Here ya go, DA. Proof the West Virginia mining companies are evil.

[Dave]

Well, Massey at least.

Massey Energy kept 2 sets of safety records - one to show the federal regulators and one with the truth.

Fines are not enough. Someone needs to go to jail for willful negligence.

 

[Chibibar]

I say stick him in the mine and shut him in, but that is me.

 

[papachronos]

*Ahem* WEST Virginia. West BY GOD Virginia. 'Cause, you know, God is out west.

And yes, Massey is evil and has been for as long as I've been aware of them. There's no part of the southern half of West Virginia that hasn't been tainted by their touch.

/relurks

 

[Dave]

*Ahem* WEST Virginia. West BY GOD Virginia. 'Cause, you know, God is out west.

And yes, Massey is evil and has been for as long as I've been aware of them. There's no part of the southern half of West Virginia that hasn't been tainted by their touch.

/relurks

Apologies. Title fixed.

 

[GasBandit]

Sounds like jail time needed all around there.

 

[Eriol]

Forgery? Fraud? I'm not sure what it falls under exactly, but it's pretty close to as illegal as you can get when it comes to reporting documents by keeping two sets of records, with the "clean" ones being the "official" ones.

Ya, people should be going to jail over this. Kinda like how you can be charge with Murder if you commit arson (in at least some places this is how it works), the same should be done with this for miner safety. I don't apply that standard usually as long as due diligence is done (that type of job, and many jobs, are dangerous by their nature), but when it's clearly the opposite, I think it should be applied, and some people charged with Murder.

 

[Dave]

If they had safety violations and just didn't fix them, then it may not be criminal but still subject to civil suits by the families of the victims. In this case, however, it is intentional fraud and covering up of dangerous conditions that were preventable and ended up killing people. It should be manslaughter at the very least.

 

[DarkAudit]

The memos that leaked after the Upper Big Branch disaster showed what they thought about the regs. The condensed version was, "fuck the regs. MOVE COAL."

When Don Blankenship testified before the Senate, Sen. Byrd was ready to leap from his desk and give The Don a right whuppin'. Even at 95, Sen. Byrd was mad enough to do it easily. We miss Big Daddy.

 

[Dave]

But before you only had proof of uncaring dipshits. Now you have proof of actual fraud and crimes which resulted in miners dying.

 

[@Li3n]

If they had safety violations and just didn't fix them, then it may not be criminal

Right, it's only individuals that can be criminally negligent, i knew i must have missed something if what you where saying was true: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_negligence#United_States

 

[Norris]

Sounds like jail time needed all around there.

I thought for sure you'd view this as civil disobedience against nosy government regulators. Huh.

 

[GasBandit]

I thought for sure you'd view this as civil disobedience against nosy government regulators. Huh.

Well, I'm not quite so libertarian as I once was, but even then, despite popular misconception, libertarians are not anarchists.