Last week’s hours-long traffic standstill on the West Virginia Turnpike demands deeper reflection. On the surface, it was a dropped ball of mega proportions – and the Parkways Authority has acknowledged as much, pledging it won’t happen again. Taking ownership is commendable. West Virginians respect that. Those who diligently labored to clear the roadway deserve our thanks.
But promises alone aren’t enough.
What’s needed now is a full investigation: a detailed timeline of the incident and the response, an examination of any existing incident management plan (one must exist, certainly), and a comparison of what should have happened versus what actually occurred. Historically, the Governor’s Chief of Staff is alerted and onboarded to such situations. Did that occur and when? What role did the Governor’s office play, if any, in decisions?
West Virginians deserve more than press releases – they deserve answers. The legislature should step in to ensure those answers come, and see to it that after action reports aren’t just put on a shelf, but put into action. Making a revised incident management plan public would not be a step too far.
Beyond the operational failure, the incident raises a broader question: Are we too distracted by political sideshows to focus on the basics of governing?
No, a mudslide can’t be prevented. God acted. But planning for its aftermath is government 101. That includes clear protocols to divert traffic before backups develop, rapid deployment of crews to address drainage, and frequent, proactive communication with stranded motorists.
Instead, time and energy are consumed debating DEI programs that barely exist, or litigating vaccination exemptions under the banner of religious liberty – despite few organized faith groups actually opposing vaccines. Why not make West Virginia an unfriendly banking environment while we’re at it? The list goes on. These are political flashpoints, not functional priorities. They consume oxygen that should be spent on delivering competent, day-to-day governance.
Meanwhile, the state’s economic alarm bells are ringing.
As Jack Walker reported for West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the Mountain State lost more jobs year-over-year in May than any other state. Employment fell by 1.3%, a loss of roughly 9,400 jobs — nearly triple the drop of the next closest state, Iowa. And that’s just one data point. A small manufacturer recently left for Ohio, lured away by its more aggressive economic development push. Coal mining jobs continue to vanish across Southern West Virginia, leaving behind isolated communities hollowed out by addiction and despair.
So where is the economic focus?
Where are the transparent metrics on business recruitment? The public scorecards detailing our outreach to corporate leaders? That momentum has waned – if not disappeared altogether.
West Virginians are not fooled. They see what’s happening, and more importantly, what’s not.
It’s time to get serious – about infrastructure, job creation, economic diversification, and core services.
Less culture war, more competence. Less noise, more tangible results.
