If nothing is done and our state continues to embrace trickle-
down and low-road approaches to development, more towns in
the state will shutter, infrastructure will continue to deteriorate,
fewer kids will go to college or trades school and large parts of
the state will simply become uninhabitable.
WVE: With small businesses being the backbone of
the economy, what should West Virginia be doing
to support and encourage its entrepreneurs?
TB: Between 1995-2013, 83 percent of new private sector jobs
in West Virginia came from homegrown jobs, such as start-ups
and expansions of existing businesses.
Currently, West Virginia tends to put most of its economic de-
velopment investments in chasing smokestacks instead of small
business development and entrepreneurship. Increasing the share of
state economic development resources that go into small business
development with expanded performance-based investments in new
and existing entrepreneurship would be a step in the right direction.
Other avenues include starting buy local campaigns, creating
more space for entrepreneurs to work, connecting entrepreneur-
ial support resources to better connect businesses, shifting focus
to enterprise development with a focus on providing technical
support and mentorship programs and focusing on key sectors
such as local foods, health care, energy efficiency and tourism.
Overall, the best way to promote entrepreneurialism is to
support education at all levels since a majority of entr epreneurs
and inventors come from the middle class who have the skills and
financial stability needed for successful risk taking.
WVE: What do you think led to the current budget
deficit, and how can this situation best be addressed
for a long-term solution?
TB: The bare-bones budget that passed on June 15 is not going
to help our state deal with any of its pressing problems and will
likely make all of them worse as we pull back from investments in
higher education, health care services and other areas. Governor
Justice’s first budget bill offered a much more balanced approach
to our state fiscal crisis.
Going forward, it is crystal clear that West Virginia will need to
raise a substantial amount of revenue just to maintain our current
level of services, let alone get back to where we were before the tax
cuts, or make the additional investments we need to propel our state
forward. The good news is that a large majority—70 percent—of
West Virginia voters are willing to pay more in taxes if the money
goes toward maintaining our key priorities, such as education, public
safety and roads. It’s time to put the people before our politics.
WVE: West Virginia is in dire need of resuscitation. As
simple as possible, what do you think the answer is?
TB: There are no silver bullets to fix West Virginia’s economic
problems. We need an agenda for shared prosperity that improves
our health and well-being, reduces poverty and boosts labor force
participation and wages while increasing the level of education
and workforce skills necessary to grow our state’s economy. In
short, we need a more productive workforce along with better
public infrastructure, and this can’t happen without improving
our long-term fiscal health.
That’s the
complete confidence
you get from LDG.
Larson Design Group’s experts have national
experience and West Virginia roots. Trust your
project to them so you can focus on more
important things—like making it through the
next rapid.
“I don’t have to
manage them.”
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE