Long story short: the guy is a shoe-in.

I’d like to thank you for this post.

After working over twenty-five years in the coal industry (including a year spent as a belt walker in an underground mine), I’m in full agreement with your words here.

While the deaths of so many miners over the last few months is a tragedy, it’s not an accident. Even back when he was running for congresss in Texas, Bush commented that one of the agencies he wanted to see completely eliminated was OSHA. I’m sure, had he been involved in mining, MSHA would have also been on that list. Since taking office, the deep cuts to both agencies show that nothing has changed. Bush and his cohorts view worker safety as an obstacle to maximum profits. To them, the death of miners is an acceptable loss, so long as the bottom line is enhanced.

Bush can not pretend to be surprised at these deaths. He knew what OSHA and MSHA were designed to do, and he didn’t just ignore the goals of the agencies, he actively opposed them.

Only two years ago, I was able to state sincerely that most coal companies had a deep concern for safety, and only a small handful of “rogues” still put their men at risk for a tiny difference in return. However, even then I failed to see just how much interest in safety had already been relaxed by Bush’s active disinterest. Declining inspections, laughable fines, and lax regulations all lead directly to these deaths. The companies that run these mines and the Bush administration collaborated in these men’s deaths as surely as if they had set the explosions.

There still are companies in the industry that have a deep respect for safety (the company where I currently work sends every single employee, even those in the office who will never see a mine, to safety training, CPR training, and two levels of first aid training. We don’t start a meeting, not even a meeting to discuss changes in the web servers, without a “safety contact”), but even there, I would not expect this interest to carry on indefinitely without regulation. Coal mines are safer than they used to be. Coal mines do a better job of reclamation than they did in the past. Coal power is cleaner than it was thirty years ago.

Why? Because of regulations that forced bad actors to clean up their acts. If that regulation is not enforced, Bush will certainly get his wish — a dirty, hostile, extraordinarily dangerous industry, just like the one my grandfathers knew. But hey, maybe the companies will make an extra penny or two. That would make it all worth it.

I’m sure the families of those lost would agree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Czolgosz

They just don’t make anarchists the way they used to and so this is what happens.

Etc. Etc. And where the FUCK did the presidential pardon come from. This is pure divine-right-of-king CRAP, makes a MOCKERY of absolutely everything.

Our system was fucked from the get, really. It was set up by people who counted on people to be civilized humans like themselves. Big mistake.

No, portable breathing devices are useful if they’re appropriate for the intended purpose. In other words, if you have devices that last 10 minutes,then you’d better be able to escape, or to get to a bigger oxygen supply within 10 minutes. Also, they need to work properly, which apparently many of the devices at Sago, and in Kentucky earlier this week, didn’t.

I’ve written a number of stories on relaxation and repeal of regs. Regarding mining, check here and here

A Newsday article:

“NY judge: Endless ban on speech in NSLs likely unconstitutional”

Here’s the link:

http://www.newsday.com/news/lo…..-apnewyork

The article is excellent, and heartening to see a judge vehemently stick up for our ailing Constitution.