Fairmont Times West Virginia - Tennant: "I Stand Up for West Virginia'

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By Alex Dye

"I stand up for West Virginia."

That's the message Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and current West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant repeated at Poky Dot restaurant on Thursday.

The Marion County Chamber of Commerce presented "Coffee and Conversation," a morning meet-and-greet for local supporters, business people and Marion County politicians.

Tennant used the opportunity as a platform to tout her record of helping small businesses while pointing out her Senate opponent's, Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, support of corporations.

"I stand up for small businesses," said Tennant. "The record I have of cutting late fees for our businesses, making it easier to do business in West Virginia, and saving money, saving $3 million, and giving it back to the taxpayers. That is in complete contrast to my opponent's record using taxpayer dollars to pay bonuses to CEOs on Wall Street."

In the wake of her first televised debate with Capito on Tuesday, Tennant continued making many of the same points she did in Charleston, while also addressing points she did not have time to make in the debate. Technological advances in the energy industry were a point of emphasis.

"I am ready and prepared to take the research from the labs to the factories," said Tennant. "In the vein of Sen. (Robert C.) Byrd and Sen. (Jay) Rockefeller, we need to get funding and the research dollars back here in West Virginia."

Tennant came into the presentation with a set of goals she said she wanted to accomplish if elected to the U.S. Senate. Chief among them was to pass the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Act, which would give greater penalties to companies that violate mine safety regulations and would require greater investment in keeping miners healthy.

Two more of Tennant's talking points were to end tax breaks for corporations that send tax breaks overseas, as well as improving the environment for students to refinance their college loans.

"How can we expect folks who are graduating to start a business and to be an entrepreneur if they're in debt when they graduate?" said Tennant. "They're so far in debt because of student loans. It's killing them when you're saying you have this debt, and now you have to take a job to try to pay rent … and, oh yeah, put food on the table at the same time."

Tennant also said Capito voted against expanding Tricare, a military health care provider, and voted to cut coal mine inspectors.

Despite the bitter partisanship prevalent in the American political environment, Tennant said she is willing to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans if necessary.

"When it's right for West Virginia, we need to work hand in hand," said Tennant. "As secretary of state, I worked across the aisles in getting legislation passed that makes it easier for military members to vote when they're deployed, so I have a record of that."

But Tennant was quick to return to her message to "put West Virginia first," which she claims Capito is not doing.

"How do we put West Virginia first? By standing up for small businesses," said Tennant. "She's (Capito) not even showing Democrat or Republican. She's putting Wall Street first."

The winner of the vacant Senate seat will be filling some big shoes, as the incumbent, Democrat Jay Rockefeller, has almost 50 years of service to the state of West Virginia.

"He has thought about West Virginia always," said Tennant. "He has set a wonderful foundation and a wonderful example of how you can put West Virginia first, and I will continue in the vein, the tradition and the example of Sen. Rockefeller."

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