Sago Mine Tragedy and the Bush administration, similar to Katrina.

[Crazy Dave]

Cronyism, favoritism, etc. It should come as no surprise to anybody that federal funding for mine inspections and safety enforcement, have been substantially cut over the last six years under the Bush administration and a majority of the violation fines have been reduced to the amount of a traffic ticket so that the mine owners just shrug them off as a cost of doing business and the agency in charge of inspecting and enforcement has been downsized by 170 people since Bush took office. George Bush, according to the news story, formed an alliance with the mine owners to help him get elected in West Virginia in 2000 and has since placed people with strong connections to the mine owners in key positions that dictate mine safety regulations. I heard the story on NPR on the way into work but my workstation does not have speakers so the link I'm posting now may not be the same story I heard the above information from.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5126615

[ComerPerro]

1. Well, come on. You don't want the big government

interfering with private business by setting rules and regulations, now do you?

It cuts into the buisness' profits, and disrupts the free market


:puke:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. This story also shows the callousness towards the victims

who are the families in this case. I still don't understand why the coal company kept the families in the dark about this-it sure has made them appear callous and unfeeling, just like the miners were so many replacable widgets that got broken or something.

[Petrushka]

3. For more on the subject . . .

. . . see the article titled "'Fair and Balanced' FOX News Censors Bush Criticism During Mine Explosion Discussion. Hannity to Bush Critic: Just Shut Up":
http://www.newshounds.us/2006/01/05

Also, see: "Studio B Focuses On The 3 Hour Gap--Maybe Mining Health & Safety Violations Should Be Emphasized?":
http://www.newshounds.us/2006/01/04

[Crazy Dave]

4. I'm not into the name calling...

...at least to individuals but as far as public figures go, Hannity is the biggest and most uniformed asshole in the media. With that said, my wife and I love Allen whose liberal ideologies fit close to mine, being a recovering Reagan republican from my younger days, and wish he had his name first and that he would get the last word every time. The unfortunate thing though is we can't stand to hear Hannity at all so we absolutely do not watch the show period and another unfortunate thing is they've taken Allen's show off Sirius so I haven't heard him in a while as I also have the PC off by the time his show is on.

[Petrushka]

5. Believe it or not . . .

. . . I've never seen a Hannity show!

Living atop one of our county's highest hills, I suppose you could say that we're fortunate to not be stuck with cable TV and/or FOX.


Edited to add that we don't watch too much television and, so, an old-fashioned roof-antenna works just fine . . . though it has to be periodically replaced due to high winds!

[Crazy Dave]

6. I believe it.

If not for my wife and mother whom we take care of, I would have no use for satellite or cable TV. I went without it for over 7 years after my first divorce. I just recently got into the internet in early 2004 (at home) and I like my satellite radio as it gives me news from foreign countries. That's about all I spoil myself with.