3/5/2003

Roberts Calls For Defeat Of Coal Truck Measure

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Staff
State Capitol

He looked haggard and tired, and his voice cracked mid-way through his firey address to the hundreds gathered in the capitol rotunda, but United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts delivered his message loud and clear to those who showed up to listen.

Roberts blasted the state government for doing what he believes is the coal industry's bidding during a rally against legislation to increase coal truck weight limits in West Virginia.

"When we say 'King Coal' in West Virginia, we certainly mean that. Because we have a monarchy in West Virginia, we don't have a democracy."

Roberts took personal shots at coal industry leaders with jabs pointed squarely at the backbone of the legislation to increase the weight limits of coal trucks. Roberts suggests Don Blankenship is King of West Virginia and those who do his bidding could come to his castle in Mingo County to be knighted.

"We could have Sir Truman (Chafin) of Mingo County, Sir William Raney of Charleston!"

The labor leader called on church groups to pray for the fight against the overweight truck bill, saying it is the wrong thing for West Virginia and its people. Roberts, a native of Cabin Creek, blasted the Senate, saying the bill sailed through that body without the voice of the people being heard. He vowed that would not happen from here on because the people are "fed up" and "fired up."

Marion County Delegate Mike Caputo, who has long championed a bill that includes no weight increase on West Virginia trucks, called the bill Round 3.

"It started out in the Senate as 12 counties. It went through one committee and went to 14 counties. It went through the Senate, and it's up to 16 counties. This is a cancer, ladies and gentlemen, spreading across West Virginia.

Continuing his theme on the monarchy, Robert suggested the governor could be named the Prime Minister of West Virginia, criticizing Governor Wise's support of the legislation that stiffens enforcement but still allows for weight increases in certain situations.

Roberts also used his platform to rail against a $2.5 billion tax credit in the bill for the industry. Roberts say that money would erase the workers comp debt and give teachers a pay raise.

As some of his own membership stood above in the upper rotunda of the capitol in favor of the bill, Roberts made no apologies for his stance and that of the union.

"I'm doing the right thing for West Virginia."