Steven Allen Adams’ December 27 article reports on three big things in a very casual tone, and none of them are comforting for West Virginians. Here’s what’s not being said:

Power changed hands, but priorities didn’t

Yes, there are new titles and shuffled chairs, but the people running West Virginia and representing it in Washington are all long-time insiders. The article celebrates positions and rank, not results.

What’s not being said:

Despite seniority, committee assignments, and “influence,” there is little evidence that everyday problems such as affordability, health care access, population loss, or wages are being meaningfully solved. This is continuity government, not reform government.

Culture-war governance is crowding out real work

The biggest policy fight highlighted from the governor’s first year isn’t jobs, housing, or health care. It’s vaccine exemptions, DEI rollbacks, and gender definitions. These fights triggered lawsuits, agency chaos, and a State constitutional showdown.

What’s not being said:

State leadership is spending enormous political capital on symbolic, divisive issues while measurable outcomes such as economic ranking, workforce participation, and public health remain stagnant or decline. Governing has become about ideological signaling, not problem-solving.

Public education is being slowly starved and blamed for it

Test scores are inching back from COVID lows, but enrollment is falling fast, schools are closing, and funding formulas are breaking. At the same time, state policy is actively encouraging families to exit the public system through vouchers and charters.

What’s not being said:

West Virginia is creating a self-fulfilling crisis: weaken public schools, drain students and money, then point to the damage as proof the system doesn’t work. The result is fewer schools, longer bus rides, less community stability, and widening inequality, especially in rural counties.

The bottom line

This isn’t a story about progress. It’s a story about power consolidation, distraction politics, and institutional erosion, with West Virginians paying the price through closed schools, legal uncertainty, and a government more focused on winning arguments than delivering results.

Or reading between the lines:

The people in charge are very busy, while the state itself continues to fall behind.