Short Excerpt from the Preface
Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. –Robert F. KennedyFrom the rushing waters of Blackwater Falls to the healing waters of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia is a burst of fresh air that breathes life into the very soul of all who experience her. And it only takes one visit to her to see why the State is known as “Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.” People all over the world have heard of the State through John Denver’s song Country Roads, which begins, “Almost Heaven, West Virginia.” Unfortunately though, in spite of its wealth in beauty, the citizens of West Virginia have been subjected to never-ending political corruption and money dominance over a government that has pervaded the culture of its national, state, and locally elected officials. People of the State are traditionally known as Mountaineers. A Mountaineer, by definition, is not only a native of a mountainous region, but also one who climbs mountains, and indeed, West Virginians are a strong, hardworking, proud people who have emerged from the dark and dirty coal mines and have risen to the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. West Virginians almost universally have a cynical view of politics and after reviewing the history of political corruption in the State at all levels of government, it is easy to understand those feelings, for if political corruption were an Olympic event, West Virginia would be the favorite contender for the Gold Medal. Notwithstanding such a dismal past, recognizing and accepting the State’s history of plutocracy and corruption will provide the incentive as well as the framework for reforming the State’s politics. The result will be that West Virginia will provide the supreme model for national reform. With the countless examples of corrupt politicians throughout West Virginia’s history, the State has also had its share of nationally recognized and exceptional politicians who have worked diligently to improve the lives of many of its citizens. For instance, United States Senator Robert C. Byrd has been a champion for constitutional rights while former United States Senator Jennings Randolph authored the twenty-sixth amendment to the United States Constitution which gave eighteen-year-olds the right to vote. At the outset, I certainly recognize that every state in the Union has low level political hacks who are doing a little bit of chiseling. Unfortunately though, West Virginia has had much more than its fair share of corrupt political felons as countless state, county, and city elected officials have spent time in federal penitentiaries. West Virginians have also witnessed generations of well-intentioned elected officials getting their voices squelched by the countless corrupt politicians who have abused their positions for personal gain. I often try to imagine the opportunities that have been lost by citizens of West Virginia in so many areas of concern such as education, health care, and infrastructure as a result of a long line of corrupt elected officials. The people of the State who proudly call themselves Mountaineers have never been truly free from the depredations of political and financial corruption. Amazingly, while my research demonstrates that West Virginia elections have been among the most corrupt in America, peculiarly, the vast majority of the citizens there are not corrupt; they are honest people seeking to make better lives for their families. Nonetheless, these same straightforward and sincere people seem to have become so desensitized to corruption that many of them laugh at the thought of the countless elected officials who later became felons. Many simply ignore the State’s unfortunate long line of felons which only serves to condone, promote, and perpetuate such behavior. I have heard so many times during my career from numerous politicians that “everything in West Virginia is political except politics and that’s personal.”To read the Preface in its entirety, get your copy of "Don't Buy Another Vote. I Won't Pay for a Landslide." today!
