Bluefield Daily Telegraph
April 29, 2008 05:45 pm
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Often politicians dream up a scheme they feel will certainly put them in our history books. You know the type who always know what is best for people as long as it doesn’t change his or her situation and cost them anything. We got a few of those these guys in Tazewell County. They’ve done something to be proud of from their limited point of view I reckon. They saved the poor lost children of Pocahontas High School. Funny thing about their position is 97 percent of Tazewell County didn’t know they were lost. Still Randy Conn and Cookie Johnson rode in on their white horses to save the day. Viewing themselves I suppose in some grandiose fashion or messianic role.
In the 1950s Hank Williams sang a song on stages all through the southeast about “old daddy done got peeved and if you don’t change your evil way he’s gonna leave.” (Listen to Hank Williams, Greatest Hits.) His message is appropriate these days. We really don’t need a school board. There was a time when elected representatives served at the will and pleasure of their electorate. I guess those days are gone too, ask Al Gore about that. Anyway all the parents of Abbs Valley, Boissevain, and Pocahontas have done got peeved. The school board better change their ways before they move on some part of Tazewell County with enough voters to boot them out. And move they will because a taste of power instills an urge of greed.
Rick Boucher stood in Big Vein a couple of months ago and talked about progress for our small community and where he hoped to take us in the future. With one swift action our elected representatives in Tazewell kicked the stump out from under old Rick. Now that is funny. Do you think anyone in West Virginia would undermine Robert Byrd or Nick Rahall? There’s something about biting the hand that feeds you also.
If you can’t bring business into a community you can’t put your monetary affairs in order. No tax base means no money for politicians to fund their agenda whatever that may be. I can’t imagine any company coming into an area where the schools have closed. Oh yes, I forgot, prisons do seem to gravitate to these forlorn areas. Just take a ride from Pocahontas to Boissevain and marvel at all those new businesses that have sprung into existence since we opened our prison. Mind boggling to be seen. Practically no where to park.
If history is any indicator of actions then our local elected bodies will scramble to offer up facts to substantiate their opposition to closing Pocahontas. They will cower over us and proffer analogies about how they could have done better or even that what our school board did was really best for us. They want, of course, to pave a smooth ride back into office for themselves come next election. We as a community should persevere to buffer ourselves against that sort idolatry and remember all the incumbents when we vote. Maybe a good clean house will lessen all those allergies we seem to suffer from. But who are we to know what is good for us?
As time goes by we will see what they have in store for us next. Seems like it’s become a soap opera or reality show. My Dad told me one time that it was wise for a young man to remember a fellow who troubles his own house will inherit nothing but the wind. (Read Proverbs 11:29). I think that Tazewell County is trying its level best to glean a hurricane.
Nothing seems to be cast in stone at this point. There is a counter offer from our board of supervisors and Mike Dennis is a reasonably fair man who has experience enough to know he can still turn this troubled ship of his around and I hope he will.
One thing about negative actions, you can always still do them tomorrow. But once you do them, you can’t undo them tomorrow.
Bill Tabor
Boissevain, Va.
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