WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Dan Greear, Republican candidate for attorney general, took an opportunity here to showcase his campaign by skewering his opponent, incumbent Darrell McGraw.
Greear and McGraw were invited to participate in a forum at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce's annual Business Summit, which opened Wednesday at The Greenbrier Resort. But McGraw didn't show. Chamber spokesman Larry Malone said he thought McGraw may have had a scheduling conflict, but was not certain.
"I thank my opponent for ceding his time," Greear joked in his opening remarks. "I've tried letters, a certified letter, e-mail and every way I can think of to try to get some debate, to discuss these very important issues. So far he (McGraw) has not responded. I hope in the future he will show up at some of these events so people can hear our competing visions."
Greear said that earlier this week he heard Fran Hughes, one of McGraw's top aides, ask on a radio talk show, "Why would you change something that works?"
"I think that's a fair enough question," Greear said. "My first question is, exactly who is it working for? I don't think the current attorney general's office has been particularly business friendly"
Also, "As near as I can tell, it's not working for the government agencies," Greear said. He noted that McGraw hired outside lawyers who won $10 million from the maker of OxyContin, but the lawyers got $3 million and "the state agencies who were involved not only don't receive any money but have to pay back millions to the federal government. That isn't working for them.
"It's not working for the consumers," Greear said. He alluded to the fact that a federal agency is withholding $4.1 million from the state Department of Health and Human Resources because federal officials determined that some of the OxyContin settlement money should have gone to the federally funded Medicaid program. "When Medicaid and Medicare funding is in jeopardy, it is our poorest who are at risk," Greear said.
"I don't think we have a system that is working for the business community, for government agencies or for the consumers of West Virginia."
Greear said, "I believe much of the way business is done (by McGraw's office) is illegal. There is no statutory authorization for the attorney general to enter contingency contracts with trial lawyers on a case-by-case basis," he said. "When elected, I will work on legislation that clarifies how outside counsel can be obtained. There needs to be a more rational, open, competitive process than just looking down at who made contributions to your last campaign and need a little work.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Dan Greear, Republican candidate for attorney general, took an opportunity here to showcase his campaign by skewering his opponent, incumbent Darrell McGraw.
Greear and McGraw were invited to participate in a forum at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce's annual Business Summit, which opened Wednesday at The Greenbrier Resort. But McGraw didn't show. Chamber spokesman Larry Malone said he thought McGraw may have had a scheduling conflict, but was not certain.
"I thank my opponent for ceding his time," Greear joked in his opening remarks. "I've tried letters, a certified letter, e-mail and every way I can think of to try to get some debate, to discuss these very important issues. So far he (McGraw) has not responded. I hope in the future he will show up at some of these events so people can hear our competing visions."
Greear said that earlier this week he heard Fran Hughes, one of McGraw's top aides, ask on a radio talk show, "Why would you change something that works?"
"I think that's a fair enough question," Greear said. "My first question is, exactly who is it working for? I don't think the current attorney general's office has been particularly business friendly"
Also, "As near as I can tell, it's not working for the government agencies," Greear said. He noted that McGraw hired outside lawyers who won $10 million from the maker of OxyContin, but the lawyers got $3 million and "the state agencies who were involved not only don't receive any money but have to pay back millions to the federal government. That isn't working for them.
"It's not working for the consumers," Greear said. He alluded to the fact that a federal agency is withholding $4.1 million from the state Department of Health and Human Resources because federal officials determined that some of the OxyContin settlement money should have gone to the federally funded Medicaid program. "When Medicaid and Medicare funding is in jeopardy, it is our poorest who are at risk," Greear said.
"I don't think we have a system that is working for the business community, for government agencies or for the consumers of West Virginia."
Greear said, "I believe much of the way business is done (by McGraw's office) is illegal. There is no statutory authorization for the attorney general to enter contingency contracts with trial lawyers on a case-by-case basis," he said. "When elected, I will work on legislation that clarifies how outside counsel can be obtained. There needs to be a more rational, open, competitive process than just looking down at who made contributions to your last campaign and need a little work.
"It's unethical, handing out money to attorneys who contributed to his campaign," Greear charged. "The OxyContin lawyers who got $3 million gave him over $40,000 in campaign contributions.
"We will take the office back to simply representing the interests of the state," Greear pledged. "As the attorney general, you're not there to make the rules, but to enforce the rules that are already there.
"Critics of Darrell McGraw are accused of wanting to give business free reign to pillage the state and cheat," Greear said. "That's not going to happen. If you do wrong, you'll be prosecuted. But if you come to West Virginia and follow the rules, we're going to work with those companies and eliminate the antagonistic relationships."
On Tuesday the state Chamber of Commerce issued a policy position paper calling for more accountability in the attorney general's office. Greear told the more than 150 business leaders at the forum, "With the help of the business community, we will win this race."
Greear said McGraw carried Kanawha County by about 2,000 votes in 2004. Greear, who is from Kanawha County, said, "We can turn this election around in Kanawha County."
Greear contended that some people in the business community who sat out the last election looked back on McGraw's last victory "and thought it could have won if it had been involved. Don't let that happen again."
Greear joked that his law partners think he's lost his mind, "trying to get a job with longer hours with less pay."
Greear said he's running because "we can make a huge difference for West Virginia in this one race. I can't imagine a greater way we can send a signal to the rest of the country and be more positive for business than to replace Darrell McGraw. I humbly ask for your support. I'm in this all of the way and I ask you to be, too."
