Killing For Coal

Let it be noted that the first of what will likely be many lawsuits have been filed against Massey Energy involving the deaths of those who were recently killed in the mines of West Virginia. Those families have every right, both legally and morally, to file suit against the criminals who did everything they could to make sure that the killings will continue.

But, just so that we pay attention to the realities of these legalized killings, lets just see how they have played out over time. This is not how I, or any other human being would desire it to be, but merely what has happened. After the initial blow back, lawsuits re filed. Time passes. In fact, years pass by. Mining companies are doing business as usual. Government regulators are still playing patty cake with the mining companies. The lawsuits are settled out of court. The mining companies pay some pathetically small fine and life goes on.

Case in point. In 2006, two men were killed in a fire in the Massey Energy owned Aracoma mine. The firm was found guilty. In 2009, they were fined 2.5 millions. Pretty impressive fine, if you're paying it out of your household checkbook. But, revenue for Massey Energy in 2009, was 2.69 billions. The income on that amount was 104.4 millions.

So, what changed? Not one damned thing. The company has been and continues to fight with all the money at its disposal, to keep from making any change that would help those miners in any significant way. Just part of doing business if you're involved in the business of destroying mountain tops, longwall mining or even using a jack hammer and shovel.

The reality for them is quite simple. People are expendable. Pay off the families with some paltry sum, and whine and cry about how much the government is killing you with fines. All the while continuing the practices that will result in the killing of more miners.