Dole listened. And Dole advised Pickens on political reality:
Right there, on the floor, that's a sleeping dog. Politicians don't kick sleeping dogs. Bill Clinton doesn't give a damn about energy and I don't either. We're not either one of us gonna kick a sleeping dog and so energy will not be an issue in this campaign.
But in case one of us stumbles over the dog, and if one of us has a problem, you will be the guy who advises me.
"Neither one of them," Pickens said, "had a problem with energy. . . . They didn't want anything to do with it."
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The people we elect to the House of Delegates, Senate and our Governor will be the ones who decide the agenda and importance of the "corner casino" license renewal issue. Former Governor Bob Wise convinced the state legislature with the help of former Senator Lloyd Jackson, former Education Committee leader in the House, Jerry Mezzatesta and former WV Department of Education head, Henry Morockie to create a merit based "Promise Scholarship". The primary funding was provided by legalized video gambling, similar to the Georgia and New Mexico's "Hope Scholarships" and their sister program later passed in Tennessee all of which were tied to gambling expansion or legalization in their state.
With a "promise" to a state fed up with gray machines, and a governor unable or unwilling to enforce the existing laws, this seemed like a way out to many legislators, educators, business owners and citizens. Bob's promise to reduce, restrict and regulate became the battle cry for the soon to be governor and his team during his 2000 campaign and the key to forming the necessary coalitions for passage. What has happened since is anything but what we were promised. Our county has countless yellow and purple buildings with big signs saying "must be 21 to enter"and little cafes all claiming to be "West Virginia's original".
As for the promise scholarships themselves, they are very easily denied for small, sometimes simple typo mistakes in paperwork, most families who actually manage to receive them are middle to upper class financially while the machine players or contributors are usually anything but. Then after all that, many if not the majority of the graduates take their degree's out of state for reasons beyond any ones control.
With a "promise" to a state fed up with gray machines, and a governor unable or unwilling to enforce the existing laws, this seemed like a way out to many legislators, educators, business owners and citizens. Bob's promise to reduce, restrict and regulate became the battle cry for the soon to be governor and his team during his 2000 campaign and the key to forming the necessary coalitions for passage. What has happened since is anything but what we were promised. Our county has countless yellow and purple buildings with big signs saying "must be 21 to enter"and little cafes all claiming to be "West Virginia's original".
As for the promise scholarships themselves, they are very easily denied for small, sometimes simple typo mistakes in paperwork, most families who actually manage to receive them are middle to upper class financially while the machine players or contributors are usually anything but. Then after all that, many if not the majority of the graduates take their degree's out of state for reasons beyond any ones control.
Who is willing to "kick the sleeping dog" in 2008?
Wood County ranks in gambler caller hotline
Posted July 26
Posted July 26
PARKERSBURG - Wood County ranked second statewide in callers to a gambling help line started eight years ago.
