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Therese Smith Cox Daily Mail staff Wednesday February 23, 2005 Gov. Joe Manchin wants to improve the health of state residents by beefing up physical education requirements, removing soft drinks from most schools and setting up a Healthy Lifestyles Office. His Healthy West Virginia Act of 2005 was to be proposed today to lawmakers. Among other measures, it establishes the office under the Secretary of Arts and Education, recommends a voluntary food labeling program for restaurants and restricts the sale of soft drinks and unhealthful snacks in schools. "There is a health-care crisis based on the high number of obese individuals in the state and the resulting incidence of chronic disease that burdens the health care infrastructure of the state," Manchin's proposal says. He first suggested the measure in his State of the State address two weeks ago. "Just like children must be taught to read in order to be successful, they must also be taught the skills that will help them stay healthy throughout their entire life," Manchin said in the speech to legislators. A coalition of members appointed by the governor would oversee the Healthy Lifestyles Office, with the first lady of the state as a "special advisor." The coalition would develop an action plan, with the help of a clinical advisory committee. The office also would establish a voluntary menu-labeling program for restaurants, coordinate higher education training programs for dietary and exercise physiology students with rural health care providers. Officials would report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resource Accountability. A separate, special revenue account will be known as the "Healthy Lifestyles Fund." The proposal would prohibit the sale of soft drinks in elementary, middle and junior high schools but permit sales in high schools as long as the vending machines also offer healthful beverages -- water, 100 percent fruit juice, low-fat milk and any drink that contains no more than 10 grams of sugar per serving. Sens. Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, and Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, previously had proposed legislation that would also specify what beverages will be allowed to be sold in schools. "A lot of studies show our children are on top of the obesity scale," Chafin said. "We think kids are taught very early." Chafin said he was discouraged to see unhealthful products sold at his daughter's school. "I object to schools letting that be available," he said. Currently, state requirements for physical education, which could be different for county school systems, are in flux. However, a report from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education reports that, in West Virginia, physical education is required every year and that grades nine through 12 must complete one class. On the other hand, Manchin's bill would require 30 minutes on three days a week for grades kindergarten through fifth and not less than one full period each school day of one semester a year for grades six through eight. High school students would take one full course credit of physical education for graduation. All students -- no matter what grade -- would be tested annually for their body mass index, a ratio of weight to height. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that only 28 percent of high school students in the country attended a daily physical education class in 2003. Yet 38 percent watched at least three hours of television a night. |
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by The Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Legislators have begun reading the fine print of Gov. Joe Manchin's proposed $3.26 billion general revenue budget, and not all of them like what they see. Manchin proposes to increase general revenues by about 5 percent over the current budget year, which ends June 30. But his budget would reduce spending in at least 10 agencies, and some of those cuts have caught lawmakers' attention. The Senate and House Education Committees learned Tuesday that Manchin proposes to zero out general revenue funding for the state's eight Regional Education Service Agencies. Created to help counties pool their purchasing and technology resources, RESAs now aid low-performing schools and staff development. They received $4.4 million in this year's budget. State Schools Superintendent David Stewart told the committees at a joint meeting that he was in the dark about the funding change. "It will be revealed to us in due time, but right now we don't know why," Stewart said. Manchin administration officials said RESAs have other sources of funding, including federal dollars. The proposed budget also erases funding of a tax credit for firms that provide venture capital to businesses. Some lawmakers are rallying around the Health Sciences and Technology Academy. The program aims to encourage low-income, minority and other students considered disadvantaged to enter health professions by helping them boost their math and science skills. Though it also relies on private and federal funds, the HSTA received $1.07 million from this year's budget. Manchin has proposed cutting that share to $482,381. CopyrightThe Herald-Mail ONLINE |
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What to wear on workers' minds Cheryl Caswell Daily Mail staff Thursday February 24, 2005 John Wheeler hasn't been told yet whether he'll have to change the way he dresses each day for work at the state Division of Motor Vehicles. But like many other state employees, it's on his mind since Gov. Joe Manchin said he wants state workers to dress more professionally. "I have on blue jeans today," said Wheeler, who usually works in the stockroom but fills in several times a day in the information booth of the DMV building's main lobby. While he is manning the booth, Wheeler is only visible from the waist up. And his clothing choice is a sensible one for the stockroom, where he can usually be found completely out of the eyes of the public. "But they may say I have to wear a suit because I'm here several times a day," he said Tuesday. "If they do, I'll have to go buy one." The governor has said that he wants state employees to don "business attire" and answer the phone professionally. While a specific dress code has not been announced, he has directed workers to answer phones with the grammatically correct "May I help you" instead of "Can I help you." Kathleen Gallagher, who works in the Bureau of Employment Programs, spends nearly all of her day behind a desk, inside a cubicle, deep in an office on a third floor. "The most the public sees of me is when I'm eating lunch in the cafeteria," Gallagher said. And she's not happy that the governor is planning to dictate what she should wear. "I've been dressing myself for 50 years, and I don't need Joe Manchin to tell me how to dress," Gallagher said. Many state workers are just hearing rumors of women being required to wear dresses, pantyhose and specific nail colors and men being required to wear suits. But Gallagher has already gotten a directive from her department head. And she does not approve. "I want to be able to wear clothes that are suitable for the weather, and for what I'm going to be doing that day," she said. "Sometimes I have to pick up and carry a lot of boxes. I'm not doing that in a dress." The memo Gallagher received this week suggests that dresses and suits are acceptable choices, but not the only ones. It also allows for dress slacks, khakis and skirts. The directive, which Gallagher said applies only to her department as far as she knows, calls unacceptable clothing choices "muscle shirts, tank tops, cutoffs, sheer clothing, spandex, T-shirts, sweat shirts and any hats." "I don't get a clothing allowance," she said. "If you want me to wear certain clothes, then you have to supply it." Gallagher also questions whether a dress code for state workers is legal. She cites a Mason County high school teacher who was fired for not adhering to a dress code in 1988. A Kanawha Circuit judge called the dress code unconstitutional and ordered the jeans and boots clad teacher reinstated. "It's not enforceable," Gallagher said. Not all employees think the governor's idea to dress them professionally is a bad one. DMV customer service representative Kristy Peterson said, "Do I think we all need suits and ties, no. But I think it's important to have a professional appearance. We represent the state." Peterson deals with a steady flow of people applying for a commercial driver's license. On Tuesday, she was dressed in a suit. Across the hall, DMV customer representative Darrell Cunningham sported a bright green long-sleeved T-shirt. But he said he's no stranger to dress codes. "I worked in the Kanawha City regional office," Cunningham said. "And we had to wear shirts and ties there. If they tell me to do it again, I will." Another DMV employee representative, Nellie Brown, said she thinks a dress code is a good thing. "It's your job. But every time we get a new governor, this happens," Brown said. Brown said she has been a state employee for 23 years. She has worn jeans when working in jobs that didn't require her to be in contact with the public. "But it doesn't bother me if there's a dress code," Brown said. "I think you should dress nice." In the Secretary of State's Office, Chief of Staff Ben Beakes wears a suit and tie each day. There's no code, he said. "(Secretary of State) Betty Ireland has a standing rule," Beakes said. "She says, ‘When you get up in the morning, look in the mirror and ask yourself -- do I look all right if the president of the United States walked in the office today?' " "There's just an understanding in this office," he said. "The men wear a suit and tie, and the women know how to dress." |
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Governor Joe Manchin is looking to gain more control over several state agencies including those that operate public broadcasting and the West Virginia Turnpike. Manchin began reorganizing government during last month's special session when lawmakers approved a bill that gave the governor direct control over several boards and authorities including the state School Building Authority. Manchin says he doesn't want any "fourth branches of government". He says there are far too many state agencies with too much autonomy. The new bill, explained to lawmakers Thursday, would make Manchin or his designee the chairman of the Educational Broadcast Authority and Parkways Authority. The governor would also select the directors of those agencies. Jefferson County Delegate John Doyle questions the governor's plan for public broadcasting. He says the bill makes it looks like partisan elected officials want to control news reports on PBS stations. Doyle says he doesn't believe that's Manchin's intentions, but he says some may think it is. Doyle says several years ago the Educational Broadcast Authority streamlined at the request of the legislature and now it looks like the agency is being punished for being efficient. Manchin's policy director Brian Kastick says the governor doesn't want to control the content of PBS stations he just wants to reorganize state government to fit his management style. --- WV Metro News |
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(Manchin said today that he trusts the insurance companies to follow through on their promise to lower rates because HE IS THE GOVERNOR AND HE IS OVER WV'S INSURANCE COMMISSION. He also thinks way too much of himself - what an ego!) The governor said West Virginians could see rates drop by $100 a year if limits are placed on lawsuits. Story by The Associated Press Gov. Joe Manchin is promising that every West Virginian will soon save up to $100 a year on auto insurance. But there's a catch: The Legislature must first pass a law that would prevent state consumers from taking insurance companies to court in certain circumstances. The governor is talking about third party bad faith lawsuits. This is when a person involved in an accident sues the other guy's insurance company for allegedly handling the claim unreasonably. The governor says insurance companies have committed to rolling back rates by at least $50 million if the measure is passed. He met with seniors, teachers and other groups Friday to promote his proposal. To replace lawsuits, Manchin wants consumers to file complaints with the state insurance commissioner. But lawyers say the lawsuits help protect consumers. Some Republicans say Manchin's proposal doesn't go far enough. |