Follow the Money

Follow the money. Rather like have a nice day, it is said often, and means about as much. How else to explain why it appears in so many venues, so often and gets such little response? Does it not suggest that we are talking about accountability? That we are talking about someones credibility?

There are a lot of politicians and appointees in the states of W. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Montana. Yet there are not many continuing articles written about the money that flows quite freely from Consol, Peabody and the rest of the longwall mining criminals, to those politicians and agencies we the citizenry have charged with protecting the common good.

If creeks are still disappearing or polluted to extinction, homes collapsing, and peoples lives being destroyed after all these years of longwall and mountain top destruction mining, doesn't that suggest collusion? Doesn't that suggest that those in whom we have placed our trust have sold us out not once, but thousands of times in countless ways?

Joseph Pizarchik is the pimple on the end of the nose of longwall mining. With enough pancake makeup he appears as just part of the bland face that is presented as the agreeable head to the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement, (OSMRE). Like Clean Coal, he is an illusion.

There is the possibility of a lawsuit concerning Mr. Pizarchik in the near future. This would be the makeup remover exposing the pimple, connecting it directly to the criminal enterprise that is longwall mining. This is where follow the money becomes meaningful. Meaningful because it is this money, which is buying longwall mining the ability to destroy the planet.

Your house, or mine?

Your house, or mine? Depending upon the situation and setting, that could be a reasonable question. In the setting in which I am going to apply it, it's not.

We are all aware of the destruction that longwall mining causes. Not to mention it's cousin, mountain top destruction. But, it seems to me that its always about someone else's home. A house in another locale. People that we don't know lived, or used to live there.

But, supposing that this were not the case. Let us suppose that the question posed were to be applied to the reader and an exec for one of the planet killing companies. Just as a refresher, that would be Consol, Massey, Peabody or one of their ilk. Do you believe for one moment that there would be any real question at all? Can you imagine that one of those bloated, soulless individuals would say something like, "no problem, I'll take the hit?"

As long as its someone else's house, as long as it doesn't materially affect them, they really have no interest whatsoever. So, you're house or mine, would/could never come up. There is too much money and power involved not to destroy your/my house. There is also too much money and power for their's to ever be in jeopardy.

Mining Thugs and Hearings

What do you call hearings meant to address an important issue, where one side is allowed to speak while the other is intimidated by thugs and the police? Where even the press is not present to hold participants to account for their actions...or, inactions? I don't know either. But, it is certainly happening.

Knowing that this is the scenario that will take place at other hearings, what should be the strategy of those left out of the hearing? We know that the other side is going to use intimidation. The police are going to use the excuse that they are overwhelmed and cannot protect those in the minority.The moderators are impotent. And, the coal exec's are as involved in the thuggery as the goons outside the hearings.

Thugs are cowards. They, like cockroaches, don't want light shined upon them. The police certainly don't want any bad publicity either. Lest they be held responsible for not doing their jobs. The coal exec's? They really don't care. They have a lot of money to make sue their message gets out.

The first thing that comes to mind is cell phones. Twitter was used by those involved in Iraq during the demonstrations against the government. Video clips of any interaction with the thugs or the police should be taken and uploaded to YouTube.

If this is the type behavior we are to expect, then planning by those familiar with the legal system would be prudent. It is to be expected that the coal types have attorneys if not seated at the table, then certainly very nearby. It might behoove those involved to have an attorney present at any hearing. Perhaps the ACLU could lend a hand and have someone at each hearing?

Further ahead, I have a growing concern for those in less densely populated areas. If the longwall and mountain top destruction mining companies can pull off a one sided show in places like West Virginia, where there are more people. What chance do the folks in Wyoming and Montana have of standing against these criminals?

A Way of Life

Of the attention paid to the longwall mining in the US, most of it, and rightfully so, is paid to the man-made disaster that has become the daily routine for those living in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. However, these folks are not alone in fighting this insanity.

In eastern Montana, near the small town of Roundup, there is a looming mining disaster on the way. The sentinel's for the area are two families. They have lived in this place for decades, and are the last of those remaining who eked out a living raising cattle in an unforgiving land.

They will fight. They will fight for all they are worth. They will fight to continue making a living the way they have for these many years. They hope that their in-town neighbors will join them in the fight against this danger to their way of life. They may. They are folks known to have strong feelings about outsiders coming in and changing things. Or, they may not.

Yes, indeed they will fight. But, there are few to carry the message from this place. There is likely to be little written of the battles fought and the crimes committed against these people. As I said, there are only two families remaining. And, as we all know all to well, the mining industry cares nothing for people, animals or the planet at large. They will destroy whatever is in their path. In this case, it will be a way of life.

Here at this blog, I will attempt to chronicle the fight and it's outcome. My fervent hope is that they will somehow survive the onslaught of dirty coal and it's killing legacy. But, with railroad tracks and cars already in place, and trenches for the tracks of the longwall mining machine being cleared, it will likely be a very, very long fight. I am hopeful that their way of life remains intact when the fight over.

George Ellis, Mining Clown

George Ellis, mining clown, is the president of the Pennsylvania Coal Association. In this capacity, it is his charge to do whatever is necessary to make coal look good. Whatever is necessary includes clouding the water about global warming.

Out loud and in public, George exposed his brain for all to see, or rather, hear. This comment, "I don't think there is a scientific consensus on climate change" was if not the most, then certainly close to being, the most revealing he has made lately.

Whether he is able to think or not, there is indeed scientific consensus on climate change. Those who signed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) represent climate scientists from around the globe. They believe there is enough information available that the world should be told that there is in fact a problem. Those arrayed against this information, the non-climate scientist part of the population, think otherwise..

What George Ellis knows about coal is hard to say. Whether he knows that mercury and arsenic are part and parcel of the coal operation is hard to discern. Or, whether he knows that the algae that killed the organisms in Dunkard Creek were very likely caused by the chloride dumping from a Consol Energy plant, I can't tell. But, what he knows about climate change is obvious to all. Because he took the time to tell us.

It's the job of George Ellis, mining clown, to whine and complain about anything that would restrict in any way, longwall mining or mountain top destruction. But, with the nonsense that pours from his mouth, he certainly can't be trusted or taken seriously. Except in this regard. Whatever he says, you can bet that reality is just the opposite.

Longwall Mining Struggle

This post is in direct response to a comment Steve made to my "Common Sense is not Common" post. He wondered how it was that our Federal/State Agencies, created to protect us from Environmental degradation, had become our enemy. And, more importantly, what we could do about it.

The first part is pretty simple. Those with money have access, those of us without, don't. People in Federal/State, or whatever type of government, act generally on the information they have at hand. If one point of view is all that gets through to them, that is likely to be the way their decisions are skewed.

There is a long term struggle going on in the world of longwall mining. The industry is on one side. Their primary purpose is to get coal out of the ground as cheaply as possible and get it to market. Since they are beholden to their stockholder's, they are bottom line driven.

On the other side are those of us called, for the sake of brevity, environmentalists. Our side of the struggle concerns our homes, our water, the organisms that populate our local environment, followed naturally by our global environment.

Those in the longwall mining camp have very deep pockets and are quite adept at buying influence no matter the political Party. Therefore, they have access to those who make the decisions in government.

Those of us arrayed on the other side generally speaking do not have a lot of money and are splintered, so that although we may be fighting like hell, we have no access. And, our outcries to those in power seem like simply a few disgruntled crazies.

There are however, ways of shining a very bright light on things of import. In this case, I will use a recent action by the nonprofit organization, Citizens Coal Council. They have issued a letter of intent to sue the Department of the Interior for failing to enforce the laws they have been charged with upholding.

Two large issues are brought into the light with this action. First, the obvious, Interior hasn't been doing the job for which they are responsible. The other is to expose the cockroaches in the room. Specifically, Joseph Pizarchik, the coal industry shill who has been nominated to oversee the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Since we know that Joe is in the pocket of industry, the way to force those deciding his fate in government to do their due diligence is to place his malfeasance squarely in front of them, and us.

This struggle, any struggle, generally has a host of skirmishes before the thing is settled. This is a skirmish. If we win, that is a good thing for us and the world writ large. If we lose, we move on to the next skirmish and continue the struggle. That Steve, is what we do about the government not doing what it is we elect them to do. We continue to fight.

Longwall Mining's Joseph Pizarchik

With all of the lying done in the name of mining, specifically longwall and mountain top destruction, it seems only appropriate that the industry would favor someone like Mr. Pizarchik as their Federal Government guy.

Joseph Pizarchik has been nominated to be the head of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). He has for many years been part and parcel of the problems we are now dealing with in the mining fields of southwestern Pennsylvania.

Joe (let's call him Joe) was head of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Mining and Reclamation. As head of such, he allowed mining companies to dump their coal ash, containing such yummy delights as mercury and arsenic. And, views it today as an "insignificant" problem.

As a bought and paid for shill for the longwall coal mining industry, Mr. Pizarchik has great standing. But, as a representative of the people of the United States with duty of oversight and enforcement of the mining laws of the nation? Not even in the worst possible scenario.

Foisting this unsavory character onto the nation would be akin to hiring Al Capone as head of the ATF. This guy should get about a 5 minute hearing and then be promptly arrested and jailed for his complicity in water theft, home invasion and destruction and the absolute ruin he has caused the people of Pennsylvania.

Soulless/Consol Energy

It's difficult be believe that anyone could be as morally bankrupt as Brett Harvey, CEO of Consol Energy. Someone who stood before his fellow human beings and claimed that his company was not responsible for killing the organisms in Dunkard Creek. But rather that it was the algae and not the pollutants that his company dumped in the creek.

The algae wouldn't be there without the pollutants being there first. Mr. Harvey knows that. Anyone at all remotely knowledgeable of the character of longwall mining and it's sorry trail, knows that. But, Mr. Harvey stands before us and claims that its the fault of the algae. That he and his death machine called Consol Energy, are blameless for the tragedy that has befallen Dunkard Creek.

Longwall mining is an unmitigated disaster. It has knowingly caused death and ruin in every place that it has been employed to destabilize the natural carbon sink, coal. And, with soulless brutes such as Mr. Harvey leading them, it's not hard to figure out why.

Yes, Mr. Harvey, the algae bloom killed all of the living things in Dunkdard Creek. But, the pollutants brought into that place are the responsibility of Consol Energy. Not hunters or fisherman. Consol Energy. And, anyone who could buy the load of garbage you tried to foist on people, likely lacks the ability to reason. Or, is as soulless as you are.

One Anti-Longwalling Tent

In my last post, I said that the ranchers and small town folks are fighting a losing battle against the large mining operations. Are those people fighting the Consols of the world? Of course. In fact, they have been fighting for years and years.



For the most part though, they fight as individuals. They can fight for a short time, 5-10 years perhaps, but they are finally beaten by virtue of longevity. The large mining operations have very deep pockets. As well as Congressmen, and state Environmental Agencies. You might win. But, the odds are vanishingly small.



However, we may begin to see something a little bit different coming down the road. Bud Shields of Harrison, Arkansas brought this item to my attention. In Madison County, Illinois, a resolution was passed that states that they are against any longwall mining. Will it make any difference? Can't say for sure at this moment. One rural county may not have much more sway with those folks as an individual.



But, suppose several rural counties were to decide to pass resolutions? That would bring a great deal more light to bear on this fight. Together, they could begin to file suits against the longwall mining operations and force them to slow and perhaps stop this destruction of the planet.



There are individuals fighting this fight in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In Wyoming and Montana. They are for the most part quite separated by their rural locations. It seems to me that what is needed is to bring all of these folks into one anti-longwalling tent. Connect all of these people, and counties, into a single group and suddenly you have more of a chance of getting the ear of both the Legislators/Agencies and the energy companies.

Common Sense is not Common

Those who oppose mining, mountain top destruction, longwall or any other kind, are on the losing side. Wonder why that might be? Me too. How can something so catastrophic to human life not be seen by any and everyone as something that should be stopped?

Marie's (Mother) favorite saying to me as a kid, besides, "Stop that!!" was, "Common Sense is not common," taken from Mr. Voltaire. Therein, it seems to me, lies the problem. Folks who run mining operations are not thinking in the same way as most of us. The things that seem important to them are far, far removed from those things the rest of us consider to be important.

Profits. It is the all pervasive thinking of people in mining. It has nothing to do with anything else. They will do whatever they deem necessary to get the coal so as to make a profit. Destruction of peoples homes, farms and ranches through the use of mountain top destruction and longwall mining is a small price to pay for coal/profit.

That what they do is in fact destroying peoples lives and livelihood is of the same importance as flies in the dining facility. Both should be removed as quickly and with as little fanfare as possible, so as to continue the operation at hand.

It is indeed a pity that Common Sense is not Common. And, among those who seem to be the least capable of understanding that, are the coal mining companies who are doing the most damage to the people and planet.

Longwall Mining Causes Instant Drought

Watering (verb) supplying with water. Dewatering (verb) to remove the water from; drain. In six plus decades I have often heard and used myself the word watering. But, dewatering? that was new for me. Until of course, as I explained in an earlier post, I went to Pittsburgh, PA.

So back in Georgetown, TX, I am trying to explain to my wife this whole concept. Dewatering meant that people who had good, clear, clean well water one day, awoke the next to find that they had not brackish, dirty water, but no water at all. None.

"Instant drought," she said. "Dewatering is like having a drought. Except that it's never going to end."As an explanation, Central Texas is in an extreme drought. It has been going on for two years. Crops have withered, livestock have been sold off and in some cases, folks have lost their farms. In this case the drought was caused by El Nino. In November, or near there, we should receive abundant rain. The people I talked to in Greene County, Pennsylvania? Won't. First of all, their drought was man made. Caused by the longwall mining of Consol Energy. With no regard for the destruction it would/will cause, the company grinds away under stream headwaters and beneath the homes in the area.

The water that flows in a stream, or sits in a small aquifer seems on first glimpse, to be fairly constant. And, so it is. Unless of course something extreme happens to cause it to change. Longwall mining produces new cracks and fissures in the earth, and in so doing changes the flow of the water. For wells it is the same. New fissures open and the water changes course. Instant drought.

The mining companies know this. In fact, they have insurance to cover such events because they know damned good and well it will happen. And, maybe even more importantly, they have the three things which will force those affected to settle for a pittance. Time, money and lots and lots of lawyers.

Unlike the people in Central Texas who have been affected by the drought caused by La Nina, the people affected by the destructive practices perpetrated upon them by the likes of Consol and Massey, will not recover. Longwall mining means instant drought. And, the instant death of their way of life.

Mining? Environmental Protection?

So, there you are in the big corner office. On the front door of the office is your name and title, freshly stenciled. A well polished new desk, with your name engraved on the marker at the front. You worked hard to get here. You ate a lot of bad chicken. Shook a lot of sweaty hands. Stepped on and over some people to get here. But, here you are. Now the big question that every person in your shoes must answer. Who do I call first? Wife? No. Mom? No.

No. The first person you call is the CEO of the largest coal mining company in the state. Because he, more than anyone else, put you in this place. It was he after all, who paid for the expensive tv ads that made such a difference. And what ads they were. Green grass, smiling faced children laughing and playing, and clear blue skies. All bs, of course. But, man they sure worked when it counted.

What kind of cynical, crazy person could or would possible think like that? Well, let's see. How about if you were the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency for a state where coal mining is a large part of the economy? Is it possible that a person would take a job such as this for the purpose of helping coal companies?

Suppose rather than living in Rhode Island, you were to live in one of those places where mining is the largest company in the state. Or, at least in the top five. Is it possible that someone would conspire to take that Environmental job, who rather than making sure people had safe drinking water and clean air, instead worked to make sure that coal companies didn't have to obey the laws for those purposes?

Mountain top destruction and longwall mining destroy human and animal habitat. To include the water they drink. And who makes sure that such things are allowed to happen in the peoples name? Why that would be the very guy at the top of this post with the shiny new office. And, he is assisted by the federal government. The very EPA who is supposed to make sure all of the states are following laws and guidelines to protect our air and water.

At this very moment, such a person as described above, has been selected to oversee mining for the federal government. He is known to be in the pocket of the large coal companies. It is already known that he would do everything in his power to make sure that mining operations are not held up by pesky rules about water and air.l

Perhaps now would be a really good time for all of us to make ourselves known to our representatives, including the President of the United States. That we make it clear that longwall mining and mountain top destruction are not to be put before clean air and drinking water. That instead of hacks and shills for the coal companies, we expect our Environmental Agencies, at all levels, to be manned by people of integrity and principle.

Longwall Mining and Mothers Milk

Longwall mining and mothers milk. Doesn't that thought just make ya all warm and fuzzy inside? After considering all of the women who are directly, and indirectly effected by longwall mining, it got me to wondering about something. Remember all of those energy employee's bused in for demonstrations backing clean coal? Do you remember how many of them were shiny faced women with big smiles, laughing and in general just having a really swell time? I'm wondering about their thought processes here.

The women who appeared in those shots were, in large part, mothers. Some of them probably breast fed their babies. So I'm just wondering. Did it bother them that they were likely feeding their children mercury (Hg) during those encounters? Have they ever given any thought about how they may have done harm to those children just by feeding them?

Mercury is a by-product of coal. The mining of it, the burning of it and the storing of the ash that is left behind. Think TVA in Tennessee near the first of '09. It is all moving along into the water and into the food chain of all living things, including those women shown in the demonstration pictures.

The humans drink the water. So they get some there. They eat the fish. They get a bunch there. In fact, the larger the fish, the heavier the dose of mercury. They eat vegetables and grains. And, sure enough, they get some there. Let's have a look at the trail there. Sure looks like they're getting a pretty good amount to me. You? Seems we have company. EPA says that 21% of women of child bearing age have mercury above their recommended level.

Now mother has a pretty good amount of mercury on-board, gathered over a lifetime of living with the effects of mobilized carbon which we know carries mercury. Now comes a pregnancy.

The blood from mother now flows in and out of baby. The baby is nourished by what mother eats and drinks. Any possibilities of mercury getting into the baby here?

Baby is born. And development is really in high gear. Neurological development is done primarily in early life. Mercury impairs neurological development. So first, the baby got a good dose from the mother from her blood and from eating what mother ate through blood circulation. Now mother suckles the baby and so continues to pass on the mercury that is continuously coming into her system.

So now let's go back and have a look at those smiling faces. What exactly are they smiling about? Poisoning of the planet? Poisoning of their own children? Poisoning of you and your children? Poisoning of me and my children? Where is the humour here.

Longwall mining and mothers milk. It's really not that funny.

Longwall Earthquake

Having lived in Southern California for a good deal of my life, I know from earthquakes. Most of them are small and harmless. And, for the most part, those who have lived in the area for some length of time pay little heed to them. There are those, however, that crack walls, send fish tanks crashing to the floor, freeways crumbling and apartment houses collapsing like accordions. Think Northridge here.

But, supposing rather than having just the occasional tumbler that does damage of that sort, it were to go on every day? An unrelenting earthquake called longwall mining. And, at the end of it all, there was no FEMA. No, disaster declaration. No assistance from any corner. In fact, the news organizations don't even notice what has happened. No breathless reporter. No screaming headline. Nothing.

Pretty grim, no? Well, this isn't some nightmare dreamed up by RB just to amuse himself between motorcycle trips. Rather, this is everyday reality anyplace there are homes on the surface of the earth and longwall mining beneath. Places like Greene County in the southern most part of Pennsylvania. And, the outcome is just as described.

Earthquake disasters ongoing. Precious few pay any attention. How is it possible that real life drama is upstaged by fake drama? Wonder why that is? Maybe it's because coal industry folks like Energy Citizens are taking up space? And, since they have all of that coal and oil money behind them, they get more attention? Surely RB, you couldn't be suggesting that since those rich folks, read newspaper owners, oil/coal company big wigs and their bought and paid for politicians hang out at cocktail parties together, they could be more interested in money making than actual people?

Well...yes, I am. Politicians in both parties are locked in by the money of their contributor's. And, the fewer and poorer the people there are in the area, the more important that money becomes. Think Baucus here. Yep, earthquake alright. With those most affected also being those with the smallest voice in the shouting match.

Longwall Mining, Jr.

Last week, during NN '09, I was located in Pittsburgh, PA. Beautiful city. Clean, green, and very proud of the strides they have made from the polluted dirty place I visited in the late 60's. We had our convention in the greenest convention center in the country. There was, with reason, lots of talk about all things green and how the G20 would be coming to the city to showcase what can be done in the way of cleaning up a once blighted area.

But, just a short drive down the freeway from all of the green and pride of all things shiny, was the exact opposite of what was to be found in the city. All over Greene County disaster is being wrought by Consol Energy. The only thing I can think of to compare it to is cancer. It travels under the surface. Unseen. Destroying everything it comes near.

The name of this cancer is longwall mining. It travels 400'-600' under the surface of the land eating at everything in it's path. And everywhere it travels, under homes, near dams, and headwaters for streams, it leaves behind disaster.

Peoples homes splintering and cracking. And, finally crumbling into a pile of rubble. Dams cracking to the point of having to be dismantled and the water behind lost. Leaving the fish flopping on the waterless ground left behind. Streams drying up, leaving only dry, cracked beds behind. With no water for farm animals and their minders.

Of course the mining company Consol, in this case, denies any culpability and any need to do more than patch up kind of remediation. They say that they will mitigate any damages done to homes. But those who have lost their homes to this insidious disease know the reality of those claims.

What a difference a couple of hours can make. On the one hand a model for a new and clean environment. On the other complete devastation. Some light on the subject would be most welcome, I am sure, to those who make their homes in Greene County. And, for that matter, anyplace else where longwall mining is occurring. Or, will occur.

Smiling Faces

Remember all of those smiling faces at the oil/gas/coal rally down in Houston the other day? Remember how they were smiling and laughing like they were having the time of their life? Well, they were. It was like a company picnic. Most of those folks were employees of the energy companies mentioned above. So, if you're getting paid to ride a bus to a picnic and wave a sign that shows you to be a complete moron, what the hell. You got paid.

Did you also notice that there were no rough necks? Or, miners? Pretty obvious there. Who in the hell wants some ill dressed, dirty faced, profane kinda guy/woman messing up there pretty picture.

Just a couple of thoughts about all of that. First, as concerns mining. There are 27 deaths per 100,000 workers per year in that industry. That would be roughly nine (9) times higher than US industry as a whole. That would sure as hell make you smile. No?

How about, lots of those folks live in areas where they can hunt and fish and live the good life. Well, lets see here, fully one quarter of the fish tested in 291 streams had mercury levels above the safety levels set by EPA. That'll get your smiley faces splashed all over, won't it? Everybody likes feeding their families high levels of mercury, don't they?

Hmmmmm. Where is the connection RB? Well by golly, says here that emissions from coal fired plants are the largest source of mercury contamination in the United States. Boy, Howdy. No wonder those folks were all smiles.

One more little add on here. A report out in the past couple of days says that aerosols have increased in the stratosphere in the past decade. They're getting a big boost from coal burning. Especially in China.

Perhaps, I should change that title to Lying Faces.

Longwall Mining

Most of us in this country take for granted that we can turn on our tap at the sink and get a glass of water. But, suppose you turned on the tap and didn't get anything. Further, suppose that the water came from your own well. What, specifically, would you do?

That isn't just an exercise question. It is happening in many states in the country and no one is even talking about it. Why? Because those causing water to disappear and homes to crumble are very large coal mining companies. They have a lot of money. They are very well connected. Read that as having politicians bought and paid for.

So, what would you do? If you had livestock would you sell them off? Would you go to town to get bottled water? For three and a half (3 1/2) years? It has happened that way. It is happening. And, as long as longwall mining is allowed to continue, it will happen again and again.

Just a suggestion here. Google longwall mining. Have a look at some of the photo's that are available. Contact citizenscoalcouncil.org. Get a little information. Then be prepared to be entirely pissed at what you see and hear. Mining companies like the dark (not just a pun) because the light of day, shone down on their dirty and murderous work, would do for their business what it has done for so many in the minefield. Namely, it would kill them.

One could point at mountain top destruction as the obvious sign of all that is wrong with coal mining. And, of course they would entirely correct in doing so. But, longwall mining is what is not obvious. You can't tell from above the mining itself that there is anything out of the ordinary going on.

What you need here is a rear view mirror. Look back at where the mining has taken place. See any flowing streams? No. Why, you might ask? Well lets see here. If you dig down 400-600 feet, then start digging horizontal to the plane of the ground above and don't shore up the tunnel behind you, what is going to happen? Of course, the ground behind will fall. How much? Let's see here. The machine that does the mining is about 4"-6" high. That means that you have a 4"-6" hole behind you wherever you do the longwall mining. If you don't shore up the hole, at some point the ground will sink 4"-6". Hmmmmmm. If you were to say, dig beneath or near to a stream, and the ground sinks, what might the obvious be? The water disappears.

At this point, the mining company would likely say that it really hasn't disappeared, but gone deeper and is coming up elsewhere. But, suppose, going back to the top of this post, that all of a sudden your water was gone? It may indeed be coming up elsewhere, but how in the hell does that help you? If your animals no longer have water to drink. And, your home, which has been using that water for drinking, bathing, washing clothes, you know the regular everyday stuff, is now dry. No water. It may be deeper and coming up elsewhere, but again the same question.

This little problem is not singular, nor isolated. It is common place and happening to a lot of people in the coalfield. Anyplace they are using longwall mining, there is on-going housing and water destruction.

It took only a couple of hours to get me started down the path that will cure my personal ignorance of the the destruction being done in the name of coal. Longwall mining is an unmitigated disaster. And, it is neither being talked about, nor written about at this moment. Through this diary, and hopefully others, Grist(?) this is about to change.

Screamers and Health Care

So here we are at the Congressional break, all of us discussing our ideas of health care, how our idea is the best and showing how it should be implemented. WAKE UP

Oh...shit...dreaming again.

Well then, lets have a look at how it's really going. The mouthpieces of the Republican Party are inciting riot. That of course would be Dobbs, Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly, WaPo and the WSJ, just to name a few. Then we have the knuckle draggers who listen to them, mostly middle aged white folks who appear to be on Medicare.

Hmmmm. Why would folks on Medicare be protesting government run medical insurance ideas? Surely they know that Medicare is a government run operation? That without it most of them would be without health care of any sort?

Maybe its not healthcare we're talking about? Maybe they just don't like the color of the guy in the White House? Oh for shit sake. This couldn't possibly be racist based...could it? Somebody wailing that they "want their Amerika back" makes me believe that maybe it is somehow connected. You remember that Amerika. The one run by Dick "Dick" Cheney. Spying on Quakers. The Unitary President. Rendition. Torture. Yes, I think that's the one.

So, health care really isn't what this is all about. They're just pissed because all of those other people in the country voted in a landslide to shitcan their guy and vote in some B.L.A.C.K. guy...who isn't really a citizen. He's a Kenyan. And, they have a piss poor copy of a Australian birth certificate with badly done Kenyan stuff on it, from before Kenya was a country to prove it.

It looks to me like what we have is a bunch of people being carted about by the coal and oil folks to prevent any rational discussion by screaming and shouting and threatening to kill those who don't believe the cockamamie shit they believe.

News Flash. Those of us on the Left, and specifically those of us who are way, way, way over to the Left, don't give a shit about your silly assed beliefs. We know them to be based entirely upon hatred and bias toward any who aren't directly in line with your idiotic beliefs. Or, more to the point, racists and bigots.

And, just for you right wing kristians out there. If Jesus was here, he'd be a Democrat.

Health Care Reform

We have waited since 1994 for a chance to change the way health care is delivered in this country. We are now tantalizingly close to seeing it happen. Up until this afternoon, the Blue Dogs had sided with the Republicans in trying to dismantle the program as envisioned by the President. How anyone who calls him/herself a Democrat could possibly stand against the wishes of their own leader, not to mention the nation as a whole, is mind boggling.

So why would they take such a stance? Money, baby. Lots and lots of money. Given to them by the insurance companies who stand to be the ultimate losers in the new scheme of things. Even now television ads are already being launched into homes of millions by all sorts of groups you never heard of, mainly funded by the insurance companies.

One specific silly assed ad calls upon viewers to ask their representatives when they arrive home on summer break if they have read the Reform Bill. The whole Reform Bill. Of course any jack ass knows that most bills are not read by the representatives, but rather the staff. Who then bring things of import or specific interest to the rep's attention.

A better question would be, have any of those calling for this action read the bill? The Whole Bill? Hell no they haven't. What they know is that if there is any meaningful reform, they will lose money. They don't want reform of any sort. What they want is things to continue as they have. With insurance companies deciding who will get what care and for how long.

We will have a public option. And what that really means, is that people will have the opportunity to have the same kind of health care that the representatives have. Health care is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Every industrialized country on the planet has it in one form or another. It is time we joined the rest of them and placed our people before bridges to nowhere.

Senator Snowe and the Public Option

Democratic split. It's in all the newspapers and on all of the television newscasts. Is it true? Of course its true. That's how the Democratic Party works. Kind of like how a real democracy works. Differing viewpoints. Different solutions.

On the other hand, nothing is read or heard about any split in the Republican Party. Would that be because there is none? Is it possible that independent thinking is frowned on within that party? Do they all march lockstep? The answer to those questions is...mostly. That would be why they are called conservatives. They don't want change. It is the antithesis of their very core belief system.

However, at this moment we are involved in a very important debate over whether or not this country will, at least in the health care world, move into the present century. And, it turns out, there is a very prominent Republican separating herself from her party. Senator Snowe (R-ME) has made it clear that she is in favor of what is called the public option. The public option would allow citizens to opt for a Medicare style choice of health care.

So why is this important? it is important because many, many people still get most of their news from the old outlets. Specifically, cnn, nbc, fox, wsj, nyt, etc. Since none of these outlets sees fit to publicize this type of thinking within the R Party, it is implied that there is no discussion about the public option. In fact, Senator Snowe gave a speech this past weekend telling her constituents that she is more than just thinking about it, she is in fact demanding that it be included in the upcoming Health Care Reform Bill.

It must be made clear to all, which would include those in the steno pool (fox, nyt, et.al) that there is debate amongst R's as well as D's. That debate is a good thing. And, that most importantly, 54% of the citizens in this country are in favor of including the public option in the upcoming bill.

So, simply put, I would like to see in the old line media, the inclusion of the fact that there is indeed some discussion among R's, specifically moderates of whom there are very few, about the inclusion of the public option as part of the health care reform in this country.

Come on old line media, make yourselves at least somewhat relevant. Let us hear something of Senator Snowe and the Public Option