2 economists, testifying before a traveling US Senate subcommittee, showed that 6 southern counties in WV are in a Depression like that of a near century ago. While looking to the future for alternative economies, energy extraction is the quickest way out. But as it stands now, in a spiral of lack of jobs, out migration, drug use, and aging populations programs are needed now.
And the supposed friend of the working man said she wanted to put the men out of work.
I know is was pooh-poohed at the Great Orange Satan site, but by writing off large swaths of Midwest and Appalachian Mid Atlantic states in her comments, she essentially did away with any cushion that would have been useful if the race tightened, as it has.
Ridge
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Deskins said six counties in West Virginia are currently undergoing a “great depression” of their own due to enormous job losses.
“Boone County, for example, had 55 percent of it’s jobs in coal before recent events,” he said. “Now Boone has lost around 70 percent of it’s coal jobs. Very, very difficult time for the community.”
Now, fewer than 20 percent of the jobs in Boone County are coal jobs.
“That’s startling in and of itself,” Capito said. “And we see that.”
Deskins also included McDowell, Wyoming, Mingo, Clay, and Logan as part of the “great depression” counties.
“Those job losses, those output losses, have been heavily concentrated in southern West Virginia and especially in six counties,” Deskins said. “We have six counties that have lost between 25 percent and 33 percent of their jobs just over the last few years.”
The coal numbers, their impact on Central Appalachia, and their contrast with the other coal-producing areas of the nation are stark, according to Deskins. While coal production has dropped nationally by 10 percent since 2010, in West Virginia that production has fallen by 51 percent in that same span of time.
Deskins does expect natural gas prices to stabilize and rebound-and that’s where he, Dr. Anderson, and Senators Manchin and Capito see a potential way forward.
40% of USian families of 4 have annual income under $20K We have child poverty rates equal to those prior to the original Welfare Act!
That distribution is highly concentrated in rural areas, white and minority.
And we see Gallop stories about how satisfied everyone is. It boggles the mind.
It’s as if Senators read nothing and no nothing and only get their information from the random person that testifies before one of their occasional Senate subcommittee hearings.
They know. They just don’t care.
I suspect fracking is a slender reed to lean upon. New rigs aren’t going up at the same pace.
You are right. Fracking accelerated decline in coal industry and glutted the domestic market with natural gas. With prices so low, drilling slowed or stopped. Glut is receding and prices rising again. Kanawha Valley (Charleston and area) and state was supposed to benefit from gas as coal drew back due to the large chemical plant infrastructure (reduced from 60’s and 70’s when area was known as “Kancer Valley) But the boom was more like a boomlet and the state is facing a large budget deficit without the coal severance taxes. Gas jobs never appeared as once well is dug and pipes laid, just need a minimal crew to service (guy on a 4 wheeler with a paint brush).
Funny thing is, Va and surrounding states are also facing large deficits, without their dependence on coal.
The infrastructure for gas processing and storage has been built up in La and Texas for decades; ports and pipelines are proposed or under construction for Mid -Atlantic but there are some resistance from property owners in Va.
AS an aside- I dip my toes in the fetid waters of the Orange Satan every once and a while. Talked about the abandonment of Democrats in WV by HRC and how Sanders did so well. Was told, “They aren’t really Democrats anyway.” Its so nice that someone on the Internet can tell thousands of thousands of voters what their affiliation is, since they are too damn dumb hillbillies to know otherwise. Its the sneering condensation of anyone not coastal and falling in line with the DNC talking points that has made that site less than useful.
R
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http://wildvirginia.org/our-programs/fracking/dominion-pipeline/
http://dom.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Viewer/index.html?appid=ce2477c937f044dcb4d7f4617ebccb2c
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/in-virginias-shenandoah-valley-a-proposed-pipeline-hi
ts-a-sour-note/2015/08/14/413480f0-2bf7-11e5-a250-42bd812efc09_story.html
With the continuation of neoliberal policies, there could be more West Virginia’s. The industrial Midwest has large areas that are either economically suffering or stagnating. A good example is Decatur, IL that is highlighted in Frank’s book, “Listen, Liberal”. Democrats no longer represent the “little guy” and will likely pay a price at the ballot box.
Doubt it. Democrats don’t care and Republicans never did. The very people it would help most abhor the word “Socialism”. So, no price at the ballot box and the majority vote for FDR or RR, with neither really being there any more.
○ The Scotts Run Coalfield from the Great War to the Great Depression: A Study in Overdevelopment by Phil Ross (1994)
○ Appalachian coal’s longtime apex predator, former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship , aka the Dark Lord of Coal Country
Don Blankenship is a throw back to the old coal barons of the 1920s, but with the added virtue of spouting right wing nonsense on conservative radio and TV. If you do that and cut so many corners in production safety, you end up with a circle; a big fat target on your back. Other modern barons are more circumspect. Chris Cline and Jim Justice try to put out more agreeable PR. At least they have a face on their actions. The corporations use faceless committees to authorize their dirty deeds.
Blankenship and Massey would never been possible without a dead Union. Active union action would have shut down production at all Massey mines at the first hint of trouble. And if it got bad enough, the guns would have come out of the closet (see documentary, “Harlan County, USA”) That would have reined in Blankenship. As it is, guys were desperate for jobs and put up with unsafe working conditions. Even then, I have heard men say they walked away from almost 20 yrs and a pension rather than work for Massey when they bought out a mine.
Without a balancing power, Blankenship was more like a tin pot dictator who covered his tracks well than apex predator.
Re: Scotts Run
There was another New Deal planned town like that in Putnam Co, across the river from Putnam. Named Eleanor. Small 4 square houses with community centers, agricultural bldgs, arts and crafts production, etc…. Nice place but once jobs came back into the area, all the proposed self reliance/non-industrial economy went by the way side. I hear hints of that mentality when discussing Appalachian/coal industry troubles with those outside area. “Craftsmen piecework, ecotourism, light industry….etc…” Wean the poor hillbillies off coal. Wear long gingham skirts to go with the funny accents. Little Abner’ on a large scale.
Good ideas but without the population, infrastructure and long term investment to support it, it will disappear the first time someone offers 15- 20$ an hr driving a coal truck.
R
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http://www.eleanorwv.com/history.html
Lots of stuff wouldn’t be happening today if we had higher union membership. Only 11.1% of workers (14.8 million) belong to a union. In 1983, union membership was 20.1%. Only 6.7% of private sector employees are unionized, where as 35.2% of public sector employees belong to a union. Also, efforts are being made to privatize public employees, so that union membership will decrease. It’s a race to the bottom, unless something changes.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm