Allegheny Mountain Radio hosted a General Election Candidate Forum on October 26 for House of Delegates, 43rd District and State Senate 11th District candidates. The forum also included Cara Rose, who spoke for the proposed Excess School Levy.
The House of Delegates candidates were asked five questions by AMR Pocahontas County reporter Tim Walker and The Pocahontas Times reporter Suzanne Stewart.
Candidates Alan Balogh, Bill Hartman, Phil Isner, Phillips Kolsun and Clayton Moore were given the opportunity to answer the five questions, as well as give opening and closing statements.
Due to technical difficulties, the forum was not video taped. Instead, each answer is accompanied by a photo of the candidates.
Opening Statements
Question #1: The people you will be representing in the House of Delegates are divided on the issue of coal. Some mostly value the importance of coal jobs to the state verses others concerns about the potential environmentally adverse impacts of coal mining to the land and water of West Virginia as well as to perceived global climate change. How do you feel about the coal industry in West Virginia and how do you balance these concerns?
The answers were divided into two videos.
Question #2: As a possible result of the upcoming Presidential election, the interpretation of the 2nd Amendment regarding guns may be redefined by the courts. How, as a state legislator, do you interpret the 2nd Amendment, and do you feel the state can do anything to protect its citizens from federal actions limiting state gun laws?
Question #3: The West Virginia Budget has been a mess due to an aging and diminishing population, poverty in the state and loss of coal jobs. Do you bring to the table any new ideas or proposals to help solve our revenue problem?
Question #4: Do you feel that taxes need to be raised to help solve the state’s budget problems or do you feel that lowering taxes will increase economic activity therefore raise revenues to the government?
Question #5: Pocahontas County really suffers in job creation because many businesses do not move here due to our remote location, windy roads and spread out locations. If we had the true high speed Internet that Frontier promises and charges for, but does not deliver, we would be an ideal location for call centers and other work-at-home jobs. What would you do to get Frontier to invest our money in infrastructure here instead of spending our money on improving the Internet speeds in other states?
Closing Statements
Divided into two videos.
