hopeleannad (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

We have to loook at it this way. Kathy is not responsible for this. She is there to help.

josh747 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I don't blame the business community for holding down their cost, but to allow this kind of wholesale destruction of the environment is shortsighted. Tourist businesses will be negatively impacted, because no one would want to come and see what this form of mining leaves behind. Also, as populations increase, future generations will have fewer places to go to experience nature. So this form of stripmining is practiced to maximumize coal co. profits in the short run, the environment be damned.

maryyjoseph (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

good video

celticchrys (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Now, I've seen Kathy come back and give many free concerts, and I've seen her give local concerts where she donated all proceeds to local charities. She made her money from a wider base than WV, and has put at least some of that back into her home area.

celticchrys (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It is definitely true that strip mines and mountain top removal mines employ fewer West Virginians than deep mines. However, when the deep mine is closed, and the strips are all that is left, around a dozen of those 40 people per mine would be locals with no other job choice in many places. This affects not just miners, but equipment operators, truck drivers, mechanics, etc.

edgeofwv (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Kathy Mattea, you don't care about West Virginians and jobs, you made your money from entertaining these people. You Shank!

wvlavender (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

mountaintop removal only employs 15 to 40 people per mine, most of are not WVians. It is the underground mines that employ 150 to 600 per mine. The reclaimation is pittifull, especially compaired to the profits taken out of WV.

wvlavender (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Thank you Kathy Mattea, Kathy Mattea tearfully says "It's like watching someone being raped" after an airtour of some mountain top removal. She hears WV morn.

celticchrys (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

My heart breaks a little whenever I look at some of the mountains I grew up around, to see they are now much shorter. At the same time, many people I know are employed by this industry, which provides some of the only employment available in some places. A tough issue to any WV native.