MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A Republican candidate for the District 78 seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates, Toni DiChiacchio has a background in health care and advocacy and wants to serve.
On WAJR’s Talk of the Town she said making the most of the massive amount of one-time money from the federal government is a priority.
“Government accountability- we’re getting a lot of money from the federal government and I want to make sure that is spent appropriately on infrastructure and now inflation,” DiChiacchio said.
DiChiacchio said too many times money is thrown at a problem without a method to measure progress or success. She said elected leaders should have realistic goals that can be used as a plan to effectively spend tax revenue and federal relief money.
“Accountability as to where money is spent, but also what money is spent on and if we’re achieving the goals we intend to,” DiChiacchio said.
Changes to the tax code should also be considered, according to DiChiacchio. She said West Virginia is one of only 11 states in the country that has a flat inflexible personal income tax exemption.
“The personal exemption has always been $2,000 per person,” DiChiacchio said. “If you index it to inflation it would go up in periods of inflationary times, like now.”
She also said government has good intentions, but many times solutions to one set of issues create another list of problems. She said politicians should take the time thoroughly evaluate the problem before proposing a solution.
“Shut everything down after years of overselling,” DiChiacchio said. “But, then we have patients who were dependent on opioids, and what do they do? They turn to illicit drugs that are much more dangerous.”
DiChiacchio has a background in accounting and founded her own business before changing careers after the September 11, 2001 attacks to nursing. Currently, she is the Assistant Dean & Clinical Assistant Professor for Faculty Practice and Community Engagement at West Virginia University. She also provides addiction treatment care.
“I’m a non-politician that has years of advocacy works so I can hit the ground running,” DiChiacchio said. “I have experience in the areas that are important to West Virginia and most importantly I like to solve problems and I don’t care who gets the credit.”