US Coal industry under attack -do they need the Molly Maguires?

The American coal industry, which fostered the beginnings of Irish American muscle in the the labor movement, is under assault. In the 1860-70's early Irish Americans shed blood in the battle for workers rights, workers safety, unionization and collective bargaining in those coal fields. Today some people in the industry think there needs to be a modern day version of the secret society known as the Molly Maguires, to defend their livelihood and the nations main source of energy.

But this time the threat to their livelihoods, way of life and standard of living, is not at the hands of a cold-hearted industrialist, but at the hands of government regulation designed to crush their industry.

Back in the 1860-70's Irish Catholic immigrants, fresh off the boat, flocked to the coal fields of Pennsylvania where they toiled in hard scrabble unsafe existences to eke out a living. Exploited by unscrupulous mine owners, the Molly Maguires rose up amongst the Irish ranks and battled back, which finally lead to organizing and unionization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Maguires

Today's conditions in our nations coal fields and mines are infinitely safer and wages have risen to make it an honorable occupation. Many say these positive changes in the coal industry stem from the battles of the Irish Molly Maguires.
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President Obama said, as candidate Obama, he was going to necessarily make energy prices skyrocket. Maybe most Americans were not aware of that statement, or the main stream media didn't widely report it, but the President was serious when he said this. The President said one of the ways he was going to make energy prices skyrocket, was to attack the very core of Americas power source: Coal

President Obama said that he wouldn't outlaw coal but he would make it so prohibitively expensive to burn coal as a power source, it would "necessarily bankrupt them to build a coal fired power plant. New EPA regulations will force a significant number of coal-fired power plants to close, resulting in a major reduction in electricity supply.

Interestingly enough it is estimated America has a 500 year supply of coal. Over the last 30 years, contrary to popular belief, the air in North America has gotten cleaner. Advances in scrubbing technology in power plants and new efficiencies have made the environment cleaner, not more polluted.

The Presidents attack on the coal industry is meaning a loss of jobs for hardworking Americans in an industry that supplies the fuel for almost 50% of the nations power. This attack is also making Americans utility prices rise at a time when many are out of work or under employed.

Americans are subsidizing alternative energy experiments(Solyndra) to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, which are put in your taxes and heaped on top of your already expensive utility bills.

Is it time for a modern day version of the Molly Maguires to say enough?

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For other points of view visit Carroll Standard: www.carrollstandard.com

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Bono says America is a contagious idea

You know you have ascended to the top tier of fame when you just need one name to be known by. Paul David Hewson AKA: Bono, has achieved that lofty status. The face of Ireland to many in the world, native Son, poet, musician, philanthropist, humanitarian, activist, and artist, Bono epitomizes that truth.

Perhaps known for his philanthropy as much as his creativity in the music field, Bono has drawn together quite a far flung army of volunteers in his war on poverty and disease. President Bill Clinton said it best when he told Bono he has "quite a large tent" when describing his diverse army. Under that tent are rockers, to soccer moms, to evangelicals, all united in goals to make the world a better place.

Fresh off his bands U2 world tour that brought in 736 million in ticket sales, Bono sat down for an interview with Governor Huckabee on Fox News to share his thoughts.

First and foremost Bono praised America for it's leadership in the world wide war on poverty and disease. Bono particularly singled out President Bush when he stepped up to the plate and marshaled American and world resources to fight the worldwide AIDS epidemic, especially focusing in on the devastating disease in Africa.

Bono said that one single act by President Bush and America, was the biggest extraordinary fight for good in the world, since Americas involvement in World War II. He said due to Americas generosity and Bushes leadership, untold millions of lives have been saved.

But Bono's gift is that he is a poet with that intangible ability to describe the essence of spirit with the magic of his words. He summed up what America is in a poetic thought by saying "America is an idea, a contagious idea". "A contagious idea that inspires the world."

America understands the value of life, has the spirit of volunteerism and a "can do" attitude that has always inspired the rest of the world. Bono has recognized this special part of America and has been able to tap into that American essence, by recruiting our humanitarian spirit and at the same time steering billions of dollars in aid towards noble causes that make the world a better place.

America generously opened its arms to many waves of Irish immigrants who found shelter from a homeland that did not welcome them. Throughout Americas history, the Irish have repaid that generosity by helping build America into the greatest country the world has ever seen. America and Ireland have a strong special bond of blood and toil and a vested interest in seeing our countries prosper.

So when a world renowned native son of Ireland gives his opinion on the greatness of America, 40 million Americans of Irish descent listen. One of them was me and what I took particular note of was the closing of the interview, when Bono, who is not particularly noted for his conservative views, took a stand in our political situation:

At the end of the interview Governor Huckabee, jokingly said off the cuff, Bono should consider a run for the American Presidency. He replied that the Governor himself should consider a run, as "America needs Reagan like statesmanship that is so missing."

Bono and I see eye to eye on that statement.

For the most unique gifts, time capsules in American and world history: lifemagforsale.com

For other points of view visit Carroll Standard: www.carrollstandard.com

Hi Speed rail too expensive? Let the Irish build it

Hi Speed Rail costs are getting to be astronomical.

California's estimated costs to build a high speed rail system between Los Angeles and the San Francisco bay area have now risen to 100 billion dollars. Original estimates presented to voters just three years ago pegged the price at a measly 43 billion.

Today's estimated price has more than doubled in just three years and from experience this won't be the last time that estimate and/or final price tag more than doubles, especially when you consider the project is mapped out to take 20 years to build. Just using the model of every 3 years the price doubles, you get into US National debt territory.
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-------------------- Of course in order to build this project you will see every special interest that can walk crawl or run, hitch a ride on this gravy train. Experience shows when the stars align like this, under the banner of a "noble cause" nothing can rival the expense and cost overruns when everyone has finally given the OK and climbed aboard the "piece train".

A good example was when the earthquake damaged portion of freeway in Oakland California had to be replaced. It took nearly a decade to build a three mile stretch of freeway at the cost of 1.2 billion. At the time it was called the most expensive stretch of road in the history of mankind and probably still is.

These same forces are pushing the high speed rail project.

Looking in the historic context of railroad building, nothing could rival what occurred in America in the 1860's, when east and west were connected by a transcontinental railroad. These tracks made their way through the harshest conditions imaginable wending through the Sierra Nevada Mountain range and the stark rugged lands of Nebraska and Utah. Almost 1,800 miles of railway built in six years.

The substantial amount of work on this project was by the new Irish immigrants/Civil War veterans who constructed the eastern portion of the track and by Chinese immigrants who worked on the line from the west.

The government sold bonds to help finance the project, but also gave the railroad builders land rights and right of way along the routes that would be extremely valuable after the rail system was complete. New towns sprung up along the route and brought hundreds of thousands of new immigrants to settle along the new thoroughfare.

As the rail line was built, a new system of communication was installed next to the tracks, the telegraph line, which connected east and west instantaneously with information and news of events in the land.

The railroads not only carried passengers, but carried manufactured goods from the east coast and sent back raw materials and goods from the west. The dangerous trip across country which used to take months, now took just days and cost about 65.00.

But back in those days, there wasn't an EPA, Department of Interior, teams of environmental organizations armed with lawyers, or any organized groups opposing progress...Unless you counted the displaced Native American tribes, who got swept aside by the call of manifest destiny. These tribes of people were not happy with the westward progress that aimed directly at them. They referred to the new steam locomotives as "iron horses". Guns were called "fire arms", whiskey was called "fire water" and the covered wagons that brought settlers to their lands were named "God dams".

But nothing could stand in the way of this expansion. It showed when the nation pulls together and there is a will to get things done, great things can be accomplished.

The same spirit of "can do" is lying dormant right now as evidenced by the red tape and "molasses in winter" speed in which this high speed rail project is being formulated. So from the perspective of cost effectiveness and the 20/20 hindsight that history gives, I nominate the Irish and Chinese to take charge of this endeavor. My guess it will be built under budget and come in way ahead of schedule.

For the most unique gifts, time capsules in American and world history: lifemagforsale.com

For other points of view visit Carroll Standard: www.carrollstandard.com
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Aruba: sand, sun, murder and Casey Anthony's Lawyer

Casey Anthony and attorney Jose Baez in court

With the unjust verdict in the Casey Anthony trial months behind us, some of the outrage about the failure in our justice system had started to simmer. But the epitome of that legal failure by manipulation grabbed the spotlight, and outrage has flamed anew.

Attorney Jose Baez, still strutting with pride from his masterful hoodwinking of the Florida Jury, was able to grab the spotlight again this week when he paraded his new client, accused murderer Gary Giordono in front of the television cameras in Aruba.

Giordono in an eery similarity to missing American teen, Natalie Holloway, has been accused of murdering his girlfriend, Robyn Gardner, while vacationing with her on Aruba. He was the last person to be seen with her while they went snorkeling together off a secluded Aruban beach. Giordono claims Gardner was pulled out to sea by a strong current as they snorkeled near the shore.

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Aruban authorities jailed him for almost 4 months while they conducted a massive search for the missing woman and checked his changing alibis for clues. It didn't help Giordonos case for authorities to learn that he had purchased a multi million dollar life insurance policy on the missing woman the day they left for their vacation. It cast further doubt on his alibi when it was learned he had been anxiously calling the insurance company to inform them of the disappearance of the woman and to check that the policy was still in force.

"The case does not end here,” Aruba’s Solicitor General Taco Stein vowed. “Mr. Giordano will remain our prime suspect. We know he is lying; His story is not true.”

The outrageous irony in all of this certainly didn't fail to disturb many Americans as we remembered another infamous murderer set free by Aruba, Joren Vandersloop. He is the confessed killer of another teenager and last person seen with Natalie Holloway who has been "missing" ever since her visit to Aruba on a high school class outing.

Vandersloop, like Casey Anthony was jailed by authorities because of bizarre alibis which changed as frequently as the tides which which rip past the infamous island. Vandersloot was finally released by Aruban authorities, due to"lack of evidence." Many believed Vandersloot's escape from justice was orchestrated, aided and abetted by his Father, who just happened to be a prominent judge on the island.

Vandersloot went on to further infamy when he was arrested for the murder of another young woman in Peru. But this time, unluckily for Vandersloot, the crime wasn't committed in Aruba. Peruvian authorities don't take kindly to foreigners murdering their citizens and have not treated him with the kid gloves Aruba handled him with. Peruvian authorities didn't believe the pathological lies/alibi Vandersloot fed them and have imprisoned him on overwhelming evidence of murder. It seems that Vandersloot's final home will be in a Peruvian prison.

Is Jose Baez planning on visiting Peru in the near future?

For the most unique gifts, time capsules in American and world history: lifemagforsale.com

For other points of view visit Carroll Standard: www.carrollstandard.com