Not since the glory days of King Coal in the 1950s and ’60s have things looked so good for West Virginia.
While West Virginia may experience some of the effects of the financial turmoil that the nation and the world are going through, the state will weather the storm better than other places, top West Virginia officials have said.
It’s nice to be an exception to the rule — especially when it is such a positive exception.
National organizations have reinforced the idea of West Virginia’s prosperity.
The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government cited the state as having the best economy in the country during mid-2008 and found that the state’s employment growth rate surpassed the national average. West Virginia also achieved the third-highest rate of personal income revenue growth in the nation.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that West Virginia reached an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent in September 2008. This marked the lowest number of unemployed West Virginians in the history of the state. And Marion County was one of five state counties with a better unemployment percentage this fall, clocking in at just 3.1 percent.
The Cato Institute’s Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors gave West Virginia an “A” in 2008, reporting that it had made more pro-growth tax reforms than any other state.
These high marks have not gone without notice. Just this month, US Airways Magazine featured a lengthy article about the State of West Virginia as part of its promotional business series. The piece focuses on commerce, the energy sector, economic development, health care, higher education and quality of life in the state. That glossy magazine with vibrant picture — an even more vibrant facts and figures about the state’s business and economy — is available to every passenger of the airline across the globe.
With such good news, we couldn’t help but celebrate “The state of our economy” with a special Times West Virginian bonus edition today. Inside its pages, you will find why West Virginia has become a shining star in the midst of a nationwide economic storm.
From the highest level of government to our local retailers, dealers and businesses in North Central West Virginia, we’ve looked at not only how well the economy is doing, but how it’s poised to prosper in the future.
“The state of West Virginia, we’re going to get through this,” Gov. Joe Manchin told the Times West Virginian in a one-on-one interview for the bonus edition. “If anything, we’re going to prosper through this. We should take advantage of the situation. We have gotten our house in order. It gives us a chance to show off our state. With that, this is a safe haven.”
The future is bright for Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.
Opinion
West Virginia weathering economic storm in fine fashion
- Opinion
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Superintendent, BOE must find accord if schools are to progress
We’re a little confused.
In October, an item appeared on the agenda of a Marion County Board of Education meeting to hire an administrative assistant of Human Resources and Student Support Services. But the item was pulled from the agenda with no public discussion about why, and the position was not filled. -
George Esper: Outstanding man as correspondent and WVU professor
Many West Virginians would no doubt be shocked to learn that the outstanding correspondent from the Vietnam War was a West Virginia University graduate from Uniontown, Pa.
His name was George Esper, one familiar for many years around the WVU School of Journalism for his tenacious coverage of the Vietnam War that established him as a highly revered print reporter of the 20th century. -
Hiding state records has no place in a democracy
In private business and personal life, people may hide some activities, exercising their right of privacy. But government is different.
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Results about Twitter, free from censorship
So Twitter announces that it will allow country-specific censorship. What followed was #outrage, #disbelief, #protest, #RighteousIndignation, #TwitterBlackout and #rage.
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West Virginia must develop plan to fulfill highway needs
There is no dispute that improving West Virginia’s roads is one of the state’s biggest needs.
We use them daily — out of necessity and for pleasure.
They’re also vital to West Virginia’s economic health. -
Best interests would be served if FGH and city both move on
In December, Marion County Circuit Court Judge David Janes ruled that the Fairmont General Hospital Board of Directors can appoint its own members and that the City of Fairmont’s charter no longer applies to the hospital.
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Educational partnership a step in the right direction
Officials involved in a new educational partnership between Pierpont Community & Technical College and FirstEnergy Corp. call the endeavor a “great opportunity.”
We think it’s even more than that. -
Meth causes senseless waste, terrible damage in West Virginia
Terrible damage is inflicted on West Virginia — and upon abusers and their families — because dopeheads feel compelled to blank out their minds with drugs of many sorts. We can’t understand the sad need that impels them. It causes a senseless loss to society and individuals, filling prisons and wrecking jobs.
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Limited funds for workforce training can’t be wasted through drug abuse
There’s only so much money to go around when it comes to workforce training. And with the national economy still in a bit of a slump, there’s even less money to go around and even more of a reason to make the money invested in these programs count.
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A better way to choose presidential candidates?
Forty-seven more primaries to go.
If you feel like it’s been a wild Republican primary election season, with accusations of sexual misconduct, candidates coming and going, who makes how much and more, just remember one thing. There are 47 more primaries to go. - More Opinion Headlines
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Superintendent, BOE must find accord if schools are to progress
