Editor’s note: The People’s Tribune interviewed Richard Ojeda II, state senator from West Virginia, who is running for a seat in the US House from WV’s 3rd District. His campaign shows that taking controversial positions in states where big energy is dominant can be challenging.
Last year, Richard Ojeda was brutally beaten and hospitalized. He believes it was politically motivated. The retired U.S. Army veteran had been filing Freedom of Information Act requests to try to expose corruption in the county. However, he said that the incident fueled his resolve to keep fighting. “My job is to represent!” he told the People’s Tribune. “I will not be bullied into casting votes because of the party or any other legislators. I am tired of listening to legislators say people need to learn to live within their means when the legislators saying those words have wealth. They have no concept of what life is like for a single parent or a person who has been out of work and just trying to keep their electric on.”
On energy, Ojeda said, “I think our state still has the ability to be a major player for our country. Our state deserves to be compensated by those who enter our state and get rich from our resources. Our state is in financial crisis and we cannot continue to place the burden on the backs of the working class people. It’s time for big energy to show more appreciation to the state that has made them independently wealthy and the men and women that work for them.” On mountain top removal coal mining, Ojeda said, “If a mountaintop is to be removed there should be a specific purpose for that mountaintop. We are the mountain state. I would like to see hemp, medical marijuana and lavender on the tops of those mountains because those crops can allow growers to create decent paying jobs for folks who find themselves out of work.”
Visit voteojeda.com for more information about the campaign.
