 
Just in last evening from the fine folks at the Friends of Coal:
Greetings all:
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Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 29th, President Obama will be in Bristol, VA to meet with Kroger employees in a closed-door meeting around 4:p.m. to discuss health care. We need as much support for the coal industry as possible.
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We, members of the coal industry, MUST have hundreds of people on Kroger’s parking lot (31 Midway Street, Bristol, VA) or nearby to show the President our concerns and fears regarding Cap & Trade Legislation and the divesting impact it will have on the coal industry, its service companies, local counties and communities, and our citizens.
Please attend and bring your family, friends and co-workers. We must tell President Obama that Cap & Trade Legislation will destroy the coal industry and the region’s economy.
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Anything you can do to spread the word or encourage your fellow workers, family members, friends and neighbors to attend this gathering would be greatly appreciated.
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Please forward this message and urge your colleagues to make a commitment by showing up and voicing opposition to the Cap & Trade Legislation. We MUST have several hundred folks present to be against this legislation. We also need clean coal trucks to park around the parking lot with banners or signs stating opposition to Cap & Trade Legislation.
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Call or email our office with names and numbers of persons attending this gathering. Also, if you or your company can print signs stating the coal industry’s future is at stake, please let us know.
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John Zachwieja
ChairmanBarbara F. Altizer
EASTERN COAL COUNCIL/COAL LEADER, INC.
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I just wonder if the “Friends of Coal” will live up to their motto, “Why tell the truth when a lie will do” or for once engage in honest discourse concerning the issues concerning the future of coal.
It would be a first for the industry in …..well I do not recall when the last time the coal industry did not try to baffle the public with its BS.
How is the “Cap and Trade ” law related to the Health Care Reform Bill? Just another “Big Coal” diversion.
There’s more than plenty of BS from all — not just coal.
(Don’t let the facts get in the way.)
Climate Debate Has Some Industries Spending on Lobbying Efforts at Record Pace
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/29/29greenwire-climate-debate-has-some-industries-spending-on-23365.html
(Excerpts)
…total of $122 million on lobbying in April, May and June. That compares with $112 million in the same period a year ago.
Spending declined for mining companies, which allocated $7.1 million for lobbying in the second quarter of this year, versus $8.4 million in the same period 2008. Peabody Energy Corp. spent the most, $1.6 million.
It also dropped for coal mining, which spent $3.9 million on lobbying, down from $4.2 million in the second quarter of 2008.
Environmental groups spent $5.1 million on lobbying, steady compared with the $5.3 million spent last year.
What about lobbying expenditures by the National Council of Coal Lessors and Natural Resource Partners? Lets not forget that the land and mineral owners of the coal are some of the more powerful lobbyists for coal on the national level.
I wonder how the “Friends of Coal” did on their turnout on July 29, 2009 when President Obama was to speak to the Kroger employees. Surely the former coaches of WVU and Marshall were there to give their input to President Obama. Don and Mr. Pruett (sorry if I spelled your name wrong) seem to think they know so much about coal that Mr. Obama would surely listen to their input. I wonder also if Phil Smith from the UMWA was there. The UMWA was for Mr. Obama all the way during the election, and now that they have him in there as President, I don’t read anything about supporting his plans for coal one way or the other. Come on Phil, you have got to stand by your man. I know that Ken will bring us the news of this July 29 meeting when it becomes available. Thanks again for all the good information that you provide to us Ken. Long live Coal Tattoo.
Amen eastwood78!!! Ken reports stories about coal that none of us would even be aware of. We need the Coal Tattoo now more than ever.
I would first of all like to say thank you to all our COALMINER’S for working so hard for your families. The problem i have is so many people blame the Miner’s for global warming. They (mines) dig it they don’t burn it. I say give John Amos Power plant owner’s a hard time. I would like to see less trash talking and blame. If people (some) would put as much time and effort into fixing the problem we would all be better off. If we could figure out how to produce as much electricity, jobs,and tax dollars without the use of coal. But i don’t see that happening anytime soon. We have 5 children and i want them to able to breath when they grow up to. Coal company’s are not the only ones causeing global warming. Chemical plants, cars, metal plants ETC. The only thing we are doing is selling out our state and country,to Russia and china. Who already own half of our coal supplies now. Just look up Metinvest . They are buying up our coal mines and steel company’s. Do you think for one min these people give a crap about us? No they could care less if our children are hungry or have a roof over there heads. Bottom line ..Coal is and has always been a huge part of our history and tax dollars. We do away with coal we do away with WV. If the mines shut down we will have thousands of men and women without jobs. It will effect people like walker mach., metalcraft mining,ETC. …My husband works 12 hr. days underground as an electrician/miner. He works very hard to feed and care for his babies. I’m very proud of him. If he could find another job paying the same i’m sure he would take it. These men don’t like crawling in 3 foot coal on there hands and knee’s while it falls all around them. So let’s just try to come together, stop blaming other people and try to fix the problem. God Bless
I understand what this coal tattoo is about,but some of it has gone a little too far with trying to trash the coal community than should be.people want to save the enviroment,but hammer just on the coal industry.coal is not the only things polluting our enviroment.unless you change the entirety.you may slow it down,but it will still happen.i disagree with ken ward reporting that a man was killed on a mine site, then goes way out to left field in the same article,smearing this same mine on other deaths and even making sure to point out that this is a mtr site.there was no reason to go this far,and as far as i’m concerned he stepped all over this man that was killed.even the enviromentalists have infighting amongst each other on what to protest. if you want clean energy,fine do it.quit bickering about the wind farm.they don’t want nuclear energy,due to the fact that it is worse than any other when it comes down to storage of the biproducts.you don’t want to stay dependant on oil,or any fossil fuels,then you need to come up with some ideas that all can agree upon,or nothing gets done about it and we all can watch as our planet dies from it.
yeah im just tired of coal miners getting bashed we have 5 adopted children who my husband works very hard to take care of alot of times he works 16hrs or more a day and drives an hr and half to work do u think he wouldnt like to have a diffrent jobif he could get one that paid the same and you could get benifits like he has now not all jobs can pay a man $30.oo an hr any more so he takes what he can get looks like the enviromentalists would focus some of there time on logging to they tear up the mountains and leave trees every where that the dont even take and never replant like they are supposed to at least most mine sites are restored with trees and grass and if you ever notice their is alot of wild life there after these companies pull out also their is multimillion dollar estates built on alot of old mining land and strip jobs even ball fields that our children play on coal is not only the reason our enviroment is like it is cars buses trucks even the chemicles in your home plays a big rol l in the enviroment i just believe coal companies need a break and go focus somewhere else for a while we have all these protesters from flordia comming in here and protesting coal why dont they stay in there own state and the wont have to see the coal industries im sure they got problems that need to be addressed in flordia and they only get thrown in jail most of the time when they come an protest it does them no good they are just wasting there time and money protesting
Kristi: I can understand your frustration at the people who try to stop MTR, and I must c0mmend you on the nice letter you wrote this time. I most certainly feel for your husband and you, and that is a wonderful thing that you all have done in adopting 5 children. I know it takes money to raise them, and I pray that you and your husband are sucessful in that regard. Working those long hours that your husband is doing and driving to and fro to work is not very good. Pray that he is careful in driving to work and at work, and that he returns home to you and the children at the end of each shift.
As for the protesters being from Florida. Some may be, but I do know that most are from West Virginia, and they must be allowed to protest for their cause just the same as the coal operators can arrest them when they trespass on the operators property. Pray that they protest in peace, and the MTR miners do not do them bodily harm. Learn to love one another as God loves us all. God bless everyone.