TooLong4Change

Press Release For Immediate Release WV Lobbying needs Reform and Accountability Recently the media has been reporting on a story regarding a man who was simultaneously working for the WV State Auditor, and served as President of a lobbying firm. This, of course, is incredibly dubious and unethical, but it took people pointing out that the situation may have been illegal for this individual to leave his position being paid $25/hour of taxpayer money. Due to loopholes in the laws of West Virginia, it is not clear whether this individual did actually violate state law, though I stand firm in saying that investigations into several potential violations should occur. Regardless of the legality of the actions taken by the State Auditor and his employee/campaign contributor, West Virginia must close any of the potential loopholes in the lobbying laws of West Virginia. If you are a lobbyist, I have little sympathy for you. I will listen to everyday people, and the grassroots organizations that...

Since I was a young teenager, I have openly expressed my desire to run for political office as a means of improving the world. Due to struggles with anxiety, depression, and financial difficulties over the years many of these runs never occurred. But in the background of life I've continued to develop policies for a better economy, keeping and improving our state's Wild and Wonderful environment, and how to appropriately approach these policies within the context of a government budget. A few weeks ago my voter registration was updated to allow me to seek the Democratic nomination for state House in district 51 in 2026. Despite this, I will always note my intention is to serve as an effective independent without caucusing with either major political party due to the expectation of caucus members to vote in line with party leadership. I am releasing this post, alongside a press release given to local media stations following approval as an official pre-candidate for State House ...

Congress has passed a rescission bill for the first time in a few decades, something that could certainly benefit the American taxpayer if such was formulated correctly. For starters, on the scale of the federal government's budget and debts $9-billion is not worth the time nor political capital needed to achieve such a bill's passage. A fiscally responsible approach to the budget would involve a larger overall cut to government spending, alongside either keeping tax rates steady or increasing tax rates and closing loopholes (preferably for those most capable of paying a larger portion). This $9-billion in cuts targets the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), as well as foreign aid. The vast majority of the 9-billion figure does come from foreign aid programs rather than from the CPB, which while is a tough decision to be made is not the worst source for spending cuts. While the United States is capable of assisting international partners and the impoverished worldwide, I...

The state government of West Virginia has established a 'flood resiliency fund' which sounds great and proactive. However, for the past few years  our government has failed to place a single dollar into the fund, this despite the fact that individual members have proposed measures to put funds into the account including a recent attempt to transfer $50-million from our 'rainy day fund' that currently sits at $1.35- B illion. These proposals have consistently been rejected by many of the same people who decided to create the empty fund. As we have seen from our flash floods in the past decade (including in just the past few days/weeks), and recently in Texas' "flash flood alley" it is important that governments at the local, state, and federal levels do all that they can when it comes to extreme weather events. They must in order to prevent death, injury, and millions in property damages. Scientists, including meteorologists, predict increased and more seve...

Recently, my partner and I have attended two conventions. It took months of savings to do so and admittedly more debt than I would like as a result of some unfortunate financial situations I got into. A few months ago we attended Tsubasacon in Charleston, WV. Here my beautiful partner, Samara, was able to cosplay (or dress up as various characters) and looked wonderful while doing it. I got to meet many of her friends, fellow cosplayers, and a local small artist/craft maker and their partner. I am very happy to be able to consider them friends or acquaintances of mine to some degree or another. My partner and her friends being able to join together a couple of times to do panels where they could in effect do a little improv show in character. They are very talented individuals, which if you ever get the chance you should attend a panel of theirs or in the very least get a selfie with, in their cosplays.  During one of the panels at Tsubasacon, a meme/semi-inside joke was born with ...

As Israel and Hamas lead to the U.S. Military Industrial Complex’s leader’s eyeballs to turn to dollar signs the Republican Party in the U.S. House of Representatives fail to deliver the money to their bosses. As the United States seeks to fund wars in Ukraine and Israeli-Palestine/Palestinian-Israel we see a failure of political parties to show leadership. The Democrats fail us by financing war over American infrastructure, schooling, and investing in rural and poor communities. Republicans failing us by failing to provide stable leadership, financing those same wars, and failing to provide a fiscally responsible plan as promised.  The United States must withdraw from our supra-national policing, and work toward realistic, fact-based, peace-focused foreign policy. Not viewing every military conflict as a means to profiteer and bolster the military industrial complex. I want the starving fed, the homeless clothes, and infrastructure repaired but let’s focused on rural WV as well. I...

  Mid to Late December:   discovered discoloration of some parts of Ellwood, I believed this could have been excess water or even a lack of enough water due to certain plants needing a small amount during a winter dormancy & when purchased Ellwood's soil was completely dry. Experimented with soil water levels to little success. January 11:  The discoloration hadn't improved nor stopped so in search of finding a definitive answer I removed the foil around Ellwood's pot which did have excess moisture in it, which at the time excess water was the leading theory. I began tracking days to better track Ellwood and be better able to write this post about Ellwood.      January 12:  still deeply worried and not convinced that removing the foil was enough of a fix I try loosening the soil to allow better drainage of the water, but couldn't really do so. I pulled Ellwood out of the pot to see that unfortunately they'd become even more rootbound then when I ha...