Alito and mine safety - Listen up Byrd and WV constituents!

[low_phreaq]

I wonder if Byrd's constituents in WV know about Alito's record on mine safety?


"in the wake of the Sago Mine tragedy one Alito case that is being overlooked is the nominee siding against workers with a coal-processing company that had been cited for mine safety violations. Alito said the company wasn't covered by the Mine Safety and Health Act"

Alito is no friend of workers or mine safety
http://www.laborradio.org/node/2372


"In RNS Services, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor, 115 F.3d 182 (3rd Cir. 1997), the court found that a mining services company was violating safety laws under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act. The court rejected the company claim that it was not covered by mining safety laws, seeking to narrow application of the law to mines, not coal processing plants associated with such mines. Judge Alito's dissent argued to exempt the facility from those mining safety regulations."

Brown Challenged Alito Over Federal Mine Safety and Health Act Dissenting Opinion Two Months Before Tragedy
http://www.uaprogressiveaction.com/archives/2006/01/brown_challenge.html

[Wordie]

1. Great find, low_phreag! Recommended!

[low_phreaq]

8. Thanks!

[ticapnews]

2. It's all ok

Alito won't let them queers get married an' that's all that matters to me an' God!

(/redneck)

[emlev]

3. Ideas about how to use this important info

Call in to talk shows on local/regional stations in WV.
LTTEs to papers there.
Unions may be of some help, though not all mine workers there are unionized (I assume some are, but don't know for sure).
Would someone look up info on talk shows, newspapers and unions (UMW and others) in WV and post them here?

Other thoughts?

[low_phreaq]

5. WV radio stations

http://www.ontheradio.net/states/west_virginia.aspx
http://www.shgresources.com/wv/radio
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=T&state=WV

[emlev]

17. Thanks for this eom

[low_phreaq]

12. WV Newspapers

http://www.usnpl.com/wvnews.html
http://www.50states.com/news/westva.htm
http://newslink.org/wvnews.html
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/usstate/uswestvi.htm

[emlev]

18. let those letters to the editor rip! thanks eom

[leftofthedial]

4. Byrd doesn't give a shit about his "constituents"

other than the ones who own the mines.

[low_phreaq]

6. Didn't Byrd say 90% of his constituents were pro-Alito?

I can't remember where I heard that today, I could be wrong.

[leftofthedial]

7. yeah

90% of the mine owners in WV just love Scalito

[jamesinca]

10. Maybe Mr. Byrd needs to educate his constituents

I will say, Sen. Byrd is hard to love when he acts like this. I think he needs to have a lot of hometown press conferences and edumacate them people as to what Mr. Alito is really like. A few dead miners and Alto's decisions may be all it takes. Lets face it, an emotional appeal on something like that may just work in W.VA right now.

[low_phreaq]

13. Yes, a Senator needs to inform as well as listen

to be effective.

[low_phreaq]

9. UMWA "Proud to Endorse" Byrd for Reelection

United Mine Workers of America "Proud to Endorse" Sen. Robert C. Byrd for Reelection

a few snippets:

"We are proud to endorse Senator Byrd for reelection," said Roberts. "There is no better friend in Congress of working and retired coal miners and their families than Senator Byrd. He has stood with us time and time again in our hours of need, and we're going to stand with him."

"But Senator Byrd doesn't just stand up for coal miners and our families, he stands up for every working family in West Virginia and always has in his years as a United States Senator," Roberts said. "His is a voice of strength and courage in the Senate, one working families cannot afford to lose at this critical time in our nation's history. He is on our side, and we're on his."

http://www.umwa.org/pressreleases/sep05/092805.shtml

[low_phreaq]

11. UMWA is under AFL-CIO, which opposes Alito

Alito's Supreme Court Nomination: A Grave Threat to Working Families
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/ns01092006.cfm

Includes a full AFL-CIO analysis of Alito’s record:
http://www.aflcio.org/mediacenter/prsptm/upload/alito_review.pdf (10-page PDF)

AFL-CIO Working Families e-Activist Network "Say 'No' to Alito" Senator contact page:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/no_to_alito_np

EDIT: fixed typo

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. Good find! Also, Byrd is a foremost proponent of the constitutional

separation of powers - yet here he is allowing a proponent of an imperial, dictatorial presidency to stroll onto a lifetime SCOTUS bench.

Send faxes, call Byrd - this CANNOT be tolerated.

Similarly, Obama is supposed to be for the working man, but he apparently is opposing a filibuster too:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x256402
thread title (1-27-06 GD-Alito): Buzzflash: OBAMA OPPOSES FILIBUSTER according to knowledgable source:

Both of these backsliding so-called Democratic senators need to be reminded loudly and persistently of the importance of fighting Alito as hard as possible.

[freedomfries]

15. this is really a great find low_phreaq!

while byrd's announced yes vote is nothing less than a tragedy, it looks like the real trouble with wv, is that he has been hearing way too little from alito's opponents of all stripes and way too much from the extremists.
keep working with the local media, low_phreaq, but also with all potential local allies in vw, all those who have been sitting silent through this fight, and whose calls, e-mails and faxes could make a difference.

[low_phreaq]

16. Action items - need lots of help!

I have to be at work today and won't be able to do much on this until later tonight.

Here is a list of action items that need volunteers:

- Contact UMWA to see if they will lean on Byrd and pull their endorsement if he doesn't change his mind, have them issue a press release ASAP. Also maybe hit AFL-CIO?

- AAR is on WRVC 930 AM in Huntington, WV. Call in to the shows on their schedule.

- Look through the radio station lists above and look for talk shows to call into.

- Look through the newspaper lists above for the better ones to contact, also any local TV station news depts.

- Call any friends and family in WV to get their help spreading the word and calling/faxing/writing Byrd. He loves handwritten letters, but these might need to be faxed to make it in time? If his DC office is swamped, try the local one(s).

- I don't know much about the DU Activist Corps, so if anybody thinks they should be alerted to help with this, go ahead.

Thank you so much for your help!

EDIT: fixed typo.

[emlev]

19. I've cross-posted this in Activist Forum and Union group

Hope that will get some folks on it. I'm not available to do more except forward it to a few people I know...

[radio4progressives]

26. that's important too.. thank you, sending this to Union people is

Critical. :toast:

[emlev]

27. Is anyone taking on working from this angle?

My efforts have gotten no traction, though people seem to think it's a good idea.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

20. Posted at Dailykos- check this out

with the entire opinion here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/27/17225/9695

and note the following: Alito's opinion... seems to betray Alito's view of government oversight: he mentions "scarce government resources". WTF? Why would Alito concern himself with the 'scarcity of government resources' in consideration of this issue? Either the mining operation is entitled to the proper oversight or not- availability of government resources should NOT enter into what is legally acceptable or required!!!

Bottom line: Alito thinks you should err on the side of profit, not safety.

[smartvoter]

21. A hell of a find, nt

[mikelewis]

22. Kick

[Blue Belle]

23. We need to remind Senator Byrd of these things...

Mine Safety.
Threat to the Constitution.
Threat to the Civil Liberties of his Constituents.
Threat to power of the Legislative branch of government.

Email. Call. Remind him!!!

[CrownPrinceBandar]

24. I emailed him with the OP info...

whatever good it does.

[radio4progressives]

25. K&R Excellent Post! (keep this kicked)

:kick: I hope folks in West Virginia know about this NOW.

[mello1]

28. Wow.... Without even knowing this....

I put this in my email to Senator Byrd that Alito's confirmation would mean further deregulation of the mining industry and less governmental safety regulations. I also said that he need not vote for Alito thinking that he's appeasing the Christian Conservatives in his state. They are going to vote against him anyway so he might as well do the right thing...

[nanbrown]

29. my smarmy email to Bryd

Dear Senator Byrd,

My father ______________ grew up in Buchannon and my mother __________ in Elkins and three of the five children they had were born in West Virginia and we all felt it home for us. My grandfather, Rev. ____________ taught at West Virginia Weslyan College for many years. I now live in North Carolina. My mother had great affection and respect for you as a guardian of the United States Constitution and in her late years listened intently to your speeches on the floor of the Senate on C-SPAN. She thought you spoke for the Constitution of this country.

After the Sago mine disaster, I would like you to read Judge Alito's decision in RNS Services, Inc. v. Secretary of Labor, 115 F.3d 182 (3rd Cir. 1997), wherein the court found that a mining services company was violating safety laws under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act. The court rejected the company claim that it was not covered by mining safety laws, seeking to narrow application of the law to mines, not coal processing plants associated with such mines. Judge Alito's dissent argued to exempt the facility from those mining safety regulations. This is one reason why my only surviving sister __________ and I feel your intention to vote for confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court is the wrong choice for this great nation and the citizens all over the nation and West Virginia.

He also has a written history of expanded powers to the Executive Branch of government that may greatly distort the checks and balances set up by the framers. You have spoken often of the excesses of executive power and so it is with heavy heart we hear that you will vote to confirm Judge Alito.

We hope you understand the implications of this and we urge you to change your vote not to confirm him and support a filibuster to block his confirmation. We are very afraid for our country with unchecked power based in one branch of our governement. Please reconsider your position considering your vast understanding of the United States Constitution.

Thank you very much for your thought and prayers on this matter.

Sincerely,

[autorank]

30. Our Senators are linear thinkers, challenged when originality needed.

It makes me weary.

Sorry, when I know the successful plots better than the leadership, it pisses me off.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=261776&mesg_id=261776

[low_phreaq]

31. Senator Boxer included the mining case in her Alito points!

"In a case concerning worker protection, Judge Alito was again in the minority when he said that federal mine health and safety standards did not apply to a coal processing site. He tried to explain it as just a "technical issue of interpretation." I fear for the safety of our workers if Judge Alito’s narrow, technical reading of the law should ever prevail."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x262029

P.S. Thanks everybody for keeping this going!

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

32. Mine safety reform per Steve Benson: