Published: May 14, 2008 10:36 pm         

Manchin vows workers’ comp change

Mel Kessler fell woefully shy of upsetting Gov. Joe Manchin in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary, but he feels his campaign accomplished two things.

In the traditional phone call to a losing candidate, Manchin promised an unspecified “shakeup” in the privatized workers’ compensation system — an issue that inspired the freshman House member to run in the first place.

On the lighter side, Kessler figures he forced Manchin to spend nearly three-quarters of a million dollars, in turn boosting the economy, at least within the media that sold him advertisements.

“I reckon I kind of created a West Virginia stimulus package,” he said, alluding to the federal government’s attempt to resuscitate the economy by handing out checks to taxpayers.

What’s more, Kessler immediately endorsed a fellow Beckleyan, Republican Russ Weeks, in his fall campaign, even offering to let him have his car to meet voters.

In the brief time he had Manchin on the telephone, Kessler said he insisted on discussing workers’ compensation. Kessler has been an outspoken critic of the new system now in the hands of BrickStreet, a private firm, saying it has been unfair to workers and businesses alike.

“He told me, ‘Mel, there’s going to be a shakeup down there,’” Kessler said.

“He just said ‘shakeup.’ Do I believe that? I hope, but I can’t say. I have to see some movement. If there is, then I’ve accomplished what I went out to accomplish. I couldn’t have given the people time and effort and money for a better cause.”

Kessler said he had no desire to move up the political ladder but was striving to bring about some reforms in the new workers’ compensation system.

“I was fighting a force that as far as I was concerned was probably unbeatable,” he said of the Democratic incumbent.

“I think the good Lord for some reason wanted me to do this. I hope some day He will explain to me why.”

Kessler said he felt good that 90,000 voters in the Democratic Party agreed with his message, and said it likely wouldn’t have mattered if he had spent as much as $300,000 because the outcome would have been the same.

Kessler said he “absolutely” is backing Weeks, a former state senator, as the GOP challenger.

“I’m going to financially support him,” he said. “Verbally support him. If he needs somebody to ride up east or north with him, I will support him. If he doesn’t want me there, he can borrow my car. That’s how supportive I am of him. Regardless of how nice the governor calls and talks to me, there’s corruption going on that needs cleaned up.”

As for his own future, Kessler intends to finish out his duty in the interims sessions in the months ahead, but won’t say he is finished with politics.

In two years, the 9th District Senate seat is again up for grabs, and Kessler has been giving it some thought.

“I’ll see what happens between now and then,” he said. “I’ve always been an activist. I’m real careful about saying what I may and may not do.”

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com