Email this to a friend. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then West Virginia's 55 county commissions have in their hands tons of cures for flooding and other problems from urban development. West Virginia is underdeveloped. But that is changing. In recent years, as freeways have cut through mountains to connect valleys, malls, subdivisions and truck stops have followed the path broken and paved by the Division of Highways.
County commissions are loathe even to look at the problem.
They have a tough line to walk. When it is No. 49 in per capita income, a state tends to be none too picky about jobs. Of course, the fact that some county commissioners are real estate developers themselves helps explain their dislike for the prospect of regulation. Also, people in West Virginia are vigilant about their property rights. Lord knows, state politicians over the years have given them good reason to fear government help.