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Gov. Jim Justice has remained popular in West Virginia even with a long list of business issues dogging him in recent years.
On one hand, the Democrat-turned-Republican Justice has overseen a span in which significant economic growth has taken place and new ventures have been announced. The state budget -- which was anything but stable in 2016 -- has been stabilized. Revenues have been so strong that Justice and the Legislature have been able to make significant tax cuts for both individuals and businesses. And the personal property tax we pay on our vehicles is now available to be refunded back to you as a tax credit starting next year, as long as you pay those taxes on time. Justice has been a champion of all those measures.
On the other is how Justice himself handles the state's business -- and his own personal business. There continue to be questions about his residency, even though he is legally required to reside at the Governor's Mansion in Charleston. He continues to do weekly administrative briefings to the public via teleconference, providing little to no transparency. And when reporters attempt to get more information for you on important state matters, Justice is as apt to be dismissive of legitimate questions as he is to order his staff to no longer allow certain reporters on his briefings.
Those points aside, it's how Justice handles his personal business dealings that truly raises concern. We've reported extensively over the past few years on how the governor's business enterprise slow-pays its bills, gets caught up in legal dealings over failing to pay creditors, fails to pay property taxes on time and even, earlier this year, on how The Greenbrier Resort failed to remit millions of dollars in sales taxes collected to the state. But the one that is raising eyebrows is the public auction set for Aug. 27 that would see The Greenbrier --one of West Virginia's most iconic venues -- offered to the highest bidder.
In the case of The Greenbrier, as we've reported, Maryland-based Beltway Capital Management has declared a $142 million promissory note on the resort in default, with foreclosure proceedings underway. Beltway Capital purchased the note from JP Morgan Chase.
Justice has called the effort to foreclose and auction The Greenbrier "a political stunt" meant to impact his U.S. Senate campaign, where he faces former Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott. But this pattern of failing to pay his debts on time continues to plague the governor and therefore intrude into how he manages the state.
This would have been a different matter had Justice fully stepped aside from his business enterprises once he became governor; he didn't. Now, it's leading to rightful concerns not only for how Justice handles his remaining months in office, but also for the future of The Greenbrier.
There's more, including new reporting just a few days ago that the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is going after some Justice-owned coal companies for failure to pay MSHA civil penalties going back several years. It's a bad look for West Virginia.
Justice must be honest with West Virginians. Stop with the "fake news" and "political stunt" nonsense. Pay bills on time. Remit sales taxes. As it stands, all these matters do is get in the way of properly meeting his highest priority -- handling the state's business.