(Free)Byrd Day?

I like Robert C. Byrd, so don't get me wrong when I rail against the idea of creating a state holiday in his honor.

The late senator did a lot of great things for West Virginia, but I am not sure a state holiday should be created in his honor.

In his LONG tenure as U.S. Senator, Byrd brought a lot of bacon home to W.Va. And a lot of that bacon is named in his honor; a high school, an FBI center, arenas and conference centers, miles of roads and enough buildings to create a large city.

Do we really need a day to honor Byrd? A holiday that will cost the state government $8.5 million a year. That doesn't include the costs to the cities and counties, many of which are already cash-strapped.

Byrd was a great West Virginian. And I think he has been honored, many times for over for his service and dedication to the state. A paid holiday is much more of a burden to state payers than an honor to Byrd. <20>