why havnt you all showed anything about the rock from a road job going thru a house on rt 7.this shows you all are one sided

F - I just spent some time looking for some kind of news story about the rock you're talking about. I can't find anything anywhere. Can you post a link to a news story about it?

In any event, I don't think your jump in logic is particularly fair. The KY Coal Blog didn't report on the story you're talking about either. I doubt if any of us could agree that that means they are biased against the coal industry.

this was from a road project it is on wymt news station heres the addy http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/63175787.html
i should have made a blog somewhere else but i did it here my mistake.but i thought KFTC was for all people to be treated right and get a fair deal from all things

Thanks for the news story link. You are right that the story you mentioned relates to KFTC's larger "vision" of how our members want to transform Kentucky - government should be held accountable to its people.

Generally speaking (because we realistically cannot do everything and follow everything), staff focus on posting blog stories that relate specifically to our program of work areas.

Having said that, thanks for bringing it this story the attention of the membership - you can always post a longer reply and give the details about the news story you mentioned so every member can benefit.

this was on the news the same as the rock rolling from a surface coal mine in hueysville,ky.why didnt your members see it and report it.when someone is one sided or have blinders on and can only see certain things they miss stuff that seems just as important to the rest of us that stopping MTR does to other folks.so when the KFTC takes the blinders off and starts covering all things that hurt people i might give you a hand.

I wondered the same exact thing. While watching it on the news I made mention to me wife what/if any response KFTC would have. After several days, you see no protesting, or posts detailing information to call the company officials to voice concerns. However, if this was mining related KFTC would be all over it. Sorry KFTC, but even you folks have to realize what we are saying is very true.

Hey F and Todd, Thanks for bringing this to the attention of our blog readers. I know I hadn't heard about it. And you are both right, this is awful and should be corrected.

That's why we've worked for many years to have the blasting regulations changed. Far to often a company doing road construction, hard rock mining, or even coal mining can blast within the "legal" limit and still do a tremendous amount of damage to nearby homes.

To answer your questions about why we, KFTC, did not have a response, it's simple, the people having the problem have never asked for our help.

We don't run around and jump into protests or even mini-campaigns without a request from the people experiencing the problem. This is because we, KFTC, are made up of the people experiencing the problems and others who support their struggles.

In the past we've worked with people having problems with oil and gas drilling, local government representation on issues like school boards and at times road construction issues. But we will not work on something unless the people experiencing the problem want to organize and join with the 6,000 other members of KFTC across the state. We don't come into communities to work on issues because our members are some of the people already living in the community.

One thing about living here in Kentucky, we are blessed with a long list of issues to work on.

Hope that was a helpful explanation.

Kevin

If i recall correctly when we meet you said you had drove near where i work and asked people how the company i worked for was doing.why havnt you done this in road job,gas and logging places.i think they call them blinders.also i know the coal companies has pushed and treated people bad in the past and this has changed.due to this everyone jumps real quick on the coal industy. and have blinders on everything else
awhile back i saw on KET a show about logging and what it was during.good job Doug in bringing that to everyones attention
could go on and on but wont

btw Kevin still waiting to show you a person can catch fish out of a silt pond.what the matter afraid some people will find out the whole story

Hey F, you are right, when we met I did say I had driven up by the area where you worked and talked with some of the people who live there. I did it because our members in Knott County chose to talk with the people in that community.

Why haven't we done this for road companies, because our members believe that in order to be effective you have to address problems using strategy. If, by using certain criteria, they were to decide that it made sense to highlight the abuses of highway construction companies such as the story you referenced above then we'd be out talking with people having those problems. Or as I said above, if people come to us and say they are having problems and they want to organize then we'll do what we can to help.

There are abuses of power happening every day from the hollers to the inner cities, and as long as people want to try to stop these abuses and make lives better for people across the state then KFTC will continue to do what we do. If I work myself out of a job then I'll be the happiest person in Kentucky.

And F, I absolutely believe that you know of a silt pond where you can catch fish. Just like I know it is possible to turn an MTR site into a cattle farm. However, as I'm sure you know silt pond that have fish and MTR sites that are cattle farms are the exception. There are thousands of silt ponds below thousands of valley fills across eastern Kentucky and there can't be more than a handful that have fish in them. (I could make a wise crack here about how Fishtrap Lake and Carr Creek Lake are the only two sediment ponds I know of that have fish in them, but I'll refrain from that sarcastic statement.) And as the Federal Office of Surface Mining director said when he testified before congress, less than 2 percent of the MTR sites have been developed as an economic benefit.

For one thing, sediment ponds are not designed to hold fish, they are designed to catch the dirt and mud coming off of mine sites and valley fills. Further more, most are designed to fill up over time and once the mine has been reclaimed the ponds fill up with sediment and become more of a marsh or bog rather than a pond.

So yes I believe you that it is possible, just like it's possible to cross the genes of fireflies with fungus to get fungus that glows in the dark. But I also know from experience that sediment ponds that have fish in them and are health ecosystems are the exception to normal practices.

i think this goes to show everyone is quick to jump on coal than anything else.
all silt ponds are not stock with fish.some companies dont do it or thay dont hold enough water to support it.they cant get to the ponds by theirself.
I guess if the miners of east ky joined the KFTC and wanted to do something about the people trying to get the EPA and other agencies to hold up mine permits and other things so we might not be able to work.would you help us

I think you knocked the ball out of the park with this question. Its only fair that KFTC stand up and help fellow Kentuckians who are in need of someone to fight for the right to work (Sad, but very true). How about KFTC, are you ready to call a town hall meeting to protest?

"We support the right to a living wage for all Kentuckians."

The above statement was found with the 2008-09 Platform, located at http://www.kftc.org/about-kftc/platform

What constitutes a living wage?

Todd

A Living Wage is what you have to make to live at a reasonable level.

Here - http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.edu/

Alright, so I fit in the category of 2 adults 2 children, roughly $47000. Where is a list of "actual" jobs that pay an annual salary of $47000, in Floyd County? Im think medical, attorney's, engineers, and basically any other professional position that would require a minimum of 4 years of college, degree and some sort of work experience. Where would the basic miner fit in? Who has 20+ years of working experience and a high school education?

If anyone is interested in posting data, please make it specific to Floyd County and it would be nice to see who and how the data was gathered.

No, F. That doesn't follow at all.

Kevin gave you a patient, and thoughtful response and I don't think you even read it before declaring it as proof for the point you are trying to make.

It doesn't go "to show everyone is quick to jump on coal than anything else."

Coal companies get away with murder, hold all the cards and pay to put nearly all of the local politicians in their pockets.

The coal industry can't play the role of the victim as they rake in tremendous profits at the expense of our communities, jobs, and land.

Jake,

You seem to have missed the most important part of F's comments, what about KFTC representing the miners who will lose their jobs? Here is another statement from the 08-09 Platform which could directly include miners "We believe that all people must be treated with respect and dignity regardless of ability, age, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual identity or any other defining characteristic." You are not punishing the Don Blankenship's of the world, you are punishing the guys like F and the everyday working joe's. Think about it!

If anyone has followed my postings on this blog, ive always maintained that this country and in particular, the state of Kentucky, needs to find suitable alternative energies to invest in. Thats a fact! However, the answer should not be made hastily, as some in DC and environmental groups are hoping for. Please dont tell me that the coal can be mined by underground methods and how much safer/cleaner the method is. Thats all hogwash. Do you know that underground mining creates Refuse fills? How about acid mine drainage? Methane gas pockets? Roof cave-ins? Have you ever seen large, open cracks in the mountains, this is called subsidence? The list can go on and on.

As I stated earlier, why should the miners be the only ones to suffer? Can you imagine what it would be like to have 20 plus years in an industry and then have to start all over? Going from a mine boss/supervisor to an entry level position because a certain group of people in DC make a rushed decision?

Todd

tahnk you todd
ia grre we need to look at other sources but the ones we have right now cant be put out overnight.i dont think Jake you are seeing the whole point.Do you ever see anything about road jobs doing anything bad,what about gas companies and logging compantes.i knwo they dont do the deep down in the earth everyone says coal does but like ome have said coal is more large scale.what about the palces made for a shopping center in other parts of the state.what about mining in other parts of the state.nothing is said about that.it should do the same damage.i know everyone is going to say they are not mtns out there but if mining does the water damage all says it should be there.i could go on and on.
okay if you can find me a job that i can make 21.55 and hour and hope i can work at it long enough to retire by have more green jobs then let me know and i will start working on a change
i know KFTC has help the miners in ways but still havent got a answer about helping us to get permits back quicker

sorry about the misspelled words in the last post.work nightshift and wasnt fully awake

No one will take F up on organizing a protest of the EPA's decision to halt permits? Im sure he knows at least 100 miners that would join him.

F, you have no reason to apologize over misspelled words! Thanks for putting in all the hard work. People like yourself are the backbone of our country!

i agree gave a thoughtful answer.I know he said that it wasnt a common practice to have fish in a silt pond.okay now here goes.Why not make it a law to make it a common practice.it goes to show it can be done.i get it him and other dont want to be shown it can be done.all i see is pictures and movies of damage at the moment not afterwards.i asked him also why not show all of it before and after pictures.he told me it wouldnt not get their point across to the world.
also as you see on here i havnt got a offer on helping the miners taht way/and i can say also i havnt got one privately nether.if wont help miners this way why not help them get their black lung benefits easier to get again.i am sure some of the members of KFTC has black lung and cant get it