By Mannix Porterfield/REGISTER-HERALD REPORTER   (October 13, 2003)

While he is blind, Kevin Maynus feels he can see the root of West Virginia's troubles better than others.

For too long, says the 34-year-old candidate for the House of Delegates, the state has been mired in a tax-and-spend mentality. And no one is changing the system, albeit more taxes and fees are being imposed, and residents are pulling up stakes and leaving.

About 40 join the outflow a day, one estimator has said.

"It's time to stop over-spending and find long-term solutions to ensure West Virginia can maintain programs and services without increasing taxes of West Virginia citizens," says the community resource advocate for the Mountain State Centers for Independent Living in Beckley.

"After all, it doesn't take sight to see where West Virginia is heading."

In his first political venture, Maynus is getting a jump on rivals in what could prove to be a crowded field in next spring's Democratic primary.

Already, his signs have sprouted in parts of Raleigh County. He came to an interview sporting a freshly pressed button. His father wore a "Maynus for House" ball cap.

"Overall," he said, "I'm really tired of the Legislature and governor imposing taxes on the citizens. If we don't do something now to stop it, most people might as well quit their jobs. This is not doing us any good."

Maynus acknowledged some taxes are needed to run government, but says the state has overspent, and now the citizenry is being asked to bail it out of a crisis of debt with higher taxes and fees.

An overhaul of the tax structure is in order, he said.

"We need to do everything we can to bring big industry into West Virginia, and, at the same time, we need to protect and support our mom-and-pop shops here in West Virginia," the candidate said.

Maynus would like to see all state agencies held accountable for the dollars assigned them.

"I think a lot of these state agencies and programs have a lot of excess fat or whatever you want to call it, and I think that, in itself, could save the state a lot of money," he said.

Maynus has actively pursued all-terrain vehicle safety regulation in recent years and remains convinced the Legislature needs a bill requiring helmets and safety courses for youngsters. If allowed on public roads, he says, adults likewise need some safety measures.

On private land, riders should "be able to use them as they wish," he said.

Maynus is pro-choice but feels abortion should only be a last resort when the life of a child or mother is imperiled.

"I realize there are a lot of religious people in this part of the state, but the law is the law," he replied when asked if he would vote for mandatory posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools.

"Until the U.S. Supreme Court says there's not a separation of church and state, I guess, that to me would be a moot point. I don't have anything against the Ten Commandments being in our schools or in our court systems, but at the same time, right now, that's against the law."

If elected next year, Maynus wants to revisit Workers' Compensation, saying this year's reforms will prove inadequate in five to six years.

His chief goal is to apply the brakes to taxes as a means of encouraging economic development and reversing the exodus from West Virginia.

"We need to do everything we can to create jobs and keep people here in West Virginia and keep taxes down to a minimum," he said.

Come November, he will notch his sixth year at Mountain State Centers, handling the consumer staff and educating the public about the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Maynus says his disability in no way inhibits him from serving in the Legislature, noting he has been a lobbyist there six years and is familiar with the legislative process.

Nor did it stop his educational pursuits. He owns a B.S. degree in criminal justice from Fairmont State College and earned a master's in special education at University of Alabama-Birmingham in 1998.

"I know my way around the Capitol, inside and out," he said.

"I know how to write and draft legislation. I know how to get it introduced and sponsored. I've been a part of getting several pieces of legislation passed over the last several years. I don't think it would hurt me."

Maynus is willing to debate all Democrats jockeying for the five nominations in the two-county district, saying a public forum affords voters a chance to see where all candidates stand on issues.

"I think it's a positive thing," he said.

Beckley Register Herald