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Fear: Lawmakers must move out of comfort zones

Last week, during a speech to local residents and business leaders gathered for a Shale Crescent USA program in Parkersburg, West Virginia University men’s basketball head coach Bob Huggins made an important point for Mountain Staters: “You can’t fear change.”

In fact, West Virginians who are honest with themselves know we MUST change — our economy, our education system, our health, our bureaucracy masquerading as government — if we are to do more than simply claw our way from budget year to budget year at the bottom of the 50-state barrel.

Shale Crescent, of course, hopes to be part of that change by spurring development that plays off our region’s natural assets, location and experienced workforce. The enormous supply of natural gas below us can — and should — do more than enrich the rest of the world. But natural gas is not the only piece of the puzzle.

Huggins explained he was facing his own downturn as he dealt with a team that was in desperate need of a new direction. He had to change that direction, change his strategy, change his leadership. But more than simply being prepared for change, Huggins said he, and the team he got to buy in on the idea, were prepared for work.

“The harder you work, the better chance you will have to be successful,” he said.

Lawmakers who are in the midst of a 12-day break from their special session had better be working very hard during this time to reach a budget compromise that works for West Virginians. Taxing past the point of pain and continuing to spend beyond our means is the old direction. Lawmakers and their constituents must not fear change, and we must all be prepared to work hard if our transitioning economy is to be a success.

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