alberghi a Ginevra West Virginia has enjoyed six straight years of budget surpluses thanks to a growing economy that has created more than 20,000 new jobs in just the last two years. Many of my colleagues believe the time to cut taxes is now before our economy slows up, or worse, a recession takes hold. Reducing taxes will be the best "preventative medicine."

Sorrento hotel rooms I have introduced several proposals to allow taxpayers to keep more of what they earn. This includes HB 2865 that proposes to use the budget surplus to roll back the 6% food tax. This is a tax the 1989 Legislature promised would be "temporary," and now that the states financial house is in-order, the current Legislature has an obligation to keep this promise.

I have drafted a resolution which calls for a study of the use of targeted tax credits to help working families afford health insurance, child day care, college tuition and long-term care insurance. These are important life necessities that many of our families find too difficult to afford. If more families can meet these challenges, our state will be better off.

I will be introducing another resolution this week calling for a comprehensive study of government waste. It will require the Legislature to examine what other states and the federal government have done to lower costs. We have to do better than to require our citizens to pay 35 cents out of every dollar earned in taxes.

I introduced a "Patients Bill of Rights" (HB 2852) that would protect consumers in managed care systems. Its provisions require HMOs to notify subscribers of their rights, give them physician choice, set forth emergency services standards and prohibit a "gag rule" on what patients can be told by doctors. Equally important, it sets up an appeals process for consumers to turn to who are turned down for coverage.

I am optimistic that this legislation will soon pass, if not this session, then next. Delegates of both political persuasions support reform because either they or members of their families have had a negative experience with an HMO. We have all heard the horror stories of someone being rejected for an important transplant procedure or denied access to a certain doctor. Patients must have rights when it comes to their health care.

Committees are hard at work as the Legislature enters its remaining two weeks. The final day for bill introduction has passed, and this Saturday marks the deadline for bills to pass out of their originating bodies. As of Friday, 1,368 bills have been introduced and only 10 percent will become law. Still before us are the important issues of workers comp reform, mountain-top removal, PEIA and the Governors anti-obscenity bill.

This past week, we passed out a number of important bills, including HB 2422 (Requiring drug and alcohol testing of drivers in accidents that result in death); HB 2812 (Increasing the threshold before small businesses have to file monthly or quarterly tax returns); HB 2758 (Streamlining the process used to pay crime victims awards); and HB 2685 (Adding felony sanctions to the Water Pollution Control Act).

I was opposed to a bill (HB 2772) that sought to give Public Service Commissioners a 25% raise. I felt this was too extreme, especially since other public employees and state troopers will likely receive far less this session. I voted with other members to lower the amount of the proposed PSC raises, and although our amendments failed, it convinced legislative leaders to postpone a vote on the bill.

Thanks to the many residents who attended the Legislative Town Hall meetings in Winfield and Point Pleasant. I am also pleased to announce the results of my Legislative Survey. Your input will be invaluable to me as I consider the many important bills still before me. The following are the results of the survey as presented through 180 responses.

Do you believe a proposed tax on smokeless tobacco 68 Health Issue (37%)

Products should be viewed as a health issue or 112 Another Tax (62%)

another tax?"

If a tax on smokeless tobacco was imposed, where 76 Reduce Food Tax (42%)

would you like to see the $7 million raised from 63 Child. Health (35%)

this tax benefit? 40 WVU/Marshall (22%)

Med. Schools

1. Remove Tax/ (1%)

Cancer Wigs

What taxes do you want to see eliminated? 164 Food Tax (45%)

131 Auto Tax (36%)

31 Property Tax (8.6%)

12 Med. Prov. Tax (3.3%)

10 Soda Pop Tax (2.7%)

7 Sales Tax (1.9%)

3 Income Tax (0.8%)

1 Insurance Tax (0.2%)

1 Business Tax (0.2%)

What would like to see done with the budget surplus? 134 Lower Taxes (74.4%)

31 Roads/Infras. (17.2%)

11 College Schol. (6.1%)