Miners Die Due to Safety Violations

May 23, 2011

Dear Editor:

Open Letter to the Republican Party and the Tea Party Movement:

A little more than a year ago, 29 miners died needlessly in the Upper Big Branch coal mine accident in West Virginia. At that time, Massey Energy, owner of the mine, claimed that it maintained adequate safety standards, despite numerous previous citations for safety violations. Massey Energy was paying lip service to the safety of the miners, while maximizing its profits.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, the state of West Virginia commissioned a report to determine the reasons for the disaster. It names poor and unsafe working conditions and a lack of maintenance of safety equipment and machinery as major contributing factors in causing the deaths of these men. Again, Massey Energy was sacrificing worker safety, while protecting its corporate profits.

During the George W. Bush administration, the federal Mine Safety Administration chose lax inspection and enforcement of safety standards at the Upper Big Branch and other mines. The administration came down on the side of the company, allowing it to build up its profits. This was as inexcusable as the corporation’s perpetrating its violations. Once again, Massey made out like bandits. Safety laws and regulations must be enforced to protect the well-being and lives of workers.

Recently, our congressional delegation has given support for an amendment to the Constitution, which would allow states to pick and choose which federal laws and regulations they could nullify, if enough states choose to do so. Senator Enzi spoke disparagingly of “unelected bureaucrats,” enforcing so-called unnecessary regulations and statutes. Since when did those in agencies charged with enforcing statutes passed by Congress become “unelected bureaucrats?” What a phony argument!

The Republican Party and the Tea Party Movement show contempt for government – no matter what size. Oddly enough, they are constantly acting contrary to freedom and the free enterprise system.

It’s time to ask, “What is more important, the safety and lives of working people or corporate profits?”

Enough is enough! Instead of believing the hysterical reactions and false claims of “encroachment by the feds,” each thinking person must ask these groups, “When, where, and how will you put first the rights and safety of working people to earn a decent living?”

Tom Davis

2563 Hanway Avenue

Casper, WY 82604

266-3015

Medicare Cuts a Disaster

I am a senior citizen on Medicare. If the Republican Party’s plan to privatize Medicare went into effect, millions of Americans would be the losers. They would be forced to use vouchers, equivalent to a limited amount of money, to purchase private insurance. We all know that insurance companies already hold all the winning cards in a health-care system, which is a big gamble to begin with, for the elderly and poor. Insurance companies will be able to raise rates practically at will, as they do now. Those “dollars” in the form of vouchers won’t go far then, and we will be priced out of the market.

Seventy per cent of Americans oppose dismantling Medicare as we know it. We know the facts and understand the issue. We will stand united to defeat this ill-conceived plan, perpetrated by private special interests, which are actually being represented by congressional Republicans, including Cynthia Lummis. We won’t forget this at election time.

Wyoming Oil and Gas forms safety alliance with OSHA - a positive step to improve workplace safety.

Positive step towards increasing worker safety through collaboration sought. Wyoming OSHA and the Wyoming Oil and Gas industrial safety group, WOGISA, should be commended for the formation of an alliance to focus on worker safety in Wyoming. Safety partnership to be endorsed by Governor Meade, a further indication that safety is at last coming into the spotlight here in accident-prone Wyoming. The program will focus on training and the creation of a discussion forum related to identifying health challenges within the state.
http://www.wyomingworkforce.org/news/articles/2011-06-13.aspx

To all Seniors on Medicare

June 13, 2011

I am a senior citizen on Medicare. If the Republican Party’s plan to privatize Medicare
went into effect, millions of Americans would be the losers. They would be forced
to use vouchers, equivalent to a limited amount of money, to purchase private health
insurance. We all know that health insurance companies already hold all the winning
cards in a health-care system, which is a big gamble to begin with, for the elderly and
poor. Insurance companies will be able to raise rates practically at will, as they do now.
Those “dollars” in the form of vouchers won’t go far then, and we will be priced out of
the market.

Seventy per cent of Americans oppose dismantling Medicare as we know it. We know
the facts and understand the issue. We will stand united to defeat this ill-conceived
plan, perpetrated by private special interests, which are actually being represented by
congressional Republicans, including Cynthia Lummis. We will not forget this at election
time.

Tom Davis

Open Letter to the Republican Party and the Tea Party Movement

May 23, 2011

A little more than a year ago, 29 miners died needlessly in the Upper Big Branch coal mine accident in West Virginia. At that time, Massey Energy, owner of the mine, claimed that it maintained adequate safety standards, despite numerous previous citations for safety violations.  Massey Energy was paying lip service to the safety of the miners, while maximizing its profits.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, the state of West Virginia commissioned a report to determine the reasons for the disaster. It names poor and unsafe working conditions and a lack of maintenance of safety equipment and machinery as major contributing factors in causing the deaths of these men. Again, Massey Energy was sacrificing worker safety, while protecting its corporate profits.

During the George W. Bush administration, the federal Mine Safety Administration chose lax inspection and enforcement of safety standards at the Upper Big Branch and other mines. The administration came down on the side of the company, allowing it to build up its profits. This was as inexcusable as the corporation’s perpetrating its violations. Once again, Massey made out like bandits. Safety laws and regulations must be enforced to protect the well-being and lives of workers.

Recently, our congressional delegation has given support for an amendment to the Constitution, which would allow states to pick and choose which federal laws and regulations they could nullify, if enough states choose to do so.  Senator Enzi spoke disparagingly of “unelected bureaucrats,” enforcing so-called unnecessary regulations and statutes. Since when did those in agencies charged with enforcing statutes passed by Congress become “unelected bureaucrats?”  What a phony argument!

The Republican Party and the Tea Party Movement show contempt for government – no matter what size. Oddly enough, they are constantly acting contrary to freedom and the free enterprise system.

It’s time to ask, “What is more important, the safety and lives of working people or corporate profits?”

Enough is enough! Instead of believing the hysterical reactions and false claims of “encroachment by the feds,” each thinking person must ask these groups, “When, where, and how will you put first the rights and safety of working people to earn a decent living?”

Tom Davis

The Equality State lived up to it's name (click link here to see for yourself)

Back in March 2011, Wyoming legislators were considering enacting strong discriminatory policies against homosexuals here is the Equality State. Watch here as the issue got air time on the national media cycle as Rachel Maddow reports on the "most Republican state in the nation" and how common sense and adherence to fundamental rights that should be allowed all people was defended by both Democrats and some Republicans in Wyoming at least for now.

Banning Shari'a Law - Real need or promoting inequality?

The supposed banning of Sharia law adds up to little more than religious inequality imposed at the state level. Read the ACLU report linked to in this article and form your own opinion on this issue.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/religion-belief/debunking-mythical-sharia-threat-our-judicial-system/