[Old School]

Where you at the meeting in WV?

Ridiculous things are always said from both sides of any argument. Just like the statement you made about hippie looking stoner's! Thats a very stereotypical view, and I highly doubt you where around when "hippies" where a part of the dominant culture, seeming that that movement and terminology died out in the late 60's and early 70's. I know hundreds of of people who oppose MTR, and are members of environmental groups, and none of them are hippie stoner's. Most are well educated, hard working citizens. People like you just like to throw labels on people, and assume everyone who opposes your view is out of touch.

Maybe Redneck wasn't at the meeting in WV, I don't know, but I was and the guy that said mining caused brain tumors, looked and acted like he was stuck in the 60's. Some of the anti-coal group members were like those in the hippie movement of the 60's and 70's, they also had a couple of lawyers to speak a biologist and a few average joes. The anti-coal groups that was there also stated that coal mining caused diabetes, kidney failure, cancer among other illnesses. This one woman spoke of her experiences of working with poor children in the Southern West Virginia coal fields and blamed the coal industry for these children not having a good Christmas. There were also numerous comments made about the length of streams that have been buried, one person started out by saying 1,000 miles, another said 1,200 miles, later on it grew to 2,000 miles and the last anti-coal person to speak said that more that 2,400 miles of streams have been buried by surface mining, even your own can't agree on which misleading qoutes to use. There was one young man about 22 who said that restaurants are alway's looking for help, and that the laid off coal miners could go to work flipping hamburgers.

There was one representative from a local vendors association that representated over 150 members from Southern West Virginia, and they included everything from mechanics, body shops, small stores, to fast food restaurants, to K-Mart, Wal Marts, Krogers, Food Citys, Car dealers and the list goes on and on and they all said the same thing without the coal industry they would have to close.

I would like to comment about one article that was in a Charleston newpaper the day after the meeting, the writer which is very anti-coal said this "An estimated 250 people attended the public hearing last night with over 100 people supporting the coal industry", now here's the ture story an estimated 300 people attended the public hearing, with 240 people supporting the coal industry. I guess there was some truth in what he said, but nevertheless his article was misleading.

Coach you stated that you never said to completely stop mining, if that's true then you need to switch sides, because as I have said several times if coal companies are not allowed to use valley fills and build sediment ponds, then both surface and underground mining are basically finished in Appalachia.

What energy solutions other that wind or solar have you brought up? Tell me more about these alternatives, I'm listening. ecret: