I read with interest about Mr. Morrissey’s plans to run for Joe Manchin’s Senate seat. Although Mr. Morrissey has produced some positive outcomes for the state with his battle to fight corruption and the lawsuit against drug companies, I find many of Mr. Morrissey’s talking points horrifying.

He filed at least 13 suits against the EPA in order to “gum up the works” and slow down actions that would improve the quality of life for the citizens of our state. Does he like to drink water with lead or mercury? Does he not worry about the effects of these heavy metals on his children? I do. Does he not care that the air we breath is polluted by coal fired electricity plants? I care about that too.

West Virginia is trying to market its beauty and attract visitors. We need tourism more than ever with the loss of jobs in coal mining. I listen to music stations from the Washington, D.C., area and there are frequent ads touting the natural beauty and bounty of our great state. No one wants to camp or fish if the water is tainted with poisons and the fish are not edible. We need to remember that our rivers empty into the Chesapeake Bay, which has suffered for decades from run off and pollution produced upstream.

Mr. Morrissey complains about the “elites” in Boston, D.C. and New York. He’s from Edison, New Jersey – just across the river from New York City. Edison is a large metropolitan area that could certainly be included in the “elite” category.

Finally, what is most galling is his plan to “defund” Planned Parenthood. The federal government does NOT FUND Planned Parenthood. Medicaid pays for family planning services, health screening and treatment. The federal government DOES NOT PAY for abortions, although Planned Parenthood is an abortion provider. So this is what I have to say: I do not want another old white man telling me what I can do with my own reproductive organs or where I can go for personal care!

Fran Brolle

Shepherdstown