Crossposted from West Virginia Blue.
I made it to the West Virginia United town hall meeting last night in Charles Town.
About 50 people (48 to be exact) were there from Berkeley and Jefferson counties, including a representative from Senator Robert C. Byrd’s office (I meant to get his card and forgot) and Ryan Unger, State Sen. John Unger’s brother, who was representing him. A lot of familiar, friendly faces, Bill, John, Demetri, Lynn, Judy and Liz.
The speakers were Larry Matheney of the WV AFL-CIO, Gary Zuckett of West Virginia Citizens Action and The Rev. Jim Lewis of West Virginia Patriots for Peace. I fear I offended Rev. Lewis when he mentioned how Rubberstamp Rep. Shelley Moore Capito had met with other Republicans with Mr. George W. Bush at the White House to express her “concerns” about the Iraq war.
“Oh please,” I said loudly from the back of the room, not meaning to say anything aloud, but caught off guard by his remark. He should know better than to believe anything she says.
After all, we’ve had this same song and dance routine from Capito in November 2006 and December 2006 and January 2007 and February 2007. Capito says one thing, expressing “concern” about the war. Then she’ll vote to keep the troops there as long as necessary to avoid embarrassing Bush. Even as she expresses her “concerns,” she’ll criticize anyone who says anything negative about the endless occupation and that any discussion of pulling the troops out or even shortening their rotations only emboldens the “terrorists,” who apparently are the same people we’re training and arming one day and fighting the next. So Rev. Lewis can think I’m cynical if he likes, but it’s just being realistic about Capito based on her past behavior.
Ted Boettner of the Mountain State Education & Research was on the agenda as a speaker but didn’t attend. I was disappointed because I was hoping to meet him.
Also met a smart young man from the Student Environmental Action Coalition. I’m hoping he posts some environmental diaries.
Overall the meeting was on social justice and healthcare, but many of the issues overlap considerably and the activists, including Rev. Lewis, recognize how they are interconnected. For instance, getting out of Iraq, where we’ve already spent $1.2 billion just of West Virginia tax payer dollars alone on an unnecessary war would free up funding to pay for health coverage for all Americans.
Many of these issues lend themselves to natural alliances from different interest groups and it’s good West Virginia United is holding these townhall meetings to bring people together.
Nearly 50 people at a meeting to discuss policy issues on a Monday night in a Charles Town firehall is a not insignificant number. Not surprisingly, no one from the Martinsburg Journal was there so this, as with many news events that happen in the area, will be news to them.
