Joseph Golden

Joseph Golden was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. He earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1970 and an M.D. from the University of Connecticut in 1975. Golden's career experience includes working as a family physician. He has been affiliated with the West Virginia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation and the

Raleigh County Commission on Aging.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am family physician who has practiced for over 40 years in Raleigh and Fayette Counties in West Virginia. Through although mostly retired, I volunteer 2 days per month at Beckley Health Right. Over these years patients would tell me of concerns they had that we in addition to their medical conditions. Some did not have any health insurance. Even those that had insurance, including Medicare, could not always afford all their medicines, but especially Insulin. Our school systems were often struggling to fully staff their classrooms. Some grandparents were raising their grandchildren. As coal mining diminished as the natural gas industry increasingly provided the fuel for electricity generation, miners and others working in coal related jobs, were being laid off.

I have always, had a concern about conditions in communities and society at large that created difficulties for people , but especially for working people who did not have college or some higher education. In my "retirement"I felt I had the time and energy to help address these problems through direct action. I felt my perspective could add positive contributions into legislative actions.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

If we are to improve West Virginia economically as well as dealing with long term problems in our society, we need to develop and expand programs that help all the people.We need to recruit and retain essential professionals, such as public school teachers, nurses, social workers, emergency first responders, by providing state funded reduction in student loans, as long as they commit to at least 5 years of work in WV.Improve job creation, partly by raising the minimum wage from $8.75/ hour to $ 12.00/hour, by getting West Virginia workers hired to work in Infrastructure jobs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

If West Virginia can give $315million in outright grants to a steel corporation to build a plant in West Virginia, we can find at least $30 million to put into programs that go to support people at the grass root community and county levels. Investment in people and programs that help guide and support people out of poverty, and help stabilize the financial structure of families, will pay off over the ensuing decades, by having less people and families in difficult circumstances.

West Virginia is hurting due to vacancies of over 1000 certified public school teachers, of vacancy rate of 30% of social service workers in the Department of Health and Human Services. During the Pandemic, some hospitals had to close nursing units because they had insufficient staffing. Ambulance crews do not have adequate Paramedic staffing.

Inflation is causing more financial stress to people who earn at or close to the minimum wage.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

The founding fathers of the United States, including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Sam Adams, and many others of less historical documentation.

Through individual commitment, and collective effort, they led a nascent country, from being a collection of states, into a nation with a democratic structure, with the means to eventually evolve into a country of laws that recognizes the dignity and worth of all people. Albeit with much struggle and tragedies casing harm to many.

I also look up to Abraham Lincoln and FDR, who undertook to help the nation survive some of the most devastating and destructive years in our country's history.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Compassion and empathy for others. Valuing the contributions and thoughts of others. Valuing helping those in need to improve their life circumstances.

Continued life long learning

Lifelong habits of hard work, and seeing projects to fruition.

Thoughtful and deliberate analysis of issues and proposals.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

1. To represent the needs and concerns of one's constituents, but at the same time combining this role into working for the general concerns and well being of all the districts in the state.

2. To provide constructive legislative ideas and acts that will positively impact the people and the institutions of the state.

3. To uphold the principles of democracy, the practice of open and fair elections, and the rules and principles of the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, and the Constitution of the United States.

4. To ensure fiscally responsible and transparent allocations of funding for the operations and improvement of the citizens of West Virginia.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the integration of Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas in 1957. I was 9 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

1. I worked on our family chicken farm from the age of about 9 years old through high school.

2. After college I was a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA), in South Carolina helping families get FHA loans to put in deep water wells, and get bathrooms added to their homes. After 1 year working there I went to medical school.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I feel the state legislature should have a greater role of fiscal oversight, and monitor audits of government programs that are under the direction of the administrative departments of the executive branch.

The current governor has demonstrated poor fiscal responsibility and transparency in the allocation of some of the funds of government.

For example, he has awarded a $1.1million "sponsorship" to a minor league stock car racer.

He delayed in the allocation of $48million in CARES funds until the last few days of 2021, and under the guise of promoting new college level nursing education programs, that won't have any effect on graduating nurses for at least 2 - 4 years, depending on the type of degree of the graduating nurses .

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Currently it is the ignoring the pressing problems of understaffing of public school teachers, nursing personel, emergency responders, social workers, need for foster care reform, and lack of sufficient treatment programs for those addicted to opiods and other drugs.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily. It depends on the life experiences, talents, and insights that each legislator brings to the challenges of representing the people and the body politic.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Legislators need to appreciate the talents and experiences of each of their colleagues. But also each needs to respect that we need to empathize with and acknowledge the positive value and responsibilities that each person brings to the job.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Health and Human Resources

Fire Departments and EMS

Senior, Children, and Family Issues

Education

Small Business and Economic Development

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

NO.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

The balance of powers between different branches of government should extend to legislative oversight of the use of emergency powers by the Governor, for as long as the emergency officially exists, and perhaps beyond as the analysis of the emergency is performed.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise has in the past and has potential for the future, to create legislation that will help constituents of all parties. It is better to compromise in an equitable manner, than to leave conditions stand that cause harm to many. Although conditions may not be fully improved through compromise, it is better than a stalemate that not does not help any.