Due to Obama's Win, Coal Company Announces Layoffs

     On CNN Money this past week was this interesting article that I personally did not like at all. A coal company headed by a prominent Mitt Romney donor has laid off more than 160 workers after President Obama won the 2012 Presidential election. Murray Energy, the company that laid off the workers, said that it had been "forced" to make the layoffs in response to the bleak prospects for the coal industry during Obama's second term. In a flyer passed out by the company, CEO Robert Murray said Americans had voted "in favor of redistribution, national weakness and reduced standard of living and lower and lower levels of personal freedom." "The American people have made their choice. They have decided that America must change its course, away from the principals [sic] of our Founders," Murray said in the flyer, which was delivered in a meeting with staff members earlier in the week.

     Murray cited pending regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and the possibility of a carbon tax as factors that could lead to the "total destruction of the coal industry by as early as 2030." One hundred and two layoffs are planned for Murray operations in Utah, with 54 from Illinois and seven from West Virginia. In August, Murray shuttered an operation in Ohio, again blaming the Obama Administration and its alleged "war on coal."
   
     On his campaign trail, Mitt Romney repeatedly mentioned this line, accusing Obama of undermining the country's energy security during a rally at a Murray-owned mine in Ohio. Footage from this rally was actually used in a Romney ad. Oddly though, workers in the spot later complained to a local radio host that they were forced to attend the rally and weren't paid for the time, claims that were eventually denied by Murray Energy.
 
     Administration officials responded to Romney's attacks by affirming that Obama supports "clean coal." They also pointed out that more coal miners were on the job in the U.S. this year than at any time since 1997, and that U.S. coal exports have risen 31%. However, coal production within the United States has dropped sharply, falling roughly 15% in 2011 versus years prior, according to the National Mining Association.The industry's woes go way beyond Obama's policies however. According to statistics, utility companies are increasingly ditching coal in favor of cheaper, cleaner natural gas. In addition, the recession and improved energy efficiency have decreased the demand for power.
 
     Looking ahead into the future, the coal industry faces a law going into effect in 2015 that tightens the amount of mercury coal plants can emit, as well as regulations on mountain-top mining. Both issues will make coal production and coal-fired power plants more expensive. The rules themselves are not from Obama's origins, although he has implemented them fairly quickly. Most stem from the Clean Air Act, which was signed by Richard Nixon and strengthened during the first Bush presidency.
   
     Overall, what I didn't like about this situation was the fact that a company would lay off so many workers just because of the presidential election. Yes, I know it is the company's decision and right to do whatever they want and cite whatever reason for their actions, but I just find it silly that they would do this. Sure, there may be some laws coming into effect that will hurt the industry down the road, but until there are actually some negative results from those laws, I feel that the company should keep working hard and at full force until they can't anymore. It's like they're just giving up and hurting their employees before actually giving a fight. It sucks that the government can't really do anything about this, but I hope for the best for the employees that were laid off.