An editorial from The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register
WHEELING, W.Va. — West Virginia legislators and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin worked wonders last year in improving the state’s business climate – making us more attractive to job creators. With the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation, at 6.5 percent, we certainly need more of them.
Tort reform measures enacted during the legislative session last winter already have helped. At long last, West Virginia is no longer cited as a “judicial hellhole.” As more corporate attorneys and executives become aware of the very concrete changes made in the lawsuit climate, they should become even more interested in locating here.
But as lawmakers and the governor are well aware, much more remains to be done. Making West Virginia a right-to-work state – stipulating only that no one can be forced to join a union as a condition of employment – would help.
Easing the costly, time-consuming burden of regulations businesses face to open their doors and operate also needs to be a priority. Certainly, laws and administrative rules needed to safeguard the public and working men and women should remain in place.
But too many regulations fall squarely into the category of red tape – rules that serve no one but the bureaucrats who interpret and enforce them. They need to be tossed into the scrap heap.
Tax reform also is important, not just to attract new businesses but also for Mountain State families struggling to make ends meet.
Of all the priorities state leaders face, that will be the most difficult to pursue. Already, just halfway through the current fiscal year, severe spending cuts have been necessary to keep the budget in balance. It is expected crafting a new spending plan will require closing a gap of at least $250 million between reasonably expected revenue and needs for the coming year.
A special panel of legislators spent much of last year investigating the tax code. Their work was comprehensive and in some cases eye-opening.
But how can any tax relief be adopted in the face of our current budget woes?
It has been suggested some revenue-neutral tax reforms are possible. Lawmakers should pursue them. And if other ways can be found to make tax law more appealing to job creators, they, too, should be considered.
After decades of economic development stagnation, West Virginians saw real progress made last year. Momentum was created. The new year should be a time not of admitting defeat in the face of adversity – but of keeping that momentum going.
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