Back in April, we had the horrible coal mine disaster in West Virginia, only the most recent of several such disasters in one of the most dangerous occupations in America!
The need for stronger coal mine safety regulations by state and national governments is obvious to anyone who has a brain in his head, but apparently not to Kentucky’s Republican Senate nominee, Dr. Rand Paul, son of Texas Congressman Dr. Ron Paul!
Rand Paul said in a public appearance before the primary election in May that it was not the job of the US government to regulate the mines, since people in Washington do not have the expertise and experience to know how to regulate that industry!
He also said that if coal miners do not wish to do that work because it is dangerous, then they can always quit, but there will always be people who will do that work!
Paul has no understanding of the fact that economic conditions are so poor in much of eastern Kentucky in particular, that coal miners will take on the work, even though the work is dangerous, because there are few alternatives for those workers!
Mining companies are infamous for fighting unions and evading work safety rules, and for a politician to come out with outrageous statements such as Paul made, after 29 miners died in April in West Virginia, is clearcut evidence that he is totally incompetent to be a United States Senator!