Readers Write: May 9

Coal mining jobs not coming back

I am scratching my head with puzzlement over the thought that President Trump wants to bring back coal mining jobs. I admit my limited knowledge of the coal mining industry is from movies like “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “October Sky,” but it seemed from these two biographical movies that being a coal miner was an early death sentence. No one wanted their children to grow up and work in the mines. Black lung disease and the dangerous possibility of a mine collapse made it the least-liked job probably anywhere. Why would anyone want to go back to that kind of life? There are many more ways to employ people in clean energy jobs and even hiring these out-of-work men and women to do repairs of the infrastructure on the roads, bridges, and dams would be much less dangerous.

Technology has replaced many coal miners and that is not going to change so those jobs are not coming back. Would someone please kindly clue Mr. Trump in on the reality of the situation?

More common sense and less rabble-rousing rhetoric is sorely needed in this new White House. Tweet, tweet… .

MARY ANN COX, BOGART

Obama as big a hypocrite as Clintons

Unobtrusively placed in the AJC on April 27 is this tidbit — “Former President Obama accepts $400,000 to speak at health care conference.” A shocking amount, indeed, and to this 75-year-old moderate conservative just further evidence that beneath the liberal facade the Obamas — like the Clintons and their ilk — are just as acquisitive and mercenary as those “rich Republicans” they deride. Sheer hypocrisy, for as I recall, it was Obama who said, “I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money.” One has to wonder what, to a liberal mind, is “enough money” — and who, pray tell, decides?

DAN COWLES, CUMMING