"I think being a woman is like being Irish." — Iris Murdoch

This morning Nelson was up before me, and watching the news.  There was an interview with one of the wives of the trapped miners in Utah.  To say it was sad says nothing.  It was terrible. It brought back to mind some of the articles I'd read in The Nation, I think this one in particular, which explains why mine safety has deteriorated.

I think you might be able to guess why.  The Bush administration put the responsibility for mine safety into the hands of the mining industry.  This is a what you call putting the wolf in charge of the hen house -- one of Bush's basic working principles.

Look at this:

Since taking office... Bush has proposed cuts (in real terms) in the MSHA [Mine Safety and Health Administration] budget each year... [S]taff was reduced..., with the bulk of the cuts occurring in coal mine safety enforcement staff. The Administration has also dramatically reduced the number and size of fines, as well as the number of criminal prosecutions and convictions, compared with the Clinton era. Bush's appointees have weakened regulations requiring ventilation in coal mines, proposed rules that would allow mine operators to increase coal dust in the mines and delayed implementation of a Clinton-era rule improving air quality standards.

Moreover, in response to industry complaints, the Administration has demoted and transferred MSHA staff who have aggressively sought to enforce safety rules and blown the whistle on policies that jeopardize mine safety. In one example of blatant pro-industry bias, the Administration interfered with MSHA investigations of a coal sludge spill... that dumped 300 million gallons of toxic waste into Kentucky and West Virginia waterways.

It's easy to understand why: the miners aren't giving Bush money -- it's the industry owners who keep slipping money into his pants, to keep him dancing for them.