Tell me about West Virginia

[JC77]

IF you are pro-Christian Conservative type you should consider South Carolina. Since November 2003 they have tried to lead an exodus to South Carolina and then, later, to Idaho.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Exodus
http://christianexodus.org/

IF you are pro-Libertarian in view then the Dakotas (North mainly) still look awful tempting.

I promote neither. The reason I'm sticking it out and fighting to my last breath in Virginia is that moving ANY persuasion of conservatives to fewer and fewer states mean that more and more Federal laws will be imposed on those states. To me, I say, stay put and dig in. Fight the bastards. Change tactics, be just as damn loud as those SOB's that try to scream us down. Quit taking the first punch and begin to punch first. Sucker punching is okay in this fight, they have been using it for years. Demonize the hell out of them and their beliefs. Not stooping to their level, not being any better than them in the end, has gotten us to where we are. Don't be afraid to share your beliefs, religious or otherwise, but stand together for our Republic which is being stolen.

I have always voted. I have always stood on principle and strongly to my beliefs, but dammit I was still asleep while this nasty bunch of hippie swine have spread their poison and socialism throughout this great Republic. Well, I'm awake now and I am ready to fight by any rules. I will lead if necessary, I will follow if led, but I will not continue to do the same things that have brought us defeat.

[kelu]

Time for the guys with money to buy some media.
CNN and NBC with their poor ratings can be reconverted, and the presstitutes that work there will say anything for a paycheck.
Some 15 years ago my country was on the right track. Then a guy who managed import export during communists and made disappear couple billions at that time, created a media network, incredibly powerful. In less than 10 years, they turned the whole country back to socialism.
For those (unfortunately some 80%, and this is a conservative figure) who can't read or think for themselves, that was the only thing they knew: what they saw a day before on TV.

[dorminWS]

I'll admit that for my whole life, I've had my share of laughs and poking fun at West Virginia. Still, living just a stone's throw from the border, there has always been a part of me that envied the natural beauty and the seeming lack of budget and regulation.

Now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, what can you folks tell me about our neighbor to the West?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Problem with West Va. is the unions and old-style blue-collar democrats still have so much influence; a holdover from when coal was so huge in W Va and the Northern border close to Ohio looked just like the Ohio hotbeds of unionism.

[BertMacklin]

Nice people generally, though backwoods parts have their own problems. Clean land can be gotten cheap if you know where to look. Been up to the tri-state border near Berkeley Springs down to Pocahontas County, mostly border, and the view alone beats the hell out of Nova.

[PhantomPhixer]

Problem with West Va. is the unions and old-style blue-collar democrats still have so much influence; a holdover from when coal was so huge in W Va and the Northern border close to Ohio looked just like the Ohio hotbeds of unionism.

Yet surprisingly all of the counties in WV on that map were red. I expected a lot of blue for the very reason you mention.

[dorminWS]

Problem with West Va. is the unions and old-style blue-collar democrats still have so much influence; a holdover from when coal was so huge in W Va and the Northern border close to Ohio looked just like the Ohio hotbeds of unionism.

Yet surprisingly all of the counties in WV on that map were red. I expected a lot of blue for the very reason you mention.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I would have expected that, too 5-10 years ago. I can pretty much explain that with one word: OBAMA.

[Remek]

Remember that being blue may be restricted to specific issues (e.g., unionism) while the majority of issues you like are red (e.g., the constitution, limited government, paying your bills, etc), yet the blue is overwhelming as it puts the money in your pocket in this scenario, and thus, though blue, you are really much more red.

When they destroy the industry that provided your unionism, you don't care about the unionism anymore, do you? Plus, you've been used to working for a living, so you don't like the handout and do not want to vote blue anymore.

It still boggles my mind why these issues have to always be opposing between the parties. It really does screw us over when politicians feel they must tow all party lines. We lose our political choice by the system set up to serve us. I say we drop both parties and start voting for people instead.

[BertMacklin]

Problem with West Va. is the unions and old-style blue-collar democrats still have so much influence; a holdover from when coal was so huge in W Va and the Northern border close to Ohio looked just like the Ohio hotbeds of unionism.

Yet surprisingly all of the counties in WV on that map were red. I expected a lot of blue for the very reason you mention.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I would have expected that, too 5-10 years ago. I can pretty much explain that with one word: OBAMA.

Natural Gas killing coal, kills jobs, Red State ensues.

[Swampman]

Is it natural gas killing coal or the administration? Obama said that he was going to make it very difficult to use coal, and he is keeping that promise. He seemed to embrace NG as a fuel to take the place of coal, but I believe he wasn't being totally honest about that either. He wants to kill all fossil fuels and drive us back centuries into the dark ages.

[Remek]

He somehow believes we can make energy and items for commerce without extracting raw materials to do so from the land.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Kreutz]

Is it natural gas killing coal or the administration? Obama said that he was going to make it very difficult to use coal, and he is keeping that promise. He seemed to embrace NG as a fuel to take the place of coal, but I believe he wasn't being totally honest about that either. He wants to kill all fossil fuels and drive us back centuries into the dark ages.

NG is cheaper to extract and requires much less labor compared to coal and can be transported via pipelines. Its a nice "compact" energy source.

Methinks the export market will be the saving grace of coal until the Chinese and Indians no longer need so much.

[mamabearCali]

Visited SC this weekend. It was lovely and very friendly. It goes in the list.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[dorminWS]

Is it natural gas killing coal or the administration? Obama said that he was going to make it very difficult to use coal, and he is keeping that promise. He seemed to embrace NG as a fuel to take the place of coal, but I believe he wasn't being totally honest about that either. He wants to kill all fossil fuels and drive us back centuries into the dark ages.

NG is cheaper to extract and requires much less labor compared to coal and can be transported via pipelines. Its a nice "compact" energy source.

Methinks the export market will be the saving grace of coal until the Chinese and Indians no longer need so much.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Obama's EPA and MSHA (Mine Safety & Health Administration), through punitive regulations, are killing what remains of the coal business after natural gas' incursions. I know a guy who works for Alpha Natural Resources (that's who bought Massey) Governmental Relations Dept. and he says that the purity standards EPA imposed upon surface mine runoff in the last couple of years are so stringent that Evian bottled water can't meet them. That's not a joke or exaggeration; it is the absolute truth based upon an independent lab report.

[Kreutz]

Obama's EPA and MSHA (Mine Safety & Health Administration), through punitive regulations, are killing what remains of the coal business after natural gas' incursions. I know a guy who works for Alpha Natural Resources (that's who bought Massey) Governmental Relations Dept. and he says that the purity standards EPA imposed upon surface mine runoff in the last couple of years are so stringent that Evian bottled water can't meet them. That's not a joke or exaggeration; it is the absolute truth based upon an independent lab report.

So would you say regulations are smothering the coal industry on its sick bed or basically pulling the plug and speeding up the process?

[dorminWS]

I think there is no doubt that coal would still be a viable domestic fuel for many years to come but for the Obama war on coal. Coal is also an important chemical feedstock for the production of hundreds of products if it were not burned as fuel; but obviously not if they won't let it be mined.

[Mindflayer]

West Virginia has a lot of old school Democrats as a result from the power unions exert. Pretty conservative on some issues, not so much on others. Beautiful country. I have friends that live in Morgantown and around that area.

[dusterdude]

I really like sc

[dorminWS]

I've got family in Mercer County - about 110 miles from me. WV is a sportsman's paradise, but the political and regulatory climate there has historically been pretty hard on business. They have a HUGE manufacturing tax there that has driven out many manufacturing jobs, and generally make it hard to do business on a competitive basis with businesses in Virginia or the Carolinas; much less those who are offshore.

[dorminWS]

I really like sc

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Me too; except for the fact that most of it runs a little too flat and right much too hot and humid for my taste.

[Swampman]

Is it natural gas killing coal or the administration? Obama said that he was going to make it very difficult to use coal, and he is keeping that promise. He seemed to embrace NG as a fuel to take the place of coal, but I believe he wasn't being totally honest about that either. He wants to kill all fossil fuels and drive us back centuries into the dark ages.

NG is cheaper to extract and requires much less labor compared to coal and can be transported via pipelines. Its a nice "compact" energy source.

Methinks the export market will be the saving grace of coal until the Chinese and Indians no longer need so much.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Obama's EPA and MSHA (Mine Safety & Health Administration), through punitive regulations, are killing what remains of the coal business after natural gas' incursions. I know a guy who works for Alpha Natural Resources (that's who bought Massey) Governmental Relations Dept. and he says that the purity standards EPA imposed upon surface mine runoff in the last couple of years are so stringent that Evian bottled water can't meet them. That's not a joke or exaggeration; it is the absolute truth based upon an independent lab report.

During 2010 I worked as a sub-consultant for Chesapeake Energy in Bradford County, PA identifying regulated wetland areas. Chesapeake was a "blow and go" outfit. They had more wells up in that area than any other driller. In talking to them and other drillers in the area, it appears that to make a profit they had to get at least $4-5 per thousand cubic feet for the gas. When they started the price was up around $10 and when it all came to a screeching halt it was down around $2. The big problems, when they started, were distribution and storage. The distribution problem is being overcome by the construction of pipelines and storage by the construction of facilities. They have driven themselves out of the business of constructing new well pads and now have to be content with tapping existing wells. If we ever become a net importer of NG, like the pundits say we will, it all may pick back up again.

Regulation, and nothing else, is killing coal.