Our Readers Speak, Thursday, June 5, 2008

June 04, 2008 11:54 pm

Time for Garrison to abandon WVU ship




Has anyone seen the picture or actual physical MBA diploma awarded to Bresch? If not, why not?
It is my understanding that the board of governors, upon recommendation of faculty, as authorized by statutes of the state by its officers, specially authorized to confer the degree. It would be signed by President Garrison, dean of the college, the president and the secretary for the Board of Governors.
President Michael Garrison contends he was not involved in awarding the MBA degree. How can he, as leader and CEO of West Virginia’s flagship university, pretend he did not have supervision and control of his staff and other university leaders? How can he claim he is faultless and did not have anything to do with the faulty degree? How does he explain his signature and that of the Board of Governors and seal of the university affixed to authenticate it as true to the academic world in particular and to its alumni generally?
If he wants us to believe he was not involved in granting the degree, his leadership is as faulty as the MBA degree. Thus, it is apparent that he has failed to display true leadership, honor, veracity and ethics to lead the faculty, staff and students of WVU.
He should display the traditions of honor to himself and resign. As long as he desperately clings to power, he stains the honor of all university degrees. The honor of the university has been sullied in the Wall Street Journal and other national newspapers. How will the U.S. News and World Report evaluate our academic excellence?
The law of the sea required the captain to go down with his ship. President Garrison should abandon ship before WVU’s honor and reputation sinks beyond redemption. Does he love the university so much that he wants the world to smear and mock it as the false diploma mill of America?

Thomas M. Matlick
Moatsville

Thanks for help after vandalism of church




The Rev. Calvin Moore Jr., Deacon Melvin Greene and the congregation of New Era Baptist Church of Stanaford wish to thank everyone for their prayers and support during the recent vandalism of our church on May 14.
A special thank you to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, Sgt. Larry Lilly and Cpl. Jim Canaday for their time and dedication in pursuing whoever was responsible for this travesty.
Thank you to Pastor Lonnie Greer from Stanaford New Beginnings Church and Milam Methodist Church of McGraws for their generosity.
Also, thank you to all of those who called with kind words or, more importantly, remembered us in prayer.
Words can never express how much we truly appreciate all that the community and neighboring churches have done. It has really meant a lot to us, and we pray that you will be blessed as much as we have.

Melvin R. Greene
Stanaford

U.S. must invest in coal-to-liquid technology




Thank you for your recent editorial on outrageously high gas prices. It made many important points concerning the complex nature of this growing burden on West Virginians. And I well remember and appreciate, the support of your newspaper for my earlier calls to action when prices were far less that $4 a gallon.
One other point that needs to be made is that West Virginians have one of the longest commute times to work in the nation, as well as precious few options for travel by transit. For many, many West Virginians, cutting back on driving is not an option.
As always, I am glad to receive the input, ideas and concerns of West Virginians on this and any issue. I will put their support to work bolstering my calls to President Bush and the executive branch agencies with responsibility for carrying out federal energy programs. This president must take a moment from relying on the oil industry to pay some attention, for once, to America’s most abundant natural energy resource: coal.
As a nation, we should have moved long ago to invest in coal-to-liquid technology. But since we did not, we should move forward on that front now. For Pete’s sake, the biggest supporter of this technology, next to me, is the United States Air Force. The fact that our Defense Department recognizes development of this technology as a national security strategy essential to breaking the chains of foreign oil bondage is a sterling measure of a policy we should pursue.

Nick J. Rahall II
U.S. congressman
Beckley

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.