Add Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob Moore (and his scrotums) to list of people who don’t know what words mean.
Must I post this video yet again? It appears I must:
“There were no workers that were forced to attend the event,” [Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob] Moore said. “We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event. We had a pre-registration list. And employees were asked to put their names on a pre-registration list because they could not get into the event unless they were pre-registered and had a name tag to enter the premises.”
But I thought “WOW! HUNDREDS OF COAL MINERS STAND IN LINE FOR MITT ROMNEY!“? Do you mean to tell me that these coal miners were paid to not be “forced” to attend this “mandatory” event?
“Our management people wanted to attend the event and we could not have people underground during Romney’s visit,” Moore insisted.
“But why not still pay then their wage for that day?” [WWVA radio host David] Blomquist pressed.
“By federal election law, we could not pay people to attend the event,” Moore replied. “And we did not want anyone to come back and see where anyone had been paid for that day.”
“I’m not saying pay then to attend the event, I’m saying, ‘Hey look, we have to close down the mine, if you want to attend this event, that’s fine, but you’re still going to get a day’s pay for the work that you would have done,’” Blomquist pointed out. “Why not do that?”
“As a private employer, it was our decision and we made the decision not to pay the people,” the Murray chief financial officer said.
So they were not paid to not be “forced” to attend this “mandatory” event? Management just shut down the mines and didn’t “force” all the workers to attend this “mandatory” Romney photo-op. Why was this “mandatory” event that management didn’t “force” the miners to attend without pay so important anyway?
“We’re talking about an event that was in the best interest of anyone that’s related to the coal industry,” Moore added. “I do not believe that missing an eight-hour day, when you put it into perspective, when you think about how critical—critical this next election is, and how critical it is that we get someone in this office that supports coal—to give up eight hours for a career, I just don’t believe that there is anything negative about that.”
That makes sense: I can see why management wouldn’t think that there’s “anything negative” about forcing people working near or below the poverty line to “give up eight hours” of paid wages to attend a Mitt Romney rally. I’m sure Romney himself fully supported management’s decision, both in this particular case and all others. Because what matters more? Food on the table or a photo-op?
UPDATE: In the comments, kerry notes that this is par for the conservative course: “It’s kind of like their view of rape–if you weren’t physically dragged there and restrained, it wasn’t ‘forced’.”
“This is not an order. This is just a strong suggestion from the man who signs your paycheck, and could stop doing that at any time, if you get my drift.”
I wonder if Moore got paid for the day. Oh wait, no I don’t.
Doubtless Moore’s litle stunt will have persuaded his workers to vote for Romney as a solid bloc.
Of course, it’s not like Republicans would make some kind of uproar over an organization promoting people to vote. One like… ACORN. I mean, they’d be perfectly okay with that!
Long as they bully their people into it, it’s legit.
That’s why they call it the bullying pulpit.
But they vote for Romney as a solid bloc, he is only a bowl Jello
IANAL. However, I am the person who is responsible for making sure my company never has a wage claim. And I’m really really sure that the moment you tell someone they must go somewhere and do something, that is work and must be paid.
Hey, the DoL seems to agree.
There BIG GOVERNMENT goes again forcing their ethics on us. This is America Mal, and you can’t just make people believe in things like unforced labor.
Only things the government is allowed to make you believe in America is God and Rich People.
Oh, I’m pretty sure the Republican parts of the government want us to believe in Forced Labor (at least us women).
Hold it now. Didn’t BradP tell us that only federal government power is oppressive and that the magic of the Market Fairy ™ would guarantee that employers treated them fairly? Also that the government always takes the side of the powerful?
And I’m comparing the depressingly useless West Virginia Wage Claim form to the really useful Massachusetts form (and credit where due to Martha Coakley on this issue, where she is actually five kinds of awesome), and I’m really not seeing how local government is always more responsive.
You aren’t suggesting that a libertarian might possibly be wrong about something, are you?!
We pay you to do what you’re told. But now we’re telling you to do something else, so we’re not paying you.
It’s kind of like their view of rape – unless you weren’t physically dragged there and restrained, it wasn’t “forced”.
Er, *if* you weren’t.
The rape occurs AFTER Rmoney is elected.
The photo-op was just foreplay
FTW.
Damn. This deserves an update.
Can you accommodate Kerry’s correction (change “unless” to if”)?
[I can. I have many powers. Including this one. HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA!]
Whoa. My mind is officially blown.
Well, SEK is Batman, after all.
I thought he was Tintin?
Considering that there is no photographic evidence of any the three together, I postulate he is both Batman and Tintin.
The mind reels when it considers the majesty that is…TinBatSeks.
Wow, I am flattered. However I must point out that I botched the grammar in my original comment, which is reproduced in your update. It should really be “if you weren’t” or “unless you were” (not “unless you weren’t”).
[Done!]
Even if you were physically dragged to the spot and restrained, it isn’t rape if a Republican does it. IOKIYAR!!!
However, any kind of activity is rape when performed by a Democrat. Criticizing a Republican, for example, is a form of rape as defined by Republican spokescum.
I’m sure Romney himself fully supported management’s decision, both in this particular case and all others. Because what matters more? Food on the table or a photo-op?
But Rich Lowry says that Mitt’s the kindest, gentlest, noblest man to ever run for president. After all, when Ann got sick, Mitt gave a shit.
Somehow I doubt that Mitt actually gave a shit, even then.
Come on, he bought her a damn horse! Have YOU ever bought a horse for anyone? I rest my case.
It’s possible Mittbot doesn’t even take a shit, much less give it.
Of course he gave a shit, she knows where the moneys hidden and a divorce would cost him half of everything he’s begged, borrowed and stolen.
Yea, but only Mittens knows Ann’s Secret Name, and without him saying it, she can’t get in to Heaven.
And no, I’m not making that up.
And the worst thing is? That’s not as ridiculous as Dow 36,000.
Yea, but only Mittens knows Ann’s Secret Name, and without him saying it, she can’t get in to Heaven.
Join us next week for another round of “Wizard of Earthsea or actual Mormon doctrine?”
That’s insane!
If you really believe in True Name magic, why would you tell it to ANYONE, even your spouse? That’s just ASKING for trouble!
Well, for a Conservative that’s pretty good. He sure did one-up Newt Gingrich.
+1 Starburst
Don’t forget, those 8 hours of “unpaid vacation” screw your overtime too. Enjoy your straight time!
Unless you’re gay, in which case you’re fired.
But in his scrotum he felt that no one was forced to attend.
Only because his ass-nipples were erect.
Everytime I read a Gateway Pundit headline I hear the voice of an over-excited child from an action figure commercial in my head.
[...] Coal miners show up to cheer Mitt Romney, and get docked a day’s pay for the experience! “There were no workers that were forced to attend the event,” [Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob] Moore said. “We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event. We had a pre-registration list. And employees were asked to put their names on a pre-registration list because they could not get into the event unless they were pre-registered and had a name tag to enter the premises.” * * * [...]
They do the same thing in the military.
You are not forced to attend Christian revival concerts. You will be confined to quarters with extra duty if you do not attend the Christian revival concert, but it is your choice.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-08-21-troops-christian-concert_N.htm
No matter how many times it happens over and over the media is just so shocked, each and every time, and officials will certainly get right on investigating it any minute now.
they used to do the same thing with smoking – smoke ‘em if ya gt ‘em or police the area. Not always a tough choice
What’s the big deal? This is just like when Romney/Bain got employees of Sensata Technologies and other companies to freely choose to train their own overseas replacements (as one employee put it, “It was like having to dig your own grave”). Nothing forced about it, right up to the moment they were politely asked to leave the premises. These coal miners are merely standing up for what their masters believe of their own free will — free here meaning that neither Romney nor Murray Energy had to pay them for it. Ain’t modern capitalism swell?
“These coal miners are merely standing up for what their masters believe of their own free will”
So coal mining is a form of birth control?
I knew this was fishy for the following reason: as soon as the pictures of this event went out, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Had the advance men “suggested” the miners show up with coal-dusted faces, like the noble underground laborers we all know from folksongs..? Was this the previous shift of miners, not allowed to clean up before showing up to the rally? What? I was sickened. Who would “voluntarily” go see a presidential candidate speak and not wash their face??! They looked like they were wearing costumes of themselves, for Romney’s benefit. So hearing they were “forced” to go doesn’t surprise me at all.
Pithead showers? Don’t be ridiculous. Next you’ll be asking for shovels and pickaxes so you can spare your precious fingernails.
The miners in this case were exactly like the haybails they stacked around W’s podium whenever he spoke in a rural setting way back when . I think there might be some money in plastic miner statuary…hmmm, frozen emotionless fake placeholders in a Presidential Campaign? The Candidate already beat us to it….damn…
I have known for a long time that most conservatives consider their employees to be their property.
It’s just who they are and how they think.
I remember the first job I had out of high school where there was a lunch meeting and the owner implored everyone to vote for Ronald Reagan because allowing the Democrats to win was “like putting razors in the hands of children”.
It’s the same reason they want the business owners to tell their employees whether or not they can use contraceptives.
Sorry, Greg, didn’t notice that you beat me to it.
“like putting razors in the hands of children”
That does sound scary. Unless, of course, the children were being attacked by an ax-wielding Wall St. mob.
is it me or are all the things the left used to accuse the right of being all the things the right is now claiming front and center and standing behind?
2008 Dems – ” You’re Homophobic-Intolerant-Racist-Theocrat- Misogynist-Warmongering Anti-Science-Greed-head-Lying Scum!”
2012 Republican – ” …and? “
The problem is that the reporter didn’t man up and tell the clown he was a fucking liar.
Damn. With all those coal miners standing around we’ll never create enough energy to turn raw materials into solar panels.
so what’s the big deal? they were free to quit their jobs if they didn’t like it, amirite?
/glibertarian
Did Mitt Romney ever, in his whole fucking life, miss a day of pay for anything?
Hey Rob Moore, I’m communicating “go fuck yourself” to you, but I’m not forcing it so any rape babies that may result are entirely your own problem.
~ Harry R. Sohl
Feh. Like Romney ever held a job where he was paid by the hour. If he has ever held a job that wasn’t a salaried position I’d be surprised.
If rich people were forced to live off a job at McDonald’s for a year before they could inherit their family moneybags, they probably wouldn’t be better people. But at least they might gain a sense of perspective.
If rich people were forced to live off a job at McDonald’s for a year before they could inherit their family moneybags, they probably wouldn’t be better people.
Yes, Paul Ryan is a shining example of this.
[...] Words mean things. That is why we use them. [...]
You can be sure that Rob Moore didn’t lose any pay for that day. And he’s surely not worried that someone will look into his getting paid to attend a political event.
Coal is not under attack from the Obama admin; it is under attack from a cheaper less polluting (at least out of the stack) energy source – natural gas – due to (for better or worse) fracking. Another lie to rally the base. Just do not understand how the media missis this basic fact. You transport gas by pipeline, coal by rail or truck. With high diesel cost, that adds to the $ per therm cost on top of natural gas now being cheaper. Once the fracking boom collapses it will even out again. But for now, natural gas, not coal, is king.
That’s why it’s absolutely critical for Republicans to close down subsidies for wind power. In another couple of years, it’ll be competitive with coal without subsidies, and able to pick up the slack when natural gas prices rise again.
Market forces have coal on its knees, temporarily. It will rise again, if only renewables can be deprived of economies of scale. So Obama’s support for renewables until their prices come down does constitute a kind of long-range war on coal. About that they’re not wrong.
Of course, China and Europe will wage that war with us or without us, and leave the US economy on the dustheap in the process. Just because they’re not wrong (about this one minor point) doesn’t mean they’re not stupid.
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Why wouldn’t coal miners attend an event to protest the ruling by the Obama EPA that there will be no more coal-fired generating plants? Do you think that people in the coal belt value environmentalism over having jobs? That would be pretty stupid.
What the coal miners may not understand – and maybe the writer of this blog doesn’t either – is that this ruling is possible because it is now cheaper in most places to fire plants with natural gas instead of coal, and this because of fracking. In fact the ruling may be somewhat superfluous for that reason. Maybe the coal miners would like environmentalists better if they knew that they were fighting against fracking, which in turn may favor coal. Or maybe not – it’s really a complicated question. It really depends on more than supposedly oppressive coal-mine operators and/or stupid coal miners.
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