Publication: The Dominion Post; Date:2008 Sep 28; Section:0pinion; Page Number: 2-D

ELECTION 2008

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Public's loss is status quo's gain: Vote Frich

When Cindy Frich ran for the House of Delegates, she ran against "the good old boys," against the politics as usual as honed to a sharp edge by Democrats. She ran on a promise of making government accountable to the people, and in pursuing that promise, aroused the rancor of powerful interests: to wit, trial lawyers, who are dedicated to fighting tort reform; the teacher's unions, who are more interested in expanding their power than educating children; and the culture of self-serving cronyism. The Democrats, desperate for another half century of exclusive power, are puppets to these power brokers, as well as to the influx of outside money from the MoveOn.org network of activists. Under this onslaught, she lost, and was replaced by a trial lawyer, another rubber stamp for the status quo.

Now West Virginia is not the most backward state in the union. There are cities and states with more radical Democrats with higher crime rates, taxes and unemployment, but the sum of West Virginia's people are far better than what the state is now. But, like the Manchurian candidate, the majority of Democrats, like zombies, push the straightticket button in elections, then go into a midterm stupor to wait for the next election to be beguiled by the same promises. Fortunately, in national elections, the ingrained need to protect the Second Amendment snaps them out of their trance to vote for GOP presidents. But, it would not kill them to have at least one conservative Republican reformer in Charleston.

Among this hapless group are those who describe themselves as moderates, which is an admission to being clueless on what is an issue and what is a slogan. Generally, they vote for the liberal bilge-Meister. Furthermore, there are voters intimidated by electronic voting machines, who take the path of least resistance by hitting the straight-ticket button. These voters should remember the election commissioners are there to help them.

Frich led the charge to save the WVU rifle team; she pushed for the Castle Law, an armed defense of personal property bill; she fought to eliminate the sales tax on food; she introduced a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman; she was the only delegate to vote against the user fee; she helped to push through medical malpractice reform to stem the exodus of physicians and insurance companies; and, had she been re-elected, would have voted against the 33 percent pay raise.

In all, the public's loss is gain for the status quo. Before this country had Sarah Palin, Monongalia County had Frich, a reformer, a maverick standing up to the "good old boys." Let her character and record speak to you, not the smears, nor the anxiety inducing innuendos through push-poll surveys and the lastminute blitz of slander stuffed in your mail box.

James W. Thompson
Morgantown