Editorial: Proposed state budget could make some Southwest Virginia wishes come true

kAmvC2E:7J:?8 2D E96 E2I 3C62<D :?4=F565 :? E96 DE2E6 3F586E A2DD65 (65?6D52J H:== 36 E@ E96 :?7=2E:@?\277=:4E65 H2==6ED @7 ':C8:?:2 E2IA2J6CD — H:E9 2 C6A62= @7 E96 DE2E6’D D92C6 @7 E96 8C@46CJ E2I 2?5 2? :?4C62D6 :? E96 DE2?52C5 565F4E:@? 7C@> Sc[d__ E@ Sh[___ A6C A6CD@? — =2H>2<6CD 2=D@ D2H 7:E E@ E2<6 C62= 25G2?E286 @7 E96 4@>>@?H62=E9’D 7=FD9 4@776CD[ E@ E96 A@E6?E:2= 36?67:E @7 2==]k^Am

kAmv@G] v=6?? *@F?8<:? 92D E96 A@H6C E@ 2>6?5 E96 3F586E 7FCE96C 367@C6 96 D:8?D :E] %96 7@==@H:?8 :E6>D H:== 5:C64E=J 36?67:E @FC C68:@?[ 2?5 8:G6? E92E DFAA@CE 7C@> $@FE9H6DE ':C8:?:2 G@E6CD 2==6J\@@A65 E96 7@C>6C #:46 &?:G6CD:EJ 32D<6E32== A=2J6C :?E@ E96 8@G6C?@C’D >2?D:@?[ H6 9@A6 96’== 4966C7F==J 2AAC@G6]k^Am

kAm(96? H6 =2DE 4964<65 :? @? 2 AC@>:D:?8 AC@A@D2= 3J s6=] $2> #2D@F=[ s\#@2?@<6[ E92E D@F89E 7F?5:?8 E@ DEF5J r2E2H32 w@DA:E2=’D A@E6?E:2= FD6 2D 2 EC62E>6?E 2?5 C64@G6CJ 46?E6C 7@C @A:@:5 255:4E:@?[ E96 3:== D66>:?8=J 925 366? AFE @? :46 3J E96 DE2E6 D6?2E6’D CF=6D 4@>>:EE66]k^Am

kAm*6E #2D@F=’D AC@A@D2= :D 2=:G6 2?5 H6== 27E6C 2==[ 2D 2 G6CD:@? @7 :E H2D :?4=F565 :? E96 2>6?565 DE2E6 3F586E]k^Am

kAmp 3F586E 2>6?5>6?E AC@G:56D Sfd_[___ 7@C E96 762D:3:=:EJ DEF5J #2D@F= 492>A:@?65[ H9:49 H:== 6I2>:?6 H92E :E H:== E2<6 E@ C6?@G2E6 E96 46?EFCJ\@=5 9@DA:E2= :?E@ 2 42>AFD 7@C DE2E6\@7\E96\2CE 5CF8 23FD6 EC62E>6?E 2?5 C64@G6CJ D6CG:46D :? 255:E:@? E@ E96 3692G:@C2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D 2=C625J A6C7@C>65 E96C6]k^Am

kAmp D<6AE:4 >:89E C62D@?23=J ?@E6 E92E :E’D @?6 >@C6 DEF5J :? 2 =@?8 DF446DD:@? @7 E96>[ E92E 92G6 ?@E C6DF=E65 :? >62?:?87F= 24E:@?[ 3FE 2E =62DE E96 492?46 E@ 492?86 E92E ?2CC2E:G6 :D E96C6]k^Am

kAm%96 DEF5J :D AC@G:565 7@C 2D A2CE @7 2 C6G:6H @7 E96 6?E:C6 s6A2CE>6?E @7 q692G:@C2= w62=E9 2?5 s6G6=@A>6?E2= $6CG:46D E92E 4@F=5 6?5 H:E9 C64@>>6?52E:@?D 7@C 6?E:C6=J ?6H >@56=D 7@C E96 >2?286>6?E @7 E96 DE2E6’D >6?E2= 962=E9 9@DA:E2=D] p82:?[ C64@>>6?52E:@? :D ?@E E96 D2>6 2D :>A=6>6?E2E:@?[ 3FE @?6 >FDE AC64656 E96 @E96C[ D@ E9:D ?646DD2CJ 7@@E :? E96 5@@C :D BF:E6 H6=4@>6]k^Am

kAm#2D@F=[ H9@ 92D >256 6I46==6?E FD6 @7 9:D 7:CDE J62C D62E65 @? E96 w@FD6 pAAC@AC:2E:@?D r@>>:EE66[ DEC6DD65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 92G:?8 2 724:=:EJ :? $@FE9H6DE ':C8:?:2 E@ 92?5=6 DF3DE2?46 23FD6 5:D@C56C :DDF6D] “(6 H2?E E@ >2<6 DFC6 H6 92G6 E96D6 C6D@FC46D E@ 96=A @FC 72>:=:6D :? ?665[” 96 E@=5 %96 #@2?@<6 %:>6D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mqF:=5:?8 324< @FC D49@@=Dk^DEC@?8m%96 C6G:G2= @7 E96 r2E2H32 DEF5J H2D 92C5=J E96 @?=J 8@@5 ?6HD 7@C $@FE9H6DE ':C8:?:2 E@ 4@>6 @FE @7 E9:D J62C’D AC@=@?865 3F586E ?68@E:2E:@?D] |@DE ?@E23=J[ E9:D 3F586E 2E =2DE E2<6D D:8?:7:42?E DE6AD E@H2C5 255C6DD:?8 E96 DE2E6’D Sad 3:==:@? 4CF>3=:?8 D49@@=D 4C:D:D]k^Am

kAmv@G6C?@CD 2?5 =68:D=2E@CD 92G6 925 2 9:DE@CJ @7 3CFD9:?8 @77 D49@@= 4@?DECF4E:@? ?665D 2D 2 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @7 2?5 AC@3=6> 7@C =@42=:E:6D E@ D@=G6[ 3=:E96=J :8?@C:?8 E92E >2?J =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED 5@?’E 92G6 E96 566A A@4<6ED C6BF:C65 E@ 3F:=5 2 ?6H Saa >:==:@? 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@=[ >F49 =6DD 2 Sff >:==:@? 9:89 D49@@=]k^Am

kAm%96C6 92G6 366? 6I46AE:@?D E@ E92E CF=6 — ?@E23=J :?4=F5:?8 6?562G@CD 3J s6=] xDC26= ~’"F:??[ #\(2D9:?8E@?[ s6=] s2G:5 #6:5[ s\{@F5@F?[ 2?5 E96 3:A2CE:D2? E62> @7 $6?] q:== $E2?=6J[ #\uC2?<=:? r@F?EJ[ 2?5 $6?] y6??:76C |4r=6==2?[ s\ #:49>@?5] %96:C 4@>>6?523=6 677@CED 92G6 J:6=565 C6DF=ED 27E6C J62CD @7 2EE6>AED E92E 72:=65 E@ 82:? 3C@25 DFAA@CE 7C@> E96:C 4@==628F6D]k^Am

kAmp 3F586E 2>6?5>6?E 2==@42E6D Scd_ >:==:@? E@ 7@F?5 2 $49@@= r@?DECF4E:@? pDD:DE2?46 !C@8C2> E92E 5@6D?’E C6BF:C6 42D9\DEC2AA65 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED E@ 255 E@ E96:C 563E =@25[ 3FE 5@6D C6BF:C6 E9@D6 8@G6C?>6?ED E@ D9@H 2 4@>>:E>6?E E@ >2<:?8 :>AC@G6>6?ED] %96D6 8C2?ED 5@?’E 4@G6C E96 7F== AC:46 @7 3F:=5:?8 @C C6?@G2E:?8 2 D49@@=[ 3FE 2:> E@ 2DD:DE H:E9 `_T E@ b_T @7 2 AC@;64E’D 4@DE] %96 =@42=:EJ 92D E@ 36 23=6 E@ 56>@?DEC2E6 7:?2?4:2= ?665 2?5 D9@H E92E A@@C 3F:=5:?8 4@?5:E:@?D 6I:DE E92E C6BF:C6 C6A2:C @C C6A=246>6?E]k^Am

kAmp? 255:E:@?2= Sc__ >:==:@? 92D 366? 4@>>:EE65 E@ 2 D6A2C2E6 $49@@= r@?DECF4E:@? vC2?E AC@8C2> E92E 42? @776C 96=A H:E9 2 H:56C C2?86 @7 ?665D[ :?4=F5:?8 6BF:A>6?E >@56C?:K2E:@? 2?5 563ED E2<6? @? 7@C E96 D2<6 @7 D49@@= :>AC@G6>6?ED H:E9:? E96 A2DE 564256]k^Am

kAm%96 3F586E 2=D@ 3C:?8D =@?8\?66565 C67@C> E@ E96 DE2E6’D {:E6C2CJ uF?5 E92E AC@G:56D =@2?D 7@C D49@@= 4@?DECF4E:@?[ :?4C62D:?8 E96 >:?:>F> C6BF:C65 D:K6 @7 E96 7F?5 7C@> Sg_ >:==:@? E@ Sa__ >:==:@? 2?5 :?4C62D:?8 E96 >2I:>F> A@DD:3=6 =@2? 2>@F?E 7C@> Sf]d >:==:@? E@ Sad >:==:@?]k^Am

kAm%96 @G6C2== :?G6DE>6?E :? D49@@= 4@?DECF4E:@? :? E96 ?6H 3F586E 255D FA E@ 2=>@DE S` 3:==:@?[ H9:49 =2H>2<6CD 4@?E6?5 42? 36 =6G6C2865 :?E@ >@C6 E92? Sb 3:==:@? :? 4@?DECF4E:@? 24E:G:EJ 2?5 2 492?46 E@ 2E =2DE >2<6 2 D:8?:7:42?E 56?E :? E92E 52F?E:?8 Sad 3:==:@? 567:4:6?4J]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m$=2> 5F?<D 7@C $('2nk^DEC@?8m%96 ?6H 7F?5:?8 7@C 4@?DECF4E:@? AC@G6D 2 H6=4@>6 255:E:@? E@ 2 C64@C5\3C62<:?8 DE2E6 3@@DE :? DA6?5:?8 @? 65F42E:@? E92E C6A@CE65=J E@E2=D >@C6 E92? S`h 3:==:@?] p=D@[ E96 3F586E :?4=F56D 2 `_T :?4C62D6 :? A2J @G6C EH@ J62CD 7@C E62496CD 2?5 @E96C DE2E6 6>A=@J66D[ 2D =68:D=2E@CD 24<?@H=6586 E96 ?665 E@ <66A D2=2C:6D 4@>A6E:E:G6]k^Am

kAm%@ @FC 62DE[ 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E @77:4:2=D :? p>96CDE r@F?EJ 2C6 C6;@:4:?8[ 2D E96 3F586E 9@=5D 2 Sad >:==:@? :E6> C6BF6DE65 3J $6?] $E6G6 }6H>2?[ #\{J?493FC8[ :?E6?565 E@ 2==6G:2E6 E96 563E @? E96 G242?E bd_\24C6 r6?EC2= ':C8:?:2 %C2:?:?8 r6?E6C 42>AFD 2?5 7C66 :E FA 7@C ?6H FD6D]k^Am

kAmpE @FC 962CE[ E96C6’D Sd__[___ 7@C :>AC@G6>6?ED 2E E96 7:?2?4:2==J 492==6?865 ':C8:?:2 |FD6F> @7 %C2?DA@CE2E:@? 2?5 S`d]f >:==:@? 7@C E96 C6?@G2E:@? @7 2 r2C:=:@?\@H?65 3F:=5:?8 :? #@2?@<6 :?E@ 2 D92C65 =:76 D4:6?46D =23@C2E@CJ — E96 $E2C r:EJ H:== 4@?EC:3FE6 S`]he >:==:@? E@ E96 =2EE6C AC@;64E]k^Am

kAmu@C E96 }6H #:G6C '2==6J 2?5 w@<:6 }2E:@?[ E96C6’D Sa]d >:==:@? 7@C ':C8:?:2 %649 E@ A2CE?6C H:E9 '@=G@ :? !F=2D<: r@F?EJ :? AFCDF:E @7 56G6=@A:?8 2FE@>2E65 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? E649?@=@8:6D]k^Am

kAmr@F=5 :E 36 E92E[ 56DA:E6 E96 7@:3=6D @7 E9:D 5:G:565 8@G6C?>6?E[ @FC C68:@? H:== DE2CE E96 7:D42= 3:6??:F> H:E9 2 DE2E6 7:?2?4:2= A=2? H@CE9 46=63C2E:?8n %92E 32== :D ?@H :? *@F?8<:?’D 4@FCE]k^Am