Tag: house of delegates district 98

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Summary

Improving West Virginia’s Education System
Richard and Michael discussed the key issues facing West Virginia, with Michael highlighting the importance of education in addressing these problems. Michael, an educator and conservative commentator, expressed his commitment to overhauling the state’s education system, particularly in Jefferson County. He criticized the current curriculum, which he said was often based on far-left agendas, and called for an end to the use of the Common Core curriculum. Michael also emphasized the need to attract and retain talented teachers by paying them fairly.

Improving Society Through Family Culture in West Virginia
Richard and Michael discussed the potential of West Virginia leading the way in improving society by establishing a culture of family and life. They highlighted the importance of incentivizing marriage and parenthood, investing in childcare, and providing support to young mothers. Richard agreed, suggesting the adoption of clear standards for abstinence education in schools.

Solar Farms and Alternative Energy Sources
Richard and Michael discussed the issue of solar farms in their county. Michael expressed his concerns about the environmental impact of solar farms, stating that they not only ruin the landscape but also cease to function effectively after a few years. He suggested investing in other forms of energy, such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. He also pointed out that the incumbent had been promoting this initiative for a long time.

Discussing Vaccine Exemptions and Monitoring
Richard and Michael discussed the recent veto of a bill by Governor Jim Justice that would have granted partial vaccination exemptions for private schools and some virtual schools. Michael expressed his support for a nuanced approach to vaccination, emphasizing the importance of respecting medical freedom while also acknowledging the risks posed by unvaccinated individuals, particularly in the context of COVID-19. He also endorsed the need for religious exemptions but argued that proven vaccines like polio, mumps, and measles should not be removed. He further suggested that students claiming religious exemptions should be closely monitored, especially if they are coming from areas with high disease prevalence.

Endless Mandates and Constitutional Amendments
Richard and Michael discussed the issue of endless mandates, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Richard explained that Governor Justice had put in place numerous mandates during the pandemic, which were not limited in time by the West Virginia Constitution. Michael agreed that this situation should be revised, stating that no mandate should be endless and that emergency mandates should have a clear end. They both agreed on the need to amend the constitution to include such limits.

Hope Scholarship Program and Amendments
Richard and Michael discussed the Hope Scholarship program in West Virginia. Michael expressed his concerns about the program’s lack of options in certain areas and its impact on the state’s finances. He proposed an amendment to examine the spending of public schools and redirect funds towards teachers, as well as the idea of electing the school superintendent publicly to provide a check on the Board of Education. He also suggested revisiting the failed Amendment 4, which aimed to prevent leftist agendas in schools. Richard supported these ideas and mentioned they had been discussed with Board of Education candidates.

Improving Election Integrity and Voter Registration
Richard and Michael discussed election integrity and potential improvements to the voting system. Michael proposed that voters should be able to seal their vote with a thumbprint to prevent voter fraud, a measure he believed would be particularly effective when combined with voter ID checks. They also discussed the issue of automatic voter registration at the DMV, with Michael suggesting that non-citizens should not be registered to vote. However, Richard pointed out that many jurisdictions do not verify citizenship, even with a box on the registration form, and that the Biden Administration has been directing non-citizens to vote.

Discussing Tax Reform in West Virginia
Michael and Richard discussed the issue of high property and personal property taxes in West Virginia, particularly in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Michael suggested that alleviating the tax burden could have a significant positive impact on the state’s economy, and proposed the complete repeal of the income tax, following the example of New Hampshire. Richard, while acknowledging the high tax burden, showed interest in a different approach, hinting at the need to reassess the distribution of the property tax.

Michael’s Legislative Platform and Strategy
Michael differentiated himself from his opponents by emphasizing his commitment to effective legislature, prioritizing education, and his approach of thinking boldly to create jobs in the district. He criticized the incumbent’s strategy of co-signing bills as a mere endorsement of other’s ideas, and instead advocated for a more active and independent legislator. Richard thanked Michael for his time and assured him that their discussion would be shared on various platforms. Michael then urged the voters to support him in the upcoming election on May 14th.

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Summary
Introducing Barbara Buller, Pro-Life Delegate Candidate
Richard introduced Barbara Buller, a pro-life, constitutional conservative candidate running for delegate in District 98, following the vacancy left by Delegate Espinosa’s run for the West Virginia Senate. Barbara shared her personal journey from the Board of Education to the delegate race, highlighting her belief in individual liberty, smaller government, and the rule of law. Barbara is also pro-Second Amendment, pro-coal and pro-gas, pro small business and is for school choice.
Barbara’s Stances on Adoption, Nuclear Power, and Education
Barbara discussed her support for adoptee reform, specifically allowing adoptees to access their original birth certificates. She also expressed her enthusiasm for nuclear power as a clean energy source. Barbara additionally touched on her her belief in the importance of parents’ choice in their children’s education. She also brought up the issue of solar farms, highlighting that they could lead to environmental pollution and that that the right to have solar farms ends with the right of neighbors to not be encumbered with the problems associated with solar compounds.
Vaccination Concerns and Religious Exemptions
Barbara and Richard discussed the issue of vaccinations. Barbara expressed concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine, questioning its safety as it was not thoroughly tested. She shared her support for religious exemptions from vaccinations. Richard pointed out that not all vaccines are mandated, like the COVID-19 vaccine, which was only required for health workers and the military. Barbara disclosed that while her children and she have been vaccinated, one member of her household has not due to these concerns.
Governor’s Power Concentration During Pandemic
Richard and Barbara discussed the issue of excessive power given to the governor during the Covid-19 pandemic. Richard pointed out that in 2021, a bill to review and limit the governor’s mandate powers was passed by the House of Delegates but was later gutted in the Senate. As a result, the mandates went on indefinitely without a review process. Barbara expressed her strong opposition to such a concentration of power, stating she would support legislation to limit the governor’s powers if she were elected as a delegate.
Abortion Prevention and Youth Abstinence Focus
Richard and Barbara discussed the topic of abortion and its potential prevention. Richard proposed a shift in focus towards encouraging youth abstinence before marriage, which he believed would reduce about 80% of abortions, and strengthening the family structure, particularly husband and wife relationships. Barbara agreed with Richard and shared her belief that unmarried individuals should abstain to simplify the challenges faced by youth. She also expressed a desire for more programs teaching abstinence to young people.
Amendment, Gender Therapy, and Bill Opposition
She argued that an amendment to West Virginia’s current abortion statute that gives an exception for rape and incest undermines the value of life, suggesting that the perpetrator of the crime should be punished instead to the child that is conceived by such a situation.  A very small number of these types of abortion occur in West Virginia, in any case.   Additionally, Barbara expressed her concerns about the use of hormone therapy to alter a child’s gender, referring to it as “chemical castration”. They also discussed that the bill banning hormone therapy for minors needs fixing, as there is an exception if a child says they have suicidal thoughts.  Richard stated that Senator Tom Takubo, possibly associated with pharmaceutical companies, might have influenced it negatively.  Barbara agreed that the bill needs fixing, and also questioned the logic of granting certain rights to one class of people while taking them away from another.
Election Integrity and New Technologies Concerns
Richard and Barbara had a comprehensive discussion about the issue of election integrity and the concerns surrounding the use of new technologies like black box machines in voting. Barbara voiced her distrust in artificial intelligence and the potential for unauthorized recording, while Richard expressed his concerns about hacking and the lack of transparency in the programming of these machines. They both agreed that the current system, despite its convenience, has come at a cost, and considered the possibility of returning to a system of paper ballots to ensure greater transparency and security. Barbara is concerned that the programming of the code for the machines is not open source, and that there is no way to verify its integrity.