As I’ve often stated the difficult part of writing this column is not finding material to write about; it is choosing a particular outrage. Trump himself is averaging multiple lies per day, (if I were a bookie I would set the over/under at 2,000 for his first year. If I were a gambler I’d bet over), he is abetted with a cast of characters that mimic and often amplify his lies. Add to that a Cabinet that is composed almost exclusively of foxes guarding the hen house or utterly unqualified people who bought their way in to pursue their own misguided agenda. Today I want to talk about one of the foxes. Let’s explore.

During a joint appearance with Mitch McConnell on Monday in ironically named Hazard, Kentucky EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that he will sign an order overturning the Obama-era Clean Power Plan regulation. In his announcement he declared that, “The war against coal is over.” (There is no war on coal. What is happening is a business evolution. That is why we no longer wear spats or hand crank our cars to start their engines.)

These actions are hazardous to America’s health and most particularly to the people who live near coal powered plants. (Ever notice that the rich people in small town America don’t live downwind from the smokestacks?) This is a hypocritical move for a supposedly fiscally conservative Republican because pollution dramatically increases health care costs.

Pruitt and company are being cruel to the out of work coal miners who view the announcement as a portent of their jobs returning. The rule change will keep a handful of coal burning plants operating for a few more years, but that will not cause a significant increase in demand. In fact even with this move I expect net demand for coal to continue its steep decline. Regulations are not the problem; rapidly declining demand is! Ironically the decrease in demand is caused primarily by other fossil fuels, mainly natural gas, which often has the same money behind it. The money people have diversified and moved on leaving the miners in the dust.

Pruitt is a lackey for the fossil fuel industry and has been for years. He could care less about the plight of the out of work coal miner, their health or the health of their family! This is simply another example of Trump and his team of foxes exploiting Bubba at a huge cost to America and the world!

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