“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
Would you put your money in a bank that’s only open 60 days a year?
Would you hire a doctor that only practices 60 days a year?
Would you like a supermarket to only serve your community 60 days a year?
Would you insure your car with a company that only accepts claims 60 days a year?
Would you buy a car from a dealer that will only service your car 60 days a year?
I doubt it.
I know I wouldn't.
That’s because the last time I checked my calendar there are 365 days in a year. We expect banks to be open on Saturdays, have 24-hour ATMs, and allow online transactions. We can go to Kroger at 3:00 a.m., buy gas at 4:00 a.m.-every day of the year, and if we are in an accident, file an insurance claim at midnight. And we darned well expect to be able to call the police if a burglar tries to break in at 2:00 in the afternoon or 2:00 in the morning.
We expect service when we want it, and we want service every moment of out 24/7, 365 day a year world.
And we usually get that service-except when it comes to West Virginia government.
But here in West Virginia, we have part-time legislators that work a 60-day scheduled session, some “interims” meetings, and some special sessions.
That may have been good enough in 1863 when West Virginia became a state, but it isn’t good enough in 2007.
We need a full-time legislature to run West Virginia year-round.
So often we hear about West Virginia ranking 49th out of 50 states in key categories. “Thank God for Mississippi” is a popular phrase in The Mountain State.
Too many times real issues crop up during the year that have to wait for the legislative session in January. That’s wrong.
If West Virginia is going to be a leader among the United States, if we are going to attract businesses and talented citizens, one key way is to have a full-time legislature that is “Open For Business” 365 days a year.
There are critics who will scream at the thought of a full-time legislature. They say suggesting a full-time legislature is “political suicide.” They will scream “We don’t want more government.” But this isn’t more government. This isn’t creating one more political office. It is simply making political offices more effective to dealing with issues in the year 2007.
There is the issue of pay. We will have to pay delegates and senators real salaries. This is overdue now. These public servants are paid paltry amounts now. If we want talented leaders we must pay for talent. Paying a delegate only $15,000 a year is insulting. Managers at McDonald’s make more than $15,000 a year!
West Virginia’s 49th ranking proves that things haven’t been working for years. It’s time for a change. When you're mired in 49th place it is time for a bold step. We need a full-time legislature now.
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
