United Mine Workers of America not endorsing a US presidential candidate for first time since 1972, backed Obama in 2008-UK Guardian

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10/31/12, “Obama damned as regulator-in-chief as anger runs high in Ohio coal country,“ UK Guardian, Ed. Pilkington

“It’s the afternoon shift change at the Harrison Resources mine, and about 30 miners are heading home after 10 hours shovelling for coal on an exposed hilltop in eastern Ohio. The men are dressed in an unofficial uniform of jeans, T-shirt and hard hat, and they speak in unison, too, when asked about the presidential election, now less than a week away.

“Obama’s done more damage in the last three years than anyone in the last 50,” said Brad Knight. “He and his advisers are a bunch of tree-huggers, east coast and west coast”.

“The way Obama’s handling the coal business,” said Lanny Stephen, “it looks like he’s trying to fade it out.” A third miner, Trent Sigman, chimed in: “They ought to raise the standards in China before they come after us – their standards are much less strict than ours”.

Anger is running high in the coal country of Ohio. With the final countdown to election day under way, front yards in Cadiz, the nearest small town to the mine, are stacked with placards promoting the Romney-Ryan ticket alongside signs saying: “Stop the war on coal – fire Obama”….
 
For the first time since 1972 the United Mine Workers of America has decided not to endorse a presidential candidate this year, having backed Obama in 2008. In Cadiz, the mantra of the “war on coal” appears also to be enjoying some purchase….

But he argues that Obama has taken the regulations too far. “He’s regulated the coal industry just about out of existence. He doesn’t like the coal industry so he’s regulating it to death,” Spiker said.



There’s a common sentiment that connects the mine workers of the Resources mine and the retired friends gathered at their annual fry: they all feel got at. Their way of life is under siege, as they see it, from tree-hugging environmentalists and coastal do-gooders, with Obama cast in the role of regulator-in-chief….

Back at the coal mine, Trent Sigman said emphatically that he doesn’t believe in global warming: “It’s just something that occurs naturally over so many years, so they are using that for political reasons.”

The group of miners around him nodded in agreement.” photo of miners by UK Guardian, via Lucianne


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