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Most definitely I did not say it was Trump's fault.
You failed to see how discussions can meander.
All I pointed out -- these miners want to see Trump.
It's in the article -- I didn't say it.
Again you filled in a narrative that wasn't there with the original post.
I thought he was referring to this
Quote:
But Blackjewel’s collapse left more than a quarter of Harlan County’s miners jobless. Some say they have nearly given up on President Donald Trump’s long-promised coal revival.
Things change. Coal is dying one way or another. Time for these people to move on to something new.
I grew up in West Virginia. Both of my grandfathers were coal miners at one time. Many of those people are not qualified to do anything else regardless of the "training". You can't force a factory to open if the infrastructure is not there to support it. Many of the little towns have tried to re-invent themselves with tourism, but a small town can only support so many gift shops.
Coal miners laid off & protesting back pay are calling for Trump to show his face. (their words not mine).
What do these guys do? Where do they go? And it seems that the state Labor folks may have not demanded the payroll bond to protect the wages of these guys.
I grew up in West Virginia. Both of my grandfathers were coal miners at one time. Many of those people are not qualified to do anything else regardless of the "training". You can't force a factory to open if the infrastructure is not there to support it. Many of the little towns have tried to re-invent themselves with tourism, but a small town can only support so many gift shops.
The interview with Copely back in 2016 said they believed God favored them and that coal was put there for them. Is that part of the country usually that religious?
Coal as been in decline post WWII soon as the railroads and ships moved from that fuel to diesel, bunker fuel then nuclear (for military ships/subs). Then came the massive switch for heating from coal to natural gas, electric, or oil. The Clean Air Act didn't help matters either.
Smart people then and since knew coal was dying and got out, even if it meant moving themselves and family elsewhere to find work.
Pretty much only major uses for (steam) coal for past several decades was power generation and export. One is slowly declining, while the other is shrinking not nearly so fast, but never the less....
It just does not make sense for most areas of this country to burn coal for electric generation with a country wallowing in natural gas. Those who build/run power plants know this, and since they are in things for long haul when it comes time to build new they're going with natural gas.
One of the area's I disagree with Trump and republicans in general is dirty energy. Coal is dirty and is on it's way out no matter which party is in power. HRC wanted to put an end to all of it, and at best under Trump it's still going to be phased out. China doesn't care, it's cheap energy to them and they'll buy it, but WV is a long ways from west coast ports to send the coal overseas so they are going to be the first to fold up as demand for it drops.
I know here in WA there was federally funded programs that paid to retrain the loggers when logging folded up....some couldn't grasp new trades while others went to Boeing and tot eh Refineries, so it really depends on the individual.
I would think with tariff's potentially breathing life into manufacturing and the low labor rates in WV, that many of them could transfer into manufacturing jobs of some sort.
Zero risk of black lung disease. Some travel may be required.
Now if 10% of that $350 billion in subsidies given to the coal, oil, and gas industry were added to the just $100 billion for renewables, the business would really take off.
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