Posted on 11/02/2008 3:29:53 PM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
CHARLESTON - At least one state coal industry leader said he was shocked by comments Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama made earlier this year concerning his plan to aggressively charge polluters for carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
"What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there," Obama said in a Jan. 17 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that was made public today first on the Web site newsbusters.org, which calls itself "the leader in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias." The story later was linked on The Drudge Report.
An audio excerpt from the interview can be found at YouTube.
"I was the first to call for a 100 percent auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter," Obama continued. "That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.
"So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted."
Calls and e-mails to West Virginia Obama campaign officials seeking comment for this story were not returned as of Sunday evening.
According to the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training, the coal industry provides about 40,000 direct jobs in the state, including those for miners, mine contractors, coal preparation plant employees and mine supply company workers.
West Virginia is the second largest coal-producing state in the country behind Wyoming and accounts for about 15 percent of all coal production in the United States. The Mountain State leads the nation in underground coal production and leads the nation in coal exports with over 50 million tons shipped to 23 countries. West Virginia accounts for about half of U.S. coal exports.
In addition, the coal industry pays about $70 million in property taxes in the state annually, and the Coal Severance Tax adds about $214 million into West Virginia's economy. The coal industry payroll in the state is nearly $2 billion per year, and coal is responsible for more than $3.5 billion annually in the gross state product.
"The only thing I've said with respect to coal, I haven't been some coal booster," Obama said in the San Francisco Chronicle interview. "What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as an ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it."
The senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association called Obama's comments "unbelievable."
"His comments are unfortunate," Chris Hamilton said Sunday, "and really reflect a very uninformed voice and perspective to coal specifically and energy generally."
Hamilton noted other times Obama and vice presidential candidate Joe Biden have made seemingly anti-coal statements.
"In Ohio recently, when Joe Biden said 'not here' about building coal-fired power plants -- this is exactly what will happen," Hamilton said. "Financing won't be directed here. It will all go aboard for plants elsewhere in the world. The United Sates is importing more coal today from Indonesia, South Africa and Colombia than we ever have.
"If we're going to create a situation where coal-fired power plants are at that much of a disadvantage, there will be new ones built. But as Biden said, just not here."
Republican presidential candidate John McCain's state director said Obama's statements are troubling, especially for West Virginians.
"I think this clearly shows the attitude the Obama-Biden ticket has toward coal," Ben Beakes said Sunday. "Rhetoric is cheap, but behind closed doors what they tell their supporters - that's what we have to take as gospel.
"They're definitely not friends of coal."
Beakes noted other examples of Obama and Biden making seemingly anti-coal statements, such as in February when Obama said he'd like to tax "dirty energy" such as coal and natural gas.
"And their cohorts in Congress make similar statements," Beakes said. "(Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid (D-Nevada) said this summer that 'coal makes us sick.'
"This is an attitude and view that, to me, shows their hatred of coal. And therefore, their view would cost West Virginians thousands upon thousands of jobs."
Beakes touted McCain's view toward coal.
"John McCain has embraced coal," Beakes said. "He doesn't agree with everything in the coal industry, but his view of coal is positive. He will make it part of his energy policy. He's met with leaders in the coal industry and let them know that. He's sought advice from coal industry leaders.
"McCain understands that coal supports about 49 percent of our electricity in this country. He'll continue to make coal important. He wants to reduce our foreign dependency on oil."
Hamilton also said the Obama campaign needs to find varied sources for coal and energy advice.
"If they're victorious Tuesday, they'd better go to someone other than Al Gore on energy and environmental matters," he said. "They've tipped the balance way -- unnecessarily so -- toward protecting the environment."
Yes, just like Senator Obama did with his "clinging" gunowner comments: the truth is delivered behind closed doors to the left-wingers who are in accord with his true intentions, and his lies are for the public.
Don't be shocked by 0 comments, be shocked and terrified that "our media" has allowed this guy to get near the White House.
When Judgment Day comes, the members of Media are going to get Mussolinied.
Colorado and New Mexico are also big coal producing states. If you have family and friends in those states, email them immediately and tell them to forward your emails to everyone they know.
MSM will do all they can to keep this story under wraps!!!!
There goes more dem votes to McCain. HA
There is a certain poetic justice to this. When Stalin occupied the captive nations, and Hitler seized power in Germany, sme of the first people they castrated were the unions. Stupid thugs never did figure out what hit them, and haven't, to this day.
We need to all write Drudge to get this up.
Sorry to disagree with your first comment though FR is often first on many stories. Matt's had many stories exposing Obama in the past couple of weeks. And for the past six months or so, he has listed FR as a link on his home page after an absence of six years or more. And that link was the one that got me originally to FR back in 2000.
Great map. Send this story to your friends living in the coal producing states——
Especially Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
MSM is going to spike this story. The email system is the way to bypass MSM censorship!!!!
Nice going, RNC.
And Sheryl Crow will be in charge of toilet paper distribution -- one piece only.
I also wonder if the utility companies will come out strongly against this tomorrow.
It was a little extreme but I want him to post this story. I knew I’d get a reply out of that. :-)
Hey, lay off Matt. The guy created moved citizen news on the net. He has this story up on his site.
It was a little extreme but I want him to post this story. I knew I’d get a reply out of that. :-)
We need to keep in mind that the news retention span is about 3 days. This story was conveniently leaked exactly on time.
Do any of you FReepers believe that Sarah Palin conveniently heard about the story only this morning?
No way. The McCain camp has had the story on ice for months waiting for the opportune time to release it and not giving Obama any time to refute it.
The important thing for FReepers to do is to advertise the story via the email and via other bloggers and talk radio.
Yeah, it’s on Drudge...at the top left, but not a headline....yet. Time to FREEP Matt’s inbox!
Actually, it shows that an Obama administration will use economic policies to control behavior, a very insidious tactic.
From UMWA site:
District 2 (PA, NY, Eastern Canada)
113 Roberts Rd. Suite B
Grindstone, PA 15442
724-785-8692
ryantko@umwa.org
Sub-district offices
Hazelton, PA 570-455-3621 Lucernemines, PA 724-479-8692 Glace Bay, NS 902-849-8692
District 12 (IL, IN, Western KY, MO, IA, KS, OK, AR, LA, TX)
3695 South Sixth St.
Springfield, IL 62703
217-529-8301
umwa12@springnet1.com
Sub-district offices
Benton, IL 618-439-7225 Madisonville, KY 270-821-2774
District 17 (Southern WV, Eastern KY, VA, TN)
1300 Kanawha Blvd. E.
Charleston, WV 25301
304-346-0341
jcarter@umwa.org
Sub-district offices
Beckley, WV 304-252-0611 Castlewood, VA 276-762-5537 Chapmanville, WV 304-855-2280 Welch, WV 304-436-4123 Pikeville, KY 606-437-7376
District 20 (AL, FL, GA, MS)
275 Forest Rd. Suite 100
Hueytown, AL 35023
205-744-9853
umwadistrict20@bellsouth.net
District 22 (Western U.S.)
525 East 100th South
Price, UT 84501
435-637-2037/2066
umwadistrict22@emerytelcom.net
District 31 (Northern WV, OH)
310 Gaston Ave.
Fairmont, WV 26554
304-363-7500
reddy@umwa.org
Sub-district offices
Bridgeport, OH 740-635-7600
Canada
33 Gallant St
Glace Bay, NS, Canada B1A1T2
902-849-8692
umwa@ns.sympatico.ca
Regions
Region I
113 Roberts Rd., Suite B
Grindstone, PA 15442
724-785-8693
umwaregion1@verizon.net
Region II
1300 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV 25301
304-343-0259
region2@umwa.org
Region III
1530 North Main
Benton, IL 62812
616-439-6373
janumwa@neondsl.com
Region IV
6525 West 44th Ave.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
303-425-7110
Region4@umwa.org
Foul!! You hit the wrong guy; I'm on Matt's side!
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