Mine Safety Czar Was Recess Appointment
Posted by Stephanie Taylor on August 17, 2007 at 09:41 AM
Richard Stickler, the Bush administration's mine safety czar, is a former mining industry executive whose own mine safety record was so poor, senators from both parties rejected him twice as a nominee for his current job.
President George W. Bush resorted to a recess appointment in October 2006 to anoint Richard Stickler as the nation's mine safety czar after it became clear he could not receive enough support even in a GOP-controlled Senate.
And in a heartbreaking turn of events, three more miners died yesterday while trying to rescue the six trapped miners in the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah. The rescuers had been heroically digging for more than a week to reach their comrades.
Comments - 7 »
Comments - 7 «
Life has never be easy or safe for miners even when there were those in the government looking out for them.
This recess appointment ranks up there with all the other politically expedient appointments that have resulted in tradegies. They are irresponsible at best. George W. Bush bears the blame.
My heart goes out to those that are suffering in this ordeal. I hope the rescue mission can come to a responsible end soon so those involved can have some form of closure.
The difficuty of the rescue argues that the mining operation there must have been risky to begin with. Richard Stickler can be relied on to say otherwise.
Posted by SandyH on August 17, 2007 at 10:48 AM
More lives have been lost this year since 1932. No wonder Congress wouldn't accept Strickler.
It was reported that the trapped miners included "2 Mexicans." Have they gone to hiring illegal aliens in mines? So much for union protection.
Sen. Hatch was just saying on The Situation Room (The Corporate Spin Room) that he didn't think that "retreat mining" was going on there. Wrong. "Mining has always been dangerous." Actually, it hasn't been this dangerous since 1932.
Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on August 17, 2007 at 04:29 PM
Execative Appointments, for the first time, have broken my heart since George Bush become President.
Posted by freeforall on August 19, 2007 at 09:16 PM
Where is the outrage of the Democratic Party against this horrible series of events?
LET'S IGNORE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO UNION PROTECTION FOR THESE WORKERS, SINCE UNION WORKERS NO LONGER SEEM A PRIORITY FOR THE DLC-TYPE DEMOCRATS.
It appears the company was using dangerous mining practices condoned by another corrupt Bush agency staffed by the industry, with a leader who was condemned by the Republican Senate TO THE EXTENT that Bush had to make a recess appointment.
WHY HASNT THE PARTY MADE THIS A MAJOR ISSUE?
What is wrong with this Democratic Party?
Posted by rewort on August 19, 2007 at 09:18 PM
Hey Alaskan, I see no one wants to comment to much on that. Agreed
Posted by CindyL on August 21, 2007 at 07:38 AM
Posted by Determined on August 21, 2007 at 09:38 AM
Just as tragic as unsafe working conditions in republican owned mines. Is... to make mining safer bush will allow strip mining mountains. there fore with no roof to collapse, potentially killing more miners. the environment be damned.
Posted by Froward69 on August 23, 2007 at 04:48 PM
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