Running 3rd party is a difficult task but Eugene Simmons proved it can be done in a local election. Now another person has filed for Commission from Greenbrier County. And two others, John Leyzorek and Johnny Pritt have filed for election to the Pocahontas County Commission and Assessor respectively. Both filed outside party lines.
This action follows a recent trend toward more Independent registration. Both the Rep and Demos are in decline locally with the number of Independents increasing.
Simmons won his race and is now the county Prosecuting Attorney.
Leyzorek is well known for his strong Constitutional stand particularly when it comes to private property rights.
He is president of the Pocahontas Concerned Citizens Association which was birthed in the 70's as a response to an attempt to zone Pocahontas County. The zoners failed and this group stands watch over future attempts to zone the county.
He is an ardent supporter of the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.
He has a 600 acre farm at Indian Draft and a houseful of children.
John is a blacksmith and reconstructs old farm machinery for owners.
He can be seen annually reading the Declaration of Independence at the Court house on the 4th of July.
John should tell us his plans and goals if elected.
ReplyDeleteThe Road Runner...
I would like to hear Mr. Leyzorek's or any other Commission candidates response to what could/should be done about the problem of dilapidated property in the county. I too strongly support personal property rights and people can live however they choose…until the way you live starts to affect the way I live. When one person keeps their house well maintained, grass mowed, bushes trimmed, shutters painted…then the neighbor has grass a foot high, broken windows, rotten siding, broken down cars on the lawn and two years of garbage stacked on the porch…that is bringing my property value down and causing a fire hazard for the whole neighborhood. Unfortunately this example can be applied to all populated places in the county. Hillsboro, Marlinton, Durbin, Bartow, Frank….I am frankly embarrassed to live in this county when I drive through some of these areas, and it’s sad for the people in these areas that do work hard to keep a well maintained house. If you live out in the middle of nowhere and have no neighbors that can see your house, it is nobody's concern how you live, but when you live in a populated area and your property is an eyesore to residents and tourists alike, it makes the whole county look bad and brings down everybody’s property values. It would be peaches and cream if everybody simply had enough respect for their neighbors to willingly keep their property from being an eyesore, but that clearly isn’t the case around here. If people can’t maintain their property, then the county should maintain it for them and send them the bill. This benefits everybody by having a county with higher property values and increased tourism.
ReplyDeleteThere is a huge difference between town and city property Incorporated property versus rural property.
DeleteLot size has a lot to do with it and what the property is used for.
The Road Runner...
I like to say that private property is the trick that lets you and me disagree and still get along. "Property value" to you may mean what you could sell it for. To your "dilapidated" neighbor, the value of property may be room to store stuff that looks like trash to you. Densely populated areas, where my house fire could spread to your house, can incorporate as towns and adopt all sorts of regulations which I do not like, but which make a certain sense IN DENSELY POPULATED AREAS. If your area has built-up to that point, consider getting your neighbors together to form an incorporated town, and regulate away. I oppose bullying property owners in the County as a whole. My property, my way, your property, your way. If you do not like the way I keep my property, maybe I will sell it to you or vice-versa. Otherwise, look the other way or move to an incorporated or otherwise regulated area. Maybe your neighbor does not like the color you paint your gleaming siding....Should he have the power of the police to make you change it?
ReplyDeleteI might think that what you would call "porn" is really fine art, so I should just be able to go give a lovely fine art presentation to the elementary school kids, huh?....um no, I shouldn't. You know exactly what I am talking about when I describe a property as neglected or dilapidated and trying to deny that makes you look silly.
DeleteEven if the occurrence was in an incorporation, it would still be a matter for the county commission. WV Code Chapter 22C Article 4 explains the purpose of the solid waste authority, which is controlled by the county commission. It includes things like eliminating public nuisances, eliminating harborages and breeding places for disease carrying insects, rodents and other pests injurious to public health, eliminating waste that would decrease the public and private property LAND VALUES...Right there in the code. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it is the duty of the Commission to ensure the WV code is enforced in their county. I know some members have been contacted about such matters and have done nothing to resolve them. That is why I would like to know what our current candidates opinions on enforcing WV Code Chapter 22C Article 4 in the county? I suppose now you will dance around what the definition of "public nuisance" and "harborages for disease carrying rodents" really means, right?
That rusted out truck with the four flat tires?...No, that isn't junk, that is a lawn sculpture. Oh, those rats nested in it? No, those aren't disease carrying pests, those are my pets. How dare you call my beloved pet cockroaches pests. Get off my property. Don't let the decorative broken glass bottles cut you on the way out!
DeleteEugene Simmons election four years ago as Prosecutor was illegal. Because no one contested it, he got away with it. To run as an independent like Simmons did by gathering signatures to be placed on the Fall ballot (regardless of whatever was his party affiliation) REQUIRES the signatures of unaffiliated voters having no party organization. West Virginia Code Section 3-5-23(a) is so clear that a non-lawyer can understand it. It says: "Groups of citizens having no party organization may nominate candidates who are not already candidates in the primary election for public office otherwise than by conventions or primary elections." If Democrats, Republicans, Mountain Party, and/or Libertarian citizens signed Simmons' petition, their signatures should not have counted because those citizens have a party organization by which they can nominate candidates by convention or primary election. Only true independent, non-party affiliated voters can legally sign the petition to nominate someone for the Fall ballot. I guarantee that Simmons did NOT have the requisite unaffiliated citizens who signed his petition. Had someone contested that fact, he would not have been on the ballot four years ago. Similarly, I would bet Leyzorek and Pritt did not gather the 1% of unaffiliated voters to sign their respective petitions. If Leyzorek and/or Pritt met the 1% threshold by the signatures of affiliated voters (i.e., Democrats, Republicans, Mountain Party, Libertarian), then they are ineligible for the ballot, and have been ILLEGALLY accepted by the County Clerk. If Leyzorek is such a strong advocate of the Constitution, he would realize his candidacy is illegal under the plainly worded law contained in WV Code Section 3-5-23(a). How much clearer can it get? It clearly says "groups of citizens having no party organization" may nominate candidates by the signature petition process. So, will Leyzorek and/or Pritt fess up to their illegal status or can they prove they gathered the required 1% of unaffiliated (no party) voters???
ReplyDeletehow could it be any other way most of those signatures came out of the court house during working hours signed by county employees ... of course the whole thing was done in violation of the hatch act which just happens to be a federal law which has been on the books since 1933.the part I am not sure about does federal law really apply to the Pocahontas county court house
ReplyDeleteYes Simmons getting in office was very illegal, and could have and should have been corrected. Now this county is stuck with a corrupt and incompetent PA's office as well as the same for MOST public offices. This fully equally applies to the assistant prosecutor too.
DeleteAnd NO, they will tell you right to your face that Federal Law and Code and Acts, and WV law and code and Acts do NOT apply here in Pocahontas county.
So there you go. All citizens of this county are stuck in a no mans land, not properly serviced, nor represented, yet equally taxed at the Federal and State level.
The stink of corruption, incompetence, laziness, and criminal actions by those living off public money is THE biggest problem in this county. Public Services Fraud, and other violations. When you speak with officials at the State level about this and tell them it is about Pocahontas county they laugh, state they are well aware about Pocahontas county, but that the conspiracy of all this interconnected corruption, cronyism, and out right not doing their jobs, is well known to them, but that unless the citizen of the county get together and work with the FBI on this, and the US attorneys office nothing will be done.
The Simmons effect hummm.
ReplyDeleteI always figured the Simmons and fat was losing your license and avoiding prosecution. Who knew.
Austin Powerless international Man of Mystery.