CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia politicians have long known you can't go wrong bending over for the gun lobby, but this session could set a record.
The recent legislative audit on overtime pay -- which showed Marshall football coach John "Doc" Holliday received $425,000 in supplemental pay (on a $182,070 base salary); basketball coach Tom Herrion got a $160,300 supplement (on top of a $260,755 base salary) and President Stephen Kopp received a $65,000 supplement on a $390,000 base salary -- evidently caught the attention of faculty there.
For one, it didn't sit well with MU biology professor James Joy, who points out that the College of Science is having to cut summer school class offerings because of a $13,000 budget shortfall in the department.
"How can we deny students access to classes because of a projected shortfall for this summer of $13,000 and yet provide supplements to the salaries of three university officials to the tune of $675,000?" he asked.
Marshall chief of staff Matt Turner said the coaches' supplemental pay is primarily from private sources, mainly from IMG (for coaches' shows and TV and radio appearances), and the Big Green Foundation (for appearances at events such as fundraisers).
Both coaches have incentive bonuses in their contracts that (theoretically) would be paid out of state funds, for bowl appearances or conference championships, Turner said.
Turner said that Marshall, unlike the flagship institution, has opted to route those payments through state payroll for the sake of simplicity and transparency.
Nonetheless, the Faculty Senate are worked up, Joy said, and not entirely convinced that a portion of the supplemental pay is coming out of the MU Foundation.
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Speaking of IMG, merits of the complaint aside, it's amusing to watch millionaire John Raese (who is losing a big chunk of the current WVU sports Tier 3 money) fighting to keep millionaire Bray Cary from getting a little chunk of the new Tier 3 contract.
It's interesting to learn, then, that after Raese fired longtime West Virginia Radio Corp. producer-announcer Rick Johnson as an austerity move, Cary hired Johnson as a producer at WOWK-TV 13. (At, we presume, a much lower salary ...)
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Finally, House Health and Human Resources Chairman Don Perdue, D-Wayne, was back at the Legislature last week, after being sidelined for the first two weeks of the session following knee surgery.
Though using a cane, Perdue said the surgery was a success. "I'm still leaning to the left," he declared.
Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia politicians have long known you can't go wrong bending over for the gun lobby, but this session could set a record.
At last count, 20 bills are pending this session to weaken or repeal firearms regulations -- not to mention the bill to create a "Second Amendment" license plate, or House Speaker Rick Thompson's invitation to Beretta USA to relocate to West Virginia, touting our weak gun laws.
(A bill under consideration in the company's home state of Maryland to outlaw assault weapons and high-capacity magazines would make some of Beretta's products illegal in that state.)
Charleston Mayor Danny Jones was on point last week when he said one would think the gun lobby and gun rights' advocates would be keeping a low profile after the Newtown massacre -- but instead are redoubling efforts to repeal gun laws in gun-friendly regions such as our state.
Jones is understandably angry that legislators who don't live in the city -- and lobbyists who don't live in West Virginia -- are trying to repeal a city ordinance that seems to be working perfectly fine.
As Jones stated, Charleston's ordinance is designed not to keep law-abiding city residents from buying guns, but to cut down on out-of-state drug dealers coming in from Detroit, Cleveland, Washington and New York to sell drugs here, then use the profits to buy handguns to sell on the black market back in their home cities.
While the ordinance has not eliminated out-of-state drug traffic or gun violence in Charleston, it certainly pales in comparison to that of our sister city of Huntington, which has no restrictions on gun purchases.
By all indications, Delegate Mark Hunt, D-Kanawha, put the bill (HB2558) on the Political Subdivisions Committee agenda to placate Republicans on the committee, but believes the bill will not come up for consideration in House Judiciary Committee this session.
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Speaking of Thompson, there's always rumors about what higher offices legislative leaders will seek, but the latest rumor about the speaker seems to have legs.
I'm advised that Thompson is seriously considering running for Wayne County sheriff in 2016.
That would mean seeking one more term in the House in 2014, then looking at a run for countywide office two years later, when he'll be 64.
At that point, Thompson presumably will have served 10 years as House speaker. By comparison, dealing with hardened criminals as a law enforcement officer should be a breeze ...
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The recent legislative audit on overtime pay -- which showed Marshall football coach John "Doc" Holliday received $425,000 in supplemental pay (on a $182,070 base salary); basketball coach Tom Herrion got a $160,300 supplement (on top of a $260,755 base salary) and President Stephen Kopp received a $65,000 supplement on a $390,000 base salary -- evidently caught the attention of faculty there.
For one, it didn't sit well with MU biology professor James Joy, who points out that the College of Science is having to cut summer school class offerings because of a $13,000 budget shortfall in the department.
"How can we deny students access to classes because of a projected shortfall for this summer of $13,000 and yet provide supplements to the salaries of three university officials to the tune of $675,000?" he asked.
Marshall chief of staff Matt Turner said the coaches' supplemental pay is primarily from private sources, mainly from IMG (for coaches' shows and TV and radio appearances), and the Big Green Foundation (for appearances at events such as fundraisers).
Both coaches have incentive bonuses in their contracts that (theoretically) would be paid out of state funds, for bowl appearances or conference championships, Turner said.
Turner said that Marshall, unlike the flagship institution, has opted to route those payments through state payroll for the sake of simplicity and transparency.
Nonetheless, the Faculty Senate are worked up, Joy said, and not entirely convinced that a portion of the supplemental pay is coming out of the MU Foundation.
***
Speaking of IMG, merits of the complaint aside, it's amusing to watch millionaire John Raese (who is losing a big chunk of the current WVU sports Tier 3 money) fighting to keep millionaire Bray Cary from getting a little chunk of the new Tier 3 contract.
It's interesting to learn, then, that after Raese fired longtime West Virginia Radio Corp. producer-announcer Rick Johnson as an austerity move, Cary hired Johnson as a producer at WOWK-TV 13. (At, we presume, a much lower salary ...)
***
Finally, House Health and Human Resources Chairman Don Perdue, D-Wayne, was back at the Legislature last week, after being sidelined for the first two weeks of the session following knee surgery.
Though using a cane, Perdue said the surgery was a success. "I'm still leaning to the left," he declared.
Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.
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