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A new group for left-leaners has started up in Harrison County! North Central WV Drinking Liberally is an informal, inclusive social group that gives like-minded individuals a place to talk politics.
The North Central WV chapter will be hosting a Super Tuesday Watch Party at Brickside Bar & Grille in Bridgeport at 8 pm on March 6. Join us to watch the primary results for 10 states, and find out what we're all about. We'll be in the back room of the bar.
For more info, contact clarksburg@drinkingliberally.org.
Hope flowed through air as several Century Aluminum retirees gathered March 1 around their spokeswoman, Karen Gorrell, to hear the latest news about their benefits.
[...]
Gorrell said the company agreed to set aside an initial $4 million to help with benefits and has agreed to give additional $29 million at a later date, depending on the price of metal.
"We fought a heck of a fight to get where we are now," Gorrell told those gathered at the rally. "We fought our way out of a deep hole, and it's not perfect. You're not going to get back every penny you lost. But yesterday, we had nothing.
As a 72 year old woman, mother of 7 children. 13 grandchildren and 2 great-grand children, I am appalled by Senator Manchin's vote on the Blunt Amendment. The hidden agenda here is that reactionary politicians want to turn back the clock under the bogus argument that this is about "religious freedom.
It seems that the political climate of the country has reverted back to the 1950's. I don't want the government interfering with the most personal decisions that women and their families have to make regarding their health care. I can remember when women had no rights over their own bodies. As a 29 year old mother of 6 children I was unable to get my tubes tied because I was "too healthy". If I was 35 years old and sickly then the male doctors would have allowed the procedure. I was treated like a child who did not know my own mind or was incapable of making a rational decision. That is why I am pro-choice. I agree with President Clinton who said that abortion should be "legal, safe, and rare". The only way to accomplish this end is to make contraceptives available to all women as part of comprehensive health care. The Senator's vote on this amendment just reinforces my belief that Senator Manchin is a DINO (Democrat In Name Only).
David McKinley's district director, Richie Parsons, tweeted this yesterday: 'Dominion should make signs that say "Tell WV workers: Sober up and stop abusing drugs."'
Apparently all us unemployed West Virginians lost our jobs because we were drunks, meth heads, or junkies. Thank goodness the Republicans are helping big business sending our jobs overseas. We were too stoned to do our jobs right.
Sue Thorn has a snapshot of the tweet on her Facebook page, in case it has been taken down. https://www.facebook.com/SueTh... (Sorry, I can't get Facebook to link properly. You can paste this into your browser link or just go to Facebook.)
The crusade against the birth-control provision in President Obama's health-care plan makes one thing clear. There's a number of powerful people in this country who believe "women are getting out of control." This is an ideological political fight and the goal is to exempt all businesses from providing birth control -- period! It has nothing to do with threats to "religious freedom" or the First Amendment. It has everything to do with those same ole' ageless motives -- power and money.
Religious and political leaders opposing the provision speak of "justice" and "freedom" as though the words apply exclusively to their narrative. Senator Manchin's declaration that "asking religious employers to include contraception coverage for employees is un-American" I find especially galling -- mainly because it shows how far removed he is from the historic struggle of Appalachian women.
I trust women much more than I do Catholic bishops who covered up for countless sexual predators in their priesthood when it comes to any issue.
And on this and many issues, Manchin is an idiot and embarrassment to the state.
But how many of us remember the Buffalo Creek Mining Disaster, February 26, 1972? On that day 125 West Virginians were killed as 130 million gallons of coal sludge inundated town after town in an Appalachian hollow. This Sunday is the 40th anniversary of the flood that destroyed families, livelihoods, and trust in the institutions that are supposed to keep us safe. On this day the residents of Buffalo Creek will remember.


It rained for days leading up to the morning of February 26. Above the towns of Saunders, Lundale, Pardee, Lorado, Crites, and others, three aptly-named gob dams constructed from the detritus of coal mining (shale, mine dust, poor quality coal, earth scrapings, waste from processing) collapsed, one after the other in a terrible domino effect. Mine number three gave way first, bringing tons of debris on to mines two and three. The people in low lying areas of the hollow were doomed as a wall of coal sludge and water 30 feet high crashed through the valley, sluicing from side to side as it carried off human life. 

-- For more information on the disaster, visit Marshall University library's virtual museum HERE.
It's been a big week for mining news. First, the indictment of a Massey mine superintendent. Then the release of the new state report on Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine disaster backs up previous reports of poor safety practices.
Now though, it looks like a coal mine safety bill is hung up in the WV legislature because coal industry lobbyists aren't entirely happy with some of its provisions.
Silly me--I thought the purpose of a mine safety bill was to make coal mines safer for the people who actually work in them rather than to gratify the people who profit from their labor. The Gazette had a good editorial that sums it up pretty well.
http://wvgazette.com/Opinion/E... Don't forget the Occupy EarthDog tonight! The fun starts at around 7:00 but get there early so you can have some awesome barbecue first.
Earthdog Cafe, Berkeley Springs WV
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin alleged that Gary May plotted "with others known and unknown" to put coal production ahead of workers protection and then cover up serious safety violations on numerous occasions during the two years prior to the April 5, 2010, explosion that killed 29 miners.
May is accused of taking part in a scheme to provide advance warning of government inspections and then conceal violations before federal agents could make it into working sections of the sprawling Raleigh County mine.
Also, May is alleged to have ordered an unnamed person to falsify mine examination records by omitting a hazardous condition required to be reported and then repaired.
Prosecutors further allege that May, after learning that federal Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors were about to sample the level of coal dust in the mine, "surreptitiously redirected" additional fresh air to the area to conceal actual working conditions in the mine.
29 people died in that mine explosion. Who are the others? How high up does this go?
Come to the Earth Dog Cafe in Berkeley Springs on Wednesday evening for a raucous good time and to find out more about the candidates running against Shelley Moore Capito. We are expecting Michael Davis and Dugald Brown in person, and Howard Swint's voice will be joining us via phone. Jim Salman will provide music, and Joe Herrmann will open the event at 7:00 with a new original song about the Statue of Liberty. Lots of improvisation in between. Come eat while you occupy!
Check out morgancountyusa.org for more information.
Come meet Michael Davis, running against Rep Capito. He'll be at the Earth Dog Cafe in Berkeley Springs on the evening of Wednesday February 22 at 6:30. Read more at
http://michaeldavisforcongress...
Best wishes to Judge John Yoder who is scheduled for aortic heart valve surgery Friday at George Washington University Hospital. He is a Republican with a good heart even if his valve needs replaced.
From the morganncoutywv.gov website:
SENATOR MANCHIN TO VISIT
Senator Manchin will be at the courthouse on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 3:00PM. Citizens are welcome to come in and meet with the Senator. The session will be in the Commission meeting room. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
If you missed last week's theatrical look at fracking and healthcare, don't miss what's sure to be an informative evening on February 22nd at the Earthdog Cafe in Berkeley Springs. We've invited Michael Davis, a moderate Republican, and Rep Capito, to a debate that evening. Mr Davis is taking on Rep Capito in the primary. Read more at http://www.morgancountyusa.org In the event Rep Capito doesn't show up, we will improvise theatrically!
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