For some reason, anybody high up in the food chain at Walker Machinery voicing their ridiculous opinions on mountaintop removal can bring the rant right out of me.
I’ve said it in the past, I’m all for one’s own opinion. The difference here is the opinions of Walker Machinery are motivated strictly by the bottom line. A person would have to be a fool to think otherwise. Maybe Walker Machinery is actually a bunch of well educated scientists that decided to drop everything and go into the heavy equipment business. They may very well be scientists - not sure about the well educated part though.
Roger Lilly is the marketing manager for Walker/Cat Machinery. Walker is a major supplier and service dealer for heavy equipment to mountaintop removal sites. That is it - they have no other function. They are like the little fish I told you about in an earlier post. You know the ones you see swimming with killer whales and sharks. They are there only for whatever scraps the whale (coal industry) decides to send their way. Scavengers - in other words.
Roger Lilly - Going green is beginning to make me see red
The Charleston Gazette - March 13, 2008
I highly suggest reading the story from the gazette. It is probably one of the worst pieces I have ever read.
There are a couple of things I want to point out in particular about the article although the whole thing shows how well educated this man is.
“I don’t recycle plastic because the government and the chemical industry don’t want me to. If they did, they would make it worth my time and gas to go out of my way to take them to the recycling center. (I live rurally.)” - Lilly
He wants to be paid to do his part.
From time to time I have said how the friends of coal would be quite happy if coalfield residents didn’t exist -
“Forgive me for worrying more about vacation homes on the rim of the New River Gorge than a mountaintop removal site 26 hard miles south of nowhere. America needs the energy. Desperately. West Virginia needs the jobs. Desperately. I’ve done the math. Win-win.” - Lilly
Phone call for Mr. Lilly - you know who it is.
The people in the coalfields couldn’t care less about vacation homes on the New River Gorge. Why? Because we live 26 hard miles south of nowhere. And as far as your math - I think you need to do it again. If you can’t do math - it is real easy research and available everywhere. Matter of fact a lot of people have already done the research for you. All you have to do is read. 125,000 jobs - 1950 / 20,000 jobs - 2005. Unless you were talking about the math that adds up your bottom line. In that case - I’m quite sure it is win-win, for you and the coal industry.
“Seventy cents of every dollar Walker Machinery makes comes from the coal industry,” said Roger Lilly, marketing manager for company in Belle.
“Lilly says the coal industry is under fire from extreme environmentalists, uncertainty in the courts and the shifting marketplace.”
Last two quotes from - The Register Herald - Feb 13, 2008
March 13th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Roger Lilly’s ignorance and blatant industry bias in the Gazette article astounded me!
I wonder if he really does actually feel that way, or if he is simply towing the company line. If those are truely his original thoughts, he needs to turn off the Fox News!
March 13th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I think he is saying it because he is making a bundle. He is trying to protect his income stream with any means necessary.
For some reason I can’t quit focusing on the 26 hard miles south of nowhere. I think it speaks volumes as to what they really think about future development for these sites.
March 14th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Good point. His remark about “26 miles from nowhere” certainly is telling.
It is very frightening to our family, MTR is just starting to take hold in Wyoming County. From my mother-in-law’s home in Matheny, you can actually see a site, and at the head of Cabin Branch Holler is a huge Valley Fill. Cabin Branch used to be so clean and pretty. Shirley’s best friend lives up Cabin Branch and you can see the valley fill from out of her window. Also, for the first time in known memory, Cabin Branch Holler floods whenever it rains. But we are supposed to beleive that MTR doesn;t cause, lead to and exacerbate flooding. Bullsh*t!
It is especially frustrating to know what is in store for Wyoming County and Matheny in particular. Shirley’s family founded Matheny and have lived there for over 200 years. Roots run deep, but apparently coal runs deeper. Most of the folks there are still of a mind set that, it won’t happen here like it has over in Boone County. Little do they know by the time it gets to that point, it will be far too late.
I’m rambling now so i’ll shut up.
Matthew
March 14th, 2008 at 1:18 am
MTR is frightening to any family that has to deal with it.
That is something else that gets me. The people that have to deal with it - it’s not something happening on the peripheral. It’s in your face. Valley fills, explosions, red & black water… one negative right after another - every day.
Ramble here anytime - I do.
March 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I haven’t kept up with this Denny (I’m ashamed to say) But it’s good that you have others on board with you so you know that your not the only one that sees the problem with all of this…keep up the good fight!
March 14th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Funny, when I read Ed Abbey’s ‘The Monkey Wrench Gang’ I thought some of those ‘developers’ happily ‘developing’ the wilderness were amusing caricatures.
My mistake.