State Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, has spoken in support of Senate Bill 208 - yet another attempt to attract and retain needed workers. This one would create a tax credit for physicians who chose to locate and practice in West Virginia. Certainly, there is a need to pull out all the stops to address the dearth of health care workers in the Mountain State, but one can't help but wonder if lawmakers are being a bit naive in their hope that such an idea would find success.
"This would be one way that if a person comes back to the state, it may be an incentive enticing them to come back," Takubo said during a committee meeting, according to a report by WV MetroNews. "… Chances are (after the establishment of a medical practice) you've probably got a spouse, home, kids in school, et cetera, and good chance we keep them for life after that."
Maybe, provided lawmakers and other public officials stop their relentless drive to push our state back to the socio-cultural and economic norms of a century ago. They must not underestimate an intelligent and caring person's desire to make sure his or her family is in the best environment possible.
Challenges such as the one Takubo is trying to address are precisely the kinds of issues West Virginia lawmakers SHOULD be tackling. Even better, they should be working toward affecting change that would expand and diversify our economy, improve access to healthcare, housing and a good education for our families and encourage an attitude of working toward lifting ALL Mountain State residents.
If young people - natives and outsiders alike - could see a West Virginia where those in positions of power had such a mindset, we wouldn't have to be throwing money at doctors, nurses, teachers and everyone else we are trying to bribe to come here (or stay).
SB 208 may be worth a try, and lawmakers should give it serious consideration. They MUST also be thinking about how to build a West Virginia where ideas such as SB 208 are no longer necessary.