So with all the projected Revenue Increases, everyone should be smiling and happy, right? No, the increases are all in the works and will proceed no matter what else happens.
The WV Co-op Collaboration held a meeting on the 12th to discuss "the new economy in West Virginia". I am not sure what all happened there as I was not invited, But the new idea to have worker owned cooperatives smacks to me of the communes of the 60 and 70s? In fact I believe there are still a few going in various parts of the Country.
And another comparative I noted a few weeks ago was called the "Employee Owned Stock Option" (ESOP), plan where the employees own the Company via stock buy ins. So in one form or another it seems these are already in play? And with the just now passed Law for Medical Marijuana, there will be the push for pot farms to grow and sell to whomever is running the pot stores. I have strong reservations on this as a means to keep money/ people in West Virginia? A true co-op is a very hard enterprise and prone to internal fighting over who is to do what? Plus getting people to do what, when what, needs doing.
And I will admit a bit of over caution on our hemp growing farmers and what will be that agenda now that it seems some pot may be grow able in those plots? This pot deal is going to be the open door to harder drugs and it won't take ten years for it to bust open. I am very sure there will be no problem starting up a pot commune or two.
Since I am posting a bit on hemp/ pot, I wonder how West Virginia stands up beside Kentucky on how much THC ( the psychoactive compound that gives pot users their high), can be in the hemp being cultivated here? Is said that a small portion of one farmers crop was burned for exceeding the allowed percentage.
For sure an intriguing idea for those who have not studied the history of the commune/ co-op in this Country. There are roughly 3000 still in existence in the U.S. Any one ever hear of the Amish and the Shakers for example? This idea will need a LOT of work before the first nail is driven/ pulled; weed is taken from the ground or seed put down.
Before the proposed Legislative Budget even got a yes/ no vote from Mr. Justice (and he did vote no with his veto), the WVU-P came out with its tuition increases. Suspect more to counter the proposed decreases in State funds more than anything else? Why you ask? Some weeks back, I posted that the Colleges/ Universities would maybe raise instate tuitions to teach the folks a lesson while keeping the out of state party majors coming. Well, the tuition increases do seem a bit slanted towards only instate versus out of state increases. In fact, the chart put out only shows increases for instate tuition? Am I reading it wrong? Will say that any of the finger painting/ basket weaving type courses that get cancelled would be a plus. Need those kids to take on the STEM classes; that is where the money/ jobs will be.
And even with the massive shortfalls in all Agencies or at least projected, the approval of the Mercer Step Pay increase for qualified classified staff will go on as planned come 1 October. Now it is said to only affect about 56 classified step employees with less than 15 years of experience but will still cost more than $44K. In Federal Service, we called these WIGIs. Wage Increases, Grade increases and for the first years in a given pay grade would get an automatic increase excluding any other pay raise every other year for 10 years and then every three years after that.
The comment on the news on the passing of Medical Pot will be a benefit to have people use it as a means to reduce their dependence on Opioids. The only hope this will work is if a person has been through an honest to high Heaven rehab program and is already dealing with the need (hopefully), for a reduced amount of a drug. I do NOT believe for a second that this will be a viable assist in the actual reduction of hard drug usage. I watched people go from lots of pot to coke and only go back when they did not have any coke.
The closing of the SuddenLink facility should be no surprise? I noted two years ago that the company that bought SuddenLink was very much a believer in lean and mean. Plus more into the bottom line than number of customers. Hopefully, the folks working there either sold their homes or deferred buying one? 'nuff said'.