They Should Call the Town "Public Choice, West Virginia"

If you've ever asked a lefty friend why, if he's so fond of higher taxes and bigger government, he doesn't pay the government above and beyond what he owes in taxes, Reuters tracks down the place where you can tell your friend to send a check. Parkersburg, West Virginia is home to the Bureau of Public Debt, where a "couple thousand" workers' jobs exist thanks to the federal government continuing to spend more than it collects.

Surprisingly, the office collected more than $3 million in voluntary contributions last year. Not so surprising is how it came to be located in West Virginia:

Parkersburg Mayor Bob Newell said having the public debt office there meant a couple thousand good-paying jobs, helping to insulate the city from the heavy manufacturing job losses suffered in nearby Ohio and surrounding areas.

He credits Senator Robert Byrd, who was elected to an unprecedented ninth term in 2006, with bringing the debt office to Parkersburg more than 30 years ago.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Parkersburg will be facing a rash of unemployment anytime soon.

Katherine Mangu-Ward wrote about the Bureau of Public Debt last year in a piece about the "patriotism" of paying taxes.