Letter to the Editor: Where are Mike Azinger鈥檚 priorities?
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First, as to my bona fides: I am a conservative Republican, and indeed have spent the past several years working professionally on the campaigns of Republican politicians. I am not a liberal or even a moderate, and am glad that, after years of mismanagement by Democrats, the Republicans control the West Virginia legislature. To boot, the leadership of Gov. Justice, President Blair and Speaker Hanshaw has allowed a new era of prosperity in terms of economic development statewide. Still, our state faces complex crises: a foster care crisis has emerged -- a child in state custody was inadvertently placed in a facility designed to house sex offenders -- and educational crises reign too -- a lawsuit in Cabell County has alleged the abuse of disabled children; the allegations are shocking and deeply concerning.
Missing in action, both from our new frontier of economic prosperity and in solving our mounting crises, is Wood County's Mike Azinger. This session, he has Sponsored 18 bills: out of these 18, none focus on economic development, none focus on education or foster care crises (this is despite Azinger serving on both the Education and Health and Human Resources Committees). Indeed, the bills he sponsored are "red meat," including increased regulation of cabaret shows, poorly drafted attempts to regulate LGBT individuals, and other social bills. Few of these ultimately pass; most, like the SB237 bill regulating cabaret, die a quiet death. It is not to say that the intent of these bills is wrong. Rather, Azinger sits on committees that give him the ability to influence and solve key issues affecting Wood County residents and West Virginians, writ large. His excessive focus on these social bills hurts Wood County: not only does he not attempt to solve the problems facing our foster children and students, he sends the signal to potential Wood County employers that he isn't much interested in economic development, either. Other counties have seen cascades of economic activity, like Putnam, which has Senators Eric Tarr and Glenn Jeffries as their representatives. Like Azinger, Tarr is exceptionally socially conservative: but when it comes time to develop his local economy and attract business, he seriously approaches these issues and has been incredibly successful; Amazon is rumored to be constructing a facility in his area.
Azinger could work with the Republican supermajority in solving our state's issues and in increasing economic development activity in Wood County. Instead, he focuses on sound bytes and controversial social bills -- these get Twitter (or, X) in a tizzy -- but they neither signify nor accomplish anything. To paraphrase Shakespeare, Azinger is full of sound and fury -- accomplishing nothing. He can do better, given the influential committees on which he sits and the supermajority status of Republicans in the State Senate. If he can't, it's up to Wood County voters to vote him out and elect someone who will actually do the work necessary to improve Wood County.
Bryce Himelrick
Parkersburg