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Jim Justice on Budget & Economy

 

 


My administration does not believe in growing government

As far as a budget goes. This for all practical purposes is the six is a six year where we've absolutely had, for all practical purposes, a flat budget. My administration does not believe in growing government. And my administration does not believe in dipping into our rainy day fund and using our rainy day fund. We use surpluses. We use earnings to absolutely make choices to do projects to grow this state but we've got to do it while minding that store that I refer to all the time.
Source: 2024 State of the State Address to the W.V. legislature , Jan 10, 2024

Proposes Inflatocine: one-time pay bonus for public workers

Today, it was reported that the consumer price index rose 7% in the month of December, according to the U.S. Labor Department. This is the fastest increase since June 1982, when inflation hit 7.1%. My proposed Inflatocine will help West Virginians who are hurting when they go to the gas pump or the grocery store. I need your support to pass this one-time pay supplement for our hardworking state employees, teachers, and service personnel.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to West Virginia legislature , Jan 12, 2022

$30 to 50 million to entice business to West Virginia

I would ask you to establish buckets. I'm really big into buckets because I believe when you put something in that bucket, it stays there. I'd ask you to tab a flat, no growth budget in the State of West Virginia for the next three years. I would also ask you to put $30 to 50 million in a bucket that basically we use to entice businesses to close and to come and bring their employment to West Virginia. And the other bucket that I would like you to establish is an additional rainy day fund.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to West Virginia legislature , Feb 10, 2021

Balanced $217M budget deficit with no new taxes

The first time I walked in the door [in 2017], things were pretty doggone tough. Our state was bankrupt: a $217,000,000 deficit, and the next year, it's gonna be $497,000,000, and the next year, 600 and some.

And I prayed a lot. And I truly give the good Lord the credit for all the good ideas, and I'll take the credit for the bad ones. But 23 months later, we're here today, there's been lots and lots and lots of hard work. Didn't have anywhere to go. Had to cut. Had to cut to balance the budget.

Well, we haven't had any cut budgets recently, and we're not going to have one today either. Today, we have things that are so good, so pluses. No new taxes. Did you hear that? No new taxes.

You're going to see a budget that is increased less than the rate of inflation, a budget that is increasing significantly less than the economic growth of our state. And you're able to announce--the biggest in the State's history--a surplus bigger than we've ever had before.

Source: 2019 State of the State address to West Virginia legislature , Jan 9, 2019

Proposed nearly $3 billion for infrastructure

Gov. Jim Justice proposed--and through its votes the Legislature has supported--a "Roads to Prosperity" initiative that aims to spend nearly $3 billion in the coming years on road and bridge improvements and repairs throughout the state. The goals are creating jobs; improving the state's roads and bridges, the condition of which are rated among the worst in the nation; and paving the way for further economic development through improved infrastructure.
Source: Coal Valley News on 2020 West Virginia Governor race , Sep 27, 2017

Cut Rainy Day fund by $123M for WV's biggest depression ever

I can't possibly imagine that there is a time as dire and a time as important as tonight. Now, let me tell you. There is no question we've been fiftieth forevermore. We're better than that. Now, like it or not like it, we're dying fiftieth. This is the most difficult and the biggest depression that we could ever possibly imagine. The biggest of the biggest.

[When you keep digging a hole, you eventually get stuck in the bottom of the hole]. We are such in the hole that we got to quit digging. We got to quit working against one another.

Now, this year, you're going to have to cut the Rainy Day Fund $123 million more. No way around it. Right now.

We've got real problems. I don't mean this in any bad way, but we've got an 18-carat dog's mess, don't we? We do. I didn't create the dog's mess. I have inherited the dog's mess. And I am telling you, you have to have real direction and real ideas and real cooperation together to be able to get out of this.

Source: 2017 West Virginia State of the State address , Feb 8, 2017

Limit lawmaker pay to 5 work days for any special session

After the Republican-led legislature wasted $595,000 during the special session on the budget, businessman Jim Justice called for reforms to avoid another expensive and drawn-out process in the future. This year the W.V. legislature billed taxpayers $35,000 a day during the special session for the budget.

Justice wants to limit lawmaker pay to a total of 5 work days for any special session dealing with the budget and ban all fundraising while the legislature is in session. If it takes longer than 5 days to pass a budget during a special session, the lawmakers will not get paid for the extra time it takes.

"I am too impatient to watch the politicians bicker for months and months and see nothing get done," said Jim Justice. "The budget mess in Charleston proves that we need to impose a tighter timeline on the legislature because they wasted too much money and created uncertainty for our families. On the farm, I've put in many 18-hour days, and I think lawmakers should do the same."

Source: 2016 W.V. Gubernatorial campaign website JusticeForWV.com , Jun 15, 2016

Other governors on Budget & Economy: Jim Justice on other issues:
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Gubernatorial Debates 2023:
KY: Incumbent Andy Beshear(D)
vs.State A.G. Daniel Cameron(R)

vs.Ambassador Kelly Craft(R)
vs.State Auditor Mike Harmon(R)
LA: Incumbent John Bel Edwards(D,term-limited)
vs.Jeff Landry(R)
vs.Shawn Wilson(D)
vs.John Schroder(R)
vs.Sharon Hewitt(R)
MS: Incumbent Tate Reeves(R)
vs.Bill Waller(R,withdrew)
vs.Brandon Presley(D)

Gubernatorial Debates 2024:
DE: Gov. John Carney (D, term-limited);
vs. Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long (D)
vs. County Exec. Matt Meyer (D)
vs. State Rep.Mike Ramone (R)
IN: Gov. Eric Holcomb (R, term-limited);
vs. Sen. Mike Braun (R)
vs. Suzanne Crouch (R, lost May 7 primary)
vs. Eric Doden (R, lost May 7 primary)
vs. Attorney General Curtis Hill (R, lost May 7 primary)
vs. Jennifer McCormick (D)
MO: Gov. Mike Parson (R, term-limited):
vs. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R)
vs. State Senator Bill Eigel (R)
vs. Lt.Gov. Mike Kehoe (R)
vs. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade (D)
MT: Gov. Greg Gianforte (R)
vs. Ryan Busse (D)
vs. State Rep. Tanner Smith (R, lost June 4 primary) 		Gubernatorial Debates 2024 (continued):
NC: Gov. Roy Cooper (D, term-limited);
vs. Lt.Gov. Mark Robinson (R)
vs. Attorney General Josh Stein (D)
vs. Treasurer Dale Folwell (R, lost March 5 primary)
vs. Justice Michael Morgan (D, lost March 5 primary)
vs. State Senator Andy Wells (R,withdrew)
ND: Gov. Doug Burgum (R, retiring)
vs. State Rep. Rick Becker (R)
vs. U.S.Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R)
vs. State Sen.Merrill Piepkorn (D)
NH: Gov. Chris Sununu (R, retiring)
vs. U.S.Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R)
vs. Mayor Joyce Craig (D)
vs. Acting Gov.Chuck Morse (R)
vs. Exec.Councilor Cinde Warmington (D)
UT: Gov. Spencer Cox (R)
vs. State Rep. Phil Lyman (R)
vs. Minority Leader Brian King (D)
VT: Gov. Phil Scott (R)
vs. Lt.Gov.David Zuckerman (D, withdrew)
vs. Selectman Peter Duval (D)
vs. Commissioner Esther Charlestin (D)
WA: Gov. Jay Inslee (D, retiring);
vs. Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D)
vs. U.S.Rep.Dave Reichert (R)
vs. State Sen. Mark Mullet (D)
vs. County Chair Semi Bird (R)
vs. Hilary Franz (D, withdrew to run for U.S.Rep.)
WV: Gov. Jim Justice (R, term-limited)
vs. WV Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R)
vs. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams (D)
vs. WV State Auditor JB McCuskey (R, withdrew)
vs. WV Secretary of State Mac Warner (R, lost May 14 primary)
vs. State Del. Moore Capito (R, lost May 14 primary) 		Abortion
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Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
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Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
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