This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Re "Bob Murray lays off 102 Utah miners in response to Obama win" (Tribune, Nov. 10):
Coal magnate Bob Murray is no stranger to the blame game. Following the mine disaster that trapped six miners in his Crandall Canyon Mine in 2007, he insisted that "seismic activity" caused the catastrophe, even though seismic stations throughout Utah disproved the claim.
The catastrophe was a direct result of a profit-driven attempt to extract as much coal as possible without providing enough support to offset the weight above.
Now, to justify laying off 102 miners at his West Ridge Mine near East Carbon, Murray blames President Barack Obama.
The coal industry has been faltering for more than six years because many coal-dependent businesses switched to a cheaper and cleaner fossil fuel, natural gas, saving money and increasing revenue. They simultaneously reduced their carbon footprint and bolstered their green image.
Murray would have eventually laid off the workers. His egregious attempt to deny what's happening to the global coal market and his rationale for dismissing his workers are unconscionable.
Democrats and Republicans should see his ploy for what it is: contemptible in spirit and tiny of soul.
Allen Livingston
Huntington