Thursday, July 9, 2009
Crazy Crap / Hargrove West Virginia Coal Folk Boycott Tennessee; Few Notice or Care
Posted by Brantley Hargrove on Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 5:12 AM
Coal-Mac, a mining subsidiary of Evil Empire coal giant Arch Coal, claims the boycott will cost Tennessee 2,340 visitors. Now, let's think about this in terms of a cost-benefit analysis:
On the one hand, there's the threat of losing the potential tourism dollars of 2,340 coal industry people.
On the other hand, we have Appalachian deforestation, the irreversible alteration of ancient mountains, the burial and destruction of natural streams, increased waterborne pollutants and the loss of entire ecosystems. And, of course, I almost forgot to mention the aesthetic cost to one of our greatest tourist attractions: The Smokies.
So, yeah, I guess we can forgo the tourism dollars of 2,340 members of West Virginia's coal industry. I could also advise you on which orifice would best fit your money.
Comments (19)
Showing 1-19 of 19
I have vacationed in TN in the past year and will continue to.
The Friends of Coal are accustomed to throwing their weight around and getting what they want. Threats and intimidation are standard operating procedure in WV.
I attended the Senate hearing related to this bill and Senator Alexander and Senator Cardin have my utmost respect for protecting the mountains of Appalachia.
I only wish my representatives in WV were this courageous. It is disturbing to watch grown men and career politicians cower and pander to the coal industry.
What they should be doing is working for job diversity in the coal fields.
When will they stand up and be the men they were called to be.
like
dislike
This boycott is just asmall part of the campaign. We are more organized and determined to protect our jobs than ever before. So you can thumb your nose at 2340 tourists if you like but that figure is just the begining.
Thank you for this blog.
I for one was planning on vacationing in North Carolina but after this news I have decided to visit the Smokies for the first time.
Plus, it'll be nice to look at mountains that aren't ripped to hell and poisoned.
I live in Tennessee. I work in the coal industry. I have noticed and I do care. I will be vacationing out of state.
Seriously, coal folks, that's your argument? If we won't let you ruin mountains, you're going to pout and go on vacation? Have you thought this through?
Maybe your might start a campaign explaining why blowing the tops off mountains is the best way to mine coal. I don't know how popular that would be, but at least it would be about the issue and not about you acting like pouty babies.
You know, a nice vacation to Tennessee sounds pretty good right now! The WV coal folks can vacation on their "reclaimed" mountaintops, drink poison water, and continue to make themselves look like crybaby thugs (oxymoron?) all they want. They're just giving the opposition more fuel for their fight!
Hey, what about the people in coal country that can't afford to go on vacation and have to stay home counting coal trucks!!! Coal cronies are pampered at the expense of the poor!
Watcher is paid by the coal industry to do just that, watch, and propagandize for the coal industry. He walks among us that are opposed to mountaintop removal, a mole for coal. Problem is, the coal industry is too stubborn and full of themselves to realize that mountaintop removal is not acceptable to the overwhelming majority of people who learn about it. Yes, we will be using coal until the transition to renewables is complete, but mtr is absolutely unnecessary; accounting for only 7 % of coal production, and it has destroyed over 1 million acres of carbon capturing forest. Over 3 1/2 million pounds of explosives are used in WV per day to destroy Appalachian mountains so more money can go to fat cats on wall street, and zombie bucks in Watchers pocket for trying to defend the defenseless.
Mr Webb, I'm not paid to "watch" by anyone other than myself. I 'watch" on my own time. I'm pro -coal Ive said it many times on other sites and have nothing to hide ,speaking of which,why all the paranoia among the activists about ole "watcher". Oh yea Mr Hardgrove "Few notice or care" With that attitude Im suprised anyone visits Tenn.
i am so glad this is happening. I think TN will feel the effects of coal miners not spending thier money. I for one have also said my family will not vacation in TN untill this Alexander is gone. I have seen first hand mountains being altered in TN to build the tourist sites and cabins. MTR supports our families and provides us with good insurance and benefits. I am from Eastern KY and am happy to see land being created that can actually be used for something. my vacation money will NOT be spent in TN, I think I will support my local "Coal towns" instead.
Maybe us poor folk here in West Virginia can hope that someone like Brad Paisley could help tourist industry like Dolly Parton has in Tenn.cause Kathy Mattea sure lacks the clout.
I'd love to see mtr stopped so I can be on welfare and sit in the dark. I'm so glad that I don't live in tenn.
If you dont live in WV you dont know what the crap your talking about.Come see for your self instead of doing what all liberials do,set around and cry about stuff that dont even concern them.Ive lived in WEST VIRGINIA for 37 years and have never heard of anyone drinking poison water.Idrink from my well everyday.My home is down stream of a mountaintop removal site and i have yet to have a problem with my water or fishing out of the stream.Like nuclear is cleaner.What will you do with the nuclear wast.So before you say something come see for yourself the golf corses,shopping centers,prisons,baseball feilds,schools,and other things being built on reclaimed mtr sites that wouldnt have been if it wasnt for mtr sites.Dont set around and complain about stuff you know nothing about. P.S on second thought keep your snobby butts in Tennesse.
For years I have vacationed in the beautiful Tennessee Smokey Mountains. I have read the statements of the "don't ruin nature" advocates here and have considered their opinions. This brings me to my own observations of mountain "destruction". How many acres were destroyed to facilitate Dollywood, Splash Country, water parks, theatres, restaurants, cabins,malls, shops...well you get the idea. How many petroleum based fuels are used to power equipment used in the parks? Doesn't Dollywood boast a coal fueled
train through the mountains, carefully explaining how it is run by a coal fired engine? Don't countless shops sell mining memorabilia from one end of Sevierville to the other?
And at any given time can you not see mining families spending coal generated cash on the streets of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and standing in line to visit the various attractions? It would appear that mining and miners do indeed have a huge impact. My point is you can't be the pot calling the kettle black. Whether Mr. Alexander wants to accept it or not, mining money is a huge part of the revenue keeping Tennessee vacation areas alive and well. If the mining community decides to join ranks and boycott the area altogether, it will have an impact on all those same businesses and attractions that Mr. Alexander says he is protecting. So let's see, take away those beloved dollars and it appears that jobs will be lost. All I can say is I hope Tennessee Unemployment Offices are well staffed because they may be in for a surge in business soon.
bo webb is full of crap. he is an enviromentolist from boone co wv and i along with all the other bloggers are standing up for what we beleive in! to the devil with the volunteer state!
Well i seen this an i was like you know what im going to comment this :). Well here's the deal to all that has this thing that coal is so so bad.. I Am A coal Minners Daughter an proud to be :)my father has been in the mines for 20 years an thats how we as a family Has made a living an how hes paying For my Collage.. I think its awfull that people are coming against coal, an thats how so many familys live . Why do you want to bring something down that helps put food on tables provides shelter an makes life a little bit easier.. An if you really think about it, if you didnt have coal, i would not be able to send this have email an you wouldnt be able to set here an read this. We would have no eletric what so ever. If we was to shut down coal the Government would not be able to pay for Unemployment cause there is so many men that work for coal.I set here an read some of these comments that these people have no ideal what they are talking about, they need to get there facts straight, but i think ill state a Fact, If people like you all Due Away With Coal, you have no ideal what you have done the economy will go down faster than the 1930s, i mean every word of it cause everything hooks up in the world of "economics" an some ware in the mess COAL plays a Part in it an when you take it out,its all Messed up.
