[Bob Seger]

Well, you are blatantly giving false info then. It is fact what I said in my above post. From the fall of 2007, all through 2008 I traveled rt 23 twice a day going and coming, going to Huntington. Very few trucks on it. I drove it some in 2009, on a regular basis and there might have been few trucks on it. I can't remember where I worked in 2010, so I can't say on the number of trucks traveling that way, but as of late, I have been traveling to Huntington about 3 times a week, and there are tons of trucks on rt 23 going that way.

I had you figured all wrong Bob, I thought you were a doctor.

Blatant false info?? How is that?


I have a good friend that is a salesman at FS VanHoose and the word from him is that this the worst year that they have had in perhaps their history and you're talking about a 100 year old company. Their annual spring and fall sales have been disasters. Another very good friend is the manager at Lowes. It's awful there too according to him. I do business with all the WalMarts and I can promise you that week in and week out, they have had a steady decline in overall customer purchases for quite some to me now. They keep cutting their department managers and now have single heads over mutiple departments because business is so bad. The food sector is being hit extremely hard. Realtors will tell you they cant give a house away right now. Long time furniture merchants such as Maggards and Tony&Terry's had to shut their doors because they just cant survive any more. How do I know this? I am personal frinds with both entities. My business offers the most basic of all human needs as well, and business absolutely stinks. It is way way off. So there you have it. I have entailed info for just about every economic sector out there.

For the most part if people in eastern Kentucky have a nickle, it is not going to stay in their pockets for long, they'll spend it. If everything was up and running as you say business would be booming. I promise you it is far far far the opposite.

Doctor, no I'm not. Coal miner, no I am not, and dont claim to be an expert on that by any means, but I do know a couple of the "true miners" that have posted in this thread and I have every confidence in the world in them to tell you that they are "true experts" in their field and know very very well what they are talking about if you would listen.. But I am probably the most qualified of anybody that has posted in this thread and perhaps of all members on this whole board that can give a first hand account of how this current ecomomy is devastated and how it has stymied retail business. Everything, and I mean everything in this region is a direct result of what King Coal produces. I am more inclined to listen to Old School and his explanation as to why a temporary surge may exist and why in reality it may be very short lived. It is my humble suggestion for others too listen to what he has to say. If there is a current boom in the coal business, then all I have to say is I am scared to death if we have a downturn. I dont need to read some kind of an account that some newspaper (that just may have a political agenda) may publish to see what is going on. I live and breathe it every single day. As bad as it is right now, my fear is that it is going to get much much worse if this current administration in Washington is allowed to exist for another term.