There are other places for asking that, this is not one of them. I don't understand how these people exist. [–]I_Drink_Rye 68 points69 points70 points 3 years ago (22 children). This has made the are very poor. West Virginia is the only state created by carving out territory from another state, without that state’s permission. Do people pay to have their ads run on virus software, Why can I eat an orange and think it's to sweet, but have absolutely no problem eating something loaded with sugar like a donut or other sweets. A thousand Virginians of all classes and races rose up in arms against Berkeley, attacking Indians, chasing Berkeley from Jamestown, Virginia, and ultimately torching the capital. If you ARE prescribed drugs known to be addictive, TALK with your doctor about how to protect yourself from addiction. A lot of people just don’t leave their hometowns. Redistributing the wealth that way helps plug rural areas into the dynamism of the broader economy and help themselves. The world is changing, and people like that will be the first to cry that they hadn't been warned, or "If only I knew!" I had a cousin that was heavily abused, by her family and church, because they suspected that she was gay and her case wasn't unusual. Access to medical care in both states is deficient, for different reasons. There have been dozens of well-funded educational programs attempting to find ways of easing people into more stable and more modern industries. [–]SeanTheTranslator 54 points55 points56 points 3 years ago (14 children), [–]salparadis 109 points110 points111 points 3 years ago (13 children), [–]SeanTheTranslator 23 points24 points25 points 3 years ago (11 children). When I think back to my years in the school system there, all I remember are bad teachers and under-funded, rundown buildings. Places like Enterprise, West Virginia or Gordon, WV. In the not too distant future the idea of a human being behind the wheel of a large transport will scare the hell out of us. A Theory. Tours are offered daily and the 1.25-mile walk takes about two to three hours. [–][deleted] 13 points14 points15 points 3 years ago (4 children). (Amy Orndorff). If UNESCO World Heritage Sites honored kitschiness, the Mystery Hole would be a top destination. [–]gone-wild-commenter 55 points56 points57 points 3 years ago (1 child), this actually has its own wikipedia page, haha, [–]warlockjones 25 points26 points27 points 3 years ago (0 children), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_God_for_Mississippi, [–]odaeyss 50 points51 points52 points 3 years ago (1 child), [–]tO2bit 75 points76 points77 points 3 years ago (0 children), When I was in Alabama, they told me "Whatever you say about Alabama, we say about Mississippi. Drugs are horrible. Or end civil rights for people you disagree with. In this case natural gas. They aren't staying around for the death throes of their hometown. Just some examples: Many people are stuck in their hometowns because they have sick family that can't move and need to be taken care of. They lived in a fairly simply house, although it was two stories. Another teacher was known for throwing things, books and pencils, at students. While there may be some communities like that, I'm willing to wager that most aren't actually in that situation, they're just stuck in a poverty trap that they could get out of if only we offered decent, affordable education and freedom from the specter of medical bankruptcy. I just don't see the point of the rest of the country paying to subsidize these small towns that would otherwise crumble. The mountainous part is going to be hard to build out because of cost. Example 2: A guy is on vacation when a local sporting goods store sends out a flyer offering a $300 discount on a shotgun he's wanted for a while but can't quite afford. A 15-foot-tall iceberg climbing wall lorded over the other inflatables, including jungle gyms, trampolines and wobbly-looking Saturns. Joke responses at the parent-level will be removed. If you didn’t go to a grocery store in 1992, you might have missed Bat Boy’s coverage in the now online-only black-and-white tabloid the Weekly World News. I know I'm in such a different position but if you have the money to sustain yourself long term, I imagine you have the money to eventually move. So the boundary is weird because: Maryland includes most of the Chesapeake Bay. Another factor in the unemployment situation in West Virginia is automation. While race certainly seems to matter in the United States, economics is likely to be the more impactful factor. Republicans here run on a platform of small business and the working man-as well as investing in economic stimulation and growth. [–]JMBlake 8 points9 points10 points 3 years ago* (2 children). In my opinion, the biggest issue in West Virginia is the lack of education. We shouldn't write off an entire state that's struggling because we don't agree with them. Once I came around to accepting the freedom of our moveable house as a kind of blessing, I set out to christen it near the most amazing lake I could find. According to Joseph Henrich’s book, it was the advent of Protestantism, aided by the invention of the … If there isn't enough work and money to form even a small local economy why should it exist? It's a distressing truth that people always underestimate the likelihood of something undesirable happening. Not to say there are no poor/druggies (but let's face it that's almost everywhere now)/small town folk, [–]richardblack3 9 points10 points11 points 3 years ago (0 children). I live in a college town and that, and the company I keep, help insulate me. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the northeast, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. Do turtles sometimes knock the back of their heads against their shells and think, “dammit”? [–]randy88moss 47 points48 points49 points 3 years ago (13 children). An entire state gets with it deserves for not voting for the candidate of your choice? Our thoroughly Yankee HR staff couldn't hang with the southern boys. I'm not sure I agree with your premises in all contexts. I'll admit I'm ignorant to this, but I do know that the Southern Democrat was a real thing for a long time. Anyone can understand why, since the whole place is beautiful in every season. It was enough to hook me as well as about a dozen or so other people who lined up for one of the 15-minute tours. The man that took his seat, Joe Manchin, is the former governor and a Democrat. that live outside of DC, but commute into the District for work. This subreddit was inspired by this thread and more specifically, this comment. The following month, a convention at Wheeling changed the name to West Virginia. Sure there's poverty there. I grew up there and the stuff I see old classmates post on social media is so uneducated you might think they are joking, but they are not. What specifics did Sanders offer that Clinton did not? We’d visit the kitschiest wonders of the world. [–]sanna43 38 points39 points40 points 3 years ago (7 children). From 1991 TV special "Montana Christmas Skies". I'd heard about mountaintop removal before but had no idea how large of a problem it was. Too much crime, murder and whatever in that block? The didn't even amount to 5 dollars a year. [–]glodime 16 points17 points18 points 3 years ago (0 children). Are you phucking kidding me? from clay county. As a person from one of those areas I often get frustrated at the amount of hate and stereotyping they have to endure on top of this economic and social turmoil. One of West Virginia’s biggest tailgate traditions is an alcoholic drink that dates back to the early 1800s. All questions are welcome - except clear trolls, please don't be that guy. Its West Virginia’s largest single day event and attracts about 100,000 people each year. Living in the DC area (as I do) people don't see the poor in it because all they see is he bright lights of Capitol Hill or U street corridor. But the world changed. What it does not need is judgement, discrimination, or anyone's apologies. No? What gives you the impression the Eastern Panhandle is booming? When they are unemployed, they can't afford the same lifestyle they may have been used to. [–]BenFoldsFourLoko 7 points8 points9 points 3 years ago (1 child). “West Virginia is about at the top of the charts,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But the U.S. was built around the concept of independently run states with a some oversight by a federal government. When we were watching LOGAN and he saw the automated trucks he was like "THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN" and here we are ready to turn the corner! [–]canttaketheshyfromme 7 points8 points9 points 3 years ago (2 children). [–]just1nw 40 points41 points42 points 3 years ago (3 children), something like 60% of the population is on some form of government assistance, but if you ask them if people should get "hand outs" they'll all say no. All this sounds good on the surface, except that addicts don't exactly just walk away from their habits en masse; as a result, we're now seeing a huge rise in heroin use as people can't get the pain meds anymore. Not just fracking, but a host of other extraction technologies as well. But while they talk a lot about helping the poor, they still uphold and perpetuate the very same system that keeps the poor, poor. Driving through it is a rather depressing deal if you're crazy enough to do it. Those are really the places I am referring to in my previous comment. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Basically, for the longest time the South was the bastion of the Democratic Party, while the Northern states were Republican. Finance and Insurance already have major hubs, same for professional/buisiness services and information/tech. American South - West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky - fared the worse Residents of Mississippi made fewest trips to the dentist in all the U.S. Utah, … Addicts will do some REALLY scummy things to get their fix - they'd slit their momma's throat for a nickel if they had to. "Back in my dad's day..." a coal miner could support himself and his family and have a good life, drive a decent company car, and even go on a family vacation once a year! Across the road from the visitor center entrance, the food-truck-size stand has a bar and picnic tables. (Amy Orndorff), A guide points out different tools used by coal miners during an underground tour at Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley. [–]tomdarch 198 points199 points200 points 3 years ago (106 children). Thanks for reading all of this, even if you didn't read all of this, and your eye started somewhere else have a cookie. Hopefully I'll be able to stay here and make a decent living. [–]Ken_Thomas 174 points175 points176 points 3 years ago (11 children). [–]AnalOgre 9 points10 points11 points 3 years ago (12 children). [–]GoldenEst82 89 points90 points91 points 3 years ago (0 children). Check out the reddiquette page for more info - violations of any of those of clauses may result in a ban without warning. seems like a good example. Fairly ironic, since this has been a state that's voted Democrat for a long time (governor, state reps, senators, House of Representatives). of "safety concerns" when they've been automating as fast as they can for the last 100 years, safety be damned. West Virginia was taken from Virginia later on. And they won't stop for coffee breaks. October Sky gives you a pretty good idea. In Alabama, Senator Richard Shelby ran and was elected as a Democrat, but then switched parties once he was in office. In the 1950s more than a … [–]ar9mm 26 points27 points28 points 3 years ago (3 children), They voted for government being hands off. It doubles as a beach house. Still, I gave up my cash willingly to have a guide lead me up the 122 steps to the top and tell me a little more about the landmark. Its to prevent bias. The way they see it is that environmental regulations killed their industry, and had that not happened they wouldn't need government assistance. When entire communities/cities (and states/provinces!) I have fond memories of California. Even if manufacturing does come, and they build in that region, you'll still have a similar problem of having only one major employer for the town. I live in eastern kentucky and it's the same here. Yes, West Virginia is among the poorest if not the poorest state in the union as well as one of the most uneducated and least economically developed. They're a proud people, and many of them are extremely nice, but their issues are systemic and will take a long time to fix. It’s why there are so many tiny towns and villages just seemingly in the middle of the brush in West Virginia along with a lot of winding mountain roads connecting them all. It’s become a choice honeymoon destination. There is a deep sense of loyalty to family bred into the culture that is prevalent because of the harsh poverty. Tours last 15 to 20 minutes and cost $6.50, $5.50 age 11 and younger. [–]rvhack 262 points263 points264 points 3 years ago (13 children). As a native Mississippian, I felt somewhat slighted by the notion that WV was the poorest. Our state was heavily unionized until automation killed those skilled labor positions by the 1980s. I don't know how many small towns this comprises but I don't think the rest of the country should sink more money into an area that has no chance of returning to a viable/thriving community. The lack of interaction with the outside world only makes it worse. Upon exiting, I understood why Bat Boy would want to call West Virginia home. Joe Manchin (the Democratic Senator from West Virginia) votes more often with the Democratic Party than every Republican in the Senate. The surveyors who set the border made it at the North Branch of the Potomac River. Just like it's not time to end free speech for people you disagree with. I'd just like to chime in here and say that I moved from West Virginia to Mississippi. The sun came up shortly after our neighbors went to sleep, and we finally had our first look at the lake. Every Democrat that won the presidency going back to the 1920s has won West Virginia. I think the money should be used instead to help relocate & retrain the people who are left in the woods when the industry closes shop. [–]yodasmiles 29 points30 points31 points 3 years ago (5 children). [–]VodkaHaze 82 points83 points84 points 3 years ago (4 children), It's called the "resource curse" in economics if anyone is interested, [–]mecaenas 42 points43 points44 points 3 years ago (4 children). It’s called “Moonshine.” It’s made by specially distilling high-proof whiskey. NSQ is supposed to be a helpful resource for confused redditors. And then longwall mining came out in force and instead of having miners hacking at the mine you could simply shear off an thousand foot long ‘wall’ in the mine and having it packed and ready for transport instantly significantly reducing the number of people needed in the mines. I'll take "Wicked Sweet Flair" for 400, Alex. Addicts always find a way and it's rarely legal. ", [–]IrateBarnacle 44 points45 points46 points 3 years ago (47 children). [–]EitanWolf 248 points249 points250 points 3 years ago (332 children). What do you expect people to do? Gross State Product. You bet they would (see Bernie Sanders' town hall in McDowell). I feel an irony there. I have worked along the Ohio River, Logan, Mingo County, NW West Virginia. I decided to face my fear of the creature by visiting his turf, Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg. It’s 69 feet high and 900 feet in circumference. As more and more people began aligning with the Republicans in the South, the party moved more right, causing Northern Republicans who were more centrist to switch to the Democrats. Truckers are in very high demand and rates are raising. [–]CRISPR 11 points12 points13 points 3 years ago (18 children), [–]treycartier91 40 points41 points42 points 3 years ago (0 children). Has that changed? My point is that there were decades Democrats had to implement these with full support of West Virginians but didn't do it effectively enough. [–]Faberbutt 66 points67 points68 points 3 years ago (0 children). In many parts of the US these units are now more cost effective than coal. Would WV workers prefer to have good healthcare? They kept warm under massive feather beds. Oh man, this so much. Since most mines were pretty backwoods areas that would require a lot of time and effort for miners to get out there, do their job, transport their product, and then leave, it made more sense for mining operators to just set up coal camps which eventually turned into coal towns. Her baby got out at night and drowned in a river. There's no easy solution to this, because even if you can turn out great high-value workers in a year (and pay them for that year, so they can survive while they study) then where do they work? [–]diddy403 124 points125 points126 points 3 years ago (18 children). We shouldn't write off an entire state that's struggling because we don't agree with them. Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) plants are immensely more efficient capturing the waste heat from the initial combustion and using it to produce steam and turn a second turbine. Why should a small rural town like this be propped up. Many of these coal mines have just stopped bearing coal. Are you going to move them? [–]rwwman50 11 points12 points13 points 3 years ago (6 children). Obama drastically expanded money for this, after Clinton did the same thing. Tennessee Ernie Ford sings Sixteen Tons, about life as a coal miner, with the chorus "I owe my soul to the company store. [–][deleted] 26 points27 points28 points 3 years ago (5 children). You do not need to stay at the resort to enjoy the lake. They're writing themselves off before we ever could. [–]Smallpaul 5 points6 points7 points 3 years ago (3 children). [–]civex 13 points14 points15 points 3 years ago (0 children). These towns were built and administered by mining companies for the purpose of bringing miners and their families next door to work. 21. They voted for fucking Dukakis. What I think the state needs most of all is outside investment, but I get the feeling that pride wouldn't let that happen especially if it's from the government. Beers $1-$5. My fiance is a paramedic and gets to see the results of the carfentanil outbreak every day. The people that can afford to live in DC are, for the most part, making loads of money. But they're a little preoccupied trying to survive the regional economic depression at the moment. The Democrats since the 90's shifted their economic message to a much more neoliberal republican-lite agenda and that's why they lost the state. The park has several camping areas and visitor centers so be sure to put the Canyon Rim Visitor Center address in your GPS otherwise you might get lost, like we did. Two dropped out in ninth grade and one in the eleventh. Any questions we suspect of being leading questions or asked merely to promote an agenda or sealioning will be removed. Other than the salaries of the miners themselves and the support functions associated with mining (equipment sales and repair, etc.) LMGTFY links will be removed. Flashlights in hand, my husband and I headed down a tunnel for a self-guided tour around what turned out to be home to magnificent stalactites, stalagmites and other intricate formations. If you take that away, we are just second place at nothing. Every $1 put into the pockets of miners $10 is taken for the owners. [–]allrused 34 points35 points36 points 3 years ago (9 children), "So what happens when a cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient competitor to coal comes out? There are a lot, a LOT of poor that live in the D.C. City limits. West Virginia was reliably a blue state until recently - 2000. (Ace Adventure Resort), Inside the Mystery Hole — where cameras are forbidden — visitors can see hard-to-explain feats. [–]hook__13 7 points8 points9 points 3 years ago (2 children). No, they should have incentivized new businesses to come in and take over where coal left off. [–]dlineownzu4life 6 points7 points8 points 3 years ago (0 children). Plus it's concentrated unlike states which is diluted by more rural, lower earning populations. [–]JMBlake 235 points236 points237 points 3 years ago* (44 children). The next morning, we headed for another brochure-driven outing, to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. The coal companies did what they wanted. But there is such potential in these people and this beautiful, peaceful place. There's even more high paid lawyers/lobbyists/etc. Below you will find links to some of the weirdest stories from the Mountain State, but remember, the tales on this website are only the tip of the iceberg. There are places that really aren't sustainable, but they tend to be really sparsely populated. It wasn’t always this way. Many West Virginia tailgaters make different flavors of moonshine and drink it out of mason jars on gameday. You might be usually correct if WV had shifted to voting red after that party realignment (which happened after Nixon's Southern Strategy), but they didn't start voting red until the 2000s after coal had declined to it's lowest point in decades. It's not just about efficiency, it's also about dispatchability. ", [–]ImWatchinUWatchinMe 19 points20 points21 points 3 years ago (1 child). What sounds do parrots imitate in the wild? I could see that being true of why blacks don't vote in an alternative party but at thw same time, people in general don't vote in alternative parties. Fun stuff. I think if things weren't going like a large landowner/mine owner wanted they would just burn down the courthouse. West Virginia’s only working lighthouse. PERSONALLY, I don't believe it will be a national network - I believe shipping companies will start putting together their own systems based on whichever standard they are most satisfied with that will meet some minimun. By his definition, it means driving around aimlessly and, when you see something worth stopping at, making it your “destination.” We had picked up two brochures at the campground and, with a vague understanding of where we were going, headed to see what is claimed to be West Virginia’s only working lighthouse. My cousin recently died also. Then you're stuck where you are, and they will be too if they think similarly. You will have a very difficult time convincing the average Mountaineer the Democrats are not going to take their guns. We chose to view the mammoth structure from the safety of the overlook near the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. The resort is also home to a five-acre lake with inflatables, a zip line and other offerings. In addition to being a pretty thing to look at, it has a catwalk under the bridge that visitors can strap onto for a walking tour and, for the more adventurous, B.A.S.E. [–]glodime 40 points41 points42 points 3 years ago (13 children). Also mary jane not going to fix WVs budget woes long term, you even said yourself that its only a matter of time before its legal everywhere and once that happens alot of Colorado's current money is going to dry up due to people not needing to travel to the state to get it anymore. The longest serving senator in history, Robert Byrd, was a Democrat. Welcome to Weird West Virginia! Linking the panhandle of Maryland’s mountainous western area with the rest of the state is a geographic anomaly, a 1-mile-wide strip squeezed between Pennsylvania and West Virginia… are not permitted at any time. Our trip to West Virginia would be a quintessential (albeit abbreviated) American summer road trip. You seem like a reasonable forward thinking bloke...we'd love to have you here in California. [–]ar9mm 224 points225 points226 points 3 years ago (318 children). It is the state's northernmost extension, bounded by Ohio and the Ohio River on the north and west and the state of Pennsylvania on the east. She also made some vague promises to "retrain" miners. Coincidentally, a psychiatrist at the clinic I work for is the head of the state Board of Pharmacy, and he's been spearheading that effort, along with the police at various levels. Tours are self-guided and it takes most people about an hour to walk the loop. When oil prices are high, people flock for the oil jobs, everyone makes tons of money, and buys goods like trucks, houses, etc. Why Are We in the West So Weird? It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. But you can't just bring back coal, or bring back the cod. jumping (it stands for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth) once a year. These 11 Strange Spots In West Virginia Will Make You Stop And Look Twice – At Least. And then imagine if you're leaving behind elderly family you need to care for. Obama didn't win West Virginia in 2008 which was unusual. we'll see, but I don't see it as being too far away... [–]Phapples 5 points6 points7 points 3 years ago (4 children). No responses being rude to the questioner for not knowing the answer. As a WV resident; the political system here is very backwards. [–]Guzzles 1171 points1172 points1173 points 3 years ago (91 children), [–]thiney49 1723 points1724 points1725 points 3 years ago (57 children). [–]passthefist 8 points9 points10 points 3 years ago* (8 children). [–][deleted] 182 points183 points184 points 3 years ago (13 children). Many young people know what to do. [–][deleted] 7 points8 points9 points 3 years ago* (11 children). http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_56216331e4b02f6a900c5d67, http://thepoliticalinsider.com/must-see-5-specific-times-democrats-wanted-confiscate-guns/. The suggestion is absurd. People stop buying coal. With that said, I'm breaking the cycle. I grew up in West Virginia and agree 100% with the comments about the education system in the state. The great American Chestnut Blight is on my list of relatively unknown events that completely shaped our country and we still feel its effects today. The resources were extracted from West Virginia, while the profits (and the taxes on those profits) went elsewhere. ", Poor people have differing opinions and vote differently than preferred, "Fuck them, they deserve to live in poverty. Everyone has an opinion, but the majority do not even know the facts before they form one. etc. [–]Shark_Porn 25 points26 points27 points 3 years ago (0 children). It just doesn't make any sense, even the cost of transporting the goods they need must be huge compared to a decent size town. I hate that place. Instead they voted for the guys who will do none of that. A good chunk of them are very high paid lawyers/lobbyists/etc. It's a strange subculture where family wants to perpetuate misery. Neighbors pushed that curfew, singing off-key renditions of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” late into the night. Retrain them to do what? REDDIT and the ALIEN Logo are registered trademarks of reddit inc. π Rendered by PID 17577 on r2-app-0dc891f652cbd158b at 2021-02-15 09:58:25.907013+00:00 running 6289523 country code: US. They'll say no, but I lived there for 2 years and Walmart on food stamp day was one of the craziest things I've ever witnessed. Many (but not all of us) are also uneducated, ignorant about social justice, and too proud for their own good. Medicaid does not pay very much on most of these pills. Addicts do crazy, stupid things kids. They might miss it, but they go. Many regions of the US have a dominant industry, but most have political leadership who understand the value of diversifying into other types of business. If you spend any time there you will see how miserably the school systems have failed them. Much of the population lived in towns that were created by companies called “coal towns”. [–][deleted] 20 points21 points22 points 3 years ago (48 children), You dropped a pretty important part there, buddy, [–]notLennyD 24 points25 points26 points 3 years ago (47 children). depends... Gas is more of an instant on/off. These types of questions are not allowed and will be removed: Suicide related questions. [–]ar9mm 216 points217 points218 points 3 years ago (393 children), Keep voting for republicans and wait for that sweet sweet lucre to trickle down, [–]mkz21 39 points40 points41 points 3 years ago (4 children). Nothing else matters when it comes to their decisions. Factories have shut down because of cheaper labor in China, and chemical plants/industry across the state have abused the environment all across WV. It was the first rebellion in the American colonies in which discontented frontiersmen took part. [–]SerpentDrago 34 points35 points36 points 3 years ago (3 children), "Democrat" you mean a republican that is Pro Union ;). One day she was spotted selling herself via an advert. It isn’t a new thing either, when the conveyor belt came out a bunch of coal miners lost their jobs. [–]AmadeusK482 13 points14 points15 points 3 years ago (1 child). WV used to be the bluest of the blue America with a strong and proud union history. Most people can't afford to go without food for a transitionary period, especially if they have a family. Granted, most of the recovery after the recession was not focused on these rural areas. Getting out was a struggle, but I follow two philosophies of travel: Schedule what you really want to see and leave plenty of time for unexpected detours. A federal jobs program, or significant investment in roads and broadband infrastructure is what Democrats should offer in the short term. [–]Matchboxx 20 points21 points22 points 3 years ago (13 children). But they are rightly suspicious at what that means.