Corporate Front Group Funded By Coal Industry Scorns Widow Of Mine Disaster:

[cal04]

Corporate Front Group Funded By Coal Industry Scorns Widow Of Mine Disaster: ‘Everyone Wants Free Money’
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/04/17/alec-massey-mine/

Yesterday, the AP reported that Marlene Griffith, a widow of William Griffith, one of the 29 men killed in last week’s explosion at a coal mine in West Virginia, is suing Massey Energy, the owner of the mine. Griffith filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Raleigh County Circuit Court, arguing that Massey’s handling of work conditions at the mine plus its history of safety violations amounted to aggravated conduct that rises above the level of ordinary negligence. Marlene and here husband were to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary weeks after the deadly blast on April 5.

Indeed, as the Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson has reported, the mine where William Griffith worked had been cited for over 3,000 safety violations. Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, who has mocked safety regulators as being “as silly as global warming,” had gummed up the safety regulations process by filing endless appeals instead of paying fines and fixing safety problems.

Responding to the lawsuit, Nathan Coffey, the Public Affairs Coordinator of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), took to Twitter yesterday to mock Marlene Griffith. Coffey posted a link to the AP story about Marlene Griffith, sarcastically commenting that “Everyone wants free money!” View a screen shot of the comment below:





ALEC, founded in 1973 by conservative activist Paul Weyrich, is a DC-based front group which helps state lawmakers craft corporate-friendly legislation. State-based schemes aimed at deregulation are often conceived and coordinated out of ALEC. It is funded by some of the biggest corporations in America, including Koch Industries, Wal-Mart, and AT&T, as well as by the coal industry. Peabody Coal’s Kelly Mader, a Vice President for State Government Affairs at the company, sits on the board of directors of ALEC.

[MadMaddie]

1. Wow! Just when you think they can't go any lower...

[RKP5637]

2. Creatures, right out of hell... n/t

[Hansel]

3. Well, we know that Blankenship sure does.

The widow just wants what's coming to her.

[Klukie]

4. what an asshole

I bet if you ask that widow if she wants money or her husband back, she would say the hubby instantly. This lawsuit is about making them accountable and hopefully changing the way they do business. Unfortunately the only way to do that is through their pocketbook. $$$$ is the only language they speak.

[movonne]

5. Do the people who work at the massey mines on the side of their

mine owners...are they afraid for their jobs??? or are they fighting for better conditions??

[RKP5637]

6. As I understand they lose their jobs if they protest the conditions. Apparently it

is really the only major employer in that area and they make a pretty decent wage. They are captive.

[bobbolink]

7. And you thought that family cult in Kansas were the only heartless ones....

We excell in growing 'em in this country, don't we?

Our best crop. :puke:

[RKP5637]

8. Yep, it's beginning to appear this is the best product line in this country anymore... n/t

:puke:

[bobbolink]

9. Who needs manufacturing goods? We can manufacture HATE!!!!

Hurray for our team!

USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

[RKP5637]

10. So true. There's big money in hatred. AM radio, Fox News and the like have

a ready audience and now others are catching on to our most profitable product line in USA, Inc. Hatred. Probably should change "US" soon to "UH" for United Hatred.

[bobbolink]

11. Big Profits, PLUS.... Its FUN!!!

Venting your spleen on others is... FUN!!!

Just ask homeless people, you know, those of us on the very bottom of the ladder. You can see the glee on the faces as they spit on us.

We should be paid handsomely... we provide a great service.

[RKP5637]

12. I think you're really on to it there, "You can see the glee on the faces as they spit on us." I've

seen that look on many of the hate mongers we have today. They take a special glee in stepping on all those they can. Frankly, I'm beginning to think they get more satisfaction out of that than money. And wrecking the lives of as many as they can.

[bobbolink]

18. A person can only spend so much money....there is a limit to what you can buy. POWER, however....

for some, there is never enough. NEVER ENOUGH.

What is truly sad is that we think it is all "out there". We don't look at the same process inside of our own selves.

"Let there be peace, and let it begin with me."

[laughingliberal]

17. +1 nt

[blogslut]

13. He's backtracking like crazy now

Roger Ebert put the screen capture on TwitPic and the dude is commenting on it, claiming "he didn't read the story" and other nonsense:

http://twitpic.com/1gfnpf

[Clyde39]

14. Just who exactly wants "free" money?

It would seem that the owners of the mine got a lot of "free" passes, entitlements, etc.

[laughingliberal]

16. Yes, Putting money on the balance sheet as profit that should have been used to fix safety issues is

free money.

[Ikonoklast]

19. Massey stockholders get 'free money', using the same logic.

Massey saves money by cutting corners on safety? You bet.

More money to stockholders, so what if a few people have to die, I get more money out of the deal.

[Petrushka]

15. K & R

:kick: