Diane Sawyer report on Appalachian Poverty (Berea, Cumberland: house, tile, dangerous)

[marmac]

lovethetruth says--------" then really where can one find a decent job these days"--

You are correct.

I meant when the economy was ( or hopefully ) will be better.
Now, re-locating isn't much of an option.

[rbryant]

Originally Posted by lovethetruth

Just to let you all know, I was reading some more info about this story on other sites and I found some good news in all this. I still don't know if it is true, but apparently Shawn Grim was able to find a good paying job in the mines and is doing well. Also, from what I read, he was only homeless for a couple of days until his coach found out about it and took him in. There is much positive outcome to this story and perhaps Diane Sawyer will do another story with the updates on those cases.

That's good news. I was really hoping that Shawn would be able to find a way to stick with getting a college degree. My heart literally broke when they showed him digging for coal in order to heat the family home. I've got a pretty good connection/source in Paintsville that knows about the kids that have played at Johnson Central. I'll ask him Tuesday for any follow up info about Shawn.

[timelesschild]

$14/hour should be very adequate as a living wage, given the cost of living in Eastern Kentucky. I'm having trouble understanding the problem with this as a coal miner's wage.

[Davart]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

$14/hour should be very adequate as a living wage, given the cost of living in Eastern Kentucky. I'm having trouble understanding the problem with this as a coal miner's wage.

They said on the show that the miners started at $60,000 a year and that's pretty good money anywhere in the state. now it might just be that mine, I have no idea ... but the guy with the big house said he had over a 100 opening right now at $60K a year. I know a lot of people that are clean and sober that would love to make $60,000 a year.

[Miss Blue]

14-15 dollars an hour is usually just the starting salary for a greenhat..Wages go up as one learns to run different equipment and do different jobs in the mine...Yes it is good money and the cost of living including houses is a bit lower here...My grandson signed a three year contract for a sizable sign on bonus..Drug testing is often and random so some of the mines do have a turn over..That is why some of them offer sign on bonuses with a contract to men/women who are drug free..
This problem is a NATIONAL problem.(drugs)..not exclusively East Ky...My brother was plant manager for a medium size tool manufacturing company in Ohio and his turnover (firing of druggies) was unbelievable...

[LibraGirl123]

Originally Posted by nawog

Thanks for the info!

I was wondering about the health of the mine workers when Sawyer brought it up. Nobody seemed to answer.

If I remember correctly, Diane Sawyer observed that the mineworkers seemed hesitant to answer because company officials were present. 'Nuff said...

[LibraGirl123]

Originally Posted by vec101

I see your point and do agree but... he was the first in his family to graduate from High School, think about the mental aspect just of that. He found college overwhelming, he couldn't find a job in Nashville. Most kids need some type of mental support system helping to guide them and convince them they can succeed.

Was it simply laziness - maybe. But what can you expect coming from a family who refuses to work. That is what he knows and has seen from his role-models his whole life.

He had the skills to make it in football and high school, probably also had support from coaches, teachers, other students, etc. - but he evidently didn't have the skills for the outside world.

I don't know what it was like at his high school (or for him), but at the high school in my town, football is king and the coaches have their total focus on winning the State Championship in their division. They pump up the star players and those boys basically get away with anything they want. They are idolized, adored, and made to feel they can do no wrong as long as they are kicking it on the football field. The sad thing is that preparing them for college or the outside world is NOT a priority. The majority of the football stars at our high school walk out of school to .... nothing. They don't go to college, they don't walk into good jobs, etc. We have even had a few who were so used to getting away with anything they wanted in school that they think the real world will treat them the same - some went from high school to jail within a year.

I'm NOT saying this is true for all football stars - but there are way too many of them at our school for which it is.

You've made some EXCELLENT points about Shawn. I held my breath when they showed him going off to college, and my heart broke when he decided to leave. I don't think he's lazy, and it was my impression that he tried to put distance between himself and the lifestyle of some of his screwed-up family members. I just think that the culture-shock he encountered at college and the probable lack of mentoring/support made for an extremely difficult transition.

[LibraGirl123]

Originally Posted by missymomof3

I watched it on the 20/20 website and until the cycle of drug abuse and alcoholism is broken, it will never end. I think the program was tastefully done myself and I don't think the answers are as easy as just pack up and leave. You have to have money to move, most of those people don't have access to the internet to find a job somewhere else and simply know nothing else. I hope that that show will bring more hope to those people and that those of us ion the more affluent parts of Kentucky step up and do something to help. Maybe there is a way to donate to those wonderful people who own the health clinics?

Yes! There are ways to donate. I went to the ABC News site where they listed a number of organizations who were either featured on the show, or who serve families in the region. I thought it was telling that ABC included the following on their website:

"These organizations' Web sites are experiencing unusually high traffic due to the ABC News special. If you are unable to connect, we hope you'll check back again or contact them via the phone numbers below."

I know that many of you who are native to Kentucky are upset about this program, but after watching I was filled with nothing but compassion for these people, wondering how I could help. Apparently, I was not the only one.

For more information on how YOU can help:

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845926

[FiveHorses]

On the whole "teeth" issue... I have lived in Africa. There is no social welfare, there are no food stamps, and dentists are the preserve of the ultra-rich. In fact, for the poor a toothbrush and toothpaste are a luxury and just out of reach financially. The poor use a stick made from a soft wood (actual type escapes me) - chew it, it frays to something like bristles and there you have your brush. Go anywhere in the morning "rush hour" and 90%+ of workmen, etc. on their way to where they were going had a tooth-stick hanging out of their mouths.

And yet you'd see more walking "toothpaste ads" there than in a large swath of this country combined (regardless of region). You could be blinded by the sparkly pearly whites of strong, healthy teeth. Why? It's very simple: they have no access to sugary processed foods, much less sugar filled drinks. A bottle (yes, it all still comes in glass bottles) of soda would be something that maybe happens once a year, maybe.

I may be wrong... but it is my understanding that while milk is covered by food stamps, soda would not be (i.e soda would cost cold, hard cash). It's about choices. One can argue that information/education is required to make the better/healthier choice - and to a degree, that's true. But I find it difficult to believe that the information required to make the choice of soda vs. milk (or even water for that matter) in the sippy cup of a two year old is not there.

Totally out of the realm of "portrayal" - what I did feel was a serious flaw was the lack of any background on the history of the region. Why did people settle there? Where did they come from originally? Does the shape of the past affect the present? For anyone wanting to know the answers.... "Born Fighting" by James Webb is a good place to start.

[Blue Grass Fever]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

$14/hour should be very adequate as a living wage, given the cost of living in Eastern Kentucky. I'm having trouble understanding the problem with this as a coal miner's wage.

Being on "welfare" versus working, in a dang mine, out of all places. (Mines are still dangerous even with all the precautions..)If i had a family and the social net of generations of family members nearby and no mortgage, i'd take the "welfare" anyday.

Now do you understand the train of thought? Sometimes a job just ain't worth it, but if the pay justifies the means, just maybe....