Government Spending Soars
WV GOVT SPENDING SOARSAS LOBBYISTS CONTROLLED AGENDA
Most News Media Continue To Fail To Report Sad Tale Of Lobbyists And SB550
CHARLESTON, WV – S.B. 550, which passed the West Virginia Legislature March 12, established a fund that will pay $100 million of taxpayer dollars directly to private billion dollar companies in West Virginia. In addition to $100 million in public money to private and profitable companies, Tomblin signed into law nearly $800 million over ten years for government worker pay raises. While spending and unemployment soars, Tomblin and the Democrat-controlled Legislature failed to address pressing issues like the $8 billion pension crisis or Marcellus gas legislation.
“Tomblin said he was “worried” about the effect on the budget of a $65 million pay raise for government workers," said Mike Stuart, Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party. “Tomblin seems to have no such “worry” for a $100 million payday for large, private, and profitable companies despite a Marcellus industry that is left hanging and an $8 billion pension crisis. Joe Manchin is right to say that Tomblin needs to get serious about Marcellus gas legislation and that the issue cannot wait until next session.”
“The lobbyists had total control over the liberal Democrats and the Legislative agenda and in the past session,” said Stuart. “The lobbyists were very successful in getting massive spending increases for the special interests passed - nearly $1 billion over the next ten years. The public deserves to know more about these lobbyists – the lobbyists that led the effort to pass SB550. Who are the lobbyists that represented the recipients of the $100 million give-away?”
“West Virginia families are struggling,” continued Stuart. “The federal government may be shut-down because of a crisis of spending. State governments across the country are making drastic cuts to their budgets to deal with the challenging economy but not West Virginia. Tomblin and the Democrats are spending money like it grows on trees."
"If we have $100 million to simply give away to private companies, maybe we should consider giving that money back to the taxpayers. Let's eliminate the food tax, allow mortgage interest to be deducted on state taxes, or repeal the tax on social security in our state. How about an intermediate court of appeals? A $100 million give-away will do nothing to grow our economy or jobs.”
“Although most of the news media refuses to tell the sad story of SB550 and its $100 million give-away possibly because of the big advertising dollars they receive from the winners of the $100 million give-away, the public is right to be outraged,” said Stuart. “The public deserves to know why Tomblin is such a fierce supporter of the bill, who the lobbyists are that concocted this scheme, and why he supports $100 million give-aways while refusing to deal with Marcellus shale gas or the pension crisis.”
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Paid for by the WV Republican Party
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