Governor has spine, CEO/Chief Tyrant of Massey miffed
What I heard on NPR and the local TV news warmed me to the new guy in Charleston. He’s about to have a regular WV-style feud with Mr Blankenship of Massey Energy over the pension-rescuing bond sale.

For some reason Blankenship is opposed to such a sale. (He says it’s a gamble, and WV politicians shouldn’t be gambling with the citizens’ money. The governor’s office says Blankenship is angry over last year’s increase in coal severance taxes. Damn. If he could just buy the whole legislature, he wouldn’t have those problems.) Blankenship’s corporation is based in Virginia and I doubt he actually lives in the state, but nevertheless, he is fighting it. Tom was subjected to an “informal” telephone poll about it over the weekend, which included an anti-bond message at the end.

Last night’s local news reported their own poll results showing a majority opposed to the bonds.

I can’t figure out why Blankenship is involved, except that he seems to want to control WV government–and he’s got the money to do it. He virtually bought himself a WV Supreme Court judge last year by financing a huge, grossly slanted campaign. See it here and read about it here.

So, maybe it’s a bad thing and maybe it’s not. But if Blankenship opposes it, I think I must support it. He has no credibility, and I am sorry that any WV citizens would listen to him.