Are you saying that a gangbang is necessary for democracy?

To be fair he is representing a constituency that is completely and utterly dependant on coal to make a living. As coal gets phased out WV is going to suffer serious economic turmoil and I don't think anyone really has a clear plan to deal with that.

Teaching them to code isn't feasible. They're blue collar workers. Teaching them a trade isn't feasible. There's not enough demand for plumbers/electricians/etc in the area to replace the coal industry. Giving them green energy jobs isn't that feasible. It's not a really suitable area for solar farms etc. Relocating them is technically doable but probably not very popular there. They have strong cultural ties to the state they live in. A lot of them probably have no desire to move.

So what to do? Just get rid of coal and let them fend for themselves? If you're a politician from WV and you sign off on killing coal isn't that political suicide?

ffs **** that bitch’s coal

plant trees on stripped mined land instead or just stay home and sell meth

****ers needing to breathe and ****

and nea WV holding the country hostage with two senators the same number as NY and California isn’t democracy it’s the tyranny of the minority

plus **** democracy anyway - I’d rather actually live

A green new deal would offer far more and much better jobs that are sustainable and don’t give you black lung and kill the rest of the planet

**** coal

It doesn't matter what you think is fair. It is what it is. The people who vote for them will turn on them in an instant of they vote to kill coal, and if you have no plan for what to do with the people who live there after coal is gone then all your moral grandstanding is just wasted air. People aren't going to willingly abandon their only means of making an income.

Easy to say. But where? Maybe in Cali. Not in WV. What kind of green jobs do you envision in the mountains of WV??

I'm not saying it can't be done yeah but it would take a concerted effort that frankly is not very like our govt to take... And I'm not seeing anything in these new Biden plans to suggest they have put any consideration into what to do about WV besides working towards getting rid of coal.

Anyone: We should fix this looming problem

Cons: but it's harder than doing nothing :(:(:(:(

I'm not disagreeing we should fix it I'm curious what people's thoughts are about fixing WV after we destroy their only means of income.... I know that's less convenient than just pounding your chest and saying **** coal but I think it's worth considering

There’s an entire mountain chain that’s been decimated that can be repaired. Start planting and farming a new biodiversified ecosystem where there used to be one.

Build homes. Build safe water infrastructure. Build public transportation systems. Build hospitals and clinics.

If you're willing to subsidize all that through the federal govt that could work in the short term, but in the long term you need some sort of industry to sustain the economy there. You can't sustain an economy long term just on infrastructure.

But also, forgive me for being cynical but what do you think the likelihood of us being that proactive are? And do you think people in WV are just going to trust that after coal is gone the govt is going to step in and save them?

The place is already a depressed hell hole as it is and so they are going to cling on to the one remaining industry they have with all dear life. You should expect nothing else. So getting mad at their Congress guy for sticking up for coal is like getting mad at the scorpion for stinging you. Until the situation there changes, expect nothing different.

As a Virginian my stance is of course that we kill all those inbred hillbillies.