To the editor:

Well, it’s election season again in West Virginia.

Campaign signs are starting to congregate at intersections and soon we will be bombarded with political ads of all persuasions. We will be going about our business and some politician will hand us a brochure with his or her graduation year, church attendance information, and various promises to do this or that when elected.

Since I have limited political background and because this is my first time running, I have to rely on my experiences of being on the receiving end of such things. The one thing that I have always found difficult was to maneuver through all the lofty campaign promises.

They would always be something similar to “Vote for me for better schools!” or “Elect me and I’ll clean up crime.”

You may not share this opinion, but I think that if half the politicians followed through with their campaign promises then our state would lead the nation in education, we wouldn’t have a drug problem, and we would be trying to figure out what to do with all of the money from our booming economy.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, many of these promises are never realized. Keeping this in mind, I have decided not to tell you what I’ll do if elected, but rather, why it is that I am running for the West Virginia Senate in the first place.

In a word: Jobs!

As many of you already know, I am a fifth-generation businessman in Southern West Virginia. I am proud to report that my sons, which represent the sixth generation, are part of the family business here in West Virginia. I have been blessed to see my boys continue to live and work in the state that my family calls home.

However, I have seen an alarming trend over the last several decades. We are losing too many of our youth to other states. I’ve heard countless stories of young adults who have graduated from high school or college that had to leave the state in search of better job prospects. It has even been reported that West Virginia is the only state to have less people now than in 1950!

Not only does this sadden me, it will certainly prove disastrous for our state.

The best way to retain our youth is to provide more and better opportunities. In a word: Jobs!

My father taught me many valuable lessons in my life, but there’s one in particular that came to my mind when I was trying to decide whether to run or not.

He once said to me, “Don’t ever point the finger of blame for something going wrong, unless you have a solution to make it right and you make yourself part of that solution.”

I am running to be a part of that solution. I am running because I want seven, eight, nine, etc. generations of Coles in Southern West Virginia, and I want the same for your family. I am running because I want to overhaul West Virginia’s business climate and create an environment conducive to economic growth.

If we want to stop getting the same old results from our government, then we have to stop voting for the same old politicians. I am running because I believe that my background as a successful businessman and proven job creator gives me a unique perspective into what we need to get our state on the right track.

I am running for, in a word: Jobs!

If you share my vision for a more prosperous West Virginia, then I humbly ask for your support. Feel free to check out my website at www.BillCole2012.com. I would be glad to answer any questions that you might have and/or listen to your concerns. I believe that if we work together, we will make a difference!

— Bill Cole

Candidate for West Virginia Senate-6th District