Your thought on the Inaugural Speech

[Sportsaholic Mamaw]

Why leave it to the government to fix this? Be the change you wish to see in the world.

 

Be the change! I live on the main road through my area, it's actually listed nationally as a "Scenic Bike Route". Almost every single day, Papaw or I am picking up all kinds of garbage tossed from vehicular windows. The change begins with anyone littering. Papaw and I were believers in alternate forms of energy since our son's took energy projects in 4H. We built our first solar collector in the late 70s. When we remodeled our home, built in 1961, we installed a geo-thermal heating and cooling system. We were for recycling before it had much national backing. At our business, we did away with natural gas furnaces and replaced them with a system that used oil from service jobs, every bit burned away to a white ash in the burner and no air pollution.I've always believed the environment should be protected and in the 60's, our air and water were so polluted. Acid rain, dead fish floating in harbors mostly the ones I remember in the Eastern states and air you did not want to breathe on hot summer days. We have made great steps and I believe President Trump will continue that balanced against the common sense to protect jobs. So, yes, change begins with every one of us.

[GrantNKY]

Be the change! I live on the main road through my area, it's actually listed nationally as a "Scenic Bike Route". Almost every single day, Papaw or I am picking up all kinds of garbage tossed from vehicular windows. The change begins with anyone littering. Papaw and I were believers in alternate forms of energy since our son's took energy projects in 4H. We built our first solar collector in the late 70s. When we remodeled our home, built in 1961, we installed a geo-thermal heating and cooling system. We were for recycling before it had much national backing. At our business, we did away with natural gas furnaces and replaced them with a system that used oil from service jobs, every bit burned away to a white ash in the burner and no air pollution.I've always believed the environment should be protected and in the 60's, our air and water were so polluted. Acid rain, dead fish floating in harbors mostly the ones I remember in the Eastern states and air you did not want to breathe on hot summer days. We have made great steps and I believe President Trump will continue that balanced against the common sense to protect jobs. So, yes, change begins with every one of us.

Thank you!

[GrantNKY]

To me I just don't eve trust the government to care about it enough to want to do anything about this until the people prove that this is what we want and at that point the government won't have to do anything. The people that care about it in government seem to ONLY care about it and that doesn't help because they are labeled as crazies. I want real, rational, educated, people to bring attention to this. The Hollywood people think that giving a speech at an awards show will help. Sorry Leo it doesn't. People in Eastern Kentucky in coal country could give two craps less about what some dude who died on the Titanic has to say. Then politicians come out saying we need to get rid of the coal industry. What do you do about all of those jobs? That's not just a career it's a way of life. It's their livelihood. We need tangible ways that can help out those in the coal industry. I'm all for trying to wane out the use of coal and fossil fuels but we can't just ruin the lives of millions of people who this is all they know. We need to have educated, rational people discussing this so we can find solutions, but nobody seems willing to do this. My dad has this book on his bookshelf that I've never read but the title is, "Crazies to the left of me and wimps to the right" This applies perfectly to this scenario.

[Hellcats]

To me I just don't eve trust the government to care about it enough to want to do anything about this until the people prove that this is what we want and at that point the government won't have to do anything. The people that care about it in government seem to ONLY care about it and that doesn't help because they are labeled as crazies. I want real, rational, educated, people to bring attention to this. The Hollywood people think that giving a speech at an awards show will help. Sorry Leo it doesn't. People in Eastern Kentucky in coal country could give two craps less about what some dude who died on the Titanic has to say. Then politicians come out saying we need to get rid of the coal industry. What do you do about all of those jobs? That's not just a career it's a way of life. It's their livelihood. We need tangible ways that can help out those in the coal industry. I'm all for trying to wane out the use of coal and fossil fuels but we can't just ruin the lives of millions of people who this is all they know. We need to have educated, rational people discussing this so we can find solutions, but nobody seems willing to do this. My dad has this book on his bookshelf that I've never read but the title is, "Crazies to the left of me and wimps to the right" This applies perfectly to this scenario.

 

Coal country has been pandered to for decades by the right and left. It's frustrating. The industry itself is moving West to mine coal that is easier to reach.

 

Democrats have attacked a region that was already dying and needed another industry and Republicans are promising to bring coal back to the region. Meanwhile real people are trapped unemployed waiting for some politician to save them, or move.

[GrantNKY]

Coal country has been pandered to for decades by the right and left. It's frustrating. The industry itself is moving West to mine coal that is easier to reach.

 

Democrats have attacked a region that was already dying and needed another industry and Republicans are promising to bring coal back to the region. Meanwhile real people are trapped unemployed waiting for some politician to save them, or move.

Then people down there are left wondering who to believe. It's quite sad actually.

[formerkywrestler]

OK here you go. I agree with protecting our borders, I agree with dismantling Obamacare, I agree with America First on trade issues, I agree with strongly and aggressively fighting Islamic terrorists and calling out Islamic extremists and I agree with very very very thoroughly vetting any refugee from the middle east before letting them in the US. Hillary was against all of those so there was no way she was getting my vote.

 

I will never just vote as a protest, regardless of how the vote count may actually turn out. Jill Stein is diametrically opposite of me and Gary Johnson was a buffoon who couldn't climb the traditional ladder to power so he went 3rd party, I have no clue about any other fringe candidates. Despite some of his rhetoric Trump was most closely aligned with what I wanted to see happen and he wasn't Hillary. If in your morally superior eyes that makes me either delusional or racist so be it.

So. I read this a couple of times and I'm still confused. Did Hillary have a chance in KY?

[Mitch Rapp]

Then people down there are left wondering who to believe. It's quite sad actually.

The coal industry is not waiting for politicians to save it. It is waiting for politicians to stop trying to destroy it. I believe that it is too late for most coal miners and coal companies to rebound. It is hard to justify investment of money or time in an industry that may be regulated out of existence by one politician and his appointees. Donald Trump may be in the coal industry's corner, but the next elected Democratic president will not be there.

[jericho]

So. I read this a couple of times and I'm still confused. Did Hillary have a chance in KY?

 

Can I answer.

 

No, she didn't.

In Lexington and Louisville yes, the rest of rural Ky, No.

[formerkywrestler]

Can I answer.

 

No, she didn't.

In Lexington and Louisville yes, the rest of rural Ky, No.

:thumb: :thumb:

 

My man!

[All Tell]

So. I read this a couple of times and I'm still confused. Did Hillary have a chance in KY?

 

Whether she had a chance or not in Kentucky did not factor into my decision.

[Mitch Rapp]

Coal country has been pandered to for decades by the right and left. It's frustrating. The industry itself is moving West to mine coal that is easier to reach.

 

Democrats have attacked a region that was already dying and needed another industry and Republicans are promising to bring coal back to the region. Meanwhile real people are trapped unemployed waiting for some politician to save them, or move.

If by pandered to, you mean robbed of half of the coal severance taxes that were paid, then I agree with you. What is frustrating is the misconceptions of people who have no experience and no stake in the success of the coal industry. If Democrats cared about the people in eastern Kentucky, then they would not have pocketed so much money generated by the industry to invest in the Golden Triangle region. The coal severance tax was intended for use to facilitate the transition of coal regions in Kentucky from coal mining to other industries.

 

Before making a career change, I worked as a mining engineer in the Kentucky coal industry for more than 20 years. Nothing could be further from the truth than your impression that Kentucky politicians pandered to the coal industries. Kentucky politicians have been robbing coal companies and their employees for decades.

 

The attorney-legislators in Frankfort have also carefully crafted legislation purportedly for the benefit of disabled miners that requires the assistance of an attorney to file claims - all for the paltry sum of one-third of the benefits received.

 

Everybody in the coal mining industry industry has been victimized by their own state government.

[Mitch Rapp]

So. I read this a couple of times and I'm still confused. Did Hillary have a chance in KY?

She had no chance and for good reason. When a Democratic candidate loses an election in Floyd Country, Kentucky, they have worked hard to earn the loss.

[GrantNKY]

The coal industry is not waiting for politicians to save it. It is waiting for politicians to stop trying to destroy it. I believe that it is too late for most coal miners and coal companies to rebound. It is hard to justify investment of money or time in an industry that may be regulated out of existence by one politician and his appointees. Donald Trump may be in the coal industry's corner, but the next elected Democratic president will not be there.

I'm not against the coal industry because it has provided jobs and livelihoods to millions of people. But it's a declining industry because burning coal is horrible for the environment man. It's just awful. But we can't get rid of it because it is literally everything to those communities. Without coal they have nothing. We can't take that away without having some sort of plan in place to help those people find a new identity for the communities. But to build up coal as still the most desirable form of energy is horrifying. I know it's hard for people to grasp because it will never directly effect us. Think of it this way. You are totally against all of this government spending and so am I. We keep putting our debt off to future generations. This will cripple our grandkids and great grandkids and it will become their problem. You are totally against that I'm assuming. We are doing literally the exact same thing with the coal and fossil fuel industry. Burning that stuff sucks man. But we have no choice because their aren't reasonable alternatives. This scares me if changes aren't made. But it also scares me if the wrong changes are made because it will negatively affect millions of families. No one knows what to do.

[Hellcats]

If by pandered to, you mean robbed of half of the coal severance taxes that were paid, then I agree with you. What is frustrating is the misconceptions of people who have no experience and no stake in the success of the coal industry. If Democrats cared about the people in eastern Kentucky, then they would not have pocketed so much money generated by the industry to invest in the Golden Triangle region. The coal severance tax was intended for use to facilitate the transition of coal regions in Kentucky from coal mining to other industries.

 

Before making a career change, I worked as a mining engineer in the Kentucky coal industry for more than 20 years. Nothing could be further from the truth than your impression that Kentucky politicians pandered to the coal industries. Kentucky politicians have been robbing coal companies and their employees for decades.

 

The attorney-legislators in Frankfort have also carefully crafted legislation purportedly for the benefit of disabled miners that requires the assistance of an attorney to file claims - all for the paltry sum of one-third of the benefits received.

 

Everybody in the coal mining industry industry has been victimized by their own state government.

 

I agree with you. It may be the only time :lol2:

 

Politicians have said they have the backs of miners for years and lied.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Hellcats

[Mitch Rapp]

I'm not against the coal industry because it has provided jobs and livelihoods to millions of people. But it's a declining industry because burning coal is horrible for the environment man. It's just awful. But we can't get rid of it because it is literally everything to those communities. Without coal they have nothing. We can't take that away without having some sort of plan in place to help those people find a new identity for the communities. But to build up coal as still the most desirable form of energy is horrifying. I know it's hard for people to grasp because it will never directly effect us. Think of it this way. You are totally against all of this government spending and so am I. We keep putting our debt off to future generations. This will cripple our grandkids and great grandkids and it will become their problem. You are totally against that I'm assuming. We are doing literally the exact same thing with the coal and fossil fuel industry. Burning that stuff sucks man. But we have no choice because their aren't reasonable alternatives. This scares me if changes aren't made. But it also scares me if the wrong changes are made because it will negatively affect millions of families. No one knows what to do.

I suggest you spend more time researching the coal industry before condemning it so harshly. For starters, the industry does not employ "millions." Mechanization over the past 50 years has resulted in tremendous productivity gains and vastly safer mining methods. Employment numbers have been declining steadily in the mining industry for many years. The days of hand loading 16 tons are long gone.

 

As for the environmental impact of burning coal, that depends greatly on the quality of coal being burned and/or the scrubbing technology used at a particular coal-fired power plant. Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the Central Appalachian coal field is blessed with large reserves of low sulfur coal. Yes, burning coal produces some air pollution, but the air in Kentucky has never been cleaner in recent modern history, despite our reliance on coal for electricity.

 

In addition to burning coal to generate electricity, the technology to turn coal into natural gas or gasoline has been around for many years. Eventually, such plants will be economically viable as the cost of gasoline rises. Don't believe the propaganda that was disseminated during Obama's eight year war on coal. Coal will be a critical part of the fuel mix for electrical power generation for many years. Eastern Kentucky coal is the "cleanest" in the world, and with scrubber technology, even the low BTU, high sulfur coal mined in western Kentucky can be burned relatively cleanly.