Utah Miner Families speak out! On Bob Murray: " I can't stand to listen to the man."
By John Amato Wednesday Oct 03, 2007 8:36am
Some families testified yesterday in utter despair over their loss of a son and a husband. I've written a lot about the actions of the shady Utah mine owner Bob Murray. This is a heartbreaking look at how these families are dealing with the tragic deaths that happened in part because of the incompetent actions of Bob Murray.
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Sheila Phillips - Mother of miner Brandon Phillips:
"It's just hard to have hope, and have your heart broke every day, and have your grandson grow up without a dad…And I'd like to talk a little bit about Mr. Murray -- I didn't go to very many of the meetings because I couldn't stand to listen to the man. He was talking about one day when they were moving the drill holes, and they had the pad ready for one and then they decided to drill it somewhere else, and I asked him why they didn't have two going... and he said 'we could drill you 1,000 holes and it wouldn't make any difference.' (transcripts and Digby below the fold)
They would find him, wouldn't they? If they drilled at least 1,000? I just miss him…I would like to know where my son is in that hole, so I can leave a marker on that mountain."
Wendy Black - Wife of miner Dale "Bird" Black:
"I want to know, if there are rules and regulations made to protect the miners, then who is to be hold accountable to make sure these are being followed? Please at least have one person with enough backbone to say 'no more.' MSHA has one job: mine safety and health administration. It would have taken just one MSHA official or one official from the company doing his job to have saved my husband's life. Which one of them wasn't doing his job?"
Tragically, a whole bunch of people have died and others are injured but so far, we’ve heard almost nothing about this “star’s” background in pushing unsafe mining techniques and anti-union policies and neither have we heard anything about the fact that the man Bush named to be the “mine safety czar” was such a bad choice for the job that he had to give him a recess appointment with a Republican congress…read on
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I bet he's a Bush "Ranger" isn't he?
You really think it was incompetence?
I don't, I think it was pure greed and a disregard for the "little people" who work for him and their safety.
It was profit over people, pure and simple. It is the creed of the Republican party.
I can't remember where I read it because it was back when the whole thing was happening, but it compared the background of Clinton's choice for head of mine safety to bush's choice. It was amazing. Clinton's choice was a guy who grew up knowing mining and followed a life path of working for mine safety. Bush's choice was totally unfit for the job.
Murray should be on Satan's "to do" list. He, Murray, was only looking out for number one all the way through that nightmare.
Clytemnestra @ 2:
The motto of the GOP is "In Mammon We Trust".
pissed off patricia @ 3:
Let me guess: Bush's choice had the qualification of judging and breeding Arabian show horses.
I'd like to see who Murray "paid off" in the government since the government agencies reported three years earlier that they feared collapse in this mine due to unsafe conditions. Who knew what and when? No doubt Murray knew all about it and chose to do nothing. After all, doing something about it would change Murray's bottom line. These families need to bring suit against Murray and the Government agencies who fell down on the job killing their loved ones. Maybe hitting Murray in his all important pocket book will get his attention.
Isn't it amazing how the human "gut" reacts to overt lying. Right off the bat, Murray came on the television gushing about how safe his mine was and how he'd do everything in his power to find these men....he looked like a slimebag from day one and as it turns out, he's the quintessential slimebag.
This guy needs to be put out of business and sued up the whazoo.
Blue Buddha, it was just about on par with that.
Je découvre votre blogue. Il est très bien et le contenu aussi, surtout.
Très intéressant, merci pour l'information.
Clytemnestra @ 2:
DING DING DING!! Wow...so early in the day...but we have our winner.
Liberal AND Proud @ 9:
So what's the prize? A matching set of luggage? A year's supply of Rice-a-Roni?
Props to the families for speaking out against the union busting, sweater vested, robber baron
So while this dick Bob Murray was telling the media (and the American public) that there is still hope and they would continue to search until they found those minors - at the same time this cock was telling the families ‘we could drill you 1,000 holes and it wouldn't’t make any difference.’ - Oh what a schmuck. and I'm sorry how is it that this guy isn't in jail right now? Oh yeah, he has enough money to bypass the American system of Justice...man we need to fix our country!!!
Dahgrostab'ph-r-i @ 12:
The rich get richer, and the poor get
poorerprison.orion @ 6:
I don't think he needed to pay anyone, his sympathetic industry syncophants in government were happy to help him for free. Tammany Hall looks like a bunch of amateurs in comparison.
The Bush MSHA...Safety last!
Ahhhhhh, free enterprise, Baby.
Gotta love it.
What pissed me off about the Utah mine story is that the media basically gave Murray the stage. It was alway HIS face telling us what was or wasn't happening.
Sorta like allowing the prime suspect to describe what happened at a crime scene. Hmm, come to think, that's just what happened.
MRSA is just another Bush FEMA, rotten to the core just like the chimp!
OT: Pleeeeeeeease contact your respective U.S. Congressperson and encourage him/her
to vote "Aye" on the Children's Health Insurance Program(CHIP) when it is resubmitted
for their consideration within the next 10 or so days. This is a very important matter
and the Prez's veto needs to be overridden.
The "Murrays" in this country is exactly what is wrong with it. Bush is the same - cheney - rumsfeld - gonzolas, Giulia, Ken Romney, Chertoff, on and on and on and on and on and on. I could name hundreds more.
So how long do we let these bastards destroy America? How do we get rid of them? Even the Defeatocrats have them in their party - how have we moved so far away from the desires and wishes and needs of Americans? And how do we take our country back.
You look at a Murray and it all seems so tragic and impossible.
I do wonder how many of the mining families vote for and have voted for - regiplicans? Did they really not realize the potential damage they were inflicting on themselves?
My heart breaks for them - and thousands of others who were taken in by the GOP.
*
I don't want to sound heartless, but once an hour has passed after the miners were cut off, the rescue work is just a waste of time. The mining industry needs a serious overhaul especially dealing with safety equipment. Having emergency breathing packs that last an hour is insane, especially when the mine is deep.
Blue Buddha @ 5:
Bush's choice had the qualification of judging and breeding Arabian horse's asses.
I live in Utah and the one thing I kept asking myself at the start of the whole thing was, "Why is the mine owner in charge of a rescue? Where are the state and federal mining safety guys?" The answer was simple, there is no mine safety in this country. All there is are cardboard cutouts of an organization that appears to cover safety.
The only hope the miners have is that their respective companies understand that mine safety is in their financial best interest. And to tell the truth most companies do see it that way. But it only takes one self inflated pile to put a cloud over an entire industry.
Bob's sentiment's can be summed up as follows "You and your lost family members aren't worth the cash it would take to dig them out. Now suck it up and go away."
Unless you're a contributing member to the billionaire boys club you don't count.
To bad the miners didn't live in South Africa, they might be alive now.
I remember watching Murray and thinking this guy is hiding something. He had all the families together and he said he was protecting them from the press. I think it was more like he was keeping them from talking to the press. He wanted to be seen as the hero of the families and the miners. Behind the curtain, he was simply just covering his own ass. That was very apparent.
pissed off patricia @ 23:
how long will it take for these Americans to stop being so trusting of those who will see them dead before they see them trreated fairly and given a living wage and humane working conditions?
1). That clip had me in tears. I always thought it was kinda strange that the miners weren't found quickly. How long did it take to find the Sago miners?
2). Does anyone know the translation of comment #8?
Blue Buddha @ 5:
worse! he was a former mine owner with many, many violations during his tenure.
pissed off patricia @ 23:
DITTO!
As to bush's choices, it seems criminals feel much more comfortable working with other criminals. Birds of a feather and all.
God, we need an intelligent person in the white house. Someone who actually is looking out for the people of this country and not just the almighty dollar.
a perfect remark from a compassionate conservative. because the conserve thier compassion for those that can pay them.
I don't want to be a pain, but once and for all let's bury the "incompetence" meme. The mining disasters over the last few years, and even the Katrina debacle, were not caused by incompetence. That implies that the people involved don't know what they're doing. They do. They just don't care. These events are a direct result of an extreme conservative philosophy. The miners lives were put at risk, and kept at risk, because safeguards and following the law would have cut into profits. The Bush administration has effectively neutered all of the major "watchdogs" - EPA, FEMA, MSHA, FDA, the list goes on and on.
W is worried about his legacy? His legacy is that it will take decades to repair the damage he has done to this country - if it's even possible to fix.
I'm truly heartbroken for these families. God bless them.
And now because they won't reopen the mines, they'll be no investigation into possible criminality.
I think the Boss put it best - "Murder, Incorporated"
Do they not want to reopen the mine because it would be hazardous or because the conditions in the mine might be criminal? We ask that question because we can't trust the government to tell the truth about anything. Hell of a sad state of affairs we find in our country today. News like that in the previous post just support our distrust and even make it make it more so.
I really hope everyone thinks twice before voting to put another Republican in office again. The party of "goverment is bad, regulation is bad" has brought us a decade of contaminated food, collapsing mines, falling bridges, and flooded cities. Yes there have been these incidences throughout our history, but not on the scale we are seeing them now. Corruption, negligence, decaying public infrastructure,and profiteering is the gift of the Republican party that keeps on giving.
My condolences to the families of the mine victims. Let's hope those responsible are brought to justice and held accountable. Not likely though, when the fox is guarding the henhouse.
IgnoranceIsNotBliss @ 25:
Alain (@ #8) is basically saying he has discovered the C&L blog, the blogger is good and the contents also, especially. Very interesting, and thank you for the information.
==================
We have reached the point in America that whenever we seem someone on television (such as Murray) who is heartless, insensitive and greedy, we can automatically assume that person is a bush supporter and we can be 99.9% certain that our assumption is correct.
What say you, Orrin Hatch, to these heartbroken Utah families?
pissed off patricia @ 34:
In reality that's probably the case. By not reopening they bury the incriminating evidence forever. Had these miners had the UMW to represent them they may have had a fighting chance to strike back at this heartless goon. Instead, they had a criminal CEO who told them that he and the company could be trusted to take care of them. Unfortunately, dead men tell no tales.
Trittydi @ 18:
My guess is all of them voted repug and will again. They don't seem to be able to add 2+2. My parents live in Utah near this mine. The local newspaper just reported that bush's poll numbers are 70% approval in Utah.
Who was in charge of the rescue efforts? Did the federal or state government get involved?
To the Murrays of the world, the people that work for them are merely an expensive line on their balance sheet "human capital." There's no money to be made in looking for a few lost miners.
how DO you honestly investigate yourself???
Bob Murray is the Anti-Bob. Here's the real Bob:
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/f/f7/Bobdobbs.jpg
spanishcucumber @ 39:
I think that's illegal in Georgia.
When corporations kill people in pursuit of profit, it's not a crime--it's capitalism.
IgnoranceIsNotBliss @ 25:
1)2 days 12 dead 1 survivor
2)He or She is glad to have found C&L She or He likes John and is pleased with the information provided.
well im sure barbra bush would agree that this has worked out quite well for the dead miners ,after all they no longer have to worry about returning to work, what a gal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you John for reminding us of this tragic case. I like when you follow up on stories that seem to get lost in the news cycle. These families deserve answers and I'm glad someone is remembering to keep us informed on the progress of this case. Peace.
what news cycles/
alain @ 8:
Welcome. I remember a bit of my high school french and appreciate getting the chance to be reacquainted with a little of it. Hope one thing you discover on this site is that many of us are not only outraged by things happening here but also struggling to find ways to change things. Also deeply depressed.
As for the clip of the testimonies from the mineworker's families--I can only hope this is the last time something like this has to be investigated. They totally gutted the safety regulations and Congress should have begun investigating the minute those creeps started doing so. My heart goes out to those families. What a nightmare. And all because of greed.
Incompetent actions? Hardly. The best thing that could've happened for Murray was to have these miners dead. If even one survived to tell the tale that this rat-bastard was so greedy he'd tapped this mine to the point of retreat mining and knocking out load bearing coal support pillars thus collapsing the mine and killing the workers (not to mention the other 6 rescuers) it would've been all over for this criminal. Now he can go back to his other capital "ventures."
Meanwhile, 2,700 chinese miners have been rescued from an underground grave on the simple fact that they are not friends of George Bush.
In Amerika, we just bury them alive.
Cheers!
What was it that Albanian kid said on the Simpson's, "The machinery of capitalism is greased by the blood of the workers." (?)
When I first saw those clips yesterday, I could not help but be reminded that our nation does not care about poor people. Miners are not rich men. Companies look at a "labor force" and don't see people; they see backs that can carry things, not their humanity.
patthemonkey @ 22:
You're missing the BIG picture here, this is the modern Republic Party "Free Market" model, remember, Rove and Grover Nordquist et all want to dismantle ALL government regulation and oversight.
So, if you plane crashes, American Airlines and Boeing would be in charge of the investigation?
Think the results would EVER point to bad wiring or pilot error?
Or, if a new drug kills thousand, Glaxo-Welcome will investigate?
GM in charge of auto safety regulations, Archer Daniels Midlands in charge of food safety...
Lawsuits go Bye-Bye, corporate profits go skyrocketing?
Feel safer already? Your corporate CEO class surely does....
What really drove me crazy is, CNN et all kept letting Bob Murray claim
"Seismic activity cause the collapse" when all the scientist said, no, it didn't, the seismic activity happened AFTER and because of the collapse.
But, Murray kept saying it OVER and OVER, and NO ONE from CNN ever challenging him.
Gutless pukes....
I wonder how these people voted. Did they vote for Bush and the Republicans? I don't think Americans associate their vote with impacts on their lives. I don't know why Americans don't. How many even voted? 2004 and 2006 was the last time voting would have counted. Voting doesn't matter anymore. Nancy, Harry, and Dick have finally ended America.
Veritas78 @ 45:
It could be free Market as long as there is a market, it is free to kill any poor person
That's Republican and Libertarian morality at work, "They 'chose' to accept those jobs that were likely to get them killed." Case closed. I'm sure Murray sleeps just fine, thank you.
To the families: I feel your pain & loss. I lost my Dad in a roof collapse in a Utah mine in '69. Survivors: my Mother & 10 siblings. Please take care of each other. . . Thinking of all of you.
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