In Appalachia, coal remains king of the hill

[theHandpuppet]

1. Another perspective

opinion
Folks in Appalachia don't have much to lose in move from coal
By Froma Harrop
Creators Syndicate
Posted: 06/05/2014

(excerpt)
"When policies and other factors cause serious economic problems for a region or group of Americans," Jason Bailey writes in the blog "KY Policy," "there is precedent for federal investments to help workers and communities adjust and transition."

The operative words here are "adjust and transition." That's something the region's politicians have largely failed to do, preferring time and again to rail against the "evil" Environmental Protection Agency and decry a "war on coal."

That served the resource extraction industries but not the people, Ted Boettner of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy told me. The people lost opportunities to parlay environmental legislation into federal help for getting out from under coal...

...There were proposals to help workers hurt by climate change legislation. The American Worker Transition and Community Assistance Act would have provided communities with grants to encourage entrepreneurs. It didn't go anywhere.

MORE at http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_25905640/folks-appalachia-dont-have-much-lose-move-from