By Taylor Richmond, Chair, Libertarian Party of West Virginia
Governor Patrick Morrisey wants credit for being a tax-cutter without doing the work of actually cutting taxes. His State of the State address promised a bold 10% income tax eduction. It was the headline he wanted, the applause line he rehearsed, and the talking point his administration blasted across the state.
In whiplash inducing speed, his budget appeared and suddenly that 10% cut shrank to 5%. The Governor’s staff now calls the original number “aspirational,” as if West Virginians should be grateful for political daydreaming instead of honest budgeting.
This isn’t aspiration. It’s misdirection. It’s a shell game played with your paycheck.
A Governor Who Wants the Credit but Not the Responsibility
If Governor Morrisey truly believed in a 10% tax cut, he would have submitted a budget that reflected it. Instead, he punted the hard decisions to the Legislature and hoped no one would notice the gap between his speech and his spreadsheet.
Legislators noticed. Taxpayers noticed. Anyone who can count to ten noticed.
A Governor who announces a tax cut he can’t fund is no different from a politician who promises a bridge he never intends to build. It’s political theater, and West Virginians are tired of being the audience for these performances.
The Budget Is Built on Sand, Not Stewardship
The Governor’s own six-year forecast shows a looming deficit of more than $200 million by 2028. Yet his budget drains surpluses and carryover funds as if the good times will never end. That’s not fiscal conservatism. It’s wishful thinking dressed up as leadership.
West Virginia doesn’t need more “aspirational” numbers. It needs a government that stops spending every dollar it touches.
Libertarians Demand Honesty and a Right Sized Government
The Libertarian Party of West Virginia has been consistent:
- Cut taxes.
- Cut spending.
- Cut the size and scope of government.
But do it honestly. Do it transparently. And do it without gimmicks.
A real tax cut doesn’t require asterisks, disclaimers, or excuses. It requires discipline —the kind of discipline Charleston refuses to practice.
West Virginians Deserve Straight Talk, Not Political Games
Governor Morrisey wants to be seen as a tax-cutting reformer. But reformers don’t hide behind “aspirations.” They lead with plans. They show their math. They tell the trutheven when it’s inconvenient.
If the Governor wants to earn the reputation he’s chasing, he should start by leveling with the people of West Virginia. Until then, the Libertarian Party will continue calling out these bait and switch tactics for what they are: political games played at taxpayers’ expense.
West Virginians deserve real tax relief. Not slogans, not spin, and certainly not “aspirations.” Stop campaigning and speaking like a libertarian, to only govern like a liberal democrat!