Key West Lou / MANCHIN A SUDDEN POWER BROKER…..WHY?

Joe Manchin is at his apex of power.

Eleven years a Senator. Who ever heard of him before this year?

He has acquired a penchant for placing himself in the center of virtually any hot negotiation.

His vote his sword. If he causes the Democrats to lose control of the Senate, his voice will be lost. We will rarely hear from or of him again.

There are two reasons for his entrance into the fray sitting majestically on his white horse.

First, this is his moment of glory. I will be generous. His 15 minutes. Everyone his friend at the moment. Democrats and Republicans alike. Once no longer of value to either, he will be an unhappy camper. Might even opt for the highway.

Second, his personal wealth. Coal. Yes, that dirty stuff which pollutes, sickens and kills many.

Manchin is from West Virginia. A small state with a bastion of coal mines. West Virginia’s key industry.

Manchin is part of what some view as part of the “dirty empire.” His defense of the coal industry to this point has been relatively silent. Even now. For some reason I cannot fathom, the media seems to have given him a pass on the issue.

Manchin reaps big financial rewards from coal companies with grim records of pollution, safety violations, and death. His most famous utterance recently is that climate control pollution would be worsened by the elimination of fossil fuels. A statement blatantly false. Yet he states it unashamedly.

He defends coal fired plans over “aggressive Biden climate goals.”

Money is at the basis of his “beliefs.”

Manchin is heavily invested in the coal industry. He became involved in the 1980’s. His son has assumed leadership. Manchin claims his coal industry involvement has no impact on his political decision making. His investments are in a “blind trust.”

Not much protection for the American people. You can’t tell me father and son do not discuss company matters at Sunday dinner. At the very least.

Since Manchin became a Senator more than 10 years ago, he has personally grossed more than $4.5 million from family firms involved. The information having been gathered from financial disclosures Manchin is required to file as a Senator.

Two companies involved. The major one Enersystems Inc. The other Farmington Resources. Manchin owns options in Enersystems alone valued between $1 million and $5 million. Based on information found in financial disclosure forms.

Enersystems purchases low quality waste coal from mines and resells it to power plants in West Virginia. The process from the beginning to end severely impacts the health of workers.

Query: How has the Manchin family’s involvement in the coal business almost entirely avoided public scrutiny? Even now when he is in the middle of a battle over the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package which contains monies to help in correcting global warming.

Biden has said the infrastructure monies would go to eliminating fossil fuels by a specific date. Manchin obviously opposes the elimination.

Manchin visited an Ohio Valley mine in mid August. Went on a tour underground at one of the mines. Said during the visit, “The coal mining industry is going to be saved because the country cannot operate without it.”

I would respond the country can do with out the increased number of hurricanes, floods and fires caused by global warming to which coal is one of the contributors.

Manchin went on to say, “If you want to help clean up the climate, you’re gonna have to find the technology through innovation to basically be able to capture the carbon and use it.”

In June, Manchin appeared before a conference sponsored by the Edison Electric Institution. Edison is a group that advises/studies the nation’s coal fired power plants. Manchin delivered a “spirited” defense of the nation’s coal fired plants. A good portion of Enersytems business involves coal fired power plants.

So it goes.

The country should be made aware.

Enjoy your day!

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