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There used to be, in fact still is, a magazine called Mother Earth News that 30 years ago included a bit of an editorial in the beginning of each issue. It was a long time ago and my memory is shaky at best anyway but as I recall in one issue they made a comparison between West Virginia and Switzerland. Oh, I didn't live in West Virginia at the time so had no horse in the race when it came to the article. The question, as I recall it, was phrased something like this. West Virginia and Switzerland are quite similar. They are about the same size, have about the same population, participate in a large economic community, and in the case of West Virginia is blessed with vast natural resources which are easily recovered, processed, and transported. That said how does one account for the overwhelming poverty in West Virginia and wealth in Switzerland? Hell of a question, ain't it?
As I recall the same article said that if a $0.10 (ten cent) per ton tax had been changed on every ton of coal that ever left this state that it would be the richest state in the nation. Might be true, might not.
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