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Justice delivers final push against Amendment 2

Governor blasts Biden's remarks on coal

WHEELING — Gov. Jim Justice made a stop at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport as part of a last-minute effort Monday to dissuade voters from supporting Amendment 2 at the polls Tuesday.

Flying in from a stop in Clarksburg, Justice was – as expected – accompanied by his popular pet and political mascot, Babydog. The Wheeling stop on the “Babydog Says Vote No on Amendment 2” tour was a brief one, as the governor spoke to the media from the edge of the tarmac before re-boarding the plane to head for another stop in Parkersburg on Monday afternoon.

While Justice’s whirlwind tour on the day before the general election was laser-focused on Amendment 2, the governor also took time to share his thoughts on President Joe Biden’s recent comments on the coal industry. During a speech on Friday, Biden asserted that it was now cheaper for power companies to convert to wind and solar energy, and that the operation of coal-fired plants is coming to an end.

“We’re going to be shutting those plants down all across America and having wind and solar,” Biden said.

Those comments drew harsh criticism from U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., over the weekend, and Justice echoed those sentiments on Monday in Wheeling.

“I think our president – I hate to say it, because I want to be professional – but he’s lost,” Justice said. “Whether it be Afghanistan or crime, the southern border or inflation or whatever. Every time, we get it wrong. Really right now, we should be on our way to energy independence in this country, and the world needs that. The world needs our energy today.”

Justice said the only way civilization ever progresses is with abundant, cheap and clean energy.

“We want to embrace all of the alternatives, but today, if you think we can do without coal and our fossil fuels — gas and oil in this country and in this world — you’re crazy,” he said. “That’s all there is to it. Maybe someday, but not today.”

The governor said coal miners brought West Virginia and the country “to the dance” over the decades, providing power for the nation through two world wars and beyond.

“We owe so much to them, it’s unbelievable,” Justice said. “They get up, they get their dinner buckets, they go in a risky environment to say the least. They work so hard, and to have our president – at a time when energy prices are killing our families – to come out with that. It’s a terrible insult. It’s irresponsible, and it’s absolutely impossible to do.”

Justice maintained that Biden is aware that it is not possible for the country to simply drop fossil fuels and suddenly switch to renewable energy.

“For us to get away from fossil fuels today is impossible – that’s all there is to it,” he said. “Unless we want to just become a national park and literally have China take us over. It’s absolutely frivolous. I think it’s just a terrible insult.”

While Manchin has often gone against his Democrat party lines in defense of the state’s coal mining and fossil fuel industry, Justice has been in the same role when it comes to his staunch position against Amendment 2 — the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, which appears on the ballots Tuesday across the state.

If passed, the measure would give the West Virginia Legislature authority to eliminate the property tax on personal vehicles – a selling point for proponents of the issue. Lawmakers would also be able to get rid of the state’s equipment and inventory tax. Many business leaders, chambers of commerce and GOP legislators have come out in support of the passage of Amendment 2.

“I’m so proud to be a Republican, but I don’t know how Republicans can believe that state control is better than local control,” Justice said. “We’ve been tricked to believe that Amendment 2 is about the car tax. I’ve got the mechanism to get rid of your car tax, and the car tax should be gone.”

Justice has proposed implementing a rebate to abolish West Virginia’s vehicle tax without changing the constitution.

“Beyond that, what Amendment 2 is really about is the constitution and changing the constitution,” he said. “It’s basically a giant power grab by Charleston, literally removing power and a revenue stream away from the counties. Local control really knows what to do. It just doesn’t make one bit of sense to me. Then your county is going to have to line up down there every February and beg for money.”

The governor said that if these “guaranteed income streams” that are in place today because of the tax are nixed in the wake of a possible passage of Amendment 2, beneficiaries ranging from seniors to youth sports leagues, police departments, fire departments, schools and other entities will be greatly affected.

“Who’s going to win? Jim Justice and his companies are going to make millions of dollars off of this, and I’m telling you — don’t do it,” the governor said. “I didn’t sign on for me. I signed on for the people, and I’m going to stand rock solid with the people. We’ve got people really hurting today with inflation problems and everything all across the board.”

Justice said as soon as these taxes are abolished and the revenue streams dry up on the county level, local governments will have no choice but to raise personal property taxes to make up for it.

“This is a silly move, and it’s all motivated by one thing – political promises by the lobbyist that are absolutely being fueled by big, big, big business. Big swamp promises,” he said. “This will drive a stake in the heart of the personal income tax forever. Ultimately at the end of the day, property taxes will go up, because we will not be able to fund our counties.”

If voters pass Amendment 2, Justice said he will be disappointed but will continue doing his best to do what is best for the state.

“I’ll be respectful to the people,” Justice said. “I’ll continue to try to do anything and everything I can to help West Virginia and recruit businesses. I’ll be the adult in the room, I’ll promise you that.”

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