[Coach_Owens87]

Coach, I have to disagree with you on this one, I know there is some money going out of state, but I don't think it's a lot. In 2004 coal miners earned $759 million in wages, and about 80% of that was in the Eastern Ky. coal fields, that calculates to about $400 million dollars after taxes. Consider that for every coal miners job (in 2004 15,012 and 13,272 of those were in E Ky.) there's another 4 jobs are created (approx. 46,000 jobs) related to the coal industry, such as in coal transportation, contractors, engineering/surveying/mapping, mechanics, welders, lawers, loggers, electrical etc. the majority of these companies are locally owned and employee local people. I don't know the how much money was brought in through their wages but the thing is the money stayed here in E. Ky.

I may make some people mad, but here it goes, one big reason E. Ky is so poor is that too many people are on disability, welfare, food stamps or other goverment aid that shouldn't be, now if a person deserves it then I'm ok with it thats what it's there for. I have several reltavies that grew up on welfare and now they are raising their families and their in better shape than I am, my point is as long as these people (the lazy ones that don't want to work) are drawing a check E. Ky will be one of the poorest in the nation.

I know that Kentucky had 16 of the 100 poorest counties in the nation, but as you know coal mining is about the only source of employment in E. Ky that pays a decent wage, what would the per capita income be without the coal mines. I for one would love to see other industries move into E. Ky but better roads and larger airports need to be built before that ever happens.

I totally agree with you on the social issues, a lot of people here do rely on government aid to get them through life. We live in a culture of poverty, so many kids here are born into poverty, and with the lack of jobs and chances for education (becuase they have limited finances) most people stay within the level of poverty. This creates more and more people who are unqualified for many jobs. Kids that live in poor homes are less likely to succeed in school for a numerous amount of reasons. A lot of these kids, especially boys see an easy escape route in the mines, this just continues the situation. another big majority of the people here are too tied up with drugs to get out and keep a job. The drug problem can also be associated with the poverty level here, poor people are more likely to get into legal trouble in their life.

Now as far as the coal severance tax, I have to disagree. The rate is 4.5% per ton (the lowest of the top three coal producing states), Coal has jumped to the $50 per ton range, I think a modest raise is in the tax is necessary. More than half of the money produced from the coal severance tax goes into a general state fund, these funds are spent on numerous projects for non-coal producing counties, ie. Coal severance money was used to help renovate the civic center in Lexington.

70 million dollars of the coal severance tax was spent on building eight industrial parks, which are not succeeding. The park in hazard is one example.here is another example 9 million dollars was spent toward the bluegrass crossing industrial park which has one business and employs 35 people. Is this really the way to spend the well deserved money these counties should be getting? I just don't believe failing industrial parks are going to help the situation in Eastern Ky.

I believe the way to make Eastern Ky prosper is to keep are educated young generation here at home, but there are too few job opportunites, so that isn't going to happen at the moment. Companies would much rather send their business to other countries and get unqualified workers to work for nearly nothing, instead of having to pay more for unqualified workers here. A way to start this would be to raise the coal severance tax, and use it properly to help this region, not to renovate Lexington.