Thursday, September 24, 2009

Guest Speaker – J. Michael Onifer, VP Established Business Units, CNX Gas
Brass Tree Restaurant, Williamson, WV

Social hour 6-7, Dinner 7
Dinner - $10 if you have not pre-paid
RSVP to Georgene Robertson 304/792-8433 or (grobertson@archcoal.com)

Many of you attended the “Friends of America” festival in Holden. More than 75,000 of you turned out to show your support for our coal miners despite the threat of rain, thunder and lightning. That takes a lot of dedication.
As Ted Nugent said, however, showing up at a rally is the easy part. Taking action the next day … contacting your elected officials, your congressmen, your senators and Mr. Obama … is the real test.

I am asking you to take that next step today!

Please take a few moments to make those calls or send an email to your elected officials. We have made it easy for you.

Below you will find a list of West Virginia officials and their phone numbers. You will also find a list of email addresses for those same officials. Simply pick up the phone and dial the numbers or cut-and-paste the email list into your “send to” bar.  We have also included a sample letter. Simply cut-and-paste it into the body of your email and add your name and phone number.
Let them know you support our coal miners! Let them know you oppose cap-and-tax! Let them know you want the backlog of mining permits released so that our people can mine coal. Let them know YOU ARE A FRIEND OF AMERICA! And let them know YOU ARE A FRIEND OF COAL!

There is no time to waste. Your jobs and the jobs of your family and friends … the very future of our state … depend on you!

Sample Letter

Dear __________________,

As one of your constituents, I am writing to let you know how I feel about the issues facing our country today.
I am worried about our future.

The actions of the Obama Administration and the policies it is pursuing – particularly with regard to cap-and-tax and coal mining – are simply dead wrong. They are hurting my family, my friends and my neighbors. Unless something is done to stop them, they will destroy my community and our state.  Honestly, I am afraid for our nation and our way of life.

I am asking you to oppose cap-and-tax and to demand that the Obama Administration stop its attack on the coal industry.  We can’t afford the increases in our electric bills that will come with cap-and-tax!  We can’t afford to keep subsidizing terrorists and their supporters in the oil producing countries by importing their oil.

We need coal! We need it today more than ever and the Obama Administration and its supporters on Capitol Hill are killing the industry and shipping the jobs overseas.

I am asking that you stand up for our state and our people.  Tell Pelosi, Reid and Obama to support West Virginia Coal and West Virginia coal miners. 

Yours,

YOUR NAME and PHONE NUMBER
______________________________

Permit delays could mean layoffs and mine closures

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today’s decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withhold 79 pending coal mine permits is a reckless act that coupled with the agency’s decision earlier this week to re-evaluate a two-year old permit, will jeopardize jobs and further restrict West Virginia production.

Facility prime example of using former surface mine lands for economic development

By Chris Hamilton
Chairman, Coalition for Mountaintop Mining

VARNEY, W.Va. – The dedication of the Mingo County Air Transportation Park in southern West Virginia this past week is a prime example of the value of our surface mine lands in the effort to build and diversify the economy of the Appalachian coalfields.

Friends of America Festival brings 100,000 to mountaintop mine site
Organizers call on mining families to oppose Obama’s assault on coal and America’s economy
 
HOLDEN – They came early and stayed late. They came despite the threat of heavy rain, thunder and lightning. They came because they support the coal industry. They came because they are patriots and care deeply about the future of their country. They came from as far away as Alaska and Europe to let their voices be heard by an American president and a radical Congress trying rob them of their heritage, their jobs and their way of life.

Almost 100,000 people – mostly working coal miners and their families – turned out Monday for the Labor Day “Friends of America” rally at the old Holden 22 mountaintop mine site near Logan, W.Va. The event featured legendary guitarist Ted “the Motor City Madman” Nugent as emcee and Hank Williams, Jr., John Rich (formerly of Big and Rich), Halfway to Hazzard, Taylor Made and the Blackwater Outlaws as musical guests. Also on hand were Fox News commentator and talk radio host Sean Hannity and Lord Christopher Monckton, a  science advisor to Margaret Thatcher, a former British prime minister.  Monckton is an outspoken critic of global warming theorists.