10/26/2021
Crystal and I discussed our work in Logan last night with members of the House of Delegates Coal Community Working Group. We presented our proven strategies for revitalizing coal communities.
It's frustrating when you know how to solve a problem, but you feel as if it falls on deaf ears or is drowned out by all the noise. However, if change is truly going to happen, it's not going to come from the government. It's going to be the result of individuals and small business leaders.
How do we revitalize southern West Virginia?
Frankly, we have to accept the reality that coal is not the future and move on. Our greatest asset is the beauty of our mountains and streams combined with a rich history and our unique culture.
Below I've outlined my simple steps for revitalizing Logan County. I'm not just talking about these things. I'm actually doing them. I see them working, and other people are seeing it as well. Please join me!
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ITEM 1: LITTER MANAGEMENT
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We must all work diligently to clean up our area. We must start with our own properties, and then work to clean up those of our neighbors. WE HAVE TO FIGHT AGAINST LITTER, TRASHINESS, AND DILAPIDATED STRUCTURES THAT ARE DESTROYING OUR LANDSCAPE!
There will always be a small percentage of people who litter, and that is why WE MUST ALL do our part to pick up more litter than what is being produced. For example, if 10% of our population contributes a pound of litter each week, then if 20% of us would pick up at least a pound of litter each week, we would be eliminating twice as much as what's being produced and Logan County would become cleaner each and every day.
I don't know the exact numbers for this area, but I'm developing an app, in what little spare time I have, that can provide these metrics and help pinpoint problematic areas and aid in coordinating routine cleanup efforts. This is being done as part of a nonprofit my wife and I have established, called "Destination Logan" that is focused on keeping Logan County a desired destination to visit or call home. More on this will be announced in the near future.
My Scoutmaster, Dave Evans, always preached to leave everywhere you go cleaner than it was when you got there. If we all simply followed that principle, we would be living in paradise. However, not all of us will follow it, and that is why those of us who care have to work a little extra. It is our DUTY.
PLEASE MAKE CLEANING UP LITTER A PART OF YOUR DAILY LIFESTYLE! Don't kick that can out of your way and keep walking!
IF YOU IGNORE TRASH AT YOUR FEET AND PASS IT BY, THEN YOU ARE JUST AS GUILTY AS THE PERSON WHO THREW IT DOWN!
Pick it up and carry it to the nearest trash can! Take pride in your accomplishment and the beauty you've restored! Others will witness your actions and the mindset will soon change.
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ITEM 2: EMBRACE TOURISM
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Our population has been in decline for years and our economy is suffering. We desperately need to attract more people to this area, and coincidentally we already have a mechanism in place for that! The Hatfield McCoy Trail brings thousands of out-of-state visitors into our county each and every year, and that number is growing, but is constrained by the amount of available lodging.
We need more people to establish businesses catering to the trail riders, specifically in the areas of lodging and attractions.
Being at the heart of Hatfield and McCoy country, Logan County already has an advantage over other areas where the trail exists. But we are failing to capitalize on it! Logan County has suffered for years, and this trail system is providing us with a golden egg opportunity right now, and if we don't take advantage of it, we are essentially cutting our own throats!
How can we all do our part to keep trail riders interested in visiting Logan County?
The easiest, cheapest, and most effective solution is to go back to ITEM 1 and PICK UP TRASH! The priority should be along 119, Rt. 10, Rt. 73, and all secondary roads leading to trail heads, campgrounds, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Litter along these roadways should NOT be tolerated!
People are drawn to this area because of it's beauty, and when they see litter along the roadways, it rightfully disgusts them. They leave with a soured impression of us all and a diminished interest in returning.
These people drive into our county dreaming of retiring here, starting a business here, or moving their family here. But we fall short of their expectations and their plans change.
Therefore, we must all be working tirelessly to clean up our area, expand our lodging capacity by renting out private houses/cabins, and create more attractions that appeal to tourists to keep them returning to our county each and every year.
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ITEM 3: SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
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Small businesses are the lifeblood of this country. However, very few resources exist in this area to encourage entrepreneurial endeavors. Students are ignorantly encouraged to graduate high school and then go off to college and pursue a ridiculously expensive degree that may cripple them in debt for a significant portion of the rest of their lives. "Get away from Logan!," they are told as supposedly wise advice. This has always blown my mind because when I look around in Logan, all I see is opportunity everywhere! People in this area are just seemingly blind to it because they lack business sense.
Our public schools need to be teaching our children how to manage finances, how to start and operate a business, and encouraging students to pursue trades such as carpentry, welding, plumbing, etc. Anyone who looks down on these trades is an idiot, because I assure you that it is MUCH EASIER to make MUCH MORE money in any of these trades or owning your own business versus wasting 4+ years of your life burying yourself or your family in debt just to have a "prestigious" degree. This is coming from the mouth of a software engineer with over 17 years of experience, who still earns less from that profession than most contractors and small business owners in this area.
There is work everywhere for those willing to work. Look at how ridiculously successful Brett Musick has been in recent years just by doing quality and dependable work.
Stop encouraging your children to leave this area, and start encouraging them to find a trade that they enjoy and to pursue it HERE!
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ITEM 4: INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS LENDING
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This is a little beyond my control, but there desperately needs to be more lending opportunities for those of us who are qualified and have solid business plans.
The largest hurdle I faced with getting into commercial real estate was obtaining financing, and that is still a challenge to this day. Despite having a nearly 800 FICO credit score and 100+ page business plans with conservative cash flow projections PROVING solvency for 3+ years into the future, I have been denied financing by every small bank in southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky!
HOW CAN THERE BE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IF LOCAL HOMETOWN BANKS REFUSE TO LEND MONEY FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OWN HOMETOWN?!
The excuse I'm sick and tired of hearing is, "Your plans look great, but our board feels that investment in the coalfields is too risky."
IT'S SHAMEFUL!
Everything that I have accomplished thus far has been accomplished by structuring owner-financed deals, utilizing personal credit cards, tapping into my own 401k retirement, and acquiring higher-interest loans from out-of-state lenders.
I have done very well in recent years, despite all the naysaying from financial "experts" and business "experts" in this area. Proudly, all of my projects are exceeding even my own expectations set forth in my business plans, and every property I own is 100% leased to small locally owned businesses who are thriving!
Unfortunately, I could be doing much better and accomplishing even more if a local hometown bank would be supportive of my endeavors, but all I have ever received is condescension.
Our government leaders or a group of wealthy individuals could establish a lending institution catering to the economic development of this area. Trust me, it is desperately needed. If it weren't for my extreme drive and persistence, I would have given up on my dreams after the first several rejections, and I'm certain countless others did give up.
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ITEM 5: ATTRACT OUT-OF-STATE BUSINESS
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With population decline continuing, our government leaders need to be proactive in attracting others to our region. LARGE incentives, such as tax credits, need to be offered to attract people to move here and start businesses here.
This doesn't have to be at the state level. Smaller municipalities can and should be doing everything in their power to attract NEW BUSINESS. Instead, what I see the most is our leaders being afraid to cater to new businesses for fear of offending established business owners who may feel discriminated against by having a competitor receive an advantage. However, in actuality, more jobs benefits everyone, and of course, tax credits and incentives are only temporary.
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ITEM 6: LAND DEVELOPMENT
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As a real estate investor, one thing that I love the most about real estate in Logan county is that the supply is very limited. Most of the flat land well-suited for development was used up over 100 years ago. Additionally, the mountainous geography makes it very challenging and costly to develop new property from undeveloped land.
However, there is an abundance of dilapidated and abandoned structures that could be easily and inexpensively acquired by local government agencies or private investors.
The Logan County Commission recently established a Land Bank program aimed at doing this. I was at the delinquent tax sale recently at the courthouse and witnessed Roger Ramey bid on and buy several dilapidated properties as part of this program. I was told that these properties would be cleaned up in the near future, and I hope that is the case. I personally bid on and won several properties myself and intend on cleaning those up in the near future as well.
There are still literally thousands of other delinquent properties in this area that could be purchased for literally $50. Just visit the state auditor's web site and search for delinquent land here: https://www.wvsao.gov/CountyCollections/Default
If there's a problematic eyesore of a property in your area that you're sick of looking at or dealing with, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! If the owners aren't using it, contact them and negotiate to buy it. Organize a group in your neighborhood and pull resources together to buy problematic properties and transform them into assets for your community. It is not that difficult. It just takes people who are willing to TAKE ACTION.
The other possibility that's right under our noses, or in actuality above our heads and out of sight and out of mind, is the ridiculous amount of undeveloped flat land sitting on our mountaintops, left behind by coal mining operations. There is enough flat land up there to build entirely new cities, but it is all tied up by government regulation and/or greedy out-of-state private property owners.
A prime example of this ridiculousness is the Twin Branch drag strip that was built on top of the mountain along 119 in Mingo County. The brand new facility has never been used, and the landowners and government entities involved are so shamefully dooless that they'd rather watch it rot than benefit a single citizen of Mingo or Logan County.
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ITEM 7: PRIVATE CITIZENS TAKING ACTION
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For many of the reasons touched on above, we can't rely on elected leaders to solve our problems. That will never happen.
We as individuals and small business leaders MUST TAKE ACTION.
Talking about problems doesn't accomplish a thing. If you want to see change, start actually doing something about it! Not tomorrow! TODAY! (And it starts by picking up that piece of trash over there...)
These aren't just random thoughts or ideas. I'm actually practicing what I preach, and I see the the dramatic results, and other people are beginning to see it as well. I hope you'll join me, so that our children and our children's children will flourish in our beautiful county!
Please share if you agree.
Please like and follow Destination Logan, as more big things will be announced there soon: fb.me/DestinationLogan
Thank you,
David Gore
Image (c) WOWK: https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/west-virginia-delegates-ask-residents-how-to-revitalize-former-coal-towns/
