Bush administration gutted safety and health conditions in the mines?

[Karmadillo]

Maybe I'm not listening closely enough, but if this is true, it certainly doesn't seem to have been given much attention by the endless media reports.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jan2006/sago-j04.shtml

Twelve of 13 miners found dead after false rescue report
By Jerry Isaacs
4 January 2006

<edit>

For its part, the Bush administration has gutted safety and health conditions in the mines. As it has in other regulatory agencies, the White House has stacked the Mine Safety and Health Administration with representatives of corporate interests, reduced funds and manpower to enforce regulations, and scrapped critical safety and health regulations.

Bush named former Massey Energy official Stanley Suboleski to the MSHA review commission that decides all legal matters under the federal Mine Act. The current MSHA chief is Richard Sickler, a former manager of Beth Energy mines.

Last month, a federal law judge threw out all eight MSHA citations against Jim Walters Resources that were the result of an investigation into the 2001 explosions at the company’s Alabama mine, where 13 miners were killed. The judge, who said MSHA failed to prove its allegations, reduced the fines for the miners’ deaths to $3,000. In the eyes of the court, the life of a miner was worth no more than $230!

Bush’s policies are not unique—rather they are the culmination of policies that have been carried out by both big business parties, at the national as well as the state level. The Democrats, who have controlled the governor’s office in the state capital of Charleston for 21 of the last 25 years, have overseen the destruction of working conditions and living standards in the state, while pandering to the same corporate interests as the Republicans.

[sasha031]

1. excellent post, the real story behind the headlines

("Maybe I'm not listening closely enough, but if this is true, it certainly doesn't seem to have been given much attention by the endless media reports.")

and it won't unfortunately, the corporate media will just play on the emotions and religious convictions of the miner's and their families. I have found WSWS an excellent resource for information.

[Bluzmann57]

2. MSHA inspectors on the ground take their jobs very seriously

They come to my place of employment twice a year and across the road at the mine/quarry four times a year and they miss nothing. Mine owners as well as managers are subject to fines and imprisonment if they are found to be negligent. So if the top brass at MSHA are corrupt, they certainly are not passing it along to the inspectors. At least not the ones I have met.

[Touchdown]

3. I think it's worse than that.

This mine is owned by an independant owner. He is a union buster. The story I'm hearing is that the miners were so afraid of losing their jobs that they neglected to report violations of safety rules, for fear of reprisals. If this is true, it not only indicts Bush's laxing of the regs, but seriously indicts anti-union activities and intimidation by the corporate purse holders.

[Bluzmann57]

4. I work in a mining operation

We are Union. For that, I am greatful. MSHA policy does clearly state that an employee can, and should turn in safety violations if the employer won't do anything about said violation(s). I wonder if anyone at that mine knew that. At any rate, the owner or owners should be facing prison time for this, if they are found to be at fault. This is also clearly spelled out in MSHA regulations. The company I work for had a plant manager resign because of a threat of imprisonment after a trucker died on company property. The trucker was at fault, but the Plant manager faced imprisonment anyway. He was cleared, but still chose to resign, after implementing more stringent safety regs.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. On Malloy's show last night he reported that Mitch McConnell's WIFE

Elaine L. Chao is now Sec. of Labor and was put in that position to DISMANTLE the Health and Safety rules and regulations of the Labor Dept.. The mine in question had over 100 health and safety citations in 2005 ALONE. The penalty of MOST of those citations? $250.00!!!! SO, instead of the mining company repairing/fixing/making conditions better, what did they do? They paid the $250.00 citations ONLY and left the dangerous conditions as they were. Elaine Choa, MITCH McCONNELL'S WIFE*&^%$#....is there for one reason and one reason ONLY, to dismantle The Labor Dept.'s rules and regulations.:(