Utah mine owner: Gore is the "shaman of global goofiness". History of poor safety conditions.

[Bluebear]

From mediamatters.org:

CNN gave coal company CEO a platform for Gore-bashing, did not report company's labor and safety violations

Summary: On CNN's The Situation Room, Murray Energy Corp. CEO Robert Murray called Al Gore "the shaman of global goofiness and gloom and doom," and Carol Costello reported: "What really concerned about are people losing their jobs." But Costello did not report that several of Murray's own mines have reportedly been embroiled in controversy over labor rights and substandard safety conditions.

On the April 6 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, CNN correspondent Carol Costello reported on "coal miner-turned-CEO of Murray Energy Corporation" Robert Murray's views on global warming, including his opinion that former Vice President Al Gore is "the shaman of global goofiness and gloom and doom." Costello concluded the report on Murray by claiming, without evidence or rebuttal, "What he's really concerned about are people losing their jobs." But Costello did not report that several of Murray's own mines have reportedly been embroiled in controversy over labor rights and substandard safety conditions...

According to a January 15, 2006, article in The Columbus Dispatch of Ohio, Murray owns Ohio's two largest mines, which "recorded injury rates about one-fourth higher than the national average last year while being cited for serious violations by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration ." In 2005, federal inspectors cited one of the mines, Ohio Valley Coal Co. Powhatan No. 6, "for 494 safety violations and the company paid $147,431 in fines -- nearly triple the combined amount of fines levied against Ohio's nine other underground coal mines."

An October 20, 2006, article in Kentucky's Lexington Herald-Leader described Murray as "a huge donor to Republican senators" and reported on a meeting at an MSHA office in which "inspectors confronted him about safety problems at his mines." During the meeting, Murray reportedly made reference to his connections to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and McConnell's wife, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao: "Shouting at a table full of MSHA officials ... Murray said: 'Mitch McConnell calls me one of the five finest men in America, and the last I checked, he was sleeping with your boss,' according to notes of the meeting." The article added: "Murray, in a recent interview, denied that he referred to McConnell 'sleeping with' Chao."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704100009

[Wilber_Stool]

1. $147,431 for 494 violations.

Who would bother to fix them for that kind of money. Such a deal.

[Bluebear]

2. And now, six men entombed.

Guess that paltry 147K didn't teach the ownership any lessons.

[OzarkDem]

14. He probably factored them into the budget

He knows he won't get anything more than a slap on the wrist. The workers are expendable to him.

[spanone]

3. this guy is an ass. who is he to lecture the media?

[Bluebear]

4. They'll never hear these miners trying to communicate with this blowbag at the mike every 5 minutes

[maxsolomon]

5. he's one of the owners of america, that's who.

but rule #1 is STFU & let your lawyer do the talking.

[Bluebear]

6. You said it. nt

[Minimus]

7. I heard on NPR that the Utah congressmen have asked MSHA to do the future press conferences.

This guy was spouting off about unions, global warming, the geologists that say it wasn't an earthquake, etc. Someone needs to take his microphone away.

[spinbaby]

8. Who's gonna break the news to him?

Would you want to be the one to tell that man he can't go on TV because he's loony tunes?

On doing a bit of googling, I discover that he was told to go into the mining business by a talking squirrel:

http://www.umwa.org/journal/VOL112NO4/july1.shtml

[Maddy McCall]

9. Your post needs its own thread.

People need to read that. Good lord.

[Bluebear]

12. MOST agreed.

[malaise]

10. Indeed

Wow!

[Canuckistanian]

11. I heard this guy on the radio tonight. Wow.

He sounded like he was having a meltdown. Practically shouting, he was denouncing Gore, denying safety problems at the mine and screaming HE HAD SCIENTIFIC PROOF that the collapse was due to a earthquake, not poor safety problems.

It's a wonder how these assholes always talk about "SCIENCE" when it serves THEIR purposes. And when Al Gore says "Science", it's a hoax.

[malaise]

13. Cooper's 360 will have a seismic expert on in a moment n/t

Good report here. Tuckman giving a report.

USGS says there was no earthquake.


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6567487

Add.

[gratuitous]

18. Oh, the "USGS"

Stands for the United States' Gore Subservients! Robert E. Murray doesn't listen to no gummint eggheads who don't own their own mines. Robert E. Murray is his own by God man, by God! Robert E. Murray knows for a fact it was an earthquake, not his slipshod mining practices, and that should be good enough for under God America. And if it's not, then you hate America!

That's what Robert E. Murray says, by God.

[malaise]

25. LOL

Sadly that's exactly what he says.

[peekaloo]

15. Was this the crazy arsewipe screaming on the news tonight? (NBC)

earthquakes and great safety records.

I didn't catch his name but that man was unhinged.

[malaise]

16. Yes - he's been screaming all day but it won't work

The experts have already spoken.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6567487

[Bluebear]

17. That is he. nt

[greyl]

19. Top 10 Idiot for sure.

GD thread: Utah mine owner founded company on advice of squirrel

[bleever]

20. "No habla OSHA."

I see dead people.

Again.

[Kool Kitty]

21. I'm really sorry that I missed this clown on the teevee.

I was listening to MSNBC at a time which must have been long after this guy spoke, and the newslady said that they had switched away from his "press conference" because he didn't seem to want to talk about the situation at his mine because he was too busy talking about his resume and other wonderful things he had done. I was thinking that was pretty cool of them to cut this guy short.

[Kosmo]

22. Typical Rethuglican business man.

The first words out of his mouth are used to shift the blame and cloud the issue. Poor me, I run a fly by night mining company and unions are the devil. Fuck this asshole, way to take some personal responsibility.

What did he end up blaming it on an earthquake?

[BrightKnight]

23. sounds like he has his head up his mineshaft - n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

24. CNN let the guy bash away at the UMWA too.

He know this is going to cost him big time and he's trying to write his own reality, like his boy in Washington.

[Odin2005]

26. This man deserves jail time.

[YOY]

27. Got the podium? Blame someone else for your own ineptitude!

Typical repuglican...

[Bluebear]

28. Isn't he right from central casting? nt

[YOY]

29. To a T, bluebear

and a reason why I always feel sorry for Utah democrats.

[JTFrog]

30. That from a man who

talks to squirrels?

Puhleeze.

[Joe Chi Minh]

31. And he's the goofball of global shamanism. Corporatist voodoo.