The Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murphy became notorious during the presidential campaign by allegedly forcing workers to go to a Romney rally. Now, Murray has responded to President Obama’s re-election with a prayer and dozens of layoffs.
The Ohio CEO declared that the reelection would continue a “war on coal” and announced a time for prayer and firings — proclaiming “Lord, please forgive me and anyone with me in Murray Energy Corp. for the decisions that we are now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the enterprises that you have helped us build.” It appears that he “did not build that” alone, to use an Obama phrase.
Murray then broke away from a request for the grace of God to laid off 54 people at American Coal, one of his subsidiary companies, and 102 at Utah American Energy.
You may recall Murray from the August 2007 mine collapse where six miners were trapped at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah.
Later, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) hit the mine with its highest penalty for coal mine safety violations, $1.85 million. Murray would ultimately lobby heavily against new procedures needed to avoid such deaths in the future.
The employees this week were able to walk out of Murray’s company — a certain improvement. However, before being kicked out, the employees were given Murray’s prayer as solace on their way out the door:
Dear Lord:
The American people have made their choice. They have decided that America must change its course, away from the principals of our Founders. And, away from the idea of individual freedom and individual responsibility. Away from capitalism, economic responsibility, and personal acceptance.
We are a Country in favor of redistribution, national weakness and reduced standard of living and lower and lower levels of personal freedom.
My regret, Lord, is that our young people, including those in my own family, never will know what America was like or might have been. They will pay the price in their reduced standard of living and, most especially, reduced freedom.
The takers outvoted the producers. In response to this, I have turned to my Bible and in II Peter, Chapter 1, verses 4-9 it says, “To faith we are to add goodness; to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self control; to self control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, kindness; to brotherly kindness, love.”
Lord, please forgive me and anyone with me in Murray Energy Corp. for the decisions that we are now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the enterprises that you have helped us build. We ask for your guidance in this drastic time with the drastic decisions that will be made to have any hope of our survival as an American business enterprise.
Amen.
Of course, he could not fire the “young people” in his “own family.” This is a familiar lament among some Romney supporters, including one at a Romney fundraiser at the Hamptons who stated:
“I don’t think the common person is getting it. Nobody understands why Obama is hurting them.
“We’ve got the message,” she added. “But my college kid, the baby sitters, the nails ladies — everybody who’s got the right to vote — they don’t understand what’s going on. I just think if you’re lower income — one, you’re not as educated, two, they don’t understand how it works, they don’t understand how the systems work, they don’t understand the impact.”
He is also not alone in threatening or actually firing people if Obama won. Indeed, a Utah CEO fired over 100 people and blamed it on Obama’s reelection. However, Murray does this all with a bit more religious fervor.
Source: Washington Post
nick and AP,
Do you really think Gen. Petraeus was forced out? Who in their right mind would write in a resignation letter that he was resigning because he had an extra marital affair if he didn’t have one?? Tin foil time.
AP, Bingo again, regarding the CIA being yes men to the prez. I continually hear about Obama that he doesn’t like conflict “No Drama” Obama. Well, strong leaders want conflict. Lincoln’s cabinets were extremely contentious. My take on Patreus is he was every bit as smart as Obama and maybe not a yes man. I don’t see how anyone cannot be suspicious of this timing. But I’m a patient man..the truth will come out eventually.
Cheap natural gas drives down coal industry
Is coal doomed? The dirty yet abundant energy source has had some rough patches before, but nothing like this.
In 1985, coal accounted for 57 percent of all power generated in the United States. Last year, it was 42 percent. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates it will fall to 40 percent this year. Prices for Appalachian coal are down 24 percent over the past 12 months; for coal from the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming, they’re down 45 percent.
ANGRY AT OBAMA’S VICTORY, BOSSES REPORTEDLY FORCE WORKERS TO GO GALT FOR THEM
Of course, people who talk about the “war on coal” are conducting a war on math — for better or worse, largely as a result of fracking, natural gas is now much cheaper than coal, so many plants are making the switch from coal.
lol, nick… thanks — i’m hungry now, too. 🙂
Regarding Obama replacing them quickly: Yes.
From the McGovern piece:
“Like many senior CIA officials in recent years, Morell’s record is checkered, at best. He held key jobs in intelligence analysis over the past decade as the CIA often served as a handmaiden to the war propagandists.
As for Michael Morell, as with many other successful CIA careerists, his strongest suit seemed to be pleasing his boss and not antagonizing the White House. If past is precedent, his loyalty will be to Petraeus, not necessarily to the truth.
Forgive me if my thinking about loyalty to the facts seems “obsolete” or “quaint” – or if it seems unfair to expect CIA analysts to put their careers on the line when politicians and ideologues are misleading the nation to war – but those were the principles that analysts of my generation tried to uphold.
The recent tendency at CIA to give politicians what they want to hear rather than the hard truth is not healthy for the Republic that we were all sworn to serve.
And, if Petraeus’s own past is precedent, loyalty to the four-star general will not always be synonymous with loyalty to the truth.”
AP, Thanks. I don’t know much about Morell, but I love his mushrooms[morel..I know]. With Panetta[I always think pancetta], Clinton[pizza lover] probably leaving and Patreus resigning it is a difficult time. I hope Obama replaces these folks w/ good people quickly. I’m real hungry now.
nick,
And now Michael Morell takes the helm, at least temporarily.
http://consortiumnews.com/2011/08/29/rise-of-another-cia-yes-man/
I think Murray and other rich A-holes (they aren’t all a-holes) who supposedly lean on God (likely, lying to themselves as a way to try to sleep at night), of another religious verse.
“For it is said, that it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle…”
Dear lord of the coal,
We have been destroying the Earth by your command.
The Bully Religion’s High Priest has resigned because he violated that sacred religion’s duty to kill, maim, and destroy the infidels without having any sexual affairs.
So sayeth lord of coal and blood.
Good bye Petro-us, good bye peasants.
Bishop Black Gold over and out.
This may make the Benghazi hearing a bit more interesting. -nick
Yep. And there are other things…
AP, I concur w/ your “more than meets the eye.” This may make the Benghazi hearing a bit more interesting.
OT:
Thanks, nick.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/09/15054517-cia-director-david-petraeus-resigns-cites-extramarital-affair?lite
Here is Petraeus’ resignation letter:
HEADQUARTERS Central Intelligence Agency
9 November 2012
Yesterday afternoon, I went to the White House and asked the President to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position as D/CIA. After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation.
As I depart Langley, I want you to know that it has been the greatest of privileges to have served with you, the officers of our Nation’s Silent Service, a work force that is truly exceptional in every regard. Indeed, you did extraordinary work on a host of critical missions during my time as director, and I am deeply grateful to you for that.
Teddy Roosevelt once observed that life’s greatest gift is the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing. I will always treasure my opportunity to have done that with you and I will always regret the circumstances that brought that work with you to an end.
Thank you for your extraordinary service to our country, and best wishes for continued success in the important endeavors that lie ahead for our country and our Agency.
With admiration and appreciation,
David H. Petraeus
=======
Hmmm… One has to wonder. More to this than meets the eye?
Wow, God is just beseiged with prayers for forgiveness. Wow, what a burden! This particular one reminds me of two others he often hears:
———————————————-
Dear Lord:
This child has been disobedient. My regret, Lord, is that this child, who has transgressed, does not yet realize why your word, represented to this child through my authority, must be obeyed for all our sakes. He will have to pay the price in the future for his disobedience, but at this point in his life, I am responsible to you for making sure he tries to l learn better ways.
He wants to be given all the wonderful benefits of your World without doing what you require of him, and this puts me in a terrible position, but I will not forsake the sacred trust you have placed in me by giving me this child. I have turned to my Bible and in II Peter, Chapter 1, verses 4-9 it says, “To faith we are to add goodness; to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self control; to self control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, kindness; to brotherly kindness, love.” So I must spare not the rod in administering thy love to this child.
Lord, please forgive me for the decision that I am now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the family that you have blessed me with. I thank you for for your guidance in this drastic time with the drastic decision that will be made to have any hope of our survival as an American family.
Amen. (whereupon proceed to beat the kid until the cows come home)
————————- and ————————
Dear Lord:
Once again, Lord, my wife has abandoned your teachings and behaved wrongly. My regret, Lord, is that this woman, who has transgressed, does not yet realize why your word, represented to her through my authority, must be obeyed for all our sakes. She may pay the price in the future for her ungodly conduct, but at this point in his life, I am responsible to you for making sure she tries to l learn better ways.
She wants to be given all the wonderful benefits of your World without doing what you require of her as the wife and mother in an American family, and this puts me in a terrible position, but I will not forsake the sacred trust you have placed in me by giving me this woman. I have turned to my Bible and in I Peter 3:1-6, I have read: “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, …”
Lord, please forgive me for the decision that I am now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the family that you have blessed me with. I thank you for for your guidance in this drastic time with the drastic decision that will be made to have any hope of our survival as an American family.
Amen. (whereupon proceed to beat the wicked woman until she learns)
=========================
Indeed, prayer is the backbone of our world.
Just a little evil reminder of George Zimmerman’s prayer:
“Dear Lord, please bring your love into the hearts of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Benjamin Crump, Natalie Jackson, the Fulton-Martin family and all the media, so they will see your ways clearly and so they will correct their behavior and so they will stop their regrettable campaign to interfere in your plan for me to have no further problems from the events of 2/26/2012 when I tried to help the police prevent suspicious conduct from occurring in RTL, Amen.”
Yes yes, all our good behavior is obviously blessed by God.
I just read Patreus resigned because he was involved in an extramarital affair. Poor judgement, honorable remedy. Being a man who took the vow of marriage every bit as solemn as being sworn under oath, actually more so, it’s heartening to see we had a man do the right thing here. He’ll obviously never be a politician.
I’m rooting for karma.
Can somebody walk me through this- what specific law or tax makes laying off productive employees financially beneficial?
Is it the prospect of Clinton-era marginal tax rates? The prospect of OSHA safety regulations?
Which ones? Lets hear an accounting here, of his actions.
The asshat has proven *why* people should have voted against Romney (not necessarily _for_ Obama): because greedy CEOs would try to get away – and have gotten away with – criminal and unethical behaviour.
Ask youself this: Would he have fired employees if Romney had won to cut costs and increase profits? Of course he would. Why pay two people when you can have one person (desperate to keep his job) do the work of two people for the same wage?
Yes Raff, this is the guy. If you go to southeast Ohio you probably would still see the yard signs about Obama’s war in coal that end with Fire Obama. I have a hunch that Murray paid for tens of thousands of these signs. Maybe someone can comment on the EPA regs concerning coal but it seems the real threat to coal is cheap natural gas due to fracking.
he is nuts, as we all are to some degree, and if you work for him you either put up with it or find another job. he has the right to treat his workers any way he wants. you have the right to not work for him.
Isn’t this the same guy that forced his workers to lose a day of pay in order to attend that Romney rally?? This guy is a stain on humanity.