Dear Editor:
When my driveway starts getting rough I have to get in my truck, go to the quarry, buy a load of gravel, spread it out and make my driveway smooth again. When IGA re-surfaced their parking lot they hired a contractor who came and did the work for them. While the contractor did a great job, I don’t imagine they were cheap, let alone free. When Snowshoe’s roads get rough, they go to Charleston and get new RAD laws made up, so they can become part of the government and charge taxes to pay for it. It doesn’t seem right! I pay for my driveway, IGA pays for their parking lot, but Snowshoe gets their roads for free. If you own something, you should be the one paying to take care of it.
A RAD is part of the government. Any project a RAD decides to do will be eligible for state funds just as if a town were doing it. So, if they want to build a wellness center, it would be eligible for funding just like Marlinton’s was. If they want to do building projects, they can go for grants just like the PSD, NRAO, the schools or the libraries. I do not think our tax dollars should be spent to benefit private companies. That’s what this will result in and worse still, it will make it harder for our communities to get the money they need to do projects because we will be competing against the Snowshoe RAD. Think about it, who’s going to have better grant writers Snowshoe or Hillsboro? Once the state gives money for a project up at Snowshoe, they will feel they have done their part for Pocahontas County and won’t be able to give money here again until other counties get their fair share.
As you can tell, I have strong opinions about this, but it is not my decision. The current County Commission has voiced their opinion. I would like to hear from the people who’s decision it is now, our future Commissioners. In the up-coming election two of the three County Commission seats are open. Would The Pocahontas Times please interview the candidates for these seats? The Snowshoe RAD is the biggest issue facing the county, that we have the most control over and I think the voters would like to know where the candidates stand before the election.
Thank you,
Matt Tate
Hillsboro
Editor’s Note: Geoff Hamill, of The Pocahontas Times, and Heather Niday, of Allegheny Mountain Radio, will interview the County Commissioner candidates Monday, October 13, at 6 p.m. The interview will be broadcast live on AMR, a video will be available on pocahontastimes.com and a written report of the candidates’ answers will appear in the print edition of The Pocahontas Times.
