In fact, years ago I posted a thread about Obama's ties to the mining industry and kept a copy in my journal:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/theHandpuppet/92
As you will see, at the time no one really wanted to hear what I had to say.
In the past week we've heard of the President's admin okaying the use of sonic cannons to explore for oil & gas off the east coast, now this. Obama has done much to further environmental causes but for anyone to believe that money suddenly lost its voice is truly naïve. That's why I get a bit irritated when folks slam Appalachian politics for its corruption by the coal & gas industries -- as if the money of the oil & gas industry hasn't influenced politics around the country. Yeah, nobody's shit stinks but ours. The only difference is that in poor states like Kentucky & West Virginia, coal is THE big money and has been for well over a century. The economy isn't diversified with manufacturing, technology hubs, etc. It's King Coal and all the businesses that supports, particularly well-paying union jobs like those provided by the railroads. Of course, it seems some would be happy if everyone in Appalachia worked at McDonald's, even if the folks behind the counter couldn't afford to eat there themselves.
Let me be clear -- I HATE mountaintop removal mining, fracking, and the sloppy regulation of the deep-mining industries. I HATE the fact that in much of Appalachia the only well-paying jobs are related to those industries and that not even the best Democrats in our region could hope to be elected by rejecting King Coal. Decades of neglect and disinterest in Appalachia have resulted in the pathetic situation we have now. Had there been the national will to do so, America could have reinvested even a fraction of what they gladly took from us and in so doing could have avoided the dismal situation in which we find ourselves. But it was not in the national interest to uplift the labor force in central Appalachia -- in fact, quite the opposite was true. We are now on the precipice of losing what few well-paying, union jobs are left -- jobs provided by coal.
Recent efforts to invest in Appalachia's economic diversity are welcome but too little, too late. It will take decades to replace the livable-wage jobs that are being lost. I mourn for the miners just as surely as I weep for the destruction and poisoning of our mountain homes. I just hope it's not too late for Appalachia.
= new reply since forum marked as read