What he said

I mentioned in earlier posts that Republican candidate for governor Bill Cole has proposed increasing mandatory minimums and possibly building more prisons to deal with the drug problem. My friend Pastor Matthew Watts had a great response in today's Charleston Gazette-Mail. I highly recommend taking a look at this critique of one of the biggest policy failures of the last few decades.

Meanwhile, one possible partial solution to WV's budget woes could also help address our public health problems related to obesity. The idea in question is upping the tax on sugary drinks.

Finally, under the it's-not-all-bad category, WV's unemployment rate is at its lowest point since 2008, in spite of the serious slump in the coalfields.