Keeping our Children in the Classroom

In order to receive a quality education, our children must be in the classroom. However, recent findings indicate that 13% of West Virginia's K-12 students were excluded from the classroom at least once for disciplinary reasons durin the last school year and 9% of students missed at least one day of school due to suspension. An over-reliance on in and out-of-school suspension as a discipline tool threatens to put students on a downward spiral of academic non-performance. With Delegate Spencer's support, the West Virginia legislature took steps to set up a pilot program to study alternatives to removing children from class. Kanawha County's own Riverside High School will take part in this program.

Protection from sexual predators..
Sexually Violent Predator Act must be exacted as a subsequent act to the Position of Trust act of 2005. This act states that a perpetrator must show a history of sexual violence, a current mental disorder or abnormality and the likelihood of the commission of future sex crimes. A civil commitment would follow a jury trial and it would be to evaluate the sexual offense risk in the individual. Since the recidivism rate is high and 16 states have moved in this direction, it is good sound policy to protect our citizens from violent crimes of repeat sexual predators.

Expanding technology in the classroom.

We must continue to bring and expand the 21st century into every classroom in West Virginia. There is a vast realm of knowledge waiting for our children to tap into. Computers are powerful tools to teach children to read better, write better, and understand math. Sharon Spencer understands that in order for our students to become compettive we must give them access to a computer, good software, and trained teachers. In addition, Sharon believes that every child should have the knowledge necessary to access the internet. The state must also take advantage of statellite technology, bringing a whole new world of opportunity for learning into our classrooms.

Bring fairness to our personal property tax system.

We musk keep the tax system for personal property tax fair and just. You pay a tax when you purchase a car. Then each year you pay a personal property tax just for the privilege of owning a car which does not seem fair. There should be a limit of $10,000 placed on this privilege tax which would still bring in money from the most expensive of trucks which tear up the roads. It would allow for those without transportation and poor transportation at that, from being brought under an unfair tax system. Oh yes, and while we are paying this privilege tax of owning a vehicle we have to pay a sales tax if we happen during this time to sell it. We are taxed into poverty and have no choice but to own a car if we hope to hold down a job.

Legislation to cap property tax increases at 10 percent per year so that the taxpayers in each county will not be burdened with substantial increases in any one year. Also, as property value decreases, assessors are required to reduce the value as well. In addition, due to flood or fire, if a home is destroyed or damaged, homeowners should not be required to pay last year’s value for a home that no longer exists.

Catastrophic flood assistance – per above – if the homeowner applies to FEMA and is awarded public assistance and then applies to the county assessor to be relieved from the responsibility to pay property taxes for that particular year or until the property is reassessed.

Fix the 911 fee situation for Kanawha County.

The Legislature chose in 2006 to change the way it dealt with taxes regarding the 911 fee and placed a $3 fee on cell phones. I was only one of two delegates from my district who refused to support this legislation. Because of this drastic change to the 911 fee here is Kanawha County, the County Commission will be forced to levy huge tax increases on both business and residential land lines in Kanawha County. The overall effect will cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Sensibility for pay raises.

In 2005, the legislature was asked to vote to raise Judicial Pensions. Again this was a vote I could not in good conscience support. When public employees, teacher and those in the private sector were seeing layoffs and large increases in health insurances premiums and no real economic relief, I cold not in good conscience support such a plan in hard economic times. Full time jobs with benefits were substituted wit part-time jobs with no health insurance, retirement, and sick leave.

                                                                            No automatic tax hikes.

The Legislature must be held accountable to the people in imposing of taxes. Some taxes such as the gas tax have a phase in quality where as gas prices go up so does the tax. As taxes of all sorts increase, the legislature should have to put their names on the line and be held accountable.

Stopping de facto electioneering.

Insurance companies should be prevented from sending out mail citing either rate increases or decreases and specifically naming the governor as the one responsible. This type of commentary amounts to quietly either campaigning for or against the governor and could lead to favoritism or undue pressure by the insurance companies.