By: Dean Randall

Dean Randall — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:48:52 +0000

Are you crazy, Mr. President?

By: Carol Juen

Carol Juen — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:30:37 +0000

The latest technology used in mountaintop mining has taken jobs away from miners. They are not needed in the numbers that are required for traditional mining. The “natural resource curse”, which is usually applied to third world and developing countries, can be applied to West Virginia. Although West Virginia is indeed rich in natural resources, the wealth from harvesting those resources doesn’t get funneled back into helping the people of that state. The money goes to absentee land owners who hold title and rights to the majority of the land in the state. The wealth goes to profit for the coal industry companies. If Congresswoman Capito is sincere about her concern for the workers and people of her state she will start advocating for wind and solar power and the green economy they will build. These industries are efficient and sustainable, which coal is not. The profit would stay in W.V. There are also jobs that can be developed by agri-forestry that make use of the precious woodlands. Supporting the current practices of Mountaintop mining by lifting and ignoring current environmental protections will only continue to see the woodlands (and entire ecosytems) destroyed along with homes subjected to flooding and blasting. The coal mining industry owns West Virginia. It appears to me that it also
has the legislators in it’s pockets, also.

By: Deborah Deatherage

Deborah Deatherage — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:54:27 +0000

What we really need to get across to everyone and to the President is that coal is not clean and any form of MTR is not acceptable. We must push for a cleaner form of energy such as wind,water, and solar power so that our Grandchildren does not have to inherit these same problems or much worse.

Comments on: President Obama Answers Congresswoman’s Question on WV Coal Jobs

By: Dean Randall

By: Carol Juen

By: Deborah Deatherage