First I want to discuss things that have been happening in the coal industry here. First there was the 12 miners who passed due to an accident. They say it was from lightening, but nothing concrete has been said yet. The we had two more miners pass due to a fire. A fire that could have been prevented, which I'll talk about next. And then we have two more pass, at least one of those could have been prevented, or at least one was not the mines fault.

The second set of passings could have been prevented. Here is why. The fire was caused by build up of flammable coal dust on a conveyor belt. There is a worker, called a belt man to some, who is responsible for his portion of cleaning and removing the coal dust, to keep it from being built up. This person did not do their job. The dust build up, friction from the belt, gases that are naturally in the air, and poof there is a fire.

Then we have the other two deaths, the first one a wall support popped loose. I will give this to possibly the mine owners fault. But the state is at fault too. I will discuss that next. The second could have been prevented or was not the mine companies fault because the bulldozer struck a gas line. There should have been clear markings, but still I see that as a total accident.

Now...why do I feel that some of the state needs to take more responsibility, well...For years they have let mines run that were unsafe. Knowingly unsafe. Mines open around me all the time that have been closed for up to 20 years. They rarely force mine companies to pay their fines. Not talking about fines for a second, but they are hardly ever held accountable. If the mining industry in WV would just pay their unemployment payments that they are supposed to pay, I honestly think our state would have a nice surplus. We are talking millions of dollars that go unpaid every year. Well maybe that number is high, but I doubt it. Now...you know what they are doing...
The Gov. of this great state has called a halt to all mining operations until they can inspect all the mines in the state. Surface and underground that comes out to roughly 540 mines. During the time of the closing the miners will more than likely not get paid. To me that is simply not fair. It is not the miners fault that the state has never really enforced the safety needs. But they will be the ones punished. The mining industry is the heart of my states economy. We are already one of the poorest states, but really, 8 out of every 10 males I know work or have worked in the mines in some way shape or form. You know what some of the new safety standards they want to impose are...no? Well I'll tell ya...
Actually I am only gonna tell ya one...the oxygen tanks. Underground. Where there is constant explosive gas. Anyone else think this is a bad bad idea?


Okay on to sadness...I meant to post this yesterday, but really could not even put together what I wanted to say. I still do not know what it is

We lost a great woman yesterday. Coretta Scott King was not just a great woman, but someone who was remarkable in so many ways. I have looked up to her and seen her as an inspiration since I was in the 5th grade. There has never been a celebrity whose death has touched me as much as this one did. Yes I may be pregnant, but I think I would have cried had I not been. I think the next few posts will be something commemorating her. I know I am only one blog. One blogger. But I cannot just let it go and not do something.

Okay that is it for today. My baby is in the Dominican, and I miss him so. We did not get to chat online last night, because I fell asleep. Because he cannot call from there, we have been using the yahoo pc to pc calling, but it will never connect, so we leave messages. It is wonderful to wake up and hear his voice from so far away.

*smooches* everyone