MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Paige Reiring is the Mountain Party candidate for the House of Delegates Race in the 79th District this November.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Reiring said she is in favor of making investments into people and jobs that can bring stable careers to the Mountain State without compromising the environment or taking advantage of the residents. The Mountain Party seeks to promote the democratic power of people and promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice by proposing direct action targeted at addressing the root causes of these problems.
“Things are changing, and I see so much sadness and suffering in the world,” Reiring said. “If we actually took the initiative to invest in people and jobs that would truly improved peoples’ base realities we would be doing a lot better.”
The state party platform calls for “the abolition of all fossil fuel companies and their conversion into socially owned and democratically planned renewable energy industries.” The abolition of private land ownership and restoration of the commons. We seek ethically sourced and environmentally sustainable food production. We seek the abolition of private and profit-driven food and crop production.”
“For me, the Green New Deal looks like actually investing in our people, investing in energy that is sustainable and will make it so I have a planet to live on in 50 years,” Reiring said.
She said under the Mountain Party plan FirstEnergy would negotiate a deal with the citizens of the state that would transfer ownership and operation of power generation facilities to the people. State party officials estimate a Green New Deal could create more than 70,0000 permanent jobs while developing a carbon-free economy.
“If they were to do the right thing, they would make a deal with the people of West Virginia and find a reasonable way to give us ownership of those utilities, allow us to find a transition away from them, and leave in good faith.”
The Mountain party would divest state pension investments from fossil fuel companies and funds and create pathways for people and communities hampered by fossil fuel policies to fully participate in the renewable energy economy. In the transition, there would be guaranteed tax revenues for municipalities due to fossil fuel plant closures and ban subsidies or grants to fossil fuel corporations.
“Make sure our counties and localities are empowered to hold people to account and hold these extractive industries to account when they come in and want to use up the water, energy, or anything else.”
The last day to register to vote in the November 3 is October 13.
