Don't Let Federal Regulators Choose Appalachia's Economic Future

A very interesting post from www.FACESofCoal.org about mining. This follows this post about safe offshore drilling and this previous article about the recent news about offshore drilling to encourage American energy independence This is a key issue to prevent money from going to hostile countries such as Iran and Venezuela. For more posts like this click here.

Don't Let Federal Regulators Choose Appalachia's Economic Future
A group of federal agencies have teamed up to make decisions on the future of Appalachia – decisions that could impact our jobs, our communities, our towns and even our own backyards.
The Appalachian Regional Development Initiative, which consists of representatives from the Appalachian Regional Commission, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, Small Business Administration and Environmental Protection Agency are developing strategies for pushing economic development and allocating federal resources in Appalachia.
Do you want these agencies making decisions without letting them know what you think?
The bureaucrats in Washington have already shown that they do not understand the importance of coal to Appalachia. The ongoing attack on coal by the EPA demonstrates an unwillingness to recognize that the region and nation depend on coal. They fail to see that without the economic base of coal, Appalachia would lose its main economic driver and effectively turn the region into a “no jobs zone.”
The Appalachian Regional Development Initiative has held listening sessions over the past few months and the sessions and comments have been taken over by anti-coal activists pushing their activist agenda. We need you to act now to set the record straight and demonstrate that Appalachian residents support coal!
Time is tight – the online comment period for the Appalachian Regional Development Initiative ends today, April 30th. To submit your comment, you must use the online form:
http://survey.sc.egov.usda.gov/survey.aspx?surveykey=89
The comment section is a little challenging to navigate but this is very important. The online comment section lists five categories. Please add your comments to every section, but pay special attention to the Economic Base Strength category. Coal is Appalachia’s base strength, supplying the region with thousands of jobs and billions to the regional economy while also helping to fund our communities. Make sure the Appalachian Regional Development Initiative hears the voices of the Appalachian residents that are going to be impacted by the decisions they make.
The online comment section limits entries to 150 words and under. If the comments are longer than 150 the survey will not accept the comment. Please tailor your comments to the 150 word limit and ensure that your voice is heard or feel free to copy and paste the text below into your message. Thank you for exercising your voice and your patience in this process.
Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal)
Suggested text:
Coal is the BASE STRENGH of Appalachia. Coal can support long-term economic development and will create jobs in the Appalachian region for years to come – as long as the government doesn’t regulate coal mining out of existence! Everything the Appalachian Regional Development Initiative is looking at, from self-sustaining communities with strong leadership, to a skilled work force or the physical infrastructure of the Appalachian region is related to coal mining in some degree. The funding needed for schools, public works and communities are provided by the revenue and taxes generated by coal. Coal is the nation’s most abundant resource and with a two hundred year reserve it’s by far the best long-term guarantee for jobs and economic security in Appalachia – no other industry even comes close to providing the level of support, good-paying jobs, economic growth and stability that coal mining can guarantee.