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WV Remains 49th in Nation in Per Capita Income Save Email Print
Posted: 10:54 PM Mar 27, 2008
 Last Updated: 10:54 PM Mar 27, 2008
 Reporter: Associated Press
Email Address: news@wsaz.com
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - While West Virginia's per capita income grew by more than $1,300 from 2006 to 2007, it still remained 49th in the country.

A U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis report released Wednesday showed that West Virginia's per capita income was $29,537 last year. That was trailed only by Mississippi's figure of $28,845.

Both states also ranked 49th and 50th in 2006.

Connecticut hung onto its No. 1 spot in the rankings with a 2007 per capita income of $54,117, followed closely by New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York.

The national per capita personal income in 2007 was $38,611, a 5.2 increase from 2006.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Posted by: Wv Citizen on Mar 31, 2008 at 07:07 AM
The best most productive and smartest people in WV have been leaving for the past 40 years. This has been under the watchful eyes of Rockefeller, Manchains, Rahall, Byrd, and Chafins.. It is there to see they don't want people like this or good paying jobs in WV.! This type of people with good paying jobs are independent and can't be controlled by our politicans or so called leaders. Anyone should be able to see where our problems are. Get rid of these self gratifying dictators first and then we will have a chance to prosper as citizens. It's time proven and without doubt, so why would any working taxpayer want to vote for any one of them ? ?
Posted by: to John on Mar 31, 2008 at 06:36 AM
because the republicans love it that way? and why - please educate yourself about whose policies were in effect during the clinton years - the first four clinton had to clean up the elder bush's mess and now it seems like someone elses is going to have to clean up jr bushes policies. republicans are business minded i give you that but it is not for the people it is form personal greed and history proves it just read your biographies of the republicans no matter where they have given self service I mean taken office.
Posted by: Dur on Mar 31, 2008 at 06:33 AM
Lets see...before college degree I was at 28,000. After college degree, 63,300, still in Huntington. Get an education folks...it really pays.
Posted by: John on Mar 31, 2008 at 02:25 AM
The comment I made about the state being 49th and Byrd was said in sarcasm. People with little or no education, and little or no income seem to think he is God and WV is so great beacuse of him. This was a poke at the ignorance/stupidity of such people. Do you ever stop and wonder why most of the people who love Byrd and the Democrats are usually low income and lacking in education?
Posted by: Doug on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:55 PM
I'm sure everyone is in agreement that we must have a change this comming election. With Rockefeller influencing ever other senator and governor in the US where he can against the will of the working taxpayers anyone should be able to see that this would be no change. This is nothing but more solidarity within the politicans and a change for the worse. Hillary is the only real change we have... Or it will be politics as usual with a higher control of the dictators.
Posted by: Brian on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:11 PM
To Jason: WV doesn't rank 42 or 43 in teacher pay. Try 49th after our "big" pay raise. Anyway education is the key to economic prosperity. ATT just said they can't find enough skilled workers. Skills also include arriving at work on time and being drug free.
Posted by: John on Mar 30, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Everyone should know the road to the Capital runs throught Gilbert, WV.
Posted by: Chance for Change on Mar 30, 2008 at 10:21 PM
Come November remember this story and others about WV that seem to keep popping up in the negative columns. And remember the republicans are doing the fine job of running your country. If you want your state in the same situation vote one of them in as well. As for fuel prices it is not because of other countries it is due to wall street and a failed energy policy driving prices. Economics has nothing to do with it the market is saturated with oil as we have an over stock one week and fall the next just as we have since we started keeping track of the reserves 37 years ago. GREED just plain ole greed come down corridor G to just outside Daville there is a station there running diesel for 4.30 a gallon while everyone else is almost to 3.99 again. Now that is your governor protecting it's citizens from this greed. Also crude prices dropped 13 percent last week and are still down 7 percent from their high. So why has fuel not dropped 21-35 cents on the gallon? GREEDY STATION OWNERS
Posted by: And why on Mar 30, 2008 at 07:18 PM
Look u cant blame republicans for ur plight the last 4 yrs have been controlled by democratic senate and congress and wv has been democratic for yrs during clintons terms when it was so good it was republican senate and congress and the effects of reagan was just taking ahold the real blame goes the yrs of unchange in the state itself u have the resources to be toward the top in most categories but ur politicans have let u down the govt dont make u pay a food tax and the govt dont set ur teachers wages and the few good paying jobs that are in the state the companies were given tax free business permits to come and the cost was passed on to u by the state so stop and think about who has been in office and then u will know who to blame. sen byrd is the king of pork and that cost is passed on by the govt so did it do any good to get all this govt funding for these corridors he had ur best interest in mind u can leave and have good roads to drive on and leave the rest for them to get richer
Posted by: JEFF on Mar 30, 2008 at 05:22 PM
My son ( a college graduate) received a job offer from a well known worldwide company. He had a choice of taking a position in Huntington or Lancaster,PA. He would be doing the same job with the same hours whether he chose WV or PA. The only difference was in WV he would make $27,500. If he moved to Lancaster, he would be paid $42,500. He asked the man who is hiring him, why the difference in states and was told that they (the company) could get by with only $27,500 in WV since he would still be one of the most highest paid citizens in Huntington but no one in Lancaster would work for $27,500. He is moving to PA next week.
Posted by: Jean on Mar 30, 2008 at 03:32 PM
I did not know that the highest paid CEO's were county superintendents. Why doesn't someone publish superintendent's salaries by county? Would be interesting to see what they are making and should be easy to find at the State Department of Eduction.
Posted by: TaxMan on Mar 30, 2008 at 01:32 PM
"Meet the new boss...same as the old boss..." - what happens is the right rapes and tears this country apart, and then, like the lone ranger, comes the left to save the day, stop the madness and pay for it all. How convenient, one party, with sub-party A and sub-party B. - the only problem is the basic cost of living gets too hard for poor people who feel the pinch for everyday necessities.
Posted by: wv stop blaming on Mar 30, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Everyone needs to quit fighting about it and take action have any of you tried to do anything about it yourself other than complain about it No
Posted by: Jack on Mar 30, 2008 at 11:58 AM
To TIWYG. Gas prices have gone up because there is more competition from other countries. China for one. Explain why WV has one of the highest gas tax of any state. Democrats in Charleston. Remember Harry Keith White (D) Mingo keeping the 5 cent on the gallown or 1.00 on the tank. By the way Harry Keith was a republican for 45 years before changing to democrat.
Posted by: Janette on Mar 30, 2008 at 12:46 AM
WV has the top leaders of the country as our senators and reps. How is this possible to be last in pay w/no health benifits, the highest gas taxes, the highest auto-home insurance rates, sales tax on our food, and one of the highest drug and crime rates in the nation per population.. This is while we pay our teachers and state workers the least in the country. This picture don't fit the frame. Now the ones that has perpetuated and over seen this mess wants us to vote for them and their choice for president.? Come on now citizens of WV what is going on here, have I missed something.. Now they are getting senators and governors all over to endorse who they want for president, while the citizens of these places are saying this is not what they want. Bill has been president, he knows they are setting up a gang to destroy this country.! This is why he won't quit he knows this is the final destruction of the United States..
Posted by: What Side on Mar 29, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Republicans and Democrats - it's evident the republicans and their forced converts are the coal mining industry from the poster who said the dems were running out their businesses. It should be understood that they feel threatened that they will no longer be able to make huge profits off the backs of the WV man if a business that pays more comes to town so I believe they have some part in this as well. Diversification cannot be had when the republican coal owners keep driving the WV worker into the ground with lower salaries and believing they are the al mighty. The matter of fact is the last two republican presidents and the last republican governor for WV did ABSOLUTELY nothing for this state as the dems either. So I say throw both parties out of office. Energy traders be warned I forsee a national strike coming and it may not just be the trucking industry. I surely hope this country takes back its government from the lobbyist and the rich.
Posted by: TIWYG get a life on Mar 29, 2008 at 08:43 PM
I just knew someone was going to turn this into a podium for the almighty republicans to get upon. We might be 49th in the nation but you can be rest assured we have no weapons of mass destruction stuck in our basements thanks to the honorable republicans. Oh yeah the same party that brought you skyrocketing fuel prices, making you poorer by the second with their efficient policies, oh an their pro business policies driving unemployment to its highest levels in the last decade. Shall we bow to your parties leadership - I mean you chose him to be your candidate and the rest of the nation had nothing more to do but vote him in - btw let's hope your next representative has a grasp of the way a country should be ran and not try to bring back the prosperity of post WWII by creating a basis for another Vietnam. Wasn't he warned Iraq was going to be one. Republicans Sheesh get a grip it not about dems or republicans it is about good ole boy politics
Posted by: republican on Mar 29, 2008 at 06:51 PM
Higher gas taxes,sales taxes on groceries, higher workers comp taxes, higher business taxes, higher insurance rates, poor road conditions, the way they keep taxing coal companies soon they will leave too. surely it is bushes fault!! why cant the federal government make the entire place a wellfair state. FREE EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!
Posted by: ThisIsWhatYouGet on Mar 29, 2008 at 05:09 PM
Ahhh yes the blessings of honorable Robert C Byrd and democrats, taxes really does hurt business doesn't it people and your wallet. Without a good business base we have low paying jobs. The only thing we are first in is structures and roads named after him. Remember this the next time you vote. FYI Obama and Hill are gonna raise your taxes too. Carefull what you wish for.
Posted by: republicans on Mar 29, 2008 at 03:44 PM
Don't even start talking republicans can manage it better - you have two grand examples in the last 20 years of how well they can manage a country. Inflation and poverty should of been their tickets for both of the bush administrations. I don't care if you are a democrat or a republican if you are not for your state or country and cannot defend its people against crude and unjust situations and all the while you are making a mint off it then you should be imprisoned for fraud and embezzlement.
Posted by: Allie on Mar 29, 2008 at 01:04 PM
Rasing taxes will make us poorer. However money is needed to run the government and we need to have better spenders in our goverment than we do now. But if we only have jobs that pay 8-10 $ an hr., yes I have a college degree, and that is what I make. We need better jobs. First we need to get people off the mindset that the world owes them something. I want to return to college but it is too expensive and I don't want to be paying loans back my whole life and not make anymore than I am now. So what are you to do? No wonder everyone is moving away. By the way, I am a single mom raising 3 kids on $8 an hr. It is rough, but it can be done.
Posted by: Jason on Mar 29, 2008 at 12:07 PM
I resent the AFT and WVEA trying to convince the public that we rank 42nd or 43rd in pay and wanting more money from a state that ranks next to last on most any subject. I also resent public monies that have doubled salaries for administrators accross the state. Brian you should be concerned too! The average teachers salary has only gone up about 20 per cent over the last 15 years, while principals salaries have increased by 50 per cent and superintendents salaries have almost doubled or from an average of 52,000 in 1992 to 90,000 in 2008. Check it out!
Posted by: brains on Mar 29, 2008 at 11:49 AM
you have been taxed to death by democrats for the past 50 years or so and come election day every year you keep putting them back in. people need to wake up. there is a reason west virginia is always on the bottom of most negative categories.
Posted by: Why on Mar 29, 2008 at 08:38 AM
If we did break away the politicians would squander the aid to their benefit. The problem here is the lack of effort in Charleston to bring WV to the front of the nation or at least make it move. As long as they can go to the Carribean at our expense and we let them give themselves pay raises while they cut money from children and senior programs - NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE. Come on people like Remember this says - run your clowns out of town come election day.
Posted by: Amazed on Mar 29, 2008 at 02:28 AM
They should be able to work something out between each other. The politicans, oil companys, the drug companys and the filthy rich. You know you scratch my back and i'll scratch yours. Does anyone think these drug companys are gonig to furnish free drugs for the whole country. They didn't get to be one of the biggest profit makers in the US by doing freebies. Just ask Brickstreet...
Posted by: Doug on Mar 29, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Anon I hope you the best, but don't forget things aren't free especially drugs. I find it hard to believe that drug companys are going to furnish free drugs for everyone. They are in business to make big money and someone is going to pay some where. Most all of there research now is focussed long term treetments. I would think this new drug deal is a scam or they will funnel some money to it for a little while right before election. WV citizens have been fed hog wash so long now we are all sick... This reminds me of a vaccum cleaner salesman offering a bottle of free detergent just to get his foot in the door and then he will sock it to the price of the products sold later. Or a used car salesmen they are all liers.
Posted by: anonymous on Mar 28, 2008 at 05:53 PM
If West Virginia could cecede from the U.S.and get aid from the U.S. like so many countries do everyone would be happy.
Posted by: To Jason on Mar 28, 2008 at 04:00 PM
Do you think that teachers getting paid more is a bad thing? I think that they deserve more than most people. They are the ones that lay our childrens foundation of knowledge and aspire them to what they want to be in life. They've went to school and paid their dues.. I think that they deserve it!
Posted by: Anon on Mar 28, 2008 at 03:15 PM
FYI for Doug about the free drugs. If the "poor working man" (and yes there ARE plenty of those AND women in WV AND across the US including my family) makes below a certain income level, then THEY qualify for these free drugs as well which really helps those of us who have been screwed out of our Soc Sec disability AFTER working all our lives & therefore Medicare so they're not ALL going into the pockets of those who want to only sell them believe me. Without them, I and my wife would die having BEEN screwed out of MY disability/Medicare since I wasn't claiming to be an alchoholic/drug addict to SSA they denied me for decades. Anyway, working people who don't meet low income levels can ALSO get reduce or free healthcare from many clinics including Ebenezer & Valley Health so if you're truly the "working poor" like I've been all my life, you CAN get help from these great folks AND the free drugs. Not all of us who need them are out to sell them or abuse them
Posted by: Brian on Mar 28, 2008 at 02:50 PM
To Jason: Yes teachers are paid more than the average Joe. They also have much more education than the average Joe, and have much more responsibility than the average Joe.
Posted by: Remember this on Mar 28, 2008 at 12:22 PM
The governor is diversifying our economy - into his and the legislatures pockets. Come on people it is time to run the clowns out of town. This should be on every newscast around the globe - just this fact alone proves that the politicians entire goal is to keep us as poor as they can why they gain wealth off our backs. And yes it is not one persons fault but the person who represented the fact of prosperity for us during his term is the one who is most accountable - only persons to prosper are his family members gaining all the high paying government jobs. Come on Joe show us you care - get rid of the fuel gouging as well as some of these rediculous business taxes. While you are at it follow through on your promise of affordable auto insurance and home insurance premiums. Only complications in these request is the greed from the politicians along the kanawha wondering how it benefits them....
Posted by: Mingo Citizen on Mar 28, 2008 at 11:54 AM
If we don't vote these people out now this comming election, starting with Rockefeller and Rahall, we deserve to be #50 and the laughing stock of the US forever. Let's start doing it and be somebody.. That's all it would take, get rid of the dictators and elect some real leaders or at least keep trying until we find some one that works for us.
Posted by: anonymous on Mar 28, 2008 at 11:53 AM
WV is 49th in the country for income, but yet we are No.2 in the country for the price of a gallon of gas.
Posted by: Anonymous on Mar 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
I agree with Doug. The many pillheads in this state are rejoicing right now.
Posted by: Jason on Mar 28, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Proves one thing. Teachers are paid more than the average Joe.
Posted by: Hannibal on Mar 28, 2008 at 11:22 AM
"Sandy's right, it isn't just one persons fault. This has taken many morons and decades of bad decisions to put WV this far down and keep us there." I agree totally ! It's a shame, with the natural resources from WV (coal) that industrialized the rest of America, that WV is not one of the richest states in the U.S. In one way as an earlier post said, we stayed for our family, people in other parts of the country don't have that closeness. I guess you can say we're rich with morals and love of family. However, we've let carpetbaggers, and coal barons rob us of "our" natural resources. I don't know all the answers to our problems, but I do know the solution. Don't vote for "any" politician currently in office, to vote on name recognition alone is ignorant! West Virginians have been notorious for this! There is money in WV, it has just belonged the same families for decades, and as said before out of state carpetbaggers. Very sad that our folks sold our mineral rights.
Posted by: EC on Mar 28, 2008 at 11:21 AM
SURPRISE,SURPRISE,SURPRISE: When are the people in West Virginia going to get it and quit voting for morons to represent them? My solution is to make Puerto Rico the 50th state and give West Virginia back to Virginia. For those of us that have lived in southern WV and think MCRA is (Mingo County Redevelopment Authority) is making progress, just keep dreaming. Some morons on that board too!
Posted by: dave on Mar 28, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Sandy's right, it isn't just one persons fault. This has taken many morons and decades of bad decisions to put WV this far down and keep us there.
Posted by: tony on Mar 28, 2008 at 09:00 AM
Thank God our legislators are getting a pay raise to keep us from falling to number 50. When are these guys gonna wake up and realize that the same style of government is not working and has not worked here. I say let them make the average wage as their pay in their district, maybe they will step up and try to help us get real jobs here, instead of reataurants and call centers. Yeah right.
Posted by: Jeff on Mar 28, 2008 at 04:26 AM
I sure am glad I made $50,000 last year.
Posted by: Doug on Mar 28, 2008 at 01:29 AM
Now Joe has got free drugs for WV. This is what we need a bottle pills in every pocket in WV.. A poor working man can't afford to go to the doctor to get a prescription written for the medican he needs. This will put more people going to get free pills to sell. Way to go Joe right before election buy votes with pills. What about some jobs that pays a living wage w/ health benifits.? !
Posted by: WV native on Mar 28, 2008 at 01:16 AM
Its hard to pay out money that's not there. One good aspect is that WV has generations of people who know how to make it with little and keep going no matter the circumstances - maybe we should go talk with some older folks and learn how its done because with the political and economic mess that's been created this WV picture won't be getting any better. Give us a few years though and we'll have Iraq looking fairly good though. Maybe they'll send us a postcard.
Posted by: Sandy on Mar 28, 2008 at 12:49 AM
I'm not surprised. If it had not been for family, my husband and I would've left WV long ago. That is the ONLY thing that keeps us here at this point, and that is even starting to not matter as much. As for blaming Robert Byrd, I don't think it's particularly one persons fault. The state has and always will be unfriendly towards businesses that are already here, and ones that could bring really good paying jobs here. Most of the cities can't even handle their own business above reproach. They are either bankrupt or near it! Why would a company want to come into a environment like that? I wouldn't. And those stupid "open for business" signs is another smack in the face for every West Virginian that tries to do right and make a decent living. It's a joke.
Posted by: Greg on Mar 27, 2008 at 11:25 PM
49th in per capita income. So to celebrate this, our state legislature wants to raise our taxes and make us even POORER!!! Three sarcastic cheers!
Posted by: John on Mar 27, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Thank God for all Robert Byrd has done for us. What did it get us? Oh ye suckers.
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