I wonder if they will find him guilty?

[t3r3e3]

The shift supervisors are who is responsible for production. If they decide to forgo saftey to beat their quota that is on them. They have direct control of what's going on in the mine , if they felt lives were being risked they should have shut it down. I would be willing to bet there wouldn't be near as much hate for Don if he didn't have more money than the vast majority of this board COMBINED .... He was a ruthless executive who got $hit done !! If he didn't he would have been replaced. As CEO your job is to make money for your shareholders and your compensation is based on how well you accomplish that task. No differnt that a sub contractor working on flat rate jobs

You need to understand the whole picture Huck. Blankenship was the driving force behind busting the unions and switching over from underground mining to increased mountaintop jobs. Mountaintop removal requires a much smaller workforce than underground mining. Pretty much all the Massey mines were non-union, and many of the employees were not local. Massey was famous for advertising jobs in Charlotte, Atlanta, etc newspapers, but not too much locally.

What does all that add up to? Shift supervisors and other employees had to decide between following safety regs or keeping their jobs. Massey always had plenty of new applicants lined up to replace the guys who complained about unsafe working conditions or production above all else. Guys knew they would get canned if they didn't toe the company line, so they looked the other way.

As for the fines, Massey looked at fines as a cost of doing business. They racked up an insane amount of fines, but tied them up in MSHA mediation to the point that they didn't have to pay many of them, or had them reduced.

All of this is why Blankenship is on trial.

[blncfn57]

You need to understand the whole picture Huck. Blankenship was the driving force behind busting the unions and switching over from underground mining to increased mountaintop jobs. Mountaintop removal requires a much smaller workforce than underground mining. Pretty much all the Massey mines were non-union, and many of the employees were not local. Massey was famous for advertising jobs in Charlotte, Atlanta, etc newspapers, but not too much locally.

What does all that add up to? Shift supervisors and other employees had to decide between following safety regs or keeping their jobs. Massey always had plenty of new applicants lined up to replace the guys who complained about unsafe working conditions or production above all else. Guys knew they would get canned if they didn't toe the company line, so they looked the other way.

As for the fines, Massey looked at fines as a cost of doing business. They racked up an insane amount of fines, but tied them up in MSHA mediation to the point that they didn't have to pay many of them, or had them reduced.

All of this is why Blankenship is on trial.

It's nothing that every company in the country wouldn't do. The difference is, the government regulations and fines/penalties generally hold it to a minimum. It don't matter how much money this man had at his disposal, there would have been no stopping the government had they actually cared to step in. Sounds to me like the inspectors were bought and that's where the guilt lies IMO.

[welderron105]

IT aint against the law to bribe the inspectors??

[hucktyson]

The fact that he was hated by democrats / unions reinforces my beleive that this is a political hatchet job. No one put a gun to anyone's head to get in that mine , every guy had the opportunity to quit . I talked to several miners about this situation and not one of them thinks Blankenship made the calls on these details .

[mud duck]

Greed and profits by upper management got these miners killed. Blankenship didn't care one bit about the safety of the workers. I love how some blame it on the govt?? The very same ones that say govt regulates to much!!!!

[Cast-Iron-Junkie]

"I talked to several miners about this situation and not one of them thinks Blankenship made the calls on these details ."

Wow..... how f#$%*!g stupid do you think people are? Huck, you've said some stupid things here in the past but this is by far the dumbest f@#$*&g thing I've ever heard! You're not talking about Brian Gray, or qualifying in an invert spot at Eldora here buddy. Who the f@#k do you think you're fooling? "a political hatchet job"? Save the political bull(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) for you're mother, wife, boyfriend, kids or anyone else who believes you, you delusional right wing co(k sucker! It ain't flying here! This is about 29 Men losing there lives because this greedy arrogant (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) wanted to make even more money!

Refer to the company memo Blankenship wrote himself "if any of you have been asked by your group presidents, your supervisors, engineers or anyone else to do anything other than run coal (i.e., build overcasts, do construction jobs, or whatever) you need to ignore them and run coal. This memo is necessary only because we seem not to understand that coal pays the bills." .... not what you would have people believe when you said "The shift supervisors are who is responsible for production. If they decide to forgo saftey to beat their quota that is on them. They have direct control of what's going on in the mine " now is it? You're in way over your head here jack off.....

Let me ask you one final question here today. Why do you think Mr. Blankenship had water piped in to his home from another county?

[Nasty55]

"I talked to several miners about this situation and not one of them thinks Blankenship made the calls on these details ."

Wow..... how f#$%*!g stupid do you think people are? Huck, you've said some stupid things here in the past but this is by far the dumbest f@#$*&g thing I've ever heard! You're not talking about Brian Gray, or qualifying in an invert spot at Eldora here buddy. Who the f@#k do you think you're fooling? "a political hatchet job"? Save the political bull(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) for you're mother, wife, boyfriend, kids or anyone else who believes you, you delusional right wing co(k sucker! It ain't flying here! This is about 29 Men losing there lives because this greedy arrogant (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) wanted to make even more money!

Refer to the company memo Blankenship wrote himself "if any of you have been asked by your group presidents, your supervisors, engineers or anyone else to do anything other than run coal (i.e., build overcasts, do construction jobs, or whatever) you need to ignore them and run coal. This memo is necessary only because we seem not to understand that coal pays the bills." .... not what you would have people believe when you said "The shift supervisors are who is responsible for production. If they decide to forgo saftey to beat their quota that is on them. They have direct control of what's going on in the mine " now is it? You're in way over your head here jack off.....

Let me ask you one final question here today. Why do you think Mr. Blankenship had water piped in to his home from another county?

Best post yet......

[Josh Bayko]

Actually the whole case against him was based on how he micromanaged his coal mines to maximize production. Most of the testimony centered around how hands on he was with all levels of employees at the mine. A few of the shift supervisor types at Upper Big Branch cut deals with the Feds to minimize their own prosecution. Believe that's why the Feds thought they could tie him directly to the incidents that led up to the explosion. With that said I followed a lot of the proceedings and I'm not sure the "Gotcha Moment" ever happened but I could be wrong on that. I predicted huge fines and a little time at Club Fed pretrial. Whatever the outcome I'm sure the appeals will drag on for awhile given Don's war chest of funds..

If the prosecution's case was based mostly on the testimony of folks who cut deals to testify, they're not going to get a conviction. High powered attorneys, like Blankenships, almost assuredly tore the testimony's credibility apart.

I think the worst part of any of this is that 29 people are dead. No amount of court proceedings or convictions or anything else is going to change that. The families are going to feel that hurt every day for the rest of their lives. It shouldn't be about politics, but it is, on both ends.

[t3r3e3]

It's nothing that every company in the country wouldn't do. The difference is, the government regulations and fines/penalties generally hold it to a minimum. It don't matter how much money this man had at his disposal, there would have been no stopping the government had they actually cared to step in. Sounds to me like the inspectors were bought and that's where the guilt lies IMO.

I have to disagree. While every business sets out to make a profit, Massey took it far beyond that. Their safety record and violation list is far, far worse than the average coal operation. Massey got away with it because of the people they had in their pocket, the chronically understaffed nature of MSHA, the rigged political system, and the spineless state mine agencies in WV. There's also the bullying and company thugs who silenced anyone who dared to speak out.

[mud duck]

"I talked to several miners about this situation and not one of them thinks Blankenship made the calls on these details ."

Wow..... how f#$%*!g stupid do you think people are? Huck, you've said some stupid things here in the past but this is by far the dumbest f@#$*&g thing I've ever heard! You're not talking about Brian Gray, or qualifying in an invert spot at Eldora here buddy. Who the f@#k do you think you're fooling? "a political hatchet job"? Save the political bull(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) for you're mother, wife, boyfriend, kids or anyone else who believes you, you delusional right wing co(k sucker! It ain't flying here! This is about 29 Men losing there lives because this greedy arrogant (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) wanted to make even more money!

Refer to the company memo Blankenship wrote himself "if any of you have been asked by your group presidents, your supervisors, engineers or anyone else to do anything other than run coal (i.e., build overcasts, do construction jobs, or whatever) you need to ignore them and run coal. This memo is necessary only because we seem not to understand that coal pays the bills." .... not what you would have people believe when you said "The shift supervisors are who is responsible for production. If they decide to forgo saftey to beat their quota that is on them. They have direct control of what's going on in the mine " now is it? You're in way over your head here jack off.....

Let me ask you one final question here today. Why do you think Mr. Blankenship had water piped in to his home from another county?

CIJ You nailed it!! Blankenship might get off free and clear on this deal!! Mostly because of his money and influence. But, there's nobody in the state of WV, that believes poor ol Mr. Blankenship is completely innocent!! 29 miners lost their lives! While he sits at home and counts his millions!! There have been plenty of things brought out that showed his greed.

Not saying anything bad about his son, he had nothing to do with it. But, if the 23 Coal car is back out on the track after all this is said and done. I wouldn't be cheering it on!! The money that he made from those coal mines and yes the UBB is paying for that car!! Just remember, 29 guys died because the almighty dollar got in the way of safety!

[hucktyson]

Can you tell me how many miners died in the United States in the last 100 years at mines where don Blankenship had zero involvement ??

[t3r3e3]

Can you tell me how many miners died in the United States in the last 100 years at mines where don Blankenship had zero involvement ??

I don't know if you don't comprehend the point or are just choosing to ignore it. By your rationale, Ebola is okay because pandemic outbreaks have killed far more people over the past 100 years than just last year. And I suppose ISIL is okay too because religious extremists have killed far more people in the past 100 years than in the last couple.

I know your a PA guy. If you'd ever have lived or worked in the area Don holds sway in (I have and I have) you'd probably understand where many of us are coming from. It's a whole different world down there. The locals are treated like dirt by many of people in power. Guys like Blankenship are almost God-like in the coal fields. They're above the law, and can do what they want with impunity. That's why it was a breath of fresh air to finally see someone held accountable. Or at least the attempt of holding someone else accountable.

[mudmaker]

I would imagine however this court case turns out, there will be civil suits starting shortly afterwards. That may be where the true money will change hands. I expect him to have to pay out settlements plenty. There may be a carcass left but it could be picked clean in civil suits.
One reason to change from underground to surface mining is number of times per year that MSHA inspects goes from four to one per year. (That how it is in metal/nonmetal at least. I expect it's the same for coal) That the least amount they have to show up. They can come as often as they like.
Unfortunately, so much surface mining has ruined a lot of the countryside and extreme measures are mounting to prevent that.
When I worked limestone we collectively made it a goal to get zero violations every year. Unfortunately the general thought was to give them a violation here or there and they won't look as hard at every single thing. And we got violations for the simplest things too. I had a waterproof light switch that wasn't perfect in adjustment so it had to be clicked on with some effort and yes, that's a violation. Getting out of a loader without the bucket all the way to the ground is a violation. If, as an employee you can't tell the inspector where the MSDS book is at the facility or you don't know how to read it correctly is a violation. (MSDS forms have only recently become standardized so all companies have to use the same basic form to ease comprehension.)
Bottom line is its hard to please some inspectors but it's what has to be done and then if you get fined, take your lumps and rectify the situations and pay up or if you think your in the right, appeal. But appealing every violation with the chance of winning against the government ain't gonna happen.
Imo.

[Illtsate32]

Sounds like a scabby company owner who doesnt give a crap about his workers....