Two E. Tennessee ex-mining towns try to change their fortunes

[theHandpuppet]

4. The short-sightedness is maddening

The writing has been on the wall for years. The Appalachian economy MUST transition but the denial & resistance to reality drives me nuts. The low-sulfur coal that can easily be accessed has already been mined. Hoped-for overseas contracts have been cancelled due to, among other things, less than anticipated growth in the economies of India and China. Cheaper sources for coal, such as Ecuador, are picking up the business dropped domestically.

The coal industry as done a helluva job convincing people in Appalachia that the downturn in mining is a liberal/democratic conspiracy. Anything but the truth. I do have a problem with the way the gov't has been approaching this issue with the miners of Appalachia. The professorial approach just doesn't resonate and probably has the opposite effect because it depersonalizes the crisis. What is needed from D.C. is INVESTMENT. Money invested in education, jobs programs, and just plain old jobs. If people are scared shitless that they won't be able to feed and clothe their families they're not going to be interested in lectures. They want a paycheck. If this nation has bottomless pockets for war and tax cuts for the rich, it sure as hell ought to have the money to provide jobs in Appalachia.