The Republican candidates for West Virginia governor, most of whom are meeting for a MetroNews debate this week, have expressed their views on the state's economy.
In general, indicators show that the state's economy is doing well.
CNBC, the cable business network, ranked West Virginia's economy 46th in the nation. Workforce, ease of doing business and economic factors received an F rating. Infrastructure received a D-minus. But both business costs and living costs each received a plus.
The unemployment rate in West Virginia was most recently 4.0 percent, a slight increase compared to previous months. The labor force participation rate, which is usually low compared to other states, was 54.7 percent last year. The average annual wage has increased – about $53,000 last year, still lower than the national average.
West Virginia's gross domestic product is trending upward as it recovers from the pandemic.
The economy will be one of the topics of discussion this Thursday when several leading candidates for the Republican nomination for governor of West Virginia gather to debate. The MetroNews debate begins at 7 p.m
The debate, moderated by veteran broadcaster Hoppy Kercheval, will be broadcast on MetroNews radio stations and partners and streamed at www.WVMetroNews.com.
Participants include Secretary of State Mac Warner, House Judiciary Chairman Moore Capito and businessman Chris Miller. Each described a vision for West Virginia's economy in recent appearances on MetroNews' “Talkline.”
Mac Warner: “We have positioned ourselves competitively”
MacWarner
Warner, a two-term statewide officeholder from Morgantown, described the state's economy as both good and bad.
“West Virginia has captured the nation’s attention,” he said. “The Legislature has positioned West Virginia to be competitive in the marketplace with prevailing wages, right-to-work, tax reform and legal reform. We have positioned ourselves to be competitive.”
Warner also cited major economic development announcements such as the Nucor Steel plant in Mason County and the Form Energy industrial battery plant in Weirton. Now it's time to change course, said Warner.
“Instead of just giving companies money to come here, we need to put that money into infrastructure. We’re talking about roads, water, sewer and things like that, so we’re investing in the soil in West Virginia and creating level spaces,” he said.
And what Warner called the bad side is that West Virginia needs to improve in areas like education levels and combating drug addiction. “We have a lot of room for improvement,” he said.
Chris Miller: “We’re in the sweet spot”
West Virginia's economy is in good shape, Miller said, but it can get better.
Chris Miller
“We're at a point where there's a lot of good activity,” Miller said, pointing to the state's gross domestic product growth, which has actually lagged behind most other states. “There’s a lot of great action and activities, and a lot of that has to do with West Virginia having what people are looking for.”
West Virginia has significant energy resources, including coal, natural gas and the potential for nuclear power, he said. The water that flows through the state is also an important resource, he said.
“We have the hills, the trees, the rivers, the streams. We have a high quality of life and a low cost of living. We are surrounded by some of the best people on planet Earth, and there is a family-based, conservative way we look at things that people are desperate to be a part of again.”
Miller, who runs his family's network of car dealerships in southern West Virginia, said his experience can be applied to state government. One of his top goals is to eliminate the state income tax. And he said the state needs to add about 200,000 to 300,000 residents over the next decade.
“We took action to start cutting income taxes, but if we boil West Virginia's problems down to what they really are, our biggest export wasn't our coal, it wasn't our natural gas and it wasn't our lumber – that’s it was our educated children,” he said.
“It is our children from middle class and educated families who are leaving the state. And it's leading to this population exodus that will ultimately actuarially upend our state in terms of our bond ratings, and it's going to drive up the cost of government, and we're not going to have a productive tax base underneath to support this big, bloated existence to justify it – and that will be a bad day for West Virginia.”
Moore Capito: “West Virginia’s economy is growing”
Capito, a Charleston attorney, said the state's economy is on the upswing.
Moore Got it
“If you look at where we are and where we came from, the trend line is very positive,” said Capito, the son of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.
He praised the work of state officials, including the Legislature, to create a business-friendly environment. Capito specifically pointed to the state's flat budget estimates, which would have limited spending.
“And we sold the state of West Virginia to the rest of the country, and by and large that produces great results,” Capito said. “So overall, I would say West Virginia is growing because of the get-it-done principles that we have put in place.”
Capito acknowledged that the state's economy is uneven depending on the region, but said that can improve with work and good planning.
“At the end of the day, we are all West Virginians and we want the best for West Virginia,” he said. “If we grow the entire pie and make it statewide, the rest of the state can grow.”
Other candidates:
Rashida Yost of Martinsburg is also running for the Republican nomination for governor. Its policy page describes working with federal agencies to promote greater energy production. She also advocates “doubling down on mass hiring and production.”
“West Virginia is not a brain-dead state. Whoever came up with this idea is wrong! We are always ready to take on new challenges,” Yost said on her campaign page on economic issues.
Also pre-registered as Republican candidates for governor are Terri Bradshaw of Gandeeville, Edwin Vanover of Bluefield and Roy Lee Springfield Sr. of Harman, although their campaign reports do not show active fundraising efforts.
Patrick Morrisey
Three-term Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, is running but is not participating in the MetroNews debate.
Morrisey appeared on “Talkline” to discuss West Virginia’s economy.
“I would say our economy is slowly recovering, but we still have a tremendous amount of work to do to reach our potential,” Morrisey said. “I am not happy if we rank 48th, 49th or 50th in various economic categories. We won’t take a victory lap if we don’t get our numbers way up.”
Morrisey argued for a comparison of West Virginia with the policies and performance of surrounding states. Like Miller, he advocated eventually eliminating the state income tax.
“That alone would make us much more competitive with other states we touch,” he said. “They want to be a regional powerhouse. This means that you have to be superior to the other states with which you compete.”
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