Top 10 Stories of 2009

by: Clem Guttata

Sat Dec 26, 2009 at 13:13:52 PM EST

It's that time of year... time to reflect on what the past twelve months have been. I didn't trust my memory to remember the top stories of the year, so I used our site logs to tally up which diaries got the most hits and used that as my reminder. More or less in order, here's the list.

#1) The economic case against Mountaintop Removal coal mining

This was just one in a series of diaries about why to end mountain top removal coal mining and how to transition West Virginia off its dependence on coal. It probably got the most hits because it was one of the earlier ones during the year and it is still hot-linked on the right-hand side bar.

There are numerous social, moral, and environmental arguments against Mountaintop Removal coal mining (MTR). In this diary, I lay out the economic arguments against MTR.

#2) "Know Your Wingnuts: wvformarriage.com" or "W.Va. GOP unveils 2010 GOTV plan"

This diary generated hits from at least a dozen sites across the web including crooksandliars.com, huffingtonpost.com and politico.com.

Last month, I was listening on the radio to an official from West Virginia's Republican Party laying out the conservative agenda for state politics in 2009.

You'd think with an economic meltdown on, they would prioritize and look for solutions that would best help our state's residents make it through the hard financial times ahead.

But it really was no surprise that one of the party's top concerns was that old rightwing chestnut: whipping people into a frenzy over homosexuals getting married - specifically, the GOP wants to get a state constitutional amendment on the ballot to ban same sex unions.

Never mind that there's already a federal law on the books in the form of the ludicrously-named Defense of Marriage Act, or that West Virginia already has a law banning gay marriage, or that traditional marriage is in no way threatened by gay marriage and no one in their right mind would think so - the state's Republicans have decided on their priorities.

#3) Sen. Byrd: Coal Must Embrace the Future

We were the fist website to get Sen. Byrd's editorial up on the web and a lot of people flocked to the site to read it. For a post only three weeks old, it generated a lot of traffic really quickly.

And change is undeniably upon the coal industry again.  The increased use of mountaintop removal mining means that fewer miners are needed to meet company production goals. Meanwhile the Central Appalachian coal seams that remain to be mined are becoming thinner and more costly to mine. Mountaintop removal mining, a declining national demand for energy, rising mining costs and erratic spot market prices all add up to fewer jobs in the coal fields.  

These are real problems. They affect real people. And West Virginia's elected officials are rightly concerned about jobs and the economic impact on local communities.  I share those concerns.  But the time has come to have an open and honest dialogue about coal's future in West Virginia.

Let's speak the truth. The most important factor in maintaining coal-related jobs is demand for coal. Scapegoating and stoking fear among workers over the permitting process is counter-productive.

#4) Act Now: Verizon Wireless Sponsors Union-Busting Mountaintop Removal Rally

This diary got the most hits (thanks to Carnacki's help in link placement across the web), but the real story of the year was how well our site covered this story. Click on the Verizon Wireless tag and you'll see the great work many different people did on this story.

Finally, a huge congratulations and major kudos to everyone who has been covered this story so effectively at West Virginia Blue.

* False Advertising by Blankenship and "Friends" Unreported By Corporate Media (9/10 by One Citizen)
* Don Blankenship's Labor Day Rally (9/9 by Clem Guttata)
* Coal CEO Declares War on Labor Day (9/3 by One Citizen)
* Don-A-Pollute-Za: Don Blankenship Labor Day Rally Poster Unveiled (9/6; Heath Harrison's poster)
* Verizon Wireless can hear us now (9/5 by Clem Guttata)
* Over 20 groups call for Verizon Wireless to answer for support of Blankenship's rally (9/4 by Clem Guttata)
* Coal CEO Declares War on Labor Day (9/3 by One Citizen)
* Legacy of Coal: MTR and Verizon Wireless (9/2 by jlms qkw)
* Verison Wireless To Unveil New Sport Featuring Its New Anti-Environmental Stance (9/2 by One Citizen)
* Verizon Wireless dropped signal (9/2 by Carnacki)
* Verizon Wirless hits a dead zone (9/1 by Clem Guttata)
* Can you hear us now? (8/31 by Carnacki)
* Act Now: Verizon Wireless Sponsors Union-Busting Mountaintop Removal Rally (8/29 by Clem Guttata)
* Warning: Doing the Labor Day Wango Tango with Don Blankenship may be fatal. (8/23 by One Citizen)
* The coalfield Don brings in Hannity and washed-up friends to rally for MTR (8/10 by Heath Harrison)

This has to be the worst $1,000 Verizon Wireless has ever spent.

#5) Do you REALLY Think There's No Difference Between the Two Major Parties? REALLY?

One of One Citizen's digital satires' was featured on BuzzFlash along with a link back to our site, raising awareness of the work going on in the state against mountaintop removal.

While Progressive Democrats work to open up honest public dialogue in Townhall Meetings all across the country...

Another of One Citizen's greatest hits.

#5) Coal miners trapped in Mingo County (flooding)

Not much of a diary, but a lively set of comments and there was a lot of interest in the story. Perhaps the bigger story this diary points to is the welcome entry of Ken Ward, Jr.'s Coal Tattoo to the West Virginia blogosphere this year.

#6) Sen. Rockefeller supports new public health insurance plan

This is the second time a Senator's press release scored a top ten spot. It was news back in May and Sen. Rockefeller's involvement in health care reform is still a major story today.

Health care advocates from West Virginia's Health Care for America Now (HCAN) coalition released the following statement today thanking Senator Rockefeller for supporting the choice of a public health insurance plan  - a key component of President Obama's and Health Care for America Now's vision for achieving a guarantee quality, affordable health care for all this year:

"We applaud Senator Rockefeller for emphasizing at this critical time how important it is that health care reform legislation includes the option of a public health insurance plan. We need a choice and an alternative so we are no longer at the mercy of the profit-driven private health insurance industry," said Gary Zuckett from WV Citizen Action. "Senator Rockefeller clearly understands we need health care reform that puts what's best for the people of West Virginia before special interests that profit off the current system and who only want reforms that continue to make them money and deny us access to quality, affordable health care."

#7) Dunkard Creek fish kill

I wrote a whole series of diaries on the death of Dunkard Creek and I'm still angry about it. From what I can tell, there's still about a dozen watersheds in WVa at risk for the exact same thing to happen and our Gov. and his DEP are acting like that's just fine.

It's really hard for me to read about the Dunkard Creek fish kill without getting very angry.

An ecosystem has been destroyed.

#8) wvared.com - "Ctrl C / Ctrl V"

Elvis may have left the building this year, but a new blog was born. We welcomed former Don Blankenship political consultant Roman Stauffer when he started a new blog and decided to call it West Virginia Red. Imitation is the highest form of flattery. But, imitation can be taken too far, too.

I've got to express extreme disappointment in Roman Stauffer, "brainchild" of West Virginia Red.  You see, I was doing some research, which includes heavy use of teh Google.  As I searched the entire .pdf he linked, I found no such indication of cost per family, nor any discussion of "net present value."

Lo and behold, teh Google found me this.

It appears Roman enjoys the work of Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies at CATO and editor of washingtonwatch.com.

#9) We had a lot of stories about protests and counter-protests related to Mountaintop Removal this year. For me, the low point in those events was captured in the diaries: Corps of Engineers NWP21 Hearing in Charleston, Truman Chafin: Why is this man a Democrat? and King Coal is shouting itself hoarse and deaf.

#10) There was no one major diary on PATH, but it was definitely a big recurring story for the year. Blonde moment and Calhouner contributed numerous diaries keeping us up to date on PATH's fate in front of the PSC. This mega-transmission project is limping along, delayed for consideration, but will likely return next year in some form.

Honorable mentions with lots of hits, too:

Interview with Laura Steepleton of Climate Ground Zero
Heath Harrison published multiple original interviews on West Virginia Blue this year. They are all worth a (re-)read.

Verizon-Frontier Sale: Abandoning West Virginia
Verizon is still trying to dump West Virginia. This may be an even bigger story next year than last.

Ogden newspaper publishes assassinate Obama ad
The title pretty much says it all.

Standards at the Martinsburg Journal
Matthew Bieniek left the Martinsburg Journal and decided to air some dirty laundry. For those of us who had been paying attention to Ogden papers, it was a dog bites person story.

The Other Don Surber
When someone named Don Surber breaks the law, it generates web hits. This diary deserved the attention.

Pagan MC members arrested in roundup
Who know that putting the words "Pagan members arrested" in a diary would generate so much traffic?

Good-Bye 2009, Hello 2010

A lot of diaries were written, a lot of words, pictures, and audio/video were posted. Thank you to everyone who contributed by reading, recommending, commenting, diarying, or donating to West Virginia Blue in 2009.

This site only exists because a community of progressives in West Virginia have come together to support one another. For that, I thank you all.

DIY open thread

by: Carnacki

Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 14:50:07 PM EST

This is one of those days when I find it best to sit in a corner quietly, open the flask and just focus on making the wife, kids, dog and cats happy and try to forget the rest of the world exists. Some days I like being out there on the street canvassing, or on the blog pushing ideas. This isn't one of them.

A Great Disease Outbreak

by: CA Berkeley WV

Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 05:58:07 AM EST

source

From the beginning, the cost of military action against al Queda in Afghanistan and the Iraq invasion was funded by supplementals. It was convenient to maintain the illusion that there were some things that were unknowable.

In recent years, Republicans have been characterized by two principal positions: They like starting wars and don't like paying for them. George W. Bush initiated two major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but adamantly refused to pay for either of them by cutting non-military spending or raising taxes. Indeed, at his behest, Congress actually cut taxes and established a massive new entitlement program, Medicare Part D.

source

Those Bush tax cuts spent the "projected budget surplus", or magic ponies. The economic downturn started in September of 2007, and the policies of the Republican Congress from 1995 to 2007 laid the foundation. And the solution to any economic policy question for the Gee Oh Pee is "more tax cuts, less regulation". And it still is.

Still thinking about taking your marbles and going home next year?

Thanksgiving Eve Open Thread

by: Clem Guttata

Wed Nov 25, 2009 at 09:24:37 AM EST

Mother Nature is serving up a dose of cold and wet for Thanksgiving, what are you preparing for tomorrow's feast?

* If you're planning to brave the weather for a stroll through the woods, don't forget your blaze orange... the woods are thick with hunters this time of year.

* If you're looking for some reading to get you through the day, Chris Bowers offers some pre-Holiday links.

* And, as usual, once you get past the basketball blogging Matt Yglesias has all sorts of interesting posts.

* Finally, the comments in this Coal Tattoo post are one of the sanest and most civil discussions I've seen there yet. Here's a flavor (only edit is breaking up into paragraphs):

I am a coal miner and have been all my life. I've lost my job and been very lucky to find another before I spent my last dollar in savings.

I am bitter about the assult on coal with all other issues we face and a day to day bases. But I am not an idiot to think that some things have to change which is the toughest thing a person must face. The idea we as miners have is that someone is after our jobs because that has been a worry from our past. All the studies and data we here about only mean more ammo for those after our jobs. I can be and am hard headed as the next person when you push me.

In all these years that the environmental issues have been in the for front we as miners have not once heard about a plan. Is it a 50 year plan or a 5 year plan to phase coal out. I feel that it could end in a year from all the na-sayers.

But what is the plan or is there a plan. There should be a middle to this road we are all on that before well condem people for the jobs they have put a plan together that has a time frame and details built in.

We as miners face a negative attiude now after doing what we thought was a service to our communities and the users of coal. What is the answer for the future and where will it come from?

Your guess is as good as mine. We all are being used like poker chips or cow chips for lobbies and politicians. Granted we all have different ideas and suggestions that are different from the next person.

Sunday Open Thread

by: Clem Guttata

Sun Nov 22, 2009 at 13:09:32 PM EST

What's on your mind this fine Sunday afternoon?

(below the fold: The Raconteurs "Steady, As She Goes")

Open thread

by: Carnacki

Mon Nov 16, 2009 at 08:59:22 AM EST

My weekend was busier than I expected and the pace isn't slowing down. Here's an open thread to post links, observations, etc.

Friday Afternoon Open Thread: What's going on?

by: Clem Guttata

Fri Oct 16, 2009 at 14:41:14 PM EDT

Marvin Gaye "What's Going On / What's Happening Brother"

Remember When The Journal Talked Like A Pirate Day?

by: CA Berkeley WV

Tue Oct 13, 2009 at 02:54:47 AM EDT

Must have been just a coinky-dink in Martinsburg.

Remember when The Journal was responsible enough to challenge completely outrageous claims by those contributing letters in late September?

One-and-a-half million came to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12 to express more than passion. Armed with the facts and fears of losing liberties, voices from more than 45 states were echoing frustrations from health care to cap and trade.
::::::::
Editor's note: Though initially reported as exceeding 1 million, that was considered to be incorrect. Depending upon the source, crowds for the recent rally in Washington have been estimated at around 70,000 for the Sept. 12 event.

Well, I do but evidently someone who reviews the letters to the editor before they are published does not.

Martinsburg Drinking Liberally - the Nobel Peace Prize Edition

by: CA Berkeley WV

Fri Oct 09, 2009 at 15:47:14 PM EDT

Second Friday already. What do you want to say to Speaker Pelosi?

Poor Don does not like the statement out of Sen. Byrd's office. Tough.

Health care vote in the Senate Finance committee Tuesday. Finally.

Peking Restaurant, 139 S Queen St at 8:00PM (map)

We're back

by: Carnacki

Fri Oct 02, 2009 at 06:29:14 AM EDT

Due to Clem's scandalous behavior at the Charles Town race track a technical glitch, West Virginia Blue was down for much of yesterday. We're back now - as you would notice since you're reading this.

Congratulations to ntodd and family

by: Carnacki

Wed Sep 30, 2009 at 10:37:31 AM EDT

Um...

Just a quickie for now.

I bet that's what caused this in the first place.

About advertisements on West Virginia Blue

by: Clem Guttata

Wed Sep 16, 2009 at 06:57:49 AM EDT

It's been a while since we discussed our advertising policy. It's probably worth mentioning it again.

We're pretty open about what kinds of ads we'll accept--if a Republican candidate or a conservative cause thinks they have something to gain by advertising here, we'll accept their ad. Running an ad does not imply endorsement and has no impact on anything we write.

We don't do much of anything to solicit advertisements--we could probably get a lot more advertisements if we did. But, this site is a labor of love for a bunch of volunteers, not a money making operation.

We do try to cover our costs and, when special events come up, it is nice to have the money available to cover them. In 2008, for example, between advertisements and a number of generous donations, we were able to cover most of the expenses for Carnacki to attend Netroots Nation, for two of us to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and for multiple overnight campaign coverage trips within West Virginia.

Most advertisements come through BlogAds Advertise Liberally or 50 State Blog "hives." They are usually progressive organizations trying to reach a progressive audience. (Right now we have an ad from an organization I really like!) Some times we'll also get ads from decidedly not progressive organizations. In fact, our best-paying ad ever was from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

We are grateful to all of our advertisers. We are even more grateful to everyone who posts a diary, makes a comment, reads the site here or on Facebook, links to this site, tells their friends about us, or supports progressive ideas in West Virginia in any other way.

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She Rode Around in a Chick Magnet

by: CA Berkeley WV

Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 16:44:52 PM EDT

Speaking of Kenya, customers now pay more in overdraft fees to banks than the entire GDP of Kenya. Small banks charge less for the overdraft from that $6 lunch than big banks do. Is this part of that innovation we keep hearing about? So Treasury is going to propose higher capital requirements for bigger banks. Didn't we used to have that? The legal ads in the paper are testimony to the housing bubble and bust. Didn't we see that before with the S&L implosion? And the G20 talk of restriction on bonuses for investment banking. Didn't a high marginal tax rate used to accomplish this?

Even after the tragic numbers from the last employment and wage report Robert Reich sees a call to protect the top ten percent coming again. Exports have stagnated while imports grew. What if investment banks have been looking at making sure American has something to sell to the world beside credit default swaps? Credit rating agencies are necessary. I don't know if that is a statement or a question, but if the blame is shifted to those who practice quantitative finance, rather than the managers of the firms seeking ever more unrealistic profits, a scapegoat with an advance degree is just replacing that minority borrower buying their first home.

crossposted from CongressMatters

Richard Trumka on why we blog

by: Carnacki

Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 06:42:35 AM EDT

CA Berkeley WV highlighted this in the comments.