TAXES
170 . USE OF TIRE STUDS
West Virginia Farm Bureau opposes the banning of the use of studded tires during the winter months .
171 . ROAD MAINTENANCE
West Virginia Farm Bureau recommends the West Virginia Division of Highways establish a preventive maintenance and corrective quality assurance programs for rural roads in West Virginia to insure the best roads at reasonable costs .
We also recommend a larger share of highway funding be used to improve secondary roads .
It is further recommended that all Department of Highways rights-of-way which have not been used by the public or maintained by the DOH for the last five years be declared null and void .
172 . REMOVAL OF ROAD KILL
West Virginia Farm Bureau recommends passage of a law requiring the West Virginia Division of Highways to remove all animals killed by motor vehicles from state highway property and to dispose of such in a sanitary manner .
173 . WV DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS SPRAYING
West Virginia Farm Bureau recommends that the West Virginia Division of Highways use best management practices in accordance with Department of Agriculture regulations when using herbicides along highway rights-of-way .
174 . AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTION FROM FMCS REGULATIONS
West Virginia Farm Bureau supports changes in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety ( FMCS ) Regulations which would exempt farmers from regulations , including mileage limitations , when conducting normal agricultural operations even when state boundaries are crossed .
175 . RECYCLING OF MATERIAL FOR HIGHWAYS
West Virginia Farm Bureau recommends that the West Virginia Division of Highways initiate action to recycle surfacing material for use in construction and / or repair of roads .
We further recommend that the West Virginia Division of Highways initiate action to utilize rubber from recycled tires in the construction of and / or maintenance of roads .
TAXES
176 . GENERAL TAX POLICY
Taxation is used to share the costs of government in areas which government can best serve the common good of all citizens . Taxation should never be used to provide revenue to replace individual initiative and the free enterprise system . Taxation should be fair and equally distributed with attention to the effect upon citizens and various segments of the economy . West Virginia Farm Bureau recommends that the ‘ user of services pays ’ concept should be utilized whenever possible .
Governments do not produce wealth . A stable and broad-based tax program affords stability of business activities . Existing government programs should respect , preserve , and encourage wealth-producing activities such as agriculture , manufacturing , mining , exploration , research and development , upon which individual wealth , employment and responsible growth are based . Farming is a business with large capital investments . Every effort must be made to consolidate government agencies and minimize the negative impact of bureaucracy .
177 . AD VALOREM TAXES ON OIL & GAS ROYALTIES
West Virginia Farm Bureau supports a simplified actual production-based property tax appraisal on
40 West Virginia Farm Bureau News