From the Parkersburg News and Sentinel:
While it is always entertaining to see which props Gov. Jim Justice will haul out for his annual State of the State addresses, his choice of a rocket ship (strikingly similar to one used in graphics distributed by West Virginia University, by the way) to illustrate the Mountain State’s readiness to “take off like a rocket,” is telling.
We’re ready. The possibilities exist, but we’re not quite counting down to launch just yet.
And rockets take a large group of people, working together as a team, to get off the ground. They are not launched by one person, or even one group of people. Rockets get launched after those groups of people toss out ideas, listen to each other, and then come up with the plan that will accomplish their goal.
Rockets get launched when people are working efficiently, and in the best interest of the mission; not looking out for themselves or agendas that distract from the mission. Rockets get launched when everyone is smart about having their eyes on the prize — there’s no room for sloppiness or pettiness.
Justice and both state Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, all are paying lip service to understanding the need to be cautious about our spending. Right now, they are still playing nice and talking about looking forward to working together. …
