Why do coal miners want to continue working such a horrible, dirty job?

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80. People need a way out of coal

It needs to be a holistic approach.

1. Better education in the school system. The schools out there are horrible. I spent time growing up in Appalachia after living in RI. I lost 1 1/2 years of schooling-- the schools were that bad.

2. Creating a culture of life long education. Schools need to be open to adults to retrain and relearn stuff that should have been taught to them in high school.

3. Valuing education. PEople don't value education. Too long, they have relied on extractive Industries for work -- industries where people with minimal skills do the hard dirty work. People have no skills to compete in the global economy. People need to value education. I can't emphasize how strongly a cultural shift is needed. People need to value academics more than a good football or basketball team.

4. Understand and make use of the regions strengths-- tight knit families and communities, religion (yes, that too. You won't make headway attacking it in these communities), self reliance, work ethic, self sufficiency.

5. Can not emphasize the importance of road and rail. It takes forever to go many places within short distance (as the eagle flies) because you go up, up up a mountain and then down, down, down and then up, up, up the next mountain. Infrastructure spending would be a good stop gap...won't pay 100-150K but it won't be poverty either. Smart roads (internet enabled) would be great to help with winding turns and trucks with heavy loads.

6. Can't emphasize broadband enough. Slow, slow internet. Or no internet. Or really expensive Internet. Maybe take a page out of some internet activities in Africa where they get high speed cellular networks so you can upgrade faster. Can always lay new broadband down near new roads.

7. Health care. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners would be a good job in these communities. Quick expansion of health care system. Good pay. Also community outreach workers.

8. Retraining older workers. If you just throw 50 year olds out of a job with no recourse, then they become their children's problems and cripple their children (especially the girls) as they try to improve themselves through education or career pursuits.

9. 3D printing community centers attached to post offices. The post offices have the land and the roads necessary to ship raw materials in and finished goods out. A lot of the skill set in 3D printing is the same visual spatial, manual, and practical common sense used in regular manual jobs. Would appeal to mountaineers sense of self sufficiency and mastery. People can crate things for their own community... Auto parts, jewelry, plastic stuff, metal, etc. small scale community based manufacturing.

11. Us e the unions as a vehicle for transformation. Move the UMW from focusing on just mines.

10. You need to attack Appalachia's problems with a 20 year time span. It won't be a quick fix. These people have seen promises come and go. RObert Byrd was the best thing going for WV. Having power in the senate to create long term sustainable programs was the best thing for WV.
Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in SW VA bringing venture capital in. But change in the hills is coming ... Whether it's a descent into drug addicted racism or a rise into a future connected with the rest of the world.