, WV
