A View from A Republican

Shari Johnson/Opinion/Editorial

As Publisher of the Ridgeview News I, One hundred percent, believe in the freedom of the press.  That’s why I run the Democratic Viewpoint of Deirdre Purdy. It is certainly not because I agree with what’s said. 

With that being said, let me give you the perspective from a Republican viewpoint, I won’t even say that I represent the entire party, this is entirely my opinion.

We are currently (nationally speaking) being governed by a Democratic President that has made us an international joke. His cognitive skills are that of a three year old on a good day. He’s being propped up like a puppet by his staff and Americans sit idly by in disbelief, doing nothing. Not the Democrats. Not the Republicans. Biden’s son is not just an embarrassment, he’s an ignorant felon. His well known drug habit and disgusting displays of habitual criminal behavior as well as accusations of treason behavior are undeniable. He, nor his father, accepted the responsibility of an innocent child, Hunter’s daughter, but that was okay too with many Americans. Was it? Was it okayed by the dad or mom paying their fair share of child support, picking up their kids on the weekend, and providing what they need? I kind of doubt that. 

The problem is, folks like us in West Virginia can barely relate to the National level of politicians. We (or at least I) am barely scraping by and have no concept of what it’s like to live on the budgets of those in D.C. I personally don’t have an ice cream freezer that I send my staff out to restock. I have popsicle’s and an off brand ice cream in my freezer for the grand babies and the husband. 

Most people do not deal with National politics because we don’t think we can make a difference. Well that doesn’t justify it. We have to do something, and that something starts local. That is why the Republican Committee has suddenly became so active in Calhoun. Those of us serving on that committee, attending meetings and doing our part, are doing so because we determined it was our job to pick up the gauntlet that had been laid down several years ago.

When we recently lost Warren Basnett because of mistakes he had made in office, we did not defend his mistakes. As a Republican Party it was our job to recommend and support a republican to replace him. Much to chagrin of the Democrats who attempted to thwart that appointment. Graham Knight was put into that office and is doing a great job. 

When it came to the resignation of Republican Prosecutor Nigel Jeffries, the county was handed the same task of putting a Republican in as a replacement. But they chose rather to put in their buddy. Democrat Michael Hicks, who changed parties to get the position.  It’s old time politics right? Hey, the Republican Governor Jim Justice did it. He sure did, and I didn’t like it then. But, he’s governor, so I’ll respect him professionally in that office, but I won’t deny that what he did was wrong or that it didn’t happen without the State party’s blessing. There was nothing I could personally do about that except make it known that I disagreed with that type politics. Just because a republican did it, doesn’t make it right. 

So why am I raising such a fuss about Michael Hicks? Let me say first that I’ll extend to him the same professional courtesies that I do to every elected official. I’ll give him the chance to prove himself in court. Well, if and when he comes back from vacation, that was his first order of business as our newly appointed prosecutor. And before any of the Dem’s who want to crucify me because I dare deny the man time with his family, let me just tell you, from my perspective, a man being paid $98,000 a year should take his new job serious enough to stick around for the opening week. 

But when he does return, what then? Well, it’s not been determined but the proof will be in the pudding when he stands in the courts of Calhoun County and defends us. Yes, defends us, by getting people who would do us harm off the streets.  Or, will he plea everything? It’s been said he “doesn’t like confrontation.”

This is where political decisions matter. Betty Gregory was the other applicant for Prosecutor that the Calhoun County Commission “interviewed.” I do not know Betty Gregory personally. Other than what I have personally witnessed of her in court as a defense attorney which she has been for a while. She knows the inner workings of trial and has experienced it herself. Michael Hicks is barely wet behind the ears having dealt with juvenile cases as a guardian ad litem,  and from what I’ve witnessed of him, he doesn’t handle confrontation well at all. At least he didn’t as a commissioner. Now, we are suppose to believe that he is going to handle seasoned attorneys and show himself as an authority in court. 

Because of Kevin Helmick and Matt Walker’s decision to take care of their friend, Calhoun County is now at risk. The democrats, and other people who don’t like controversy tell us to let it go, it’s a done deal.  It may be a done deal, but this is not the time to stick our head in the sand and pretend it’s okay, that’s how we got Biden.

I will give Mike Hicks every opportunity to prove himself in the courts of Calhoun. But I also expect him to do his job. When he does it well, I’ll report it. If he doesn’t, I’ll report that too. The people deserve to know the truth. He did not do his job well as a commissioner. He used that office to pay his way through law school. Even though I am Vice Chair of the Republican Committee, I’m not playing politics. I hold every Republican to the same standard. So should you.