Talkline | Dec. 9, 2025 - MetroNews Talkline

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Good morning, coming up. Lots to cover today.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Weather was awful in parts of the state the last
twenty four hours or so.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
We'll get an update later on.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Will the legislature consider some changes to the spousal surcharge
in p E I A and the Eastern Panhandle continues
to grow.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
We'll dive into all that and more.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
This is Metro News talk Line Underway.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Radio, turned off from the studios of w v RC
Media and the Metro News Radio and Television Network. The
Voice up West Virginia comes the most powerful show in
West Virginia. This it's Metro News talk Line with Dave
Wilson and DJ Meadows.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Cube Point activated.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
Hello, jelltop switch network control from Charleston to morning.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Stand by you David, DJ, You're on Metro News talk
Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling you with coverage
to protect what you care about most. Visit Encova dot
com to learn more.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Good morning, Welcome inside the Encoba Insurance studios. Dave Wilson
with you from Morgantown.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
TJ. Meadows is in Charleston.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Appreciate you being part of the program on one of
our great affiliates across the great State of West Virginia,
or if you're watching on the Metro News TV app.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Jake Link is our video producer today.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Ethan Collins handling the phones eight hundred seven sixty five
Talk eight hundred and seven six five eight two five five.
That's the phone number. You can text the show at
three oh four Talk three oh four. Yes, we'll get
an update on that weather and the roads. From yesterday,
what was going on?

Speaker 1 (01:57):
What's going on this morning?

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Are on a very unofficial meteorologist, all around great guy.
Dave Allen, on loan from Metro News Midday, will join
us coming up bottom of the hour. Next hour, Berkeley
County Commissioner John Hardy will stop by. The panhandle continues
to grow and he is going to try to make
certain the legislature gets that message. Jason Barrett, Senate Finance
Committee Chairman, will join us as well. With all that said,

(02:22):
three or four talk three four and eight hundred and
seven sixty five talk the phone numbers. Say good morning
to TJ. Meadows and we most both got the green
memo today, although different shades.

Speaker 5 (02:32):
Apparently, Luck at the draw, I guess Luck at the draw?

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Did you happen to see We're only on camera, like
fifteen seconds on Metro News television when we do the
championship games.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
But Kyle and I, Kyle Wiggs and I did the
single A.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Game, Yeah, and we were pretty much wearing almost the
exact same jackets.

Speaker 5 (02:52):
I actually thought that we were going old school at
the network and they went out. Remember when you got
that picture of a high be Tony. I mean Jeff
may have been there too. They all had that old
Metro News jacket. I was like, oh, wow, we're going
old school and buying. It's like kind of like the
CBS sports stuff, you know, kind of thing. I actually
thought you guys had done that. So I saw that photo.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah, we both walked in the booth, you know, jackets
on a hanger, hang him up, put him on later
and I looked and he looked, and he's like, those
are exactly the same. I said, no, they're not. Mine's
got a hint of blue, tint of blue in there.
I don't know if our wives connected before the game
or what, but that was going to be exactly what
I was getting ready to say, is, you know, the
wives got together and picked out your al's outfits.

Speaker 5 (03:34):
So there you go.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
We looked like a couple of insurance salesman's what we
looked like they're doop ball game.

Speaker 5 (03:38):
You know what insurance salesman man? Don't knock it. They
did pretty well.

Speaker 6 (03:41):
That's right.

Speaker 5 (03:42):
You may need that one day. Remember that when they
buzzed the tower and top gun. He's like, hey, man,
if you have the number that truck driving school, that's
gonna be you and me one day, one of us.
They're gonna come in here. We're gonna need the number
of the truck driving school.

Speaker 6 (03:53):
But I digress.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
I do have a picture if you want to go
look at it's over on social media somewhere. So yesterday TJ.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
I found myself oddly interested in reading the Hope Scholarship
Report put out by the State Treasurer's Office and State
Treasurer Larry Pack.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Going through it the data.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
There's all kinds of data, number of scholarships awarded, where
the money is spent, how the money is being spent,
And well I was I was oddly interested in. I
don't know about you, but I started looking at the data.
I started looking at some of the numbers and thought, hmm,
this was more interesting than I gave it credit for
being a basic report.

Speaker 5 (04:26):
Yeah, I nerded out on it right away. That doesn't
surprise men, It doesn't surprise anybody. Larry's sitting here laughing
at me as well. I mean, but you know what,
kudos to you all at the Treasurer's office and everybody
that worked on this, because this is what government should do.
You should be accountable and you should have these kinds
of reports. And look, this thing's a hot topic. Some

(04:48):
people like it, some people don't. Let's not beat around
the bush. You can look at this report and have
a very solid understanding and where the money's going.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
So all right, let me kudos the Larry you refer
to by this.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
Let me give the four introduction West Virginia State Treasurer
Larry Pack, who had meant his office administers the Hope Scholarship.
He joins us from the studios in Charleston. Good morning, Larry, Hey,
good morning Dave.

Speaker 6 (05:10):
How are you, sir?

Speaker 1 (05:10):
Doing?

Speaker 7 (05:11):
Well?

Speaker 2 (05:11):
A lot of information in this report about where the
money is going, how the money is being spent. But
the overall takeaway, what is the overall takeaway you want
lawmakers to get from this report, that you want citizens
to get away from this report?

Speaker 6 (05:25):
Well, I think that.

Speaker 8 (05:26):
You know, we look to Hope as we got three
responsibilities into Treasure's office. So the first thing that we
do is we advocate a program we believe in. The
second thing is we administer the program, so we want
to make it as seamless and smooth as we can
within the confines of state government. And then the third
thing is to be transparent. We don't it's tax payer money, right,
everybody needs to be able to see exactly where the

(05:47):
money's going, who it's going to, where it's going, which
counties have Hope students, and how many. So we work
really hard on the transparency thing. We think it's really
important for the legislature to have this information for the
don't really anybody in state government, along with public ad
and again the public to have this information. At the
end of the day, you know, the legislature authorizes the program,

(06:11):
they give us the guardrails for the program, and they
give us the funding. So we need to make sure
that we give them all the information that we have.
And we're trying to do a really good job on
the transparency part. And I really applaud the team who
put this report together. There is a lot of data
there's a lot of information. You can really, as TJ said,
you can really nerd out on this thing.

Speaker 5 (06:32):
But being able to nerd out on it, for instance,
I can go and I can see the top ten
non public schools of where money is going Cross Leans
Christian number one, two hundred and forty six excuse me,
one million and forty six dollars, all the way down
to the single school that got the lowest amount. Yes,
that's that's important for a couple of reasons because I

(06:56):
think it illustrates where we have bandwidth for these students
to go. Because obviously I think these schools are getting
that money based on the bandwidth that they have and
the decisions that parents are making. So anyone that would say, well,
you know, I'm not sure about that school, I'm not
sure what there you go. You can see clearly where

(07:18):
this money is going. And if I'm being frank not
that it's anyone else's business. I think it's the parents
business where they want to send their kids, but it's
public dollars. So here you go. So this whole idea
that this is a black box, I think this report
frankly just nullifies that completely.

Speaker 8 (07:33):
That's right, and we wanted to spell that because here
do hear a lot of people coming out with false
information saying against the black box, we're not transparent, can't
tell where the money's going.

Speaker 6 (07:44):
We absolutely want to show that.

Speaker 8 (07:45):
Again, I think we should do this for a lot
of different government government programs. We don't have anything to hide,
and again we want people to be able to see
where the money's going and what's being used for, particularly
when you get down to the public, the homeschool folks, right,
so all the different things that they buy and who
they buy it from. Of course, Amazon I think is
the biggest vendor on the homeschool side, which makes a

(08:07):
lot of sense, right, But again, we want to make
sure that the policymakers have this information and definitely the
public at large.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
Talking to State Treasurer Larry Pack, Larry, the number of
scholarships awarded first year of the program was about twenty
three hundred, then up to fifty four hundred over ten
twenty four twenty five school year. Do you see those
numbers are their indicators those numbers are going to level
off or are they going to continue on that trajectory?

Speaker 8 (08:33):
Well, they're definitely level off. So this year we're gonna
be around fifteen sixteen thousand. We believe again we have
a rolling eligibility. People are able to sign up anytime
during the year, but next year is kind of the
number we're looking for, and that's when I think things
level off, when when we get to universal eligibility. So
next school year, beginning in August, all K through twelve

(08:56):
students will be eligible to come into the program. So
that's we need to be able to help us project
going forward. Matter fact, we are reviewing our projections. We'll
probably gonna come up with some new numbers here in
the next couple of days. But back a few months ago,
you know, we reduced our budget number from the three
hundred million dollars next year to back to forty three
during forty three million. I think we're going to revise

(09:18):
it again again in a couple of days.

Speaker 5 (09:20):
When I look at these numbers in terms of recipients
by grade that have been put out in this report,
one of the characterizations that I've heard accurate and not
about Hope is well, that's just helping people out that
could already afford private school, and it's just making the
cost more accessible or schools are just up intuition. But
I point to this one, eight hundred and sixty nine

(09:44):
kindergarteners that have never been to school before there were
only one hundred and thirty three twelfth graders. Yes, you're
getting kids as they start, You're not necessarily you may
be pulling some kids over, obviously, But I don't think
with those kinds of numbers tenth eleven, twelfth grade that
we see here in the hundreds, I don't think these
kids were already in private school, I guess, is what
I'm getting at.

Speaker 8 (10:04):
Yeah, we've worked hard to try to ascertain how many
students came out of the public system, because sometimes we
hear that's the reason for the decline in the public system.
And the best numbers we can come up with this
is about two or three thousand students out of that
fifteen thousand, so two or three thousand students for all
fifty five counties we think would have otherwise went to

(10:25):
public schools. Again, for the best information we have, Again,
the way we ramped the program up when it was
passed in twenty twenty one in the House, then least
to have voted for it. As we ramped it up
and said basically all kindergartens are eligible for the program,
so that's why most of the participants are our kindergarten,
first second grade, and then there was some caveats some

(10:46):
ways you could do some workarounds for other grades. So
we have a few people in the higher grades, but
most of us just a younger, younger folks. But currently
about seventy percent of the folks taking advantage of HOPE
are in private schools, so I think, you know, across
lanes Charles Catholic, Central Catholic type type deal, and the
other percentage they roughly thirty percent are in some sort

(11:07):
of homeschool, micro school, online school type of situation. So
what we're trying to do now is project what we
look like next August.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
Talking to State Treasurer Larry Pack about the Hope Scholarship Report,
the four reports available on the Treasure's website, Larry with
the Education Service Provider payments, looking at the payments by state,
sixty seven percent of that money is being spent here
in West Virginia. But that leaves you know, thirty three
percent that's going outside the state states like Alabama, Nevada,

(11:39):
over almost one hundred and sixty thousand dollars paid to
education service providers in Nevada, Ohio, et cetera. Why are
those dollars going outside of West Virginia and why should
West Virginia tax payer dollars go to services outside of
our own state.

Speaker 8 (11:55):
Well, most most of the money they spends spent out
of state for those education service providers are for unique
type things folks that are either reading specialists, some sort
of foreign language autistic type things. So most of those
are our first special things again that we don't have
in this state, or the parents have decided that what's
in other states is better. We have a few students

(12:16):
that are going to going in seat out of state
along the border. I think of maybe a Christian school
in Gouipelis's School, you know, across the river in the
northern Panhandle, and we definitely have some of that in
the EP as far as some schools in Hagarstown. So
you know, currently, that's the way we wrote the legislation
that's allowed. I think there's a really good reason for that.

(12:38):
But again I do hear sometimes some legislators they want
to talk about that, and particularly about the in seat part.
But even in our public school where there's our public
school systems or really every agency in state government. We
spend so much money out of state on so many
different things. But again, we want to be transparent. We
want people to be able to see that make their
own decision as whether they think it's worthwhile or not.

(12:58):
But again, I think a lot of the particularly a
lot of the technology, the education technology space, a law
of that is situated outside of West Virginia. Hopefully we'll
get some West Virginia companies to stand that up.

Speaker 5 (13:09):
I'm looking at awarded applications by zip code, and what
stands out to me is there's not a single zip
code that's just like, oh, seven hundred kids, right. Most
of these are less than ten. Sure, so the idea
that this could be detrimental to other schools, I mean,

(13:30):
no one wants to lose students, but when you're talking
by most of these zip codes less than ten kids,
I mean, there are a few that have a couple hundred, right,
but those are largely I think what we would consider urban,
maybe Charleston, Martinsburg, those areas. But I'm not seeing a
mass exodus of children from any particular zip code here
as I look through the data.

Speaker 6 (13:50):
Yeah, we don't see it either.

Speaker 8 (13:52):
Again, I think from a parent standpoint, I've got six children, blessed,
six children after their faith journey. There's nothing more important
than your child child's education. There's nothing more that you
pray about, that you worry about, that you talk about.
And so I really do think parents are making really tough,
difficult decisions that they've thought a lot about. And so

(14:13):
that's why from a zip coach standpoint, it's not it's
not this zip code or that zip code. So that
particular parent thinks that this path, this educational path, is
better for my child than this other educational path. So
we're giving them the choice to do that. And again
we think there's two or three thousand students of the
Hope students that would have otherwise went to public schools.

(14:36):
But again you divide about fifty five counties and it
has an impact, but it's not a substantial impact. The
biggest problem, biggest issue, or biggest reason that our public
schools are losing children our students is because we're having
less children, right. And it's really the same thing that
we talk about in Higher ED and Higher ED we
talk about the cliff, right, and it's all related to

(14:56):
worldwide we're having less children per per family unit. But
yet we built all these schools all across the country,
if not the world, based upon the baby Boomer generation.

Speaker 6 (15:09):
This current generation is just smaller.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
Larry, with that being said, TJ. With that being said,
you look at the numbers. Kannall County has got about
thirteen hundred Hope Scholarship students, Berkeley County nine hundred and fifty,
Montingalia County around five hundred. Now, part of that is
just those are largest counties by population one, but also, Larry,
those are three of the counties that are doing better
than others socioeconomically speaking. So my question is, is Hope

(15:35):
Scholarship fulfilling the promise of providing families that may not
otherwise have an opportunity for homeschooling or a private education.
Is it fulfilling that promise to give them those options?
When you look at the numbers and so many of
these students are in the more well to do counties.

Speaker 8 (15:51):
Well, I think again, it's a lot like this is
really set up a lot like the Promise scholarship where
we do not ask about someone economic status or the
amount of money they make per family, so we don't
really know, but we do.

Speaker 6 (16:05):
I do know anadotally.

Speaker 8 (16:06):
I've I've met a grandmother who's regional grandchild down in
Mercer County and she was just overwhelmed when she realized
that there's a Hope scholarship program that could help her
her grandson go to a Christian school.

Speaker 6 (16:18):
So so we see it.

Speaker 9 (16:20):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (16:20):
You know, we also know just practically the westerniest per
capita income is in the low fifties, and so there
are a lot of pearents that couldn't even have the
discussion to send their child to a to a Charleston
Catholic or to the to to a local Christian school.
And now they can have those discussions around the dinner table.
So it does give them an opportunity to consider it.
And so we're seeing some of that, but how much

(16:40):
of it we don't know exactly. But again it's very
similar to the promise because we did not make promise
available based upon the education status of the parents.

Speaker 5 (16:50):
When I look at fiopay, and I know there have
been some issues with fiopay that you guys are looking at,
but when I look at these expense categories, av needs,
athletic needs, arts, flies, computers, keyboards, calculators, printers. I don't
see anything here tablets that a normal school would not need.

(17:13):
It's working, right, these the controls are working. I don't
see money spent on things that would be questionable. Yeah,
we think, we absolutely think it's working. Again, we went
with basically an open, open type of marketplace so parents
could decide. Some states have went to a very narrow
you can buy this, but you can't buy that. We
try to make it more open.

Speaker 10 (17:33):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (17:34):
And that does get sometimes get some creativity because different
parents have a different idea of what's necessary for their
child's education than other parents. But we got really strict
controls on that. I think we worked through it really
really diligently the right way to try to protect the
taxpayer's money at the same time to give the parents
the flexibility to.

Speaker 6 (17:51):
Do things we need to do.

Speaker 8 (17:52):
And again, we don't see this type of report for
say a local high school or or a bunch of
local high schools down to the penny on where they
spend their money. But yeah, these are all of the
same same situations, same things that that a school would
would provide, particular an extracurricular We're just trying to do
the same thing for Hope Hope scholarship. But again we

(18:12):
work really hard to make sure we put the proper
controls on again.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
The entire report is available over at the State Auditor's website.
A lot of information to digest. Larry, appreciate your stopping
by this morning.

Speaker 1 (18:23):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 8 (18:24):
Take care, A and I George your coverage last week
of the high school football stuff.

Speaker 6 (18:28):
It was good stuff.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
It was a great weekend.

Speaker 6 (18:30):
Great.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
We really enjoyed it, all right, Larry Pack, West Virginia
State Treasure got to take a break back at a moment.

Speaker 1 (18:36):
This is talk line from the COVID in short studios.

Speaker 11 (18:40):
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Speaker 1 (20:03):
Text line three or four talk three oh four.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Guys, you won't read this because you don't read it
when people disagree with you. But it is my business
as a taxpayer that my taxpayer money is going to
pay for rich kids to go to private schools and
legalize dropouts to be homeschooled.

Speaker 1 (20:18):
Says the Texter boy paying with some broad brushes there.

Speaker 5 (20:22):
I want to know how you spent your tax refund.
Then tell me how you spent your tax refund.

Speaker 6 (20:30):
Uh three or four? Talk three or four.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
You'd like to get me going on this stuff, don't you.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
Guys.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
It's not the Hope Scholarship. Call it for what it is,
the Hope handout, says the Texter. This is where I
love to have seen someone on the opposite side of
the topic in the conversation. Okay, yeah, I get what
you're saying.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
I think I think what you said.

Speaker 2 (20:55):
But look, this was the state auditor's reports on numbers.
I mean we can have a debate on the of
the Hope Scholarship. I don't know that this was the
day to do it, but well, certainly we will have
somebody who is on the other side of the topic
at some point.

Speaker 5 (21:11):
We always do, or we usually do. We kind of
had that yesterday. We were talking charter schools and those
that have opposite today. Look, we just don't talk to
people that agree with us. I don't think that's a
fair characterization.

Speaker 1 (21:21):
The next guest, I rarely agree with him.

Speaker 2 (21:25):
Dave Allen online for Metro News Midday is going to
join us. Snow, there were I guess there were. There's
some bus accidents I heard yesterday down.

Speaker 5 (21:32):
In there a couple of dates. Yeah, yeah, So.

Speaker 2 (21:35):
We'll get an update on weather and what was going
on yesterday and today and what we can look forward
to the next couple of weeks with our unofficial, very
unofficial metiorologists Dave Allen. This is talk line on Metro
News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia. It
is ten thirty time to get a news update. Let's
check in on the Metro News radio network. Find out
what's happening across the Great Stick West Virginia.

Speaker 14 (21:56):
Metro News dying Jeff Jenkins me to Rogers say West
Virginia is going to be in the state of a
very active winter weather pattern for at least the next
week and maybe longer. A Monday system left behind several
inches of snow, the Charleston area getting about seven inches.
Another system moves intomorrow night into Thursday. With the National
Weather Serves already issuing a winter storm watch for the
state's highest elevations. Meteorologists say there'll be another chance for

(22:18):
snow Friday and again Sunday into Monday. State Public Service
Commission Chairman Charlotte Lane says she welcomes the news that
mom Power parent company First Energy plans to build a
natural gas power power plant in West Virginia. She told
state lawmakers the PSC expects to receive the request in
a matter of weeks. Lane says the plant will contribute
to baseload power, which COLE remains a major player now

(22:39):
and for years to come in West Virginia.

Speaker 15 (22:41):
Cole will have to be replaced by something else, and
hopefully that I mean, and that can be nuclear, it
can be natural gas. But until then we have to
keep those coal fired plants open to keep the lights on.

Speaker 14 (22:58):
Lane speaking before state lawmakers Monday at monthly interim committee meetings.
There are eight meetings scheduled for today to wrap up
the three days of interims. State Human Services Secretary Alex
Mayor is before the Health Accountability Committee this morning, talking
about US Inspector General's report into how child welfare reports
were handled during the Justice administration. The Joint Committee on
Flooding is also meeting this morning. You're listening to Metro

(23:20):
News for forty years, the Voice of West Virginia with.

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Speaker 14 (24:22):
A Canawah County man convicted a few weeks ago and
a second degree murder charge now faces a life sentence
after a Canawh County jury has found he's the same
man who committed robberies years ago. A one day recientivism
trial was held Monday in Kanawha County Circuit Court in
the case of Michael Wayne Smith. The jury of Greek
Smith committed the violent crimes. He'll be sentenced under the
three strikes Your Out provision. In February, along night in

(24:42):
New Cumberland after a late night fire that damaged three
houses on Second Avenue. There were no injuries. Firefighters from
Brooke and Hancock Counties were there. From the Metro News
anchor Desk Sky, I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 2 (25:17):
Three or four talk, three or four is the text
line eight hundred and seven six' five talk eight hundred
seven sixty five eight two five five eight hundred seven
sixty five talk and three or four talk three oh.

Speaker 1 (25:27):
Four that is the text.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Line, well you Heard Jeff, jenkins and the news updates
say we are in the middle of a very active
winter weather pattern this. Week joining us from The Metro
news studios IN covid In Church studios In. Charleston you
can hear him from noon to three each.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Day On Metro News.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
Midday we refer to him As Southern. Dave Dave allen
joins us so On Metro news talk Line Morning Southern, Dave.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
Good, Morning Northern.

Speaker 5 (25:51):
Dave, so what's going?

Speaker 2 (25:52):
On, man we got nothing PROBABLY i would say north
of say Flat. Woods that's just a general area from
up up. Here pretty quiet day. Yesterday it was, cold some,
flurries but central Southern West virginia snow.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
Sleep what was going?

Speaker 4 (26:07):
On, Yes, yeah they GOT i mean pretty much here
in The Kanawha valley and down through the coal fields
on though The Greenbrier Valley Raleigh. County those areas just
pretty much got. Hammered and this was one of those.
Times you, know we can have all of the technology
that we want when he comes to the, weather but
sometimes mother nature are gonna do what mother nature is gonna.
Do and we saw that initial reports for ori area

(26:28):
here in the Kanaw, valley we're saying that we would have,
yeah an inch or less and then maybe. Two some
areas Of Kanawha, valley of The Kanawh county, AREA i should,
say got up to eight inches of snow.

Speaker 5 (26:38):
Yesterday that's a big whiff.

Speaker 4 (26:39):
On behalf of the folks at the at The National Weather.
Service and, Look i'm not throwing any shade on, them
because again it's an imperfect, science you, know weather. Prediction
we can have all these, things LIKE i said, earlier
and sometimes just and the interesting thing to, me it's
somewhat of a weather, geek IS i, know just an overall.

Speaker 6 (26:57):
GEEK i get.

Speaker 5 (26:57):
IT i know we were going with, That.

Speaker 4 (26:58):
Welson but the interesting thing to me was IN i
saw one report that said sixteen miles of difference was
sixteen miles away five inches of snow and nothing in
sixteen miles. Difference it. Was it was a very interesting weather.
Pattern of, course that created all sorts of issues on
the highways. Here and then the age old question which
we tackled on The local show And charleston talked about

(27:20):
a little bit On midday, yesterday is it puts these
school systems in a, really really bad. Position we interviewed
Doctor Paula, potter who's the superintendent Of Canawa County schools
of a local Show dave AND tj here And charleston
today and she, said, look we went on the information
that we had and you're just not going to make everybody.
Happy and, again this was a snow event down, here

(27:41):
but you guys have seen it up In, morgantown they've
seen it Into panhandlal as. Well it's not a great
position for these school officials to be in when they're
trying to, say should we have a, delay should we
cancel school? Altogether should we have an early? Dismissal and
that's what we saw here. Yesterday, well let's get real
for a. Minute let's just call the spade the. Spade
if they don't have, school a lot of these kids don't.

(28:01):
Eat that's, true and Doctor potter talked about that, today
and it also begs another question.

Speaker 12 (28:07):
Too.

Speaker 5 (28:07):
Now she said, This she said that other if.

Speaker 4 (28:11):
You live in an area that is very, remote and
you know the INNER i can tell, you and my
drive In TJ's driving on interstates here In, charleston a
fine back, roads not so. Much i'd have more difficult
time getting out of my neighborhood THAN i did on
any of the highways. Today but you, know some of
these areas are are very remote and are up on
hills and so on and so. Forth it's not a

(28:32):
priority for The department Of. Highways that is not a
shot of them by any stretch of the. Imagination but she,
Said Doctor potterson on the show, today guys that if
a parent has legitimate concerns about safety for their, child
they can call the school and they can, say, look
we live in this area fill in name, Here Creek

(28:52):
holler or, whatever AND i don't think it's safe for
the bus to come. HERE i don't think it's safe
for me to try to take my kid to. School
and they will work with you on. That well to,
uh to her, point you're you're danged if you do.
Dang if you don't write, either.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
You call off, school then it doesn't snow, wow you,
know and then you get the old guys. GOING i
remember going to school and we helped the bus driver
put on the, chains which we didn't but we say we.
Did and then if you go then you get then
you get the buses in the. Ditch so you, KNOW
i wouldn't want to have to make the. Decisions and
if weather guy swings and misses, again it's.

Speaker 1 (29:29):
It becomes a whole other issue.

Speaker 4 (29:30):
There BUT i just sought me if you've heard this,
before the biggest issue, yesterday wait for, it wait for,
it was social media that seemed to be there is a.

Speaker 5 (29:39):
Shock there's a.

Speaker 4 (29:40):
Shocker social media that seemed to be AND i mean
there were there were. Three according to Doctor, potter there
were three confirmed bus accidents In Kanawa, county a lot
less than the twenty THAT i saw posted on someone's.
Page uh and uh and and THEN i think there
may have been some Of Putnam county Now Putnam, county
uh just west OF us here In.

Speaker 1 (29:59):
Charleston was of an.

Speaker 4 (30:00):
Interesting situation because they decided to leave their kids in school,
yesterday thinking that, okay three three, thirty whatever the dismissal time,
is it's going to be better than what it is at.
Noon turned out that was completely wrong and that they
should have probably have letting them go. Earlier but, again
you're dealing you're dealing with mother. Nature AND i think
people want they have this crystal they. Have there's this

(30:22):
idea that that that that our school officials and of
your even are, meteorologists with all the technology that they,
have that they're going to get it right all of the.
Time they do a really good job ninety five to
probably ninety eight percent of the.

Speaker 5 (30:37):
Time SO i think it Was. LINCOLN i think it
Was lincoln that, said he who has a crystal ball
speak now to. Me no one has. One i'm going
to get in. Trouble Uh. Oh how much of this
is parents upset because it messes with their work. SCHEDULE i,
MEAN i got the text. Yesterday your kids are out at,

(30:57):
Noon i'm on the.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
AIR i get. It but you know, what life.

Speaker 5 (31:02):
Happens school isn't a babysitting. Service life. Happens you gotta
roll with the, punches you gotta figure it. Out AND i,
think folks JUST i can't believe they would do. THIS
i gotta work at. It, WELL i, mean life, happens
deal with.

Speaker 6 (31:16):
It, yeah, yeah, yeah one hundred. PERCENT i agree with that.

Speaker 4 (31:19):
Too but unfortunately our, schools in many, cases guys have
become Like and that's that's not a slam at public
schools by any stretch of the. Imagination, again it's just
that's what they've. Become it's been a place to feed,
kids it's been a place to to serve because.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
They don't have anywhere.

Speaker 5 (31:34):
Else i'll tell.

Speaker 4 (31:35):
You one of the things that interested me yesterday WAS
i was reading the. Comments and they always, say don't
read the, comments all, Right But i'm reading the comments
yesterday from students in school saying they need to let us.
Go why are we still? Here why are you on the.
Phone that's WHAT i. Wanted what happened to that cell phone?
BAND i, mean and these were kids and you can.

(31:56):
Tell And i'm gonna show my age. Here these weren't
kids Named, david you. Know these were kids that had
these little trendy little names that kids these days, have you.

Speaker 12 (32:05):
Know.

Speaker 4 (32:06):
Uh and so these kids are on, There we need
to go. Home it's getting. Better why are you not learning?
Something why are you not in?

Speaker 1 (32:13):
Class what are these new fangled trendy names you're talking.

Speaker 4 (32:16):
About Like gunner and you know un and you Know
gauge and stuff like.

Speaker 6 (32:22):
That and, look.

Speaker 5 (32:25):
Noth's wrong with. It i'm just saying it's. CYCLICAL i,
mean it's seventy.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
Years, ago everybody got his, name everybody was Named.

Speaker 5 (32:30):
Ethel you, know it's just it.

Speaker 6 (32:32):
Is it.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
Changes you could tell as we do a whole other,
show and if you could, tell but approximately, hold somebody
is by their by their.

Speaker 5 (32:38):
Name if there would you name Someone? Sebastian is that to?
NO i would never have. Kids SO i took care.

Speaker 2 (32:45):
Of that right away doing high school, Sports, dave to your,
point look down a roster and you can see the
popular name, sixteen seventeen years.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
Ago, yeah there's a lot Of, Braden's, Hayden's cabens right.

Speaker 4 (32:56):
Now ambers coming To britney's, yeah, yeah. Yeah and, parents
let me just say, this we've gone way off the rails.
Here you're not doing your kids any favor by giving
them a cute name and then spelling it BECAUSE i
want my kid to be. Different number, on when your
kid's not. Different your kids just exactly like every other. Kid,
okay but if you name your Kid kennedy and you
spell it with A y and three e's at the

(33:17):
end and a seven in, it you're probably not doing
your kid any Fl you're probably not doing your kids.

Speaker 5 (33:22):
Anything. Well if you want to hear more of what
this show has turned, into you can always tune in every.

Speaker 12 (33:27):
Day and.

Speaker 4 (33:27):
No bottom line IS i do want to say. THIS
i want to SAY i give hats off to Doctor Paula.
Potter and because she she can't because she came on
my show this morning and she SAID i got it
wrong AND i own. It and there's such a lack
of that such whether she did or, not whether she
had to say that or. Not she said, that and
there's so many people in positions like, that whether they're

(33:48):
a superintendent or whether they're an elected, official that aren't
willing to do.

Speaker 6 (33:52):
That i'm a.

Speaker 5 (33:52):
Fan now she came on.

Speaker 4 (33:54):
The, show and she, said she, SAID i relied on
some evidence or relied on some you know things we
were looking at that out to be. Wrong it's the
buckstops on.

Speaker 1 (34:01):
Me it's on.

Speaker 5 (34:02):
Me and she said that what's coming up?

Speaker 12 (34:04):
For?

Speaker 1 (34:04):
Uh what's coming up at noon? Today dave on the show?

Speaker 5 (34:07):
Today are we doing a show?

Speaker 16 (34:10):
Today?

Speaker 5 (34:10):
HEY i guess we.

Speaker 4 (34:11):
Are Senator eric Tar is going to be on the show.
Today of course we have interims going on To. Charleston
So senator tar is going to join. Us Brian dayton
from The West Virginia chamber Of commerce will be on
the show. Today and the always popular Open Line West.

Speaker 5 (34:23):
Virginia All, Right.

Speaker 2 (34:24):
Metro News midday coming up noon to three on many
of these Same metro news radio. Stations He's Dave. Allen
he'll join Wowk's Amanda baron of course at. Noon thank, You,
dave always appreciate. It handy coming up your. Thoughts three
oh Four talk three to zero. Four this is Talk
line from The Cove Insurance studios being.

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Most visit incovia dot com to learn.

Speaker 2 (36:04):
More THREE u four talk three or four is the text.
Line eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two five
five is the phone. Number texter, Says, dave two weeks
from today Is?

Speaker 1 (36:17):
Festivus did you INVITE? Tj tell him.

Speaker 2 (36:19):
To be prepared for the feats of, strength and he
sends along a picture of the aluminum.

Speaker 1 (36:24):
Poll consider that your official. INVITATION.

Speaker 5 (36:28):
Dj thank. You we haven't talked about what we're gonna
do On Christmas, eve but perhaps we should incorporate fest
Of us into the lineup.

Speaker 2 (36:37):
SOMEHOW i think we do airing of grievances Every friday at.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
Eleven, well that's, tree that's. True we could we could
work that.

Speaker 2 (36:44):
In uh This texter, says man on TV's name is
m i k y L? E is That michael or
is it mikel or some other? Variant Sounds russian to?
Me mikayle is He?

Speaker 5 (36:57):
Russian?

Speaker 1 (36:59):
WELL i don't know what channel the guy's, watching the
text is watching?

Speaker 5 (37:02):
Me kyle Is.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
Russian the dude without kids and two other dudes with
means why about parents who have genuine concern about safety
of their kids and don't have transportation or flexibility at
work to get their kids at the whim of the
school when it closes at last? Minutes you all are
such cloud yelling, geezers says the. TEXT i can't speak for,
you but you pretty.

Speaker 1 (37:23):
Much nailed it there at the. End, LOOK i don't, Care,
look do what's best for.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
You. People people mistake pointing out observations or bringing up
concerns as having.

Speaker 1 (37:34):
A i don't do what's best for. YOU i don't.
CARE i, MEAN i don't want to SAY i don't. Care
do what's. Best you don't think it's safe to send your?
Kid don't send your?

Speaker 5 (37:42):
Kid when did we get to that point in, society,
though where someone with a genuine concern would still put
their child on a bus and, say, well the schools
said that we're having school. Today, okay, okay you don't
have to. LISTEN i don't think the truant officer is

(38:02):
going to come and get you for one day if
you don't Feel and you just Heard dave talk about
the process that you could call. IN i JUST i don't, know.
Man and, LOOK i get.

Speaker 1 (38:10):
It we're a different.

Speaker 2 (38:11):
Society most people's, homes both parents. Work you kind of
count on school being, there and when it's, not it
throws your day. OFF i get, THAT i. Understand i'm
just you do what's best for. You, Well Southern dave
sounds like a barrel of, fun says The. Texter eh,
yeah he's something every twenty two year old man's name,

(38:32):
hunter says The.

Speaker 5 (38:34):
Texter I'm. Gunner, yeah, Yeah. Gunner that was. SOMEWHERE a
gunner is really offended right. Now, actually like what my
sister in law did three, boys AND i won't give
away the names BECAUSE i don't want to discuss other
children on the, air but she named all of her
boys After West virginia counties and it worked out really,

(38:57):
well especially since they now live In.

Speaker 1 (38:59):
Kentucky uh that man naming your Firstborn. Moninglia that's, interesting.

Speaker 5 (39:11):
You, know little mine.

Speaker 1 (39:13):
Three or four talk three or.

Speaker 2 (39:14):
Four when it comes to snow, days they should err
on the side of caution rather than rather be safe than,
sorry rather waste a snow day than put children in.
Danger but what DO i, Know, YEAH i think that's
where most superintendents actually are at this. Point, look there
was a point in, Time i'm being. Serious bus drivers
would get out and they would put the chains on
the bus and the buses would run and if they
couldn't get down your, holler they didn't. Go but the

(39:35):
rest of the kids went to school that. Day but
now you know people superintendents tend to side on the
air of, safety and you, know, Okay i'm fine with,
that not to mention it keeps less it keeps more
people off the. Road and as we've pointed out the
last couple of, days you, know present company included we
can't drive in the.

Speaker 5 (39:53):
Snow so, yeah, well to be serious for a, MOMENT
i do think many of these decisions again go back
too whether or not a child will get breakfast and.
Lunch that, sure, sure and if you don't send the
school they may, not nor will they get the snack
that many schools send. Home so that's a very real
concern that has to be weighed against everything, else and

(40:17):
you do the best you. Can kudos kudos to The
kennal superintendent, though coming on and, saying you know, what
use the INFORMATION i had AND i got it. WRONG
i respect.

Speaker 10 (40:30):
That you.

Speaker 2 (40:30):
KNOW i wouldn't even say she got it. Wrong she
was just used the information that was. Available what are
you supposed to? Do, Exactly TEXAS. SYS i took a
class in meteorology WHEN i was in, college and it
was one of the most fascinating COURSES i ever. TOOK
i have more respect now for the weathermen and. WOMEN
L DAVID. Tj my daughter in law stays home and
home schools are. Grandkids it's very valuable learning time in their.

(40:53):
Life even though they live on a very tight, budget
they are probably not considered middle. Class they receive the
same money from The Hope scholarship this.

Speaker 6 (41:00):
Year it was a.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
Blessing it's great that families here In West virginia have other,
options especially these days and, times says the. Texter All,
right three or four talk three or four the text.
Line we'll get some more text you know. WHAT i
think that was actually the.

Speaker 1 (41:14):
Purpose just Bring Dave allen, on let him go and
see where it. Went and now many of you weighing
in on snow, days we'll get to.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
That and weird names as. Well three or four talk
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Medicine coming up second, Hour Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jason

(43:11):
barrett will join. Us, Also County commissioner From Berkeley, County John,
hardy will talk about the continued growth over in The Eastern,
panhandle Also. Peia yesterday they were getting an, update lawmakers
were getting an update during interim committee, meetings and could
there be changes to the spousal. Surcharge we'll talk To

(43:32):
Senator barrett about that and some other things as. Well
coming up second, hour three or Four talk three or.
FOUR i love these. Texts they've been great. Today the
problem is that nowadays both parents have to work or
be middle or upper to be up middle or upper.
Class when they try to run, out when they run
out OF pto, hours they risk getting. Fired all because
the school board decided to call off. School for goodness,

(43:53):
sakes we have to use vacation days during spring, Break thanksgiving,
break And christmas. Breaks keep the kids in, cool says The.
Texter i'm all, Here i'm all here for it to
Have Dave allen rexta for six minutes per. SHOW i
thought he was going to Do George, Carlin Tyler tucker
And Todd.

Speaker 1 (44:12):
Skit says the. Texter, well he's not certainly not as
funny As. Carlin he's mildly.

Speaker 5 (44:18):
HUMOROUS i don't think either one of, you when talking
about the, other can give a full compliment because it
might seem like you care at that. Point that's my
assessment of the, situation even THOUGH i know the two
of you really like each. Other and as far as
THE pto thing, goes that's WHAT pto is. For i'm,

(44:41):
sorry you got a. Plan things, Happen life. HAPPENS i
Know i'm the. Curmudgeon get off my line guy for saying,
That but that's the point of.

Speaker 2 (44:49):
It this texter asks that we continue the reading Of
luke By Jeff jenkins On Christmas, eve one of the
best traditions of the.

Speaker 1 (44:55):
Show dually.

Speaker 2 (44:56):
Noted could you let your listeners know how to obtain
it copy of The Hope Scholarship report From Larry PACK
i do. Believe, well let's, SEE i got to pulled
up here in my Laptop Hope scholarship wv dot gov
and then you can navigate from there and find the
Entire Hope Scholarship. Report have you Read House bill two

(45:17):
thousand and Three School management not adhering to policy and
The Interstate Road maintenance And COUNTY doot run separate group of.
EMPLOYEES det is also short term, employees says The. Texter,
OKAY i agree with you about the unique names people
give their, kids including. Unique as an ob, Nurse i've

(45:37):
seen so many unusual. Names in a few, Cases i've
tried to talk people out of very weird. Names the
only rules that currently the only rules that are CURRENTLY
a child cannot be named a series of numbers and
symbols or commonly recognized. Profanity the sad part of that
is they only.

Speaker 1 (45:54):
Have the rules because someone.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
Tried parents are not doing their kids any favor doing.
That this is speaking as A, susan which is an
extremely common name for my age. Group i'm glad THAT
i have a common, name says The.

Speaker 5 (46:07):
TEXTER i gotta tell my. Story i'm gonna tell. It
go on, friends not. Me the room next door was
having twins named Them Arangelo no and Lom, Angelo Orange
jello And Lemon. Jello true, story you do you.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
WILL i will tell this story at the risk OF
i don't Think i'll get in. Trouble is these were
their names WHEN i was a young reporter across the
border over at the in the in The commonwealth In Frederick, County.
Virginia for some, reason in that particular age, Group richard
was a very popular, name but they went by their
childhood Nicknames. Dickie and there Was Dicky shickel who headed.

(46:56):
Up he would have been the equivalent of a president
of The County Commits border supervisors over. There but the best,
one and this is the ONE i could never figure.
OUT i think he was on city council there In.
Winchester IF i remember. Correctly his name Was Dicky. DICK
i had to cover him as a twenty two year old.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
REPORTER.

Speaker 5 (47:13):
Tj and you still remember his.

Speaker 1 (47:15):
NAME i haven't forgotten him.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
Yet second hour coming Up Metro news Talk line On Metro,
news the voice Of West.

Speaker 3 (47:21):
Virginia Metro news Talk line is presented By Incova, insurance
encircling you with coverage to protect what you care about.
Most Visit incova dot com to learn.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
More second hour Of Metro news Talk line here on A.
Tuesday welcome inside the In Covia Insurance, Studios Dave wilson And.

Speaker 1 (47:44):
MORGANTOWN. Tj meadows is In.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
Charleston our phone number is eight hundred seven sixty Five
talk eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two five.
Five you can text the show at three oh Four
talk three oh. Four John, Hardy Berkeley County commissioners going
to join us In john to. Moment later, On Berkeley
County senator And Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jason barrett will join.
Us peia was a topic of discussion yesterday during intram.

(48:10):
Meetings could there be changes to the spousal? Surcharge we'll
discuss that in just a. Bit Ethan collins is our
audio producer And jake link is handling the video. Side
if you're watching on The Metro NEWS tv, app say
good morning TO. Tj meadows down In. Charleston does it
feel like we're hitting THE i call it The christmas?

(48:30):
Slide does it feel like we're starting? Already we're kind
of it's the holiday season and things are just kind
of out of.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
Whack you get that.

Speaker 5 (48:37):
FEELING i think it's a respite because this time of
year people start to focus on other, things like us
talking about weather and names and different things.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
Today that's WHAT i.

Speaker 5 (48:51):
Mean, yeah is a welcome change because by month, twelve
we've had just about all we can. Take AND i
think it's good for our mental health to discuss some other.
Things but you know, What i'll bring us back to
earth with this little. THING i was reading the monthly
budget review last night from The Congressional Budget. Office, well
that's WHAT i want to.

Speaker 6 (49:09):
Do, yeah we's a.

Speaker 1 (49:10):
Downer that's a heck of a hobby, THERE.

Speaker 5 (49:12):
Tj, YEAH i, Know i'm here for. You The United
states borrowed four hundred and thirty nine billion dollars in
the first two. Months we're in the first two months
of the new fiscal year in twenty Six. Dave so
we borrowed because we didn't have that. Much four hundred
and thirty nine billion dollars in the first two fiscal
months of the. Year here we go. Again welcome to
another two trillion dollar or more projected deficit guests yet. Again,

(49:35):
yeah let's go to forty. Trillion why. Not let's take
it there.

Speaker 6 (49:37):
With that in.

Speaker 1 (49:38):
Mind, uh where's that story you got on the tax?

Speaker 2 (49:40):
Stuff but The president's ready to roll out a twelve
billion DOLLAR i guess, payouts bailout whatever it is for
farmers that have been crushed by his tariff. Policy so
that is also out there on the docket as. Well
love my, farmers how are we going to pay for?

Speaker 1 (49:57):
It we'll take? You how was a question On everything's
like we'll borrow?

Speaker 5 (50:01):
Borrow banks? Closed, buddy bank is.

Speaker 2 (50:04):
Closed, well squeeze in a quick call here before we
get To John, Hardy bob And charleston have some thoughts
on the.

Speaker 1 (50:09):
Weather, Hey, bob.

Speaker 7 (50:12):
Good.

Speaker 23 (50:12):
Morning i'm one of the old guys that went to
school in the old, days the mid forties is WHEN
i was In Greed, school AND i can tell, you
without a, doubt we would have gone to school, yesterday
and we would have gone to school today without a.
Doubt AND i wonder if you guys have Read homer

(50:34):
hickhems three books About coldwood and The. Rockets in one
of the, books going From colwood To Big creek To.
School in one of the, books he told the story
about going over the mountain From colwood To Big creek

(50:57):
and the snow was so deep and so bad that
he had the boys get off of the bus and
help push the bus up the.

Speaker 1 (51:06):
Hill, bob that never. Happened, today there'd be lawsuits. Filed.

Speaker 23 (51:10):
Yep that's that's the difference between those days and.

Speaker 10 (51:14):
Today, yeah, Oh, bob you know what that?

Speaker 5 (51:16):
Is though your, generation, honestly CAN i be honest with,
You you guys found a. Way that was your, motto
find a. Way we've lost that today In. America that's
the difference Since i'm just going to. School it's everything
you found a.

Speaker 23 (51:28):
Way it. Is it just a basic difference in.

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Toughness there could be some of that in, There.

Speaker 2 (51:37):
BOB i think there's some of that in. There, Hey,
bob appreciate the phone. CALL i think there's some of.
That there's there's also you, know times, change people, evolve attitudes,
evolve and you know there's also people were happy to
sue over anything in twenty twenty, Five so that's got
to be taken into consideration as. Well All, right more
of your calls and texts coming up THROUGH a four
to talk THREE a four and eight hundred and seven

(51:58):
six five eight two five Five over in the Eastern,
panhandle that's one of the few areas of the state
that is. Growing in, fact you could say it's. Booming
in Particular Berkeley. County people are, moving they are building.
Schools in, FACT i keep hearing rumors they may add
another high school over there before the decade is. Over that's.
Great that also comes with challenges joining. Us SO i

(52:19):
mentioned his talk line this morning Is Berkeley County Commissioner John. Hardy,
John good, morning appreciate you stopping.

Speaker 7 (52:25):
By good, morning. Gentlemen thank you for the. OPPORTUNITY i
really appreciate you giving me some time to come on
here this morning and talk about the unique challenges that
are Facing Berkeley. County before we get started on, THAT
i just want to give a shout out thank everybody
in the, state everybody across the country that's been praying
for The wolf. Family as you guys, Know andrew is
attached to the one sixty Seventh Air, wing which is

(52:46):
here In Berkeley. County his, Father, jason is a nineteen
year veterrend of The Berkeley County Sheriff's department and also
a lifelong friend of. Mine me And jason have known
each other literally since. Kindergarten we played little league and
we've just been friends. Forever and he grew up ripped
the street from my. Wife so thank everybody across our,
state across our great country that's been Keeping andrew in

(53:07):
their prayers and The wolf. Family jason just posted a
little update this. Morning they Said andrew was actually up
on his feet twice today with a little bit of.
Assistance So god is. Good god is good all the.
Time and thanks thank you everyone for reaching.

Speaker 1 (53:22):
Out appreciate you sharing that.

Speaker 6 (53:24):
Update.

Speaker 2 (53:24):
John, so with the growth In Berkeley, county that's a great.
Thing growth is, good but it comes with. Challenges so
what kind of challenges are you facing In Berkeley county
with the influx of, people with the growth the county has.

Speaker 7 (53:37):
Seen, well you, know we've had such a huge influx
and such a short period of. Time we've been averaging
somewheres between on a low, side fourteen hundred new homes a,
year on the high, side sixteen hundred new. HOMES i
think maybe even when we had the dip in the,
economy we were twelve hundred and fifty new. Homes and
that's been going on for the past ten, years maybe twelve.

(53:57):
Years so we're just growing at such a rapid. Rate
our infrastructure is just pushed to the. LIMIT i said
on about eight different boards in the. County you, know
our water, board we just took one of our plans
from six million gallons a day to ten million gallons a.
Day so with our, water our. Sewer we're constantly looking
for capacity and sewer working on our emergency. Services we

(54:20):
have eighty four PAID ems staff in the county with
twelve advanced life support amblances on the go all the.
Time we have seventy two deputy, sheriffs forty eight paid
fire staff in five of our volunteer. Firehouses so we
use our volunteer, firehouses but we have paid county fire

(54:41):
staff in those, houses and we have a twenty four
hour fully staffed nine one one. Facility so you, know
those pressures are real to make sure that we are
serving the taxpayers Of Berkeley county with the emergency services
that they are.

Speaker 5 (54:55):
Needed, So, john when you talk about personal property tax,
rates are you guys tapped?

Speaker 1 (55:01):
Out are?

Speaker 5 (55:01):
You are you taxing at the highest allowable rate that
you can in order to pay for all?

Speaker 7 (55:06):
This we are. Not we are not at the top
of the levee. Rate we run up against something which
is the rollback And i'm sure you've heard them that
we're trying to work on this in the, legislature which
is kind of an outdated policy that was put, in you,
know in the early nineties when assessors were quite, frankly
weren't really doing their jobs and weren't assessing. Properties you,

(55:26):
know maybe their friends were getting a little better deal
than some other. People so there was some legislation put
in place to kind of sync all that up and
growth counties are now hit with that. Rollback if we
grow more than one hundred and two percent of the prior,
year we automatically have to roll our levy rate. Back
so when you roll that back in, perpetuity so that

(55:47):
that it's a very convoluted and very hard concept to,
understand but we hit that. Rollback so but even if
we took our levee rate to the, max we've we've
run the. Numbers if we took our levy rate to the,
max it would only be about another million and a
half dollars into our. Budget we have a fifty four
million dollar budget In Berkeley county to run our county

(56:11):
and pay everyone and take care of our elected officials
and their. Staff and so it's a it's a decent
sized budget for a county In West.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
Virginia so where do you need, Help? John you know
we are we.

Speaker 7 (56:23):
Are working through the legislature has helped us with the
impact fees that was a bill we passed the last
YEAR i was. There as you guys, KNOW i was
in the legislature for six years and and enjoyed my time.
There But i'm glad to be. Home talked to some
of the fellas down there this. MORNING i know you
guys got some rain and or some snow in Trost
in this. Morning but the impact fees have been. Able
they're going to. Help, no they're only for new. Growth

(56:44):
we can only use impact fees on things that we
can show that are new, growth so there is some
limitations on how they can be. Used so we're gonna
be able to use that stuff for some of our
county administration by our police in THE. Ms parks and
rec is another place where we really, struggle but we're
really really having problems is with our, roads our road,
systems and the new governor has been he's been. Good

(57:07):
we've got some projects that are in the works up.
Here we've had a lot of paving going, on but
we are probably at least ten years behind on our
infrastructure for, roads for turn, lanes de acceleration, lanes, roundabouts.
Lights what we really needed some new. Roads we need
not to just expand what we, have but we need
to put some new routes in some bypasses and some

(57:30):
areas that we could that would help relieve some Like exit,
twelve Our Winchester avenue, exit it's just one that's just
completely overrun with, traffic and if we could maybe get
Our Novak drive projects, going it may relieve some of.
That so we're really struggling with roads and then also
being able to have competitive. Wages we don't have very

(57:52):
many state. Troopers we only have seventeen state troopers to
take care of a one hundred and thirty five thousand
constituents In berkeley Count we probably should have about forty two.
Troopers it puts a lot of pressure on Our sharf's.
Department we've been in negotiations with the state police about
the number of calls that they're going to run nine
to one one calls because they're busy with their other.

(58:14):
Work so we struggle. There department Of Highways, workers we
have seventeen. WORKERS i believe we have forty three slots
For department Of highway. Workers so our state EMPLOYEES cps
workers has always been a, challenge as in most, areas
so that's a very tough job and doesn't pay very.
Well but you, know we've gotten our jails kind of

(58:35):
under control with some legislation that was passed for critical,
needs but we just really struggle in those.

Speaker 5 (58:40):
Areas so let's unpack some of. That let's start with the,
roads so gas, taxes state roads or maintained you, know
the allocation and maybe you can help me understand because,
YOU i think have a unique perspective in that you've
been in the, legislature you're a county. Commissioner you understand
that they're has to be a. Balance but do we

(59:02):
need to look at allocation of road dollars in terms
of counties like yours that are bursting at the? SEAMS i,
mean we have a few mind is in the same
situation with needs for. Roads should we look at how
project dollars are? Allocated and perhaps that means we have
to make more of an investment in some of these

(59:23):
areas that are growing where we'll get AN roi and
that may put us stress on some of the counties
that are dealing with economic hardships in the short.

Speaker 7 (59:31):
Run, yeah you, know THE dmv is really strapped for
dollars and has. Been you, know they that roads are
funded through gas. Tax as we have more and more
evs and hybrids come, on we do charge a little
extra for the registration fee if you have AN. EV
a hybrid is an extra fifty, dollars AND i think
or extra hundred, dollars AND i THINK ev is an
additional two hundred. Dollars don't don't quote me on, that

(59:52):
but there's an additional cost for registration for the, EV's
But i'm sure that doesn't offset what we lose in
the gas. Tax and then, also you, know the legislature
the YEARS i was there would always put an addition
one hundred and fifty million dollars into The department Of
highways for you, know ditching and, maintenance core. Maintenance and

(01:00:12):
that was getting in a pretty good place under Under
Bird white and then and Then bird, left and THEN
i felt like maybe we lost a little. Focus but you,
know we have a new secretary now and he's been
very responsive to the challenges That Berkeley county has listening to.
Us we we haven't don't have any projects on the
books of you, know any new projects on the. Books
route nine is a big project that's that's a big

(01:00:34):
push in The eastern pan or people trying to get
to the western part of the county in the hedge
of The novak drive. Bypass that would relieve some traffic
that is heading west on nine Towards Jefferson. County, so you, know,
DEFINITELY i think there should be an allocation based on
where the growth is and where the traffic.

Speaker 6 (01:00:52):
IS.

Speaker 7 (01:00:53):
UH i think the deep you, know The department Of
highways done of, that but definitely a scoring system when
growth counties and the counties that are seeing a much
larger IMPACT uh through their through their to their. Areas
and also we have a huge pass through economy With
interstate eighty. One you, know you're talking thousand vehicles a
day uh come twenty. One so that's we're tasked, WITH,

(01:01:14):
uh you, know making sure that we're patrolling that and
trying to keep that root as safe as we possibly
can and responding to numerous car, accidents hasmat. Issues so
that's that's a big response that we have to answer.

Speaker 2 (01:01:26):
To Also, john and we're talking To John, hardy he's
A Berkeley county. Commissioner the options to raise revenue at
the local, level you're pretty. Limited does the state legislature
need to explore more? Options so you at the county
level and the municipalities at the city level have more,

(01:01:46):
options whether that is through, uh some sort of a
sales tax so you can TAKE i don't want to
say take advantage, of but so you can generate revenue
off people who are coming Through Berkeley county on their
way Between maryland And virginia or are passing on their
way through To, washington D.

Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
C do we need to have more?

Speaker 7 (01:02:01):
Options, yeah you, KNOW i THINK i have a pretty
neat perspective on, that being in the legislature for six
years and being a budget, hawk AND i was the
vice chair Of House finance and really understood the budget
in a pretty deep, level and you, know its never
for a one percent sales. Tax ONCE i became a county,
COMMISSIONER i kind of saw it in a different. View

(01:02:22):
our county is committed, to you, know putting that out
for a public. Referendum that would if the legislature would
give us the ability to have an additional one percent sales,
tax we could generate a lot of money through pass through,
economy and we would also put that out for public
referendum so our taxpayers would be able to vote on.
That and then we even even want to step further

(01:02:42):
to show exactly how that money would be. Spent we
would spend that money only on public, safety so that
money would go towards our fire police ems and maybe
a portion towards parks and Rec, definitely we would be
completely transparent for, it and if we took in more
money than we, needed then we would gladly be will
to try to lower our you, know and people always, say,

(01:03:03):
well you, know government never lowers, taxes BUT i could
tell you The Berkeley County commission is committed to if
we can lower the levy rate on our residential tax,
base our real property, taxes we definitely, would so you,
know AND i think that that sales tax at one
percent sales tax will probably only a bit of fuct
maybe maybe six or seven. Counties we have a lot

(01:03:25):
of border, counties but you, know we have a few
counties that have a huge passory, economy and we're one
of those counties that we could really capture a lot
of that money and maybe would help us take some
of the burden off of our, seniors WHO i worry
about a lot people that have lived here In Berkeley
county for their entire lives and now are are starting
to be priced out because of our meeting home prices

(01:03:45):
and in the cost of real. Estate SO i think
that we've been very transparent in how we would use
that tax In Berkeley.

Speaker 5 (01:03:52):
County, well we keep the money there for one which
would be useful to. You, curious AND i don't know
the legality of this around new. Roads you talked about new,
roads but as a consumption tax to ensure those that
are using it are the ones that pay for. It
how would you feel about tolling new? Roads is that
something that you've.

Speaker 7 (01:04:11):
Considered, well you, know there comes a lot of issues with.
TOLLS i, mean you, lose you lose a lot of
your federal, funding you lose a lot of dollars that come.
In i've never been a real fan of tolls and toll.
ROADS i think that more of an indirect approach of
funding those is HOW i would like to see that.
HAPPEN i do, like you, know we used to call
it in the, legislature eat what you. Kill AND i

(01:04:33):
do like counties being able to collect that tax and
being able to keep that in your. Counties we have
an issue going on right now with a part of
highways in some of our developers triggering you, know huge
responses to like road, projects and maybe the first one
or two developers won't need to do, anything but the
third person will trigger. That and the nave deves were

(01:04:53):
of all that. COST i would like for the way
for The Department highways to be able to have a
cost sharing amongst. Contractors we have lots of, unique very
very unique problems up. Here that comes with a very centralized.
Government you, know we don't fund our, schools we don't
fund our, roads we don't fund a lot of that stuff.
Locally it all comes From. Charleston it's very you, know

(01:05:14):
paint everything with a single brush out Of. Charleston and
with our unique opportunities and our unique, challenges sometimes it's
very hard to make those those same systems work in
our county as maybe you would work In Nicholas county
Or Webster county or Even Mond.

Speaker 2 (01:05:30):
County John hardy on The County commission In Berkeley county
over on the other side of the. Mountains, john appreciate the
perspective this. Morning thanks for coming on with, us And
i'm sure we'll talk again when The sessions gets cranked.

Speaker 7 (01:05:42):
Up thank you all very much for the. OPPORTUNITY i
really appreciate it and Tell Dave allen to calm down
a little.

Speaker 1 (01:05:47):
Bit and there's no. Use there's no.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
Use three or four talk three or four of the
text line your text when we return to.

Speaker 10 (01:05:58):
Care, okay we are here.

Speaker 5 (01:06:03):
Cold from all of, us here at The Health. Plan
we want to make your season.

Speaker 24 (01:06:08):
Bright whether you're wrapping gifts or planning next year's, Goals
we're here for. You happy holidays And Merry. Christmas from
our family to, yours we.

Speaker 3 (01:06:20):
Are.

Speaker 22 (01:06:21):
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(01:06:41):
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Dusk through hard, work dedicated and, resilience these folks supply
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Product and The West Virginia Farm, bureau, well we are
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Them as the voice of agriculture In West.

Speaker 1 (01:07:12):
Virginia join us today as we.

Speaker 5 (01:07:15):
Build a better future for all of.

Speaker 26 (01:07:17):
Us to learn, more visit us at wvfarm dot.

Speaker 10 (01:07:21):
Org three or four talk three or four is the text.

Speaker 2 (01:07:40):
Line Dave allen brought up the odd way many names
are spelled these.

Speaker 1 (01:07:46):
Days what do he?

Speaker 5 (01:07:48):
Say weird trendy, names weird trending.

Speaker 1 (01:07:51):
Names why pick On?

Speaker 2 (01:07:54):
GUNNER i thought he was going to say gunther for a,
minute like, friends AND i was an. There many of
you aren't texting in AND i do appreciate the Text believe,
ME i appreciate. Them, HOWEVER i value my, JOB i
value my.

Speaker 1 (01:08:12):
PAYCHECK i can't read all of them on the, air.

Speaker 2 (01:08:15):
But thank you for your, stories especially the ones about
people with the first Name.

Speaker 1 (01:08:19):
HARRY i appreciate that you know what you all just
use your. Imagination you can fill in the rest of those,
texts but thank you very. MUCH i appreciate.

Speaker 5 (01:08:28):
Them we need A facebook page just called the text
line that these kinds of things can go. On that's
what we.

Speaker 1 (01:08:35):
Need like they're right on the, Line they're.

Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
Questionable you probably get away with them if you Know
george is on a sales call or something today not paying.

Speaker 1 (01:08:43):
Attention but you, know, well just won't take that.

Speaker 5 (01:08:45):
Chance As Lacy nephe used to, say take them right
to the, edge but don't jump. Yourself, Brother and that
guy had what For. Marconi's so there you.

Speaker 1 (01:08:52):
Go maybe in year two we'll see, text Says dave AND.

Speaker 2 (01:08:56):
Tj the legislature passed home rule for cities they can
have user fees and sales. Text this is talk line
On Metro news for forty, years the voice Of West.
Virginia it's eleven. Thirty let's get a news. Update check
in with The Metro news radio. Network find out what's
happening across the great state Of West. Virginia West Virginia Metro.

Speaker 25 (01:09:15):
News I'm Chris. Lawrence The Ohio County School board has
approved a two thousand dollars winter healthcare stipend for full
time employees of the school. System the unanimous vote On
monday to address the rising costs OF. Pia part time
workers would get one thousand dollars. Stipend that decision comes
after THE pia board announced a three percent hike for
public employees that'll start In. July funding for the stipend

(01:09:37):
came from a carryover of higher than anticipated tax revenue
that'll be available by the end Of. March, meanwhile the
executive director OF peia says there may be room to
adjust the two hundred dollars monthly spousal. Surcharge Britt wolfenbarger
telling lawmakers during interim meetings In charleston they could scale
those surcharges to match the salary of.

Speaker 5 (01:09:56):
The worker or the worker and their spouse.

Speaker 27 (01:09:57):
Combined it would be based at the right now on
only the employee. Salary it would require a policy change
of statutory change from the legislature to have us take
a look at whole.

Speaker 25 (01:10:08):
Family In, Koton wolfenbarger also words lawmakers to consider creating
a fraud unit FOR. PIA A Harrison county woman is
admitted to the theft of more than three hundred and
fifty thousand dollars IN va. Benefits Christian noltay pleaded guilty
to falsifying medical records in order to get disability benefits
from THE va and use some of those disability benefits
to have her federal student loans in the amount of

(01:10:30):
two hundred and forty two thousand dollars. Overturned she'll now
face ten years in prison and have to pay the money.
Back you're listening To Metro news for forty, years the
voice Of West.

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Season The Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance authority And High Marked
Blue Cross Blue shield have struck a. Deal the two
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the ambulance service last. WEEK kseeaa Spokesperson Tom susman says
it came down to.

Speaker 5 (01:11:56):
COMPROMISE i, mean did we get everything we?

Speaker 7 (01:11:58):
Wanted?

Speaker 1 (01:11:59):
Know did they get every thing they?

Speaker 7 (01:12:00):
Wanted?

Speaker 5 (01:12:00):
No SO i guess it's a good.

Speaker 25 (01:12:02):
Agreement Canawk county had threatened to cancel the contract. Altogether
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Guy I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 2 (01:12:29):
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(01:13:14):
Year joe will have that announcement. TOMORROW i vote in
that big. Decision, actually it was an easy decision for.

Speaker 5 (01:13:22):
ME i will.

Speaker 2 (01:13:23):
NOT i don't know If i'm allowed to reveal my
vote or. Not joe may take it away IF i
reveal my vote, EARLY. Tj much like The Heisman.

Speaker 5 (01:13:30):
Trust SO i think the bigger question is WHY i
don't get a. VOTE i, mean you know.

Speaker 2 (01:13:37):
That's a huge, QUESTION. Tj But joe will Be by
tomorrow we will announce The Metro News High School Football
player of The. Year joining us now From. Charleston well
he's From Berkeley, county but he's In charleston right. Now
Berkeley County senator And Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jason, barrett,
yesterday the director of THE Peia Public Employees Insurance agency

(01:14:00):
old lawmakers about to the proposal and the proposal that
was voted on and approved for next year's health insurance
plan a three percent increase in premium cost for state
workers beginning next fiscal. Year most of the questions and public, comments,
though had to do with the spousal spousal surcharge. Increase
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jason barrett asked some questions and

(01:14:22):
he joins us On Metro news talk. Line, jason good,
Morning thanks for joining.

Speaker 29 (01:14:25):
Us, well good, morning. Gentlemen i'm actually back in The
Eastern panhandle. TODAY i have to go to a conference
for the next several, days So i'm back In Eastern panhandle,
now but Wasn't charleston for the past couple of, days
and so appreciate the. Opportunity and, YEAH i think you're.
RIGHT i think that it's very clear that the folks ON,
pia especially those with spouses that have coverage offered at their,

(01:14:49):
employer ask some concerns about the increase in the surcharge
of going from three hundred fifty dollars a month to
five hundred and fifty dollars a. Month SO i think
it's understanding their concern but also think it's important for
the public to know that this spousal surcharge is only
on those spouses who are offered coverage at their. Employer
so those spouses OF pa those are on P I,

(01:15:13):
a the state employees that if their spouse does not
have insurance covered coverage that the offered to them at their,
employer then then there is no spousal surcharge on.

Speaker 2 (01:15:24):
Them And, jason we covered some of those public hearings
up here in north Central West. Virginia obviously we covered
them In charleston as, Well and it wasn't so much
the increase that had people, concerned but it was that
it was across the. Board so the you, know the
janitor working at the elementary school who's ON PEI, a
he or she gets hit with the same crease as possibly,
uh you, know the college professor working with the universities

(01:15:46):
making well over six. Figures that seemed to be where
the real consternation.

Speaker 29 (01:15:50):
Lied, yeah AND i understand the, concern BUT i think
we and one of the actually the reason THAT i
asked the director of the question about if we were
to go to a tier. System, now he made it
clear that he was not taking a position on that
issue or, not BUT i followed up with a question
that if we were to go to a tiered. System
would the spouse's salary be included in, that because you,

(01:16:12):
KNOW i think that while you, know on the, surface
you look at it and you, say, okay well to
your point about someone that's on the lower end of
the salary line and then those that are on the,
Higher BUT i think we have to look at their
spouse as. Well and if you, know if someone is
an employee and they make forty thousand dollars or thirty
thousand dollars a, year, however however their spouse makes two

(01:16:38):
hundred and fifty thousand dollars a, year you, KNOW i
think IT'S i think that we would have to take
that into consideration as, well not just the salary of the.

Speaker 5 (01:16:45):
Employee, jason do you ever have any concern that PEI
a in its structure and, look it's the way it's set.
UP i don't want to be pejorit of the people
that run. It it's a benefit. Plan it's not really.
Insurance it's you, know most private sector. Plans it doesn't
matter what you. MAKE i, mean you, know it's set
up to be based around the risk of the pool

(01:17:08):
that it's being. Insured and the problem is when you
start these tiered systems as. Well as they've, worked you
inevitably have, discrepancies and, WELL i got to tier this,
now AND i got to do. It you're just going
further into the rabbit, hole and it seems like the
problems may just. Compound should should we reconsider that structure
and really RUN peia as an insurance program and not

(01:17:30):
a benefit plan based.

Speaker 29 (01:17:31):
On SOUND i don't like it based on. SALARY i
think more of a risk base may makes more sense
for the actual. Individual. NOW i know that the overall
premiums are set based on, risk But i'm talking about
the premium for individual RISK i think makes a little
bit more. Sense and having all these different tiers leads
to the problems that we have, now especially when we've

(01:17:52):
implemented the spousal. Surcharge AND i think one of the
things that it's important for folks to understand is that
why the large jump for two hund dollars into surcharge
in one year is because in the, PAST, pa even
though the law says that the the spouse's search charge
should be equivalent to the actuarial value of the, plan

(01:18:14):
that's not WHAT pa did in the. Past and they
knew they were taking the laws even though that was
contrary to what the law says to. Do so NOW i, think,
uh you, know to THE pa finance boards, credit they're
following the law, now uh and making it the actual
the actuarial. Value, however that's you, know a big hit to,
uh you, know to those employees and their, spouses to

(01:18:34):
hit two hundred dollars a. Month but it was not
done correctly in the, past and SO i think P
A Finance board is is is making it. Right, however you,
know it's an additional twenty four hundred dollars to those
employees and their spouses.

Speaker 2 (01:18:47):
Annually now talking To Jason, Barrett Berkeley County senator And
Senate Finance Committee, chairman how concerned are, You, jason with
the surcharge and the increase in the surcharge that there'll
be some spouses just, go you know, what we're we're
twenty two or twenty, three we're twenty four years.

Speaker 1 (01:19:02):
Old i'm. HEALTHY i don't need to be on, that
and you lose that pool of healthy people who are
not going to be using the.

Speaker 29 (01:19:09):
Insurance, well remember that it's only those that have insurance
offered at their. Employer so what they, Could AND i
think what is going to, happen and WHERE i was
taking the directions of my questions is that as we
continue to increase the surch, charge who is going to
drop off Who which spouses are now going to, Say

(01:19:29):
i'm no longer going to take the plan and pay the,
Surcharge and it's the healthier folks because we're going to
price them out now where it makes more sense to
utilize the insurance offered at their. Employer so we will
have to be left with those that are that are more,
unhealthy WHICH i think we'll make that surcharge go up

(01:19:51):
at even greater rates than what the premiums. WILL i
don't think there's any dispute over. That but to your,
POINT i think that the will as the surcharge goes,
up there will be less and less spouses on. It
but again it's important to note that that is only
going to apply to those that are offered insurance at their.

Speaker 5 (01:20:08):
Employer, jason let me, SAY i don't envy the position
that you're. In you're in a very tough position as
well as the rest of the legislature as well as
THE Peia Finance. Board this narrative that was developed way before.
You dave, myself most people were involved in talking about
this that, look well you don't pay much at the,

(01:20:29):
state but you're gonna have awesome. BENEFITS i mean that
narrative is forty five fifty YEARS i don't know how.
Old it's very. Old is it time just to have
a reset and bring folks to the table and, say, look,
yes that's what was said, then but we live in
a completely different. World, now here's what it's going to.
Be it's going to be three four percent moving. Forward

(01:20:50):
it's going to be, increases and this is the new.
Paradigm we can't control. It so let's just admit where
we are and maybe we try to do better on.
SALARY i don't know what will become available With budge,
dollars but it seems the conversation always comes back to,
that well we were, Promised, well things, change AND i
just don't think the state can make good on the promise,
now so let's just admit.

Speaker 29 (01:21:09):
IT i think it's difficult and maybe not fair to
compare where the plan is now to where the plan
was forty years. AGO i think that if you look
at the plan now and you compare it to other
private sector, PLANS i think that it's still better than.
Most there is a reason why all of the spouses
who are offered insurance at their employer not for it

(01:21:30):
and opt for THE pia plan because it is a better.
Plan SO i think that has to be part of
the there AND i think that's what folks need to,
realize is that there's a reason why the spouses who
are offer coverage of their employer don't take it and
they take THE Pia plan with the.

Speaker 2 (01:21:42):
Surcharge talking To Jason, Barrett Berkeley County, Centator Senate Finance Committee, Chairman,
jason while you were In charleston for interim meetings the
last couple of, days what's been the discussions and have
you started to formulate legislative priorities heading into twenty six
the twenty succession which will begin in a few.

Speaker 29 (01:21:59):
Weeks, Yeah i'll tell, you for the past two days
it really felt like the first two days of. Session you,
KNOW i had, meetings not just the meetings that you
see listed on the legislature's, website but but folks that
want to meet with, me who have you, know some
some budget requests to have some legislation requests and you,
know we're certainly working on some. LEGISLATION i think, that you,

(01:22:20):
know back to your point regarding pay, RAISES i think
that that is something that will be a topic whether you,
know we still need to see the governor's revenue estimates
to see what is feasible for fiscal year twenty, seven
to see what we're able to do from a standpoint
of not only public employee pay, raises but other expenditures as.
Well so you, know for, me you, know representing the

(01:22:43):
area THAT i do of all Of Jefferson county in
almost half Of Berkeley, county when the idea of pay
raises come, up you, know we struggle out in this
area because of not just we talk about housing a,
lot but just not the housing, costs but also what
the market where the market rates are set for. Salaries you,
KNOW i know that you guys are aware and most

(01:23:05):
people are aware that you, know to drive just across the
line into the Northern, Virginia Lowden county Or Washington, County,
maryland you, know those public, employees especially our, teachers you,
know are making twenty twenty five thousand dollars or more per,
year and that really puts a strain on the boards
of education here locally and also the state of being

(01:23:25):
able to recruit and retain quality. Employees and SO i think,
that you, know from my, perspective you, know we have
to take that into. Consideration and there are other areas
of the state as, well with high cost of living
or competition from other states that we have to look
at the bigger picture and not just always focus on
a flat across the board pay.

Speaker 5 (01:23:44):
Race let's talk about What John hardy. MENTIONED i thought
he summed up very, well the idea of you eat
what you. Kill we're still living in a WORLD i
think that doesn't recognize some of the explosive growth like
you have in The panhandle and other. Regions should these,
folks whether it's keeping more of the gas, tax or
localizing the gas, tax or allowing a one percent county sales,

(01:24:08):
TAX i don't know what the mechanism would, Be but
are we at a Point jason we have to, say, look,
guys we've got to invest more in the places where
we're actually getting a. Return and, sorry that's going to
drive more money to some of these more populated areas
that are, growing and it may mean less money for
areas that aren't.

Speaker 29 (01:24:23):
WELL i think it's a, balance AND i, certainly you,
know support some local control because, look there are different
areas of the state have of unique, challenges and SO
i think it's always best to allow the folks on
the local level the tools to address their. Challenges BUT
i also recognize that we're all in this, together and

(01:24:44):
there were times where Southern West, virginia you, know was
really leading the charge from an economic standpoint and really
helped The Eastern panhandle out a long time, ago and
that role is probably changed. Now but at the end
of the, day we're all in this. Together we do
have to give tools to different areas of the state
so that they can do the best with the resources

(01:25:06):
they have and not always do this one size fits
all approach across all fifty five.

Speaker 2 (01:25:11):
Counties He's Berkeley County senator and chairman of The Senate Finance.

Speaker 1 (01:25:14):
Committee Jason.

Speaker 2 (01:25:15):
Barrett, jason we appreciate you taking some time with us
today and look forward to seeing you here in a
few weeks down at The.

Speaker 7 (01:25:20):
Capitol sounds.

Speaker 29 (01:25:21):
Great thanks you.

Speaker 1 (01:25:22):
Guys take care absolutely you as.

Speaker 2 (01:25:23):
Well Jason, Barrett Berkeley County senator And Senate Finance committee.
Chairman also later, today in, fact about one o'clock this,
Afternoon House Speaker Roger hanshaw will be holding a news
conference In. Charleston he'll talk about the twenty twenty six
legislative session coming, up priorities and plans moving, forward and
he is scheduled to join us tomorrow morning at ten

(01:25:45):
oh six right here On Metro news talk. LINE a
lot of, text we'll get to those coming up three
or four talk three oh. Four we'll take phone calls as.
Well eight hundred and seven to sixty five talk eight
hundred seven six five eight two five. Five this is
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Speaker 1 (01:26:00):
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Speaker 5 (01:26:26):
Future a message from The West Virginia Hospital association online
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Today texter says at three or four talk three oh.
Four hopefully they don't focus on vaccines for three quarters
of the, legislation says The TEXTER. Tj you've talked to.
People i've talked to, people people have come on the
show and said it. PUBLICLY i don't get the feeling
there is a huge, appetite especially from leadership at least

(01:29:08):
in The, house and maybe some inkling from The senate as.
Well they don't want to do the vaccine thing again this.
Year DO i think there will be bills?

Speaker 1 (01:29:15):
Introduced? Yes how?

Speaker 2 (01:29:17):
Much how much air that takes out of the room this,
year at least at this, POINT i believe that is
not going to be a focus like it was the previous,
session And i'll move political analysis more to The senate for.
This those that would do, this The senate that supported
it last time, around many of them have primary challenges
and this is going to become an. Issue they're not

(01:29:40):
going to do it in an election. Year you've also
GOT i, mean you still got the case in front
of The State Supreme, court so there are a lot
of factors. THERE i THINK i get the, feeling AND
i hate feelings because they're about worthless in, general BUT
i get the. Feeling we may we may get back
to talking about kitch table issues to steal The democrats

(01:30:01):
line that they've been using affordability cost of. Things so
the type of. Things how do we bring in business economic?
DEVELOPMENT i THINK i feel and.

Speaker 1 (01:30:12):
Again that's about.

Speaker 2 (01:30:13):
Worthless but we may spend more time on that than
some of the other issues that we've talked about in the.

Speaker 1 (01:30:17):
Past we've settled all, those haven't. WE i think.

Speaker 5 (01:30:21):
SO i think we're far past them to some. Degree
i'm not gonna steal his. Thunder let's see What hanshaw says.
Today but if he says WHAT i am hearing that
he is going to, say we're gonna have some great
things to talk about tomorrow at ten oh. Six AND
i think it's just the direction that we need to go.
In i'll leave it.

Speaker 2 (01:30:37):
There three or fourth, talk three or fourth, squeeze and
a couple of text, Here, dave do you prefer hot
dogs and chicken livers At morrison's Or parkway In logan or?
Another how about those meat sandwiches At Chubby. Chicks i'm
planning A Hatfield cemetery road.

Speaker 1 (01:30:51):
Trip thanks. Brother that's surely got to be for Southern.
Dave there's A Logan county reference, THERE.

Speaker 2 (01:30:56):
Tj try them ALL tj just told all the people
who plow the, roads clean up after their children in,
schools teach, children put people who make state finances, run
people who do the work that Make West virginia. Function
he told them to suck it, up take the pay,
loss take the benefit, loss be, appreciative and make the
legislature and maybe the legislature will make it up if
there's any.

Speaker 5 (01:31:16):
MONEY i don't believe that's WHAT i, said BUT i
am an economic realist And i'm not going to sugarcoat.
It the state cannot keep up with medical inflation and
health insurance. Inflation it. Can't and the promise that was
made forty years, ago how many of her years, ago
is not sustainable. Today what can we focus on salary and,

(01:31:39):
wages but we're going to have to ride the market
curve when it comes to. BENEFITS i don't like that
anymore than you, do But i'm just telling you the
economic truth of the.

Speaker 2 (01:31:48):
Matter texter, says how do you get to vote In
player of The year for a high school football?

Speaker 1 (01:31:53):
Player?

Speaker 2 (01:31:54):
THERE i only been covering high school sports here for
going on a quarter of a century.

Speaker 6 (01:31:58):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:32:00):
AND i Know, joe you KNOW i Get.

Speaker 2 (01:32:02):
Joe you, KNOW i get him a frosty From wendy's
every once in a, while and you, know bribe them
with fast.

Speaker 5 (01:32:08):
FOOD i really thought it was because you're commissioner of
The Fantasy. LEAGUE i Guess i'm off.

Speaker 1 (01:32:13):
On that one final break back to wrap it.

Speaker 31 (01:32:15):
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Clarksburg explore more At come home To clarksburg dot.

Speaker 12 (01:33:10):
Com do care for here at The health.

Speaker 1 (01:33:22):
Game we are here.

Speaker 5 (01:33:27):
From all of us here at The Health. Plan we
want to make your season.

Speaker 24 (01:33:30):
Bright whether you're wrapping gifts are planning next year's, goals
we are here for. You happy holidays And Merry. Christmas
from our family to.

Speaker 1 (01:33:40):
Yours we.

Speaker 17 (01:33:43):
Are.

Speaker 2 (01:33:43):
Here coming up, Tomorrow house Speaker Roger hanshaw scheduled to join.

(01:34:06):
Us Also Jim, Kaufman West Virginia Hospital. Association we'll talk
about his legislative priorities going into the twenty sixth, session
And Joe braccato will swing. By we will announce The
Metro News High School Football player of The, year as
voted on by the highly esteemed media. Panel that's all
coming up. Tomorrow stay Tuned Metro News midday coming up

(01:34:29):
on many of these Same Metion news radio, Stations hotline
and later Sports. Line this is Talk line On Metro
news for forty, years the voice Of West virginia

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