Topic: SHR: Decades-old Pop Tax has collected its last revenue

[miltonherdfan]

this topic has been brought up numerous times over the years

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/06/30/decades-old-pop-tax-has-collected-its-last-revenue/

[marshallmark]

Here's how this went...

1951 - WV Legislature imposes a tax on the sale of pop to benefit WVU's new medical school

1977 - Marshall creates a medical school that serves WV population better and more directly than does WVU
          Marshall's supporters ask for a portion of the pop tax to assist it in the development of its medical school
          WVU fights giving up any of the pop tax and, amazingly, fights the creation of the MU medical school

Mid-1980s - WVU proposes moving the first two years of medical school for both medical schools to Morgantown.  MU's then-president is wishy-washy about this proposal and it almost passes but for strong opposition from Gov. Arch Moore (like him or not, Arch was a staunch supporter of MU generally         and, in particular, its med school)

Early 2020s - Republican majorities in legislature look for ways to cut taxes.  WVU is out of control in spending and spending requests. Pro-Marshall legislators have more power than ever before.  A Marshall grad is in the governor's office.  Over vehement objections from WVU, legislature passes a sunsetting of the pop tax and governor signs the bill.  WVU's spending remains out of control.

[svherd]

Here's how this went...

1951 - WV Legislature imposes a tax on the sale of pop to benefit WVU's new medical school

1977 - Marshall creates a medical school that serves WV population better and more directly than does WVU
          Marshall's supporters ask for a portion of the pop tax to assist it in the development of its medical school
          WVU fights giving up any of the pop tax and, amazingly, fights the creation of the MU medical school

Mid-1980s - WVU proposes moving the first two years of medical school for both medical schools to Morgantown.  MU's then-president is wishy-washy about this proposal and it almost passes but for strong opposition from Gov. Arch Moore (like him or not, Arch was a staunch supporter of MU generally         and, in particular, its med school)

Early 2020s - Republican majorities in legislature look for ways to cut taxes.  WVU is out of control in spending and spending requests. Pro-Marshall legislators have more power than ever before.  A Marshall grad is in the governor's office.  Over vehement objections from WVU, legislature passes a sunsetting of the pop tax and governor signs the bill.  WVU's spending remains out of control.

Always enjoy your posts. Your personal history with Marshall lends a very unique perspective.

[HerdEcon]

All parties involved should be looking at expanding all 3 of the state's medical schools.  We still have a shortage of Drs. in many areas of WV and particularly a shortage of certain specialists.  96% of med students complete med school and graduate within 6 years of starting med school.  Family practice physicians, some of the lowest paid physicians, earn an average of $255,000 a year.

[svherd]

Just read an article on Metro News that the WVU med school will still get 14 million in funding from the states insurance premium tax. Marshall and the WVSOM will get 5.5 and 3.9 million respectively from this same allocation. This is the first time the MU Med school has been given funding from this source.

[coalherd]

Yet, in the last year, WVU President Gordy Gee has used language publicly like WVU is ". . . out to capture Southern West Virginia."!!

Best advice one can give the MU President is that as long as Gee is in ANY administrative position at the Morgantown school sleep with one eye OPEN!!!  And as long as one may be engaging in business with Gee in a room or enclosed space, keep one's back firmly placed against a wall!!

The same would still apply once Gee leaves WVU in 2025 as many of his "minions" will still be around in high positions at that school.  The so-called "Flagship's" longstanding agenda of "empire building" and goal of essentially managing, controlling and running all of Higher Ed. in the State won't disappear easily or overnight!! 

[marshallmark]

Yet, in the last year, WVU President Gordy Gee has used language publicly like WVU is ". . . out to capture Southern West Virginia."!!

Best advice one can give the MU President is that as long as Gee is in ANY administrative position at the Morgantown school sleep with one eye OPEN!!!  And as long as one may be engaging in business with Gee in a room or enclosed space, keep one's back firmly placed against a wall!!

The same would still apply once Gee leaves WVU in 2025 as many of his "minions" will still be around in high positions at that school.  The so-called "Flagship's" longstanding agenda of "empire building" and goal of essentially managing, controlling and running all of Higher Ed. in the State won't disappear easily or overnight!!

Two quotes about Gee that I've heard from people that have extensive experience with him:

"Don't trust him as far as you can throw him" ... and
"Dumbest smart man I've ever met".

I will say this - from the standpoint of self-interest or, even, the interests of WVU, he's been very effective up until 2-3 years ago.  His takeover of higher education from Beckley to Potomac State has been shrewd but that pales in comparison to the gobbling up of most of the state's health care system.  Once you get out of Huntington, most of the places where you can get care has the dang flying WV attached to it.  Marshall has fought back by creating Marshall Health, but its too little too late, IMO.  MU should have been taking over hospitals and clinics in the SW portion of the state for years, and that would have allowed MU to move into the Kanawha Valley by this time.  It would be nice to take over Vandalia Health (the non-CAMC health system) but I don't think that's happening. 

[coalherd]

Two quotes about Gee that I've heard from people that have extensive experience with him:

"Don't trust him as far as you can throw him" ... and
"Dumbest smart man I've ever met".

I will say this - from the standpoint of self-interest or, even, the interests of WVU, he's been very effective up until 2-3 years ago.  His takeover of higher education from Beckley to Potomac State has been shrewd but that pales in comparison to the gobbling up of most of the state's health care system.  Once you get out of Huntington, most of the places where you can get care has the dang flying WV attached to it.  Marshall has fought back by creating Marshall Health, but its too little too late, IMO.  MU should have been taking over hospitals and clinics in the SW portion of the state for years, and that would have allowed MU to move into the Kanawha Valley by this time.  It w ould be nice to take over Vandalia Health (the non-CAMC health system) but I don't think that's happening.

Spot on, marshallmark.  Marshall Health should have looked into possibly affiliating/joining the Logan Hospital in Logan County.  Would give MU Health a presence in the Mingo-Logan, etc., coalfield region.  Right now, many in those counties head to Charleston or Pikeville, KY, for medical care.  Of course, it would certainly help if political and business leaders in the Cabell-Wayne area would place more emphasis, pressure and effort on expediting the I-73/74 Corridor project which means a modern 4-lane road running from Bluefield in Mercer County through the southern and southwestern coalfield counties to Wayne County (as part of the Michigan to Myrtle Beach Interstate) as being a positive economic and growth factor for the Huntington area overall.  Perhaps the administration of a new mayor in Huntington will see the benefit of such a project on the whole Huntington area, instead of obsessively emphasizing non-stop needle giveaways like the current "leadership" has done over the past several years!