West Virginia Road Bond Election
Saturday October 7, 2017 there will be a special election in West Virginia. Typically I would leave my politics out of this site, but I think this one needs addressed. In July our taxes went up. The gas tax increased and the cost to get your annual decal for your license plate increased. So we are paying some extra cash yet again from our bank account. The state of West Virginia has some money but they went backwards and started collecting the taxes before we vote on how to spend our money.
How to spend our Money
In comes a road bond election. A simple yes or no election, scheduled for Sat Oct 7. The same day many counties will be having fall festivals. Maybe the scheduling was done to encourage low voter turnout? This election seams like its a hidden agenda that not a lot of people are talking about. I listened to Governor Justice speak on the matter last week. He promises no new taxes for the road bond(remember those were already implemented). He claims that if we vote no he will take his ball and go home. I have thought a lot about this vote, and I don’t have many answers. The Governor claims this bond will create over a billion dollars for roadwork. This bond will create 49,000 shovel ready jobs in West Virginia.
New Jobs
Creating 49,000 new jobs in West Virginia will be a great boost. However, when asked how we can make sure those jobs go to West Virginians Governor Justice stated there are not 49,000 people in this great state to hire for these projects. Lets also remember how things went the last time you heard the term “Shovel Ready Jobs.” Those didn’t pan out the way we expected either.
So, we are already ptaying the taxes, our roads need fixed, and we need jobs in WV. If we don’t vote for the road bond where will the money go? Research the issue and make up your own mind. I am hoping that the people of West Virginia do turnout in strong numbers to vote. This is our money thats coming out of our bank accounts, lets have at least a little control over it and vote.
If you want to know what I am doing this election, I am going to grit my teeth and vote yes. I disagree with the politics and the practice that got us to this vote, but I do agree as a traveler of this great state we need better roads and more jobs. Unfortunately as I vote yes I will have a nervous twitch thinking about all the ways the politicians may be lying to us, but this one time I am voting that they do the right thing with my money, and don’t decide to take anymore from me or any other hard working West Virginian.
More info directly from the WV Dept of Transportation
Check out this PDF document listing road work to be done should the bond pass Roads to Prosperity Project List.
And please share your thoughts on this issue in the comment section below.
UPDATE
Unofficial vote totals as of election night stand at 87,751 for the amendment and 37,759 against the amendment, or 73 percent to 27 percent. Unofficial turnout for the special election is 10.94 percent of the 1,222,562 voters who were registered by the Sept. 18th deadline.
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i am so torn on this. thanks for your perspective
giginamay glad I could offer my perspective. My biggest concern is for a vote worth over a billion dollars there is very little being said about the bond itself.