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Letters from our readers

On “Families begin to bury 29 killed in West Virginia explosion

 

Massey Energy’s refusal to let their employees off to attend the funeral of their fallen comrades in which Massey Energy is responsible is completely outrageous! Heads should roll for this, beginning with the CEO!

 

Rhonda
Indiana, USA
20 April 2010

On “Federal regulatory system sanctions deadly conditions in US mines

 

MSHA’s Gregory Wagner is incompetent. Where do these bureaucrats come from? Dr. Wagner sent a letter to me stating MSHA is not required to investigate a cab fire in a moving haul truck until the fire has raged for 30 minutes. Apparently Dr. Gregory Wagner has never heard of smoke inhalation?

 

The Mission statement of MSHA needs to be updated to reflect the true Mission of MSHA. Namely, that no investigation will be performed for any violation until mine workers are killed, and then all fatalities will be blamed on a past administration or computer error.

 

Abolish MSHA, as MSHA is the problem, not the solution.

 

Paul R
17 April 2010

On “Manchester Central: A picture of poverty and social deprivation

 

This is an especially important, insightful article. One of my female friends moved here, to Wellington, New Zealand from Manchester a few years ago. And now I know, clearly, why. I said to her that the conditions there have “gone down hill” for quite some time, (thanks to the deindustrialisation of Thatcher and Labour), and she simply replied they are already gone.

 

I replied to her and said, though it may not seem completely obvious sometimes (due to the fact that in Wellington city, closed down buildings were/are replaced by new proprietors, etc.) these same conditions exist in New Zealand too, and the responsibility for these attacks on industry, the jobs, work conditions, living standards of the working class lies at the feet of the Labour party and the trade unions.

 

Regards,

Chris F
New Zealand
20 April 2010

On “The Goldman Sachs indictment

 

Fraudulent financial schemes such as those in which Goldman participated are complex by nature. They cannot exist without substantial assistance from law firms, accounting firms and auditors. One method of deterring these schemes, at least until a political party that genuinely represents the interests of working people ascends to power, is to restore the concept of aiding and abetting liability under federal securities law. Professionals who knowingly provide substantial assistance to malefactors like Goldman can be held liable for civil damages by victims of the schemes. The United States Supreme Court eliminated this type of liability in its Central Bank decision in 1994. This decision should be overruled legislatively. Justice Stevens was among the four-member minority of the court who opposed the doctrine’s abolition. The people should insist that his replacement will follow Justice Stevens’ position on holding professionals liable for their roles in financial malfeasance.

Sincerely,

Peter L
Connecticut, USA
19 April 2010

 

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