Published: October 07, 2008 04:38 pm      

Provisional ballots, bailout, more...

Mercer County Clerk Verlin Moye advises voters that a “provisional ballot” is used to record a vote when there is some question in regards to a given voter’s eligibility. Voters will be asked to vote a provisional ballot if (a) your name is not in the precinct poll book (b) Your signature does not match the signature in the precinct-poll-book (c) you are required to show ID, and you have none (d) you ask for help and it appears you do not need it; or (d) you have already voted early or absentee by mail.

Moye mentioned that that a provisional ballot will not count if it is cast in the incorrect precinct. He reminds voters to ask a poll worker for assistance in identifying the correct precinct where you should cast your vote.

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I am always surprised when I take a walk around my neighborhood. Not far away is a home that has two signs in the yard. One sign supports Democrat Mike Vinciguerra and the other supports Republican John Shott. Both are candidates for the 24th District House seat.

I don’t think I’ll be asking any questions lest I take a chance on fanning the fires of a family feud.

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WV Rep. Nick Rahall supported the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. He cited his concern that “West Virginia’s banks have played by the rules, but if the status quo continues, West Virginians could suffer from the financial crisis.”

Rahall also expressed relief that the “bill will keep credit lines available so that small businesses can meet their payrolls and students can take out college loans and have a calming effect on our financial markets to ensure that seniors’ nest eggs and retirement funds are safe and secure.”

Also of importance to the coalfields are incentives that promote coal gasification and carbon sequestration projects, which are essential to the future use of coal. One thing we can certainly agree with Rahall on is that “the toughest part of the work lies ahead: holding the responsible parties’ feet to the fire and truly reining in the abuses of Wall Street.”

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Health care is essential to the well being of all Americans. The Obama camp has stated that “families in West Virginia know that our health care system works better for insurance companies than working Americans.”

The camp claims that “John McCain’s plan would tax employee health care benefits for the first time, send individual health care tax credits directly to insurance companies, and give even more power to the insurance industry.”

McCain’s website, on the other hand, paints a different picture. There is no mention of taxing healthcare benefits or taxing employer provided heath insurance as income. However, most health care is taxed. Not directly, but indirectly. The profit made on medical supplies and medications is taxed. Physician, pharmacists, and health care worker income is taxed. Their companies and businesses are taxed.

More tax on health care is certainly not the answer and playing politics with health care is not a game that will benefit working Americans. Someone is right and someone is wrong. Americans need to hear the truth from both sides. No smoke, no mirrors.

I once had an affordable medical card that said “Good at any hospital anywhere in the world … $100 deductible.” That was a good plan but the government decided it was too good.

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The financial rescue plan doesn’t seem to be working. It looks like the lifeboat is sinking: Wall Street fell again Monday. California needs a pile of money, which isn’t news. The word that California was having financial woes has been around since last winter.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote to U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson last Thursday informing him that the that the state might need an emergency federal loan of up to $7 billion within weeks. According to the LA Times, California officials say the state is locked out of the bond market by the global credit crunch and claim that if the state is unable to access the cash payments to schools and other government entities could quickly be suspended and state employees could be laid off. California is almost back in the same spot it was in when Gray Davis left the governor’s office.

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There you have it, a few words on items of interest to the Virginias. The leaves are beginning to show their vivid fall colors. I hope you have a bright blue sky day. The art of politics seem to be to disagree on everything.

Wilson Butt, a Bluefield resident, is a retired Department of Highways official.