An editorial from The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Voters have two opportunities tonight to find out where candidates in two of the most important races on the Nov. 8 ballot stand.
First up at 7 p.m., the two major party candidates for West Virginia governor, Republican Bill Cole and Democrat Jim Justice, will square off in a debate at the Clay Center in Charleston, sponsored by AARP WV and the West Virginia Press Association.
The debate will be broadcast live on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, West Virginia Public Radio and some commercial television stations and will be accessible via live streaming on wvpress.org and select West Virginia newspaper websites, including The Register-Herald (www.register-herald.com).
The debate sponsors solicited questions from the public for the event and those questions we have seen relate heavily to the major issues affecting West Virginians.
Among the questions:
* How can we improve our state’s education system? What steps would you take to improve our low graduation rates?
* What are your thoughts on the decriminalization and/or legalization of marijuana? Would you push for either in West Virginia? If West Virginia legalized and taxed the sales of marijuana, where would you want to put that earned revenue?
* With the decline of coal as a career and energy source, what steps would you take to promote new forms of energy generation and bring in new jobs associated with that new energy source?
* Two months into the 2017 fiscal year, revenue is $48 million below estimates. Why is it off so much so soon, and how are you planning to get realistic numbers in the future?
* As governor, what specifically would you do to help promote local business and entrepreneurs to succeed?
Other topics will include substance abuse, Second Amendments rights, access to health care, infrastructure and taxes.
We hope the picture will become more clear for voters after tonight’s debate. If not, there will be another chance to listen Oct. 11, when the West Virginia Broadcasters Association will sponsor a second debate.
According to The Associated Press, $8.1 million has been spent by Cole, Justice and outside interests, according to campaign finance reports through late September.
The state’s immediate future soon will be in the hands of one of these men. It’s important to find out what each is about.
Afterward, voters also have the chance to watch the vice presidential debate tonight between Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Mike Pence.
While Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump wage a bitter and polarizing fight for the White House, Kaine, a Democratic senator from Virginia, and Pence, the Republican governor of Indiana, have mostly stayed out of the headlines. Both readily admit to being the boring half of the ticket, according to Bloomberg News.
That said, some may believe the event a waste of time. But remember the old adage: “Just a heartbeat away.”
It is expected that both men must be able to defend their presidential nominee’s record, but neither is expected to stray from his candidate’s official line.
It is noted by some policitos that in recent years, the vice presidency has become a more integral part of running the country, with more access and influence than almost anyone in the president’s orbit gets.
That is why it is important to see how each man conducts himself during this debate.
It is our sincere hope that each voter will listen with open minds, especially in the governor’s debate. Let their words help guide you and lead you to vote your conscience, not your party loyalty. To vote for the candidates you truly believe will lead our state and our nation away from the divisions we have so recently visited.
See more from The Register-Herald.
