West Virginia
Newspapers speak
Continued from page 4
Obviously, the mere fact that businesses want certain changes
from the Legislature is not the only factor lawmakers must consid-
er. Particularly now, with state revenue suffering from the recession,
tax reform will be a tough sell.
But if our state's economy ever is to make significant strides for-
ward, more must be done to improve the business climate. Good
jobs in manufacturing - the very kind Babe manages on a day-to-day
basis - would both improve the quality of life for many West Vir-
ginians and result in more revenue for state government.
For that reason we encourage legislators to think again about rec-
ommendations made by Babe and many other business leaders.
,Other Editors:
The real result
(
of welfare reform
by David Hedges, Editor
The Times Record
Things have changed since 20 years ago, when 2,000 people
lined up outside the National Guard Armory in Spencer to apply for
jobs at a private prison that never came here.
Now, as reported in these pages a few weeks ago in a story that
made it all the way to USA Today, a manufacturing oPeration that
opened here a year ago is having trouble filling its positions.
It's not just an isolated case. It's a problem I have heard many
other employers complain about as well.
Our area has one of the highest unemployment rates in a state
that also has a high jobless rate. But ask any employer. Not many
people are looking for work.
We have many excellent workers here. And most of them are
working jobs that provide them with a level of satisfaction as well
as a paycheck. The problem is, too many of those not working are
also content with their situation.
A theory I have shared with many is that when Congress passed
welfare reform over a decade ago, it actually had the opposite effect
of what was intended.
By limiting the number of years a person could collect welfare,
it forced people to look for alternatives. They found an aitemative
in the form of disability benefits.
Welfare, as it is commonly called, didn't pay very well. It was
pretty hard, if not downright impossible, to scrape by on welfare
benefits. One consequence of those paltry payments was that it
made the option of work more appealing.
Disability, on the other hand, offers average payments of $500 to
$2,000 per month, according to one Web site I consulted. While that
may not put you in the same tax bracket as Bill Gates, it beats the
beck out of the alternatives, which come down to either starvation
or welfare, with the latter not much better than the former.
So when the government moved people from welfare to disabil-
ity, instead of giving them an incentive we gave them a raise.
The numbers of the disabled are growing, and the TV ads from
lawyers promising help getting disability are growing even faster.
Funny, but I don't ever recall seeing an ad from a lawyer who
wanted to get anyone on welfare. I guess there just wasn't any
money in that.
It's unfortunate and even inexcusable that at the same time we
suffer from high unemployment, there*are jobs, even decent jobs
with benefits, that go unfilled.
Welfare reform was passed in 1996, when we had a Democrat
president and a Republican Congress.
Imagine, in today's political atmosphere, where partisanship
takes precedence over progress, anything being passed at all.
GRANT COUNTY PRESS, Petersburg, West Virginia September 28, 2010 Page 5
A Backward Look
By Harold D. Garber
This week's photo is the
second in a series provided by
Tim Park to document the de-
struction of the bridge over the
South Branch which took place
on Oct. 8, 1940. Next week
will feature the best photo in
his collection which illustrates
the extent of the destruction.
Needless to say, the loss of the
bridge for an extended period
of time certainly affected Pe-
tersburg and the surrounding
area.
It's the prerogative of a
writer to delay publication of
his efforts until he has done his
best to make them accurate and
complete. Therefore, I am not
continuing the coverage about
U.S. Army training in the area,
or information on the local
CCC programs, until I gather a
little more information. Just
consider last week's column,
particularly about the training
of artillery and mountain
troops as a teaser of what is to
come.
This week I'm going to treat
several topics which I hope
you will find interesting. The
first is one which takes center
stage because of a book which
I'm currently reading titled
"Lies My Teacher Told Me" by
James W. Loewen. This book
focuses on what Mr. Loewen
describes as the woefully poor
quality of material in 12 stan-
dard editions used in high
schools to teach American his-
tory. Suffice it to say, he
makes a strong point for doing
radical improvements in our
teaching materials.
With this book in the back
of my mind, I thought about
weaving fin article about things
in print related to Petersburg
and Grant County which may
not be factual or provable.
Here's just one example, kind
of a toss-up, to see if anyone
knows of this even being in the
realm of possibility. Maybe
it's me who has been under a
rock for all these years.
The article: Petersburg,
West Virginia. Where found:
Google search locating said ar-
ticle on "Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia."
Under a section titled "No-
table Natives" I found the fol-
lowing: "M. Blane Michael
Circuit Judge, United States
Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit."
Correct as written. Grant
County can take pride in Blane,
a 1961 graduate of Petersburg
Celanese semi in South Branch
Park
High School, who has had an
exemplary career in law.
BUT, what about the other
listing in Petersburg's "Notable
Natives" (and there are only
two). Preceding the name of
Michael, one of our favorite
sons, I find this citation: "Joan
Banks--A regular on "Gang
Busters" and 33 episodes of
"CBS Radio Mystery Theater."
Just a little stunned by this
information, I visited the Joan
Banks site (again on
Wikipedia) and found this:
"Joan Banks (October 30,
1918-January 18, 1998) was an
American film, television,
stage, and radio actress who
often appeared in dramas with
her husband, Frank Lovejoy."
Under "Personal Life" the
statement appears again: "Born
in Petersburg, West Virginia,
Banks became a regular on the
1930s radio series "Gang-
busters", with Weekly episodes
based on real criminal inci-
dents. She married fellow
"Gangbusters" actor Lovejoy.
The couple had two children (a
boy and a girl)." By the way,
I'm just old enough to remem-
ber the radio program "Gang-
busters" which came on with
screaming sirens and a burst on
machine gun fire. I also re-
member the name of the actor,
Frank Lovejoy, but if Joan
Banks came from Petersburg
I'm informationally deprived.
Now, readers, please tell me
if there is any truth to this list-
ing. I'm not going, to spend
any great deal of time trying to
get to the bottom of this, even
though Wikipedia welcomes
readers to edit their published
material. But onceagain it
at Petersburg. Photo two in
points out that sources must be
used with discretion.
Here's ;/nother listing on the
Intemet on which I need to do
more research. "Grant County
was created from Hardy in
1866 and named for General
Ulysses Simpson Grant. After
the American Civil War, there
was an effort by former Con-
federates to name it 'Lee
County' instead after General
Robert E. Lee, but the effort
proved fruitless."
I'll conclude this little exer-
cise in "checking the facts" by
engaging in a little tongue-in-
cheek exercise with a story I
have related previously. It can
be found on wvghosts.com and
it's the only ghost story that is
listed for Grant County.• The
subheading of the site is "West
Virginia's True Ghost Stories."
You be the judge.
"A headless ghost is some-
times seen walking just south
of Petersburg. The farm of
George Van Meter was located
in Dorcas Hollow, which is
five miles from where Peters-
burg is now located. Van
Meter came to America from
Germany. He was a carpenter
who settled in Dorcas Hollow
when there were only 15 other
families in the entire county.
He built a cabin in isolation, far
out in the woods.
One day he learned that sev-
eral settlers had been killed in
the valley by Huron Indians.
Two days later, as his family
was preparing to travel into
town, he saw a small band of
Indians running out of the for-
est. He told his son to run to
the cabin and take the family to
town.
a series of three (ourtesy of Tim
Van Meter fought the Indi-
ans long enough for his family
to escape. His son and family
made it to town to warn the
other men of Indians. A group
of men from town went back to
rescue Van Meter. When they
got to the Van Meter house,
however, they found the live-
stock had been butchered, the
cabin burned, and Van Meter's
body.
Vah Meter's head was sev-
ered from his body and was
missing.
The men searched the area
for his head. They returned to
town to prepare for a larger at-
tack. However, the Indians did
not attack the town. In town
the next day was found a cook-
ing pot that contained George
Van Meter's head. The Indians
had apparently boiled it. Peo-
ple in the town would not go
near the Van Meter farm, think-
ing this to be either some sort
of Indian curse or else' some
Source of Indian exorcism.
People reported seeing the
headless ghost of George Van
Meter walking around the farm
as though he were searching
for something. People believe
that he is looking for his head.
The two stone chimneys of the
house still stand in Dorcas Hol-
low. The farm was located five
miles south of the town, and
the chimneys are located off
highway 220."
I'm not going to spend any
time trying to verify a fable,
but I sure would like to know
where Dorcas Hollow is locat-
ed just in case the term appears
in anything more factual.
:00Health, care poll: Many think health over laul should do more
, President Barack Obama's
ealth care overhaul has divided
the nation, and Republicans be-
. ]ieve their call for repeal will
"help them win elections in No,
vember. But the picture's not
that clear cut.
A new AP poll finds that
T
;Americans who think the law
should have done more outnum-
ber those who think the govern-
ment should stay out of health
care by 2-to-1.
"I was disappointed that it
didn't provide universal cover-
age," said Bronwyn Bleakley,
35, a biology professor from
cent remained neutral.
Those numbers are no en-
dorsement for Obama's plan, but
the survey also found a deep-
seated desire for change that
could pose a problem for Re-
publicans. Only 25 percent in
the poll said minimal tinkering
would suffice for the health care
system.
Brian Braley, 49, a tech in-
dustry worker from Mesa, Adz.,
wants Washington to keep its
hands off. "I think it's a Trojan
horse," Braley said of the health
care law. "It's a communist, so-
cialist scheme. All the other
Easton, Mass. " countries that have tried this,
More than 30 million 'peoll¢ .. "they're billions in debt, and they
would gain coverage in 2019
when the law is fully phased in,
but another 20 million or so
would remain uninsured. Bleak-
ley, who was uninsured early in
her career, views the overhaul as
a work in progress.
The poll found that about
four in 10 adults think the new
law did not go far enough to
change the health care system,
regardless of whether they sup-
port the law, oppose it or remain
neutral. On the other side, about
one in five say they oppose the
law because they think the fed-
eral government should not be
invOlved in health care at all.
The AP poll was conducted
by Stanford University with the
Robert Wood Johnson Founda-
tion. Overall, 30 percent favored
the legislation, while 40 percent
opposed it, and another 30 per-
admit this doesn't work."
It may well satisfy people
who share Braley's outlook if
Republicans succeed in tearing
out what they dismiss as "Oba-
macare" by the roots. But GOP
leaders would still find them-
selves in a quandary.
Republicans "are going to
have to contend with the 75 per-
cent who want substantial
changes in the system," said
Stanford political science pro-
fessor Jon Krosnick, who direct-
ed the university's" participation.
"Republican legislators' pas-
sion to repeal the legislation" is
understandable if they are pay-
ing attention to members of
their own party," Krosnick
added. "But if they want to be
responsive to all Americans,
there are more Democrats and
independents than there are Re-
publicans."
Health care proposals re-
leased by House Republican
leaders last week 'would create
new insurance options for peo-
ple with medical problems and
for small businesses, but they're
likely to only cover a fraction of
those who would be reached by
Obama's law.
The poll did find some agree-
ment among people who think
the law should do more and
those who think government
should get out.
Broad majorities of both the
"get-outs" and "do-mores" said
medical care, health insurance
and prescription drugs cost too
much. And most said the system
should aim to increase the num-
ber of people with insurance and
enable Americans to get the care
they need, while improving
quality.
The differences emerge when
it comes to the means:
* Only 25 percent of the
"get-outs" favor requiring
health insurance companies to
sell coverage to people regard-
less of pre-existing medical con-
ditions, while 54 percent of the
"do-mores" support it. The law
requires insurers to cover chil-
dren regardless of health prob-
lems starting this year, and that
protection is extended to people
of all ages in 2014.
* Among those who want a
law that does more, 68 percent
favor requiring medium to large
companies to provide insurance
to their workers or pay a fine;
that stands at 28 percent among
those who want the government
out. The law does not require
employers to offer coverage, but
it hits companies that have 50 or
more workers with a penalty if
any full-time employee gets a
government subsidy for health
insurance.
* The "get-outs" overwhelm-
ingly reject the health care law's
requirement that most Ameri-
cans carry health insurance
starting in 2014. But the "do-
mores" are split, with 34 percent
favoring the mandate, 33 per-
cent opposing it, and 32 percent
neutral.
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Tom Gergel, 45, of West
Chester, Pa., said he supports
the health care law because it
moves toward coverage for all
and does away with denial of
coverage to people in poor
health. But he doesn't think it's
perfect.
• "Is this program going to
make it more expensive?" asked
Gergel, who sells computer soft-
ware for engineers. "The jury's
still out versus where we are
now. We have the best health
care in the world for those who
can afford to pay for it, but it
doesn't work for everyone."
The survey was conducted
Aug. 31 to Sept. 7, and involved
interviews with 1,251 randomly
chosen adults nationwide. It has
a margin of sampling error of
plus or minus 3.9 percentage
points.
Motor Co,
" Harman, W.Va. 1lt '
304-227-4131 Visit us on the Web at midwaymotorco.com
D • t = =V
I ki={OIll Ii EOlOI H H Hti|,IM R l I I ]IH I I [tJ R Dkii Hilt 'f,: H I i ( I
Trucks & 4x4s
2008 GMC 3/4 ton crew cab
2007 Chevy Silverado ext. cab 3/4 ton
2007 Chevy Colorado crew cab
2007 Chevy Trailblazer
2007 Ford Ranger extended cab F×4
2007 Chevy Duramax diesel, 38K mi.
2007 Chevy Equinox LT
2007 Chevy crew cab diesel
2006 Chevy rag. cab diesel
2006 Chevy ext. cab long bed
(2) 2006 Chevy extended cab
2005 Chevy crew cab
2004 Chevy Tracker
(2) 2004 Chew extended cab
2004 Chew reg. cab 3/4 ton diesel
2004 Chew Avalance
2004 Chevy 3/4 ton crew Cab HD,
only 15K miles
2003 Chevy Suburban LT
2001 Chevy Tracker 4x4, 74K miles,
like new
2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport
2000 Chew 3/4 ton extended cab
2000 Isuzu Rodeo, 5-speed
1999 Chew S-10 extended cab
Cars
2008 Chevy Malibu, 4-dr., 20K miles 2007 Chevy Cobalt, 4-dr., 26K mi.
2008 Chew Cobalt LT, 4-dr. 2006 Saturn Ion, 4-dr.
2008 Chevy Impale LT 2006 Chevy Malibu, immaculate, 50K
2008 Chevy Cobalt, 2-dr. (2) 2004 Chevy Cavalier, 2-dr.
Miscellaneous
Western Snow Plow $2,400
West Virginia
Newspapers speak
Continued from page 4
Obviously, the mere fact that businesses want certain changes
from the Legislature is not the only factor lawmakers must consid-
er. Particularly now, with state revenue suffering from the recession,
tax reform will be a tough sell.
But if our state's economy ever is to make significant strides for-
ward, more must be done to improve the business climate. Good
jobs in manufacturing - the very kind Babe manages on a day-to-day
basis - would both improve the quality of life for many West Vir-
ginians and result in more revenue for state government.
For that reason we encourage legislators to think again about rec-
ommendations made by Babe and many other business leaders.
,Other Editors:
The real result
(
of welfare reform
by David Hedges, Editor
The Times Record
Things have changed since 20 years ago, when 2,000 people
lined up outside the National Guard Armory in Spencer to apply for
jobs at a private prison that never came here.
Now, as reported in these pages a few weeks ago in a story that
made it all the way to USA Today, a manufacturing oPeration that
opened here a year ago is having trouble filling its positions.
It's not just an isolated case. It's a problem I have heard many
other employers complain about as well.
Our area has one of the highest unemployment rates in a state
that also has a high jobless rate. But ask any employer. Not many
people are looking for work.
We have many excellent workers here. And most of them are
working jobs that provide them with a level of satisfaction as well
as a paycheck. The problem is, too many of those not working are
also content with their situation.
A theory I have shared with many is that when Congress passed
welfare reform over a decade ago, it actually had the opposite effect
of what was intended.
By limiting the number of years a person could collect welfare,
it forced people to look for alternatives. They found an aitemative
in the form of disability benefits.
Welfare, as it is commonly called, didn't pay very well. It was
pretty hard, if not downright impossible, to scrape by on welfare
benefits. One consequence of those paltry payments was that it
made the option of work more appealing.
Disability, on the other hand, offers average payments of $500 to
$2,000 per month, according to one Web site I consulted. While that
may not put you in the same tax bracket as Bill Gates, it beats the
beck out of the alternatives, which come down to either starvation
or welfare, with the latter not much better than the former.
So when the government moved people from welfare to disabil-
ity, instead of giving them an incentive we gave them a raise.
The numbers of the disabled are growing, and the TV ads from
lawyers promising help getting disability are growing even faster.
Funny, but I don't ever recall seeing an ad from a lawyer who
wanted to get anyone on welfare. I guess there just wasn't any
money in that.
It's unfortunate and even inexcusable that at the same time we
suffer from high unemployment, there*are jobs, even decent jobs
with benefits, that go unfilled.
Welfare reform was passed in 1996, when we had a Democrat
president and a Republican Congress.
Imagine, in today's political atmosphere, where partisanship
takes precedence over progress, anything being passed at all.
GRANT COUNTY PRESS, Petersburg, West Virginia September 28, 2010 Page 5
A Backward Look
By Harold D. Garber
This week's photo is the
second in a series provided by
Tim Park to document the de-
struction of the bridge over the
South Branch which took place
on Oct. 8, 1940. Next week
will feature the best photo in
his collection which illustrates
the extent of the destruction.
Needless to say, the loss of the
bridge for an extended period
of time certainly affected Pe-
tersburg and the surrounding
area.
It's the prerogative of a
writer to delay publication of
his efforts until he has done his
best to make them accurate and
complete. Therefore, I am not
continuing the coverage about
U.S. Army training in the area,
or information on the local
CCC programs, until I gather a
little more information. Just
consider last week's column,
particularly about the training
of artillery and mountain
troops as a teaser of what is to
come.
This week I'm going to treat
several topics which I hope
you will find interesting. The
first is one which takes center
stage because of a book which
I'm currently reading titled
"Lies My Teacher Told Me" by
James W. Loewen. This book
focuses on what Mr. Loewen
describes as the woefully poor
quality of material in 12 stan-
dard editions used in high
schools to teach American his-
tory. Suffice it to say, he
makes a strong point for doing
radical improvements in our
teaching materials.
With this book in the back
of my mind, I thought about
weaving fin article about things
in print related to Petersburg
and Grant County which may
not be factual or provable.
Here's just one example, kind
of a toss-up, to see if anyone
knows of this even being in the
realm of possibility. Maybe
it's me who has been under a
rock for all these years.
The article: Petersburg,
West Virginia. Where found:
Google search locating said ar-
ticle on "Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia."
Under a section titled "No-
table Natives" I found the fol-
lowing: "M. Blane Michael
Circuit Judge, United States
Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit."
Correct as written. Grant
County can take pride in Blane,
a 1961 graduate of Petersburg
Celanese semi in South Branch
Park
High School, who has had an
exemplary career in law.
BUT, what about the other
listing in Petersburg's "Notable
Natives" (and there are only
two). Preceding the name of
Michael, one of our favorite
sons, I find this citation: "Joan
Banks--A regular on "Gang
Busters" and 33 episodes of
"CBS Radio Mystery Theater."
Just a little stunned by this
information, I visited the Joan
Banks site (again on
Wikipedia) and found this:
"Joan Banks (October 30,
1918-January 18, 1998) was an
American film, television,
stage, and radio actress who
often appeared in dramas with
her husband, Frank Lovejoy."
Under "Personal Life" the
statement appears again: "Born
in Petersburg, West Virginia,
Banks became a regular on the
1930s radio series "Gang-
busters", with Weekly episodes
based on real criminal inci-
dents. She married fellow
"Gangbusters" actor Lovejoy.
The couple had two children (a
boy and a girl)." By the way,
I'm just old enough to remem-
ber the radio program "Gang-
busters" which came on with
screaming sirens and a burst on
machine gun fire. I also re-
member the name of the actor,
Frank Lovejoy, but if Joan
Banks came from Petersburg
I'm informationally deprived.
Now, readers, please tell me
if there is any truth to this list-
ing. I'm not going, to spend
any great deal of time trying to
get to the bottom of this, even
though Wikipedia welcomes
readers to edit their published
material. But onceagain it
at Petersburg. Photo two in
points out that sources must be
used with discretion.
Here's ;/nother listing on the
Intemet on which I need to do
more research. "Grant County
was created from Hardy in
1866 and named for General
Ulysses Simpson Grant. After
the American Civil War, there
was an effort by former Con-
federates to name it 'Lee
County' instead after General
Robert E. Lee, but the effort
proved fruitless."
I'll conclude this little exer-
cise in "checking the facts" by
engaging in a little tongue-in-
cheek exercise with a story I
have related previously. It can
be found on wvghosts.com and
it's the only ghost story that is
listed for Grant County.• The
subheading of the site is "West
Virginia's True Ghost Stories."
You be the judge.
"A headless ghost is some-
times seen walking just south
of Petersburg. The farm of
George Van Meter was located
in Dorcas Hollow, which is
five miles from where Peters-
burg is now located. Van
Meter came to America from
Germany. He was a carpenter
who settled in Dorcas Hollow
when there were only 15 other
families in the entire county.
He built a cabin in isolation, far
out in the woods.
One day he learned that sev-
eral settlers had been killed in
the valley by Huron Indians.
Two days later, as his family
was preparing to travel into
town, he saw a small band of
Indians running out of the for-
est. He told his son to run to
the cabin and take the family to
town.
a series of three (ourtesy of Tim
Van Meter fought the Indi-
ans long enough for his family
to escape. His son and family
made it to town to warn the
other men of Indians. A group
of men from town went back to
rescue Van Meter. When they
got to the Van Meter house,
however, they found the live-
stock had been butchered, the
cabin burned, and Van Meter's
body.
Vah Meter's head was sev-
ered from his body and was
missing.
The men searched the area
for his head. They returned to
town to prepare for a larger at-
tack. However, the Indians did
not attack the town. In town
the next day was found a cook-
ing pot that contained George
Van Meter's head. The Indians
had apparently boiled it. Peo-
ple in the town would not go
near the Van Meter farm, think-
ing this to be either some sort
of Indian curse or else' some
Source of Indian exorcism.
People reported seeing the
headless ghost of George Van
Meter walking around the farm
as though he were searching
for something. People believe
that he is looking for his head.
The two stone chimneys of the
house still stand in Dorcas Hol-
low. The farm was located five
miles south of the town, and
the chimneys are located off
highway 220."
I'm not going to spend any
time trying to verify a fable,
but I sure would like to know
where Dorcas Hollow is locat-
ed just in case the term appears
in anything more factual.
:00Health, care poll: Many think health over laul should do more
, President Barack Obama's
ealth care overhaul has divided
the nation, and Republicans be-
. ]ieve their call for repeal will
"help them win elections in No,
vember. But the picture's not
that clear cut.
A new AP poll finds that
T
;Americans who think the law
should have done more outnum-
ber those who think the govern-
ment should stay out of health
care by 2-to-1.
"I was disappointed that it
didn't provide universal cover-
age," said Bronwyn Bleakley,
35, a biology professor from
cent remained neutral.
Those numbers are no en-
dorsement for Obama's plan, but
the survey also found a deep-
seated desire for change that
could pose a problem for Re-
publicans. Only 25 percent in
the poll said minimal tinkering
would suffice for the health care
system.
Brian Braley, 49, a tech in-
dustry worker from Mesa, Adz.,
wants Washington to keep its
hands off. "I think it's a Trojan
horse," Braley said of the health
care law. "It's a communist, so-
cialist scheme. All the other
Easton, Mass. " countries that have tried this,
More than 30 million 'peoll¢ .. "they're billions in debt, and they
would gain coverage in 2019
when the law is fully phased in,
but another 20 million or so
would remain uninsured. Bleak-
ley, who was uninsured early in
her career, views the overhaul as
a work in progress.
The poll found that about
four in 10 adults think the new
law did not go far enough to
change the health care system,
regardless of whether they sup-
port the law, oppose it or remain
neutral. On the other side, about
one in five say they oppose the
law because they think the fed-
eral government should not be
invOlved in health care at all.
The AP poll was conducted
by Stanford University with the
Robert Wood Johnson Founda-
tion. Overall, 30 percent favored
the legislation, while 40 percent
opposed it, and another 30 per-
admit this doesn't work."
It may well satisfy people
who share Braley's outlook if
Republicans succeed in tearing
out what they dismiss as "Oba-
macare" by the roots. But GOP
leaders would still find them-
selves in a quandary.
Republicans "are going to
have to contend with the 75 per-
cent who want substantial
changes in the system," said
Stanford political science pro-
fessor Jon Krosnick, who direct-
ed the university's" participation.
"Republican legislators' pas-
sion to repeal the legislation" is
understandable if they are pay-
ing attention to members of
their own party," Krosnick
added. "But if they want to be
responsive to all Americans,
there are more Democrats and
independents than there are Re-
publicans."
Health care proposals re-
leased by House Republican
leaders last week 'would create
new insurance options for peo-
ple with medical problems and
for small businesses, but they're
likely to only cover a fraction of
those who would be reached by
Obama's law.
The poll did find some agree-
ment among people who think
the law should do more and
those who think government
should get out.
Broad majorities of both the
"get-outs" and "do-mores" said
medical care, health insurance
and prescription drugs cost too
much. And most said the system
should aim to increase the num-
ber of people with insurance and
enable Americans to get the care
they need, while improving
quality.
The differences emerge when
it comes to the means:
* Only 25 percent of the
"get-outs" favor requiring
health insurance companies to
sell coverage to people regard-
less of pre-existing medical con-
ditions, while 54 percent of the
"do-mores" support it. The law
requires insurers to cover chil-
dren regardless of health prob-
lems starting this year, and that
protection is extended to people
of all ages in 2014.
* Among those who want a
law that does more, 68 percent
favor requiring medium to large
companies to provide insurance
to their workers or pay a fine;
that stands at 28 percent among
those who want the government
out. The law does not require
employers to offer coverage, but
it hits companies that have 50 or
more workers with a penalty if
any full-time employee gets a
government subsidy for health
insurance.
* The "get-outs" overwhelm-
ingly reject the health care law's
requirement that most Ameri-
cans carry health insurance
starting in 2014. But the "do-
mores" are split, with 34 percent
favoring the mandate, 33 per-
cent opposing it, and 32 percent
neutral.
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Tom Gergel, 45, of West
Chester, Pa., said he supports
the health care law because it
moves toward coverage for all
and does away with denial of
coverage to people in poor
health. But he doesn't think it's
perfect.
• "Is this program going to
make it more expensive?" asked
Gergel, who sells computer soft-
ware for engineers. "The jury's
still out versus where we are
now. We have the best health
care in the world for those who
can afford to pay for it, but it
doesn't work for everyone."
The survey was conducted
Aug. 31 to Sept. 7, and involved
interviews with 1,251 randomly
chosen adults nationwide. It has
a margin of sampling error of
plus or minus 3.9 percentage
points.
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only 15K miles
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2008 Chevy Cobalt, 2-dr. (2) 2004 Chevy Cavalier, 2-dr.
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West Virginia
Newspapers speak
Continued from page 4
Obviously, the mere fact that businesses want certain changes
from the Legislature is not the only factor lawmakers must consid-
er. Particularly now, with state revenue suffering from the recession,
tax reform will be a tough sell.
But if our state's economy ever is to make significant strides for-
ward, more must be done to improve the business climate. Good
jobs in manufacturing - the very kind Babe manages on a day-to-day
basis - would both improve the quality of life for many West Vir
gthians and result in more revenue for state government.
For that reason we encourage legislators to think again about iec-
ormnendations made by Babe and many other business leaders.
Other Editors:
The real resultg
of welfare reform
by David Hedges, Editor
The Times Record
Things have changed since 20 years ago, when 2,O0O people
lined up outside the National Gud Armory in Spence r to apply for
jobs at a private prison that never came here.
Now, as reported in these pages a few weeks ago in a story that
made it all the way to USA Today, a manufacturing operation that
opened here a year ago is having trouble filling its positions.
It's not just an isolated case. It's a problem I have heard many
other employers complain about as well.
Our area has one of the highest unemployment rates in a state
that also has a high jobless rate. But ask My employer. Not many
people are looking for work.
We have many excellent workers here. And most of them are
working jobs that provide them with a level of satisfaction as well
s a paychk. The prohlem is, t inany of those not working are
also content with their situation.
A theory I have shared with many is that when Congress passed
welfare reform over a decade ago. it actually had the opposite effect
of what was intended.
By limiting the number of years a person could collect welfare,
it forced people to look for alternatives. They found an ahemative
in the form of disability benefits.
Welfare. as it is commonly called, didn't pay very well. It was
pretty bard, if not downright impossible, to scrape by on welfare
benefits. One consequence of those paltry payments was that it
made the option of work more appealing.
Disability, on the other hand, offers average payments of $500 to
$2,000 per month, according to one Web site I consulted. While that
may not put you in the same tax bracket as Bill Gates, it beats the
beck out of the nltcrnagves, which come down to either starvation
or welfare, with the latter not much better than the former.
So when the govermaent moved people from welfare to disabil-
ity. instead of giving them an incentive we gave them a raise.
The nabers of the disabled e growing, d the TV ads from
lawyers promising help getting disability are growing even faster.
Funny, but 1 don't ever recall seeing an ad from a lawyer who
wanted to get anyone on welfare. 1 guess there just wasn't any
money in that.
It's unfortunate and even inexcusable that at the same time we
suffer from high unemployment, there are jobs. even decent jobs
with benefits, that go unfilled.
Welfare reform was passed in 1996. when we had a Deinocrat
president and a Republican Congress.
i GRANT COUNTY PRESS, Petersburg, West Virginia September 28, 2010 Page 5
A Backward Look
By Harold D. Garber
This week's photo is the
second in a seres provided by
Tim park to document the de-
stmction of the bridge over the
South Branch which took place
on Oct. 8, 1940. Next week
will feature the best photo in
his collection which illustrates
the extent of the destruction.
Needless to say, the loss of the
bridge for an extended period
of time certainly affected Pe-
tersburg and the surrounding
area.
It's the prerogative of a
writer to delay publication of
his efforts until he has dune his
best to make them accurate mid
complete. Therefore, i not
continuing the coverage about
U.S. Army training in the area.
or information on the local
CCC programs, until I gather a
little more information. Just
consider last week's column,
particdiarly about the training
of artillery and mountain
troops as a teaser of what is to
come+
This week i'm going to treat
several topics which I hope
you will find interesting'. The
first is one which takes center
stage because of a book which
I'm currently reading titled
"Lies My Teacher Told Me" by
James W. Loewen. This book
focuses on what Mr. Loewen
describes as the woefully poor
quality of material in 12 stan-
dard editions used in high
schools to teach American his
tory. Sufi'ice it to say. he
makes a strong point for doing
radical improvenlents in our
teaching materials.
With this book in the back
of my mind, i thought about
weaving an article about things
in print related to Petersburg
and Grant County which may
not be factual or provable.
Here's just one example, kind
of a toss up, to see if yone
knows of this even being in the
realm of possibility. Maybe
it's me who has been under a
rock for all these yes.
The article: Petersburg.
West Virginia. Where found:
Googhi search locating said ar
ticle on "Wikipedia. the free
encyclopedia."
Under a section titled "No-
table Natives" I found the fol-
lowing: "M. Blanc Michael--
Circuit Judge. United States
Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit."
Correct as written. Grit
Celanese senti in South Branch at Petersburg. Photo two in a
Park
High School. who has had an
exemplary career in law.
BUT, what about the other
listing in Petersburg's "Notable
Natives" (and there are only
two). Preceding the name of
Michael, one of our favqrite
sons, l find this citation: "Joan
Banks regular on "Gang
Busters" and 33 episodes of
"CBS Radio Mystery Theater."
Just a little stunned by this
information. I visited the Joan
Banks site (again on
Wikipedia) and found this:
"Joan Banks (October 30,
1918-January 18, 1998) was an
American film, television,
stage, d radio actress who
often appeared in dramas with
her husband. Frank Lovejoy?'
Under "Personal Life" the
statement appears again: "Born
in Petersburg, West Virginia,
Banks became a regular on the
1930s radio series "Gang-
busters", with weekly episodes
based on real criminal inci-
dents. She married fellow
"Gangbusters" actor Lovejoy.
The couple hod two children (a
boy and a girl)." By the way,
I'm just old enough to remem-
ber the radio program "Gang-
busters" which came on with
screarmng sirens and a burst on
machine gun fire. I also re-
member the name of the actor,
Frank Lovejoy. hut if Joan
Banks can]e from Petersburg
I'm informationally deprived.
Now, readers, please tell me
if there s any truth to this list-
ing. i'm not going to spend
any great deal of time trying to
get to the bottom of this, even
though Wikipedia welcomes
points out that sources must be
used with discretion.
Here's another listing on the
Interact on which I need to do
more research. "Grant County
was created from Hardy in
1866 and named for General
Ulysses Simpson Grant. After
the American Civil War, there
was an affbrt by former Con-
federates to name it 'Lee
County' instead after General
Robert E. Lee, but the effort
proved fmifless."
l'g conclude this little exer
else in "checking the facts" by
engaging in a little tongue-in-
cheek exercise with a story 1
have related previously. It cl
be found ou wvghosts.com and
it's the only ghost story that is
listed fur Grant County. The
subheading of the site is "West
Virginia's True Ghost Stories."
You be the judge.
"A headless ghost is solne-
tiines seen walking just south
of Petersburg. The farm of
George Van Meter was located
in Dorcas Hollow, which is
five miles from where Peters-
burg is now located. Van
Meter came to America from
Germy. He was a carpenter
who settled in Dorcas Hollow
when there were only 15 other
families in the entire county.
He built a cabin in isolation, far
out in the woods.
One day be learned that sev-
eral settlers had been killed in
the valley by Huron Indians.
Two days later, as his family
was preparing to travel into
town, he saw a small band of
Indians running out of the for-
est. He told his son to run to
series of three courtesy of Tim
Van Meter fuught the Indi-
ans long enough for his family
to escape. His son and faadily
made it to town to warn the
other men of Indies. A group
of men from town went back to
rescue Van Meter. When they
got to the Van Meter house.
however, they found the live
stock had been butchered, the
cabin burned, and Van Meter's
body.
Vail Meter's head was sev-
ered from his body and was
missing.
The men searched the area
for his head. They returned to
town to prepare for a larger at-
tack. However, the Indies did
not attack the town. In town
the next day was found a cook
thg pot that contained George
Van Meter's head. The Indians
had apparently boiled it. Peo-
ple in the town would not go
near the Van Meter farm. think-
ing this to be either some sort
of Indian curse or else some
source of Indian exorcism.
People reported seeing the
headless ghost of George Van
Meter walking around the farm
as though he were seching
for something. People believe
that he is looking for his bead.
The two stone chimneys of the
house still stand in Dorcas Hol-
low. The farm was lated five
miles south of the town. and
the chimneys are located off
highway 220."
I'm not going to spend any
time trying to verify a fable.
but l sure would like to know
where Dorcas Hollow is Iocat
ed just in case the term appes
in anything more factual.
Imagine, in today's political atmosphere, where partisanship CountycantakepfideinBlane, readers toed]] theft published the cabin and take tbe fanrily to
takes precedence over progress, anything being passed at all. a 1961 graduate of Petersbnrg material. But once again it town.
i!Health care poll: Many think health overhaul should do more
, ? president Barack Obama's cent remained neutral.
• lealth care overhaul has divided Those numbers are no en-
be nation, and Republicans be- dorsement for Obama's plan, but
]ieve their call for repeal will the survey also found a deep-
5elp them w0n elections in No; seated desire for change that
vember. But the picture's not could pose a problem for Re-
that clear cut. publicans. Only 25 percent in
A new AP poll finds that the poll said minimal tinkering
Americans wbo think the law would suffice for the health care
should have done more oumum- system.
her those who thing the govern- Brian Brahiy, 49, a tech in-
ment should stay out of health dustry worker from Mesa, Adz,.
care by2-to-l, wants Washington Io keep its
"I was disappointed that it hands Off. "I thing it's a Trojan
didn't provide universal cover- horse." Braley said of the health
age." said Bronwyn Bleakley. care law. "It's a communist, so-
35, a biology professor from nlaiixt scheme. All the other
Easton. Mass. countries that have tried this,
More than 30 million peo!fu, they're billions in debt, and they
would gain coverage in 2019 admit this doesn't work."
when the law is fully phased in, It may well satisf), people
but another 20 million or so who share Braley's outlook if
would remain uninsured. Bleak- Republicans succeed in tearing
hiy, who was uninsured early in
her career, views the overhaul as
a work in progress.
The poll found that about
four in 10 adults think the new
law did not go far enough to
change the health care system,
regardless of whether they sup-
port the law. oppose it or maln
neutral. On the other side, about
one in five say they oppose the
law because they think the fed-
era] government should not be
involved in beaith care at all.
The AP poll was conducted
out what they dismiss as "Oba-
macare" by the roots. But CrOP
leaders would still find them-
selves in a quandary.
Republicms "e going to
have to contend with the 75 per-
cent who want substantial
changes in the system," said
Stford political science pro-
fessor Jon Krosnick, who direct-
ed the university's participation.
"Republican higisla[ols' pas-
sion to repeal the legislation is
understandabhi if they are pay-
ing attention to members of
by Stanford University with the their own party," Krosnick
Robert Wood Johnson Founda- added. "But if they want at be
tion, Overall, 30 percent favored responsive to all Americans,
the legislation, while 40 percent there are more Democrats and
opposed it, d another 30 per- independents than there are Re-
publicans."
Health care proposals re-
leased by House Republican
leaders last week wonld create
new insurance options for peo-
ple with medical problems and
for small businesses, but they're
likely to only cover a fraction of
those who would be reached by
Obama's law.
The poll did find some agree-
ment among people who think
the law should do more and
those wbo think government
should get out.
Broad majorities of both the
"get-outs" and "do-mores" said
medical care, health insurance
and prescription drugs cost too
much. And most said the system
should aim to increase the num-
ber of people with insurance and
enable Americans to get the care
they need, while improving
quality.
The differences emerge when
it comes o the means:
* Only 25 percent of the
"get-outs" favor requiring
health insurance companies to
sell coverage to people regard-
less of pro-existing medical con-
ditions, while 54 percent of the
"do-mores" support it. The law
requires insurers to cover chil-
dren regardless of health prob-
lems starting this year. and that
protection is extended to people
of all ages in 2014.
* Among those who want a
law that does more, 68 percent
favor requiring medium to large
companies to provide insurance
to their workers or pay a fine;
that stands at 28 percent among
those who want the government
out. The law does not require
employers to offer coverage, but
it hits companies that have 50 or
more workers with a penalty if
y full time employee gets a
government subsidy for health
insurance.
* The "get-outs" overwhelm-
ingly reject the health care law's
requirement that most Ameri-
cans carry health insurance
starting in 2014. But the "do-
mores" are split, with 34 percent
favoring the mandate, 33 per-
cent opposing it, and 32 percent
neutral.
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(
Tom Gergel, 45, of West now. We have the best health
Chester, Pa., said he supports care in the world for those who
the health care law because it can afford to pay for it, but it
moves toward coverage for all doesn't work for everyone."
and ds away with denial of The survey was conducted
coverage to people in poor Aug. 81 to Sept. 7, and involved
health. But he doesn't think it's interviews with 1,251 randomly
perfect, chosen adults nationwide. It has
"Is this program going to a margin of smnpting error of
make it more expensive?" asked plus or minus 3.9 percentage
Gergel, who sells computer soft- points.
ware for engineer. "The jury's
still out versus where we are
Motor Co,
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