# Blankenship, quit your fucking lies! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 9, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479 "2010-04-09T01:13:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/21 "2010-04-10T16:27:21Z")
Sure, we dig coal out of the ground. But you know what else is found underground? Dead bodies. Sure, you could say that they were our workers. We say that our FORMER workers have simply moved on to other jobs and what you’ve found are just standard issue corpses that you could find lying around anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/22 "2016-04-06T22:08:16Z")
An update: > [@](#): > > The former chief executive of a company that owned a West Virginia mine where 29 miners were killed in a 2010 explosion was sentenced Wednesday to a year in federal prison. > > Don Blankenship, who had been chief executive of Massey Energy, was found guilty by a jury in December on a charge of conspiracy to willfully violate mine health and safety standards, according to the Justice Department. He was sentenced one day after the sixth anniversary of the accident, which drew national attention and prompted congressional scrutiny. > > The year in prison was the maximum sentence for this charge. Blankenship was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/04/06/former-coal-ceo-sentenced-to-a-year-in-prison-for-2010-west-virginia-coal-mine-disaster/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/04/06/former-coal-ceo-sentenced-to-a-year-in-prison-for-2010-west-virginia-coal-mine-disaster/) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/23 "2016-04-06T22:35:39Z")
[QUOTE=Blackenship] “We’re the leaders in safety innovation and continue to be more creative in the area of safety than any other company, in our opinion.” [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=The Dude] Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man. [/QUOTE] Heh… ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/24 "2016-04-06T22:45:33Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > An update: > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/04/06/former-coal-ceo-sentenced-to-a-year-in-prison-for-2010-west-virginia-coal-mine-disaster/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/04/06/former-coal-ceo-sentenced-to-a-year-in-prison-for-2010-west-virginia-coal-mine-disaster/) I’m disappointed that he can only get a year. Oh, well. I hope he’s broke enough that 1/4 million fine will hurt, but I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/25 "2016-04-06T22:59:31Z")
Isn’t 29 people the number of people killed by The Punisher? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/26 "2016-04-07T02:56:38Z")
It appears that industries of a particular type attract like-minded individuals. Unless it’s just a peculiar coincidence that the chief executives of slimeball industries like coal mining invariably turn out to be self-serving murderous sociopathic assholes … The day after Barack Obama won his re-election bid, the chief executive of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murray, gathered his staff and began to read a prayer. He asked God to forgive America for its choice of president, and he prayed for “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.” He closed with a heartfelt “amen.” Then he fired 156 people. Murray explained that the layoffs were inevitable in light of Obama’s re-election. He’s not the only coal baron to cite the president as the cause of the industry’s supposed death knell. CONSOL Energy Inc. President Nicholas Deluliis blamed Obama for 145 planned layoffs, while Alpha Natural Resources CEO Kevin Crutchfield cited the Obama-created “regulatory environment” as the basis for 1,200 job cuts this fall. Other coal executives poured millions into (ultimately ineffective) anti-Obama super PACs … … There’s a slight flaw, however, in this blame game: It’s almost entirely made-up. Obama has indeed increased regulation over the coal industry to limit output of carbon and mercury, mandating that older plants update their scrubbers. But his efforts have been fairly mild and nonaggressive, and the regulations—which have the benefit of protecting Americans from mercury poisoning—aren’t cripplingly costly to coal companies. > **[Coal Job Losses Are Not Obama’s Fault](https://slate.com/technology/2012/11/coal-ceo-prays-and-fires-workers-how-the-coal-industry-brought-about-its-own-demise-but-blamed-obama.html)** > > The day after Barack Obama won his re-election bid, the chief executive of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murray, gathered his staff and began to read a... As for Blankenship, who even has a physical resemblance to an overfed mutant weasel, ten years for every life he took, to be served consecutively for a total of 290 years, would have been more appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/27 "2016-04-07T07:55:19Z")
Instead, it looks like he gets about 12 days in the slammer for each stiff he killed. Life is cheap when you’re a West Virginia coal miner, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/28 "2016-04-07T10:54:57Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’m disappointed that he can only get a year. Oh, well. I hope he’s broke enough that 1/4 million fine will hurt, but I doubt it. > [@](#): > > One of the nation’s most vilified ex-CEO’s may have made close to $18 million last year alone and is now scheduled to get at least $12 million in cash by July > **[Former Massey CEO Gets Golden Parachute … And A Blue Truck](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/12/08/131891377/former-massey-ceo-gets-golden-parachute-and-a-blue-pickup-truck)** > > Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship's retirement agreement includes $12 million in cash, a truck and quite a few more considerations for his service to the mining company. Granted that’s from six years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/29 "2016-04-07T16:06:24Z")
Blankenship is one of the most truly terrible people in America. He’s the living embodiment of the caricatures that liberals often create about Republicans (and frankly, people like him can exist because we cry wolf too often). ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/30 "2016-04-08T00:22:04Z")
So pleased to see this POS (Blankenship) do at least minimal jail time, thought he’d completely skate on all charges. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/31 "2016-04-08T02:00:28Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > As for Blankenship, who even has a physical resemblance to an overfed mutant weasel, ten years for every life he took, to be served consecutively for a total of 290 years, would have been more appropriate. > [@Senegoid](#): > > Instead, it looks like he gets about 12 days in the slammer for each stiff he killed. Life is cheap when you’re a West Virginia coal miner, I guess. FTR… twenty-nine men died in one day six years ago, in the explosion and fires of the Upper Big Branch disaster… but in all 52 workers were killed on the job at Massey, while Don Blankenship was running the show. > [@unionlabel.org](#): > > Massey was the fourth-largest coal producer in the U.S. and the largest mine operator in Appalachia at the time of the explosion. But, it had racked up an extensive list of violations before the disaster happened, and a 2011 report by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) found that Massey had a history of “systematic, intentional and aggressive efforts” to evade safety regulations. > > The company kept two set of books to mislead miners and inspectors, tipped off crews before surprise inspections and intimidated workers to prevent them from reporting violations, the report found. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/32 "2016-04-08T17:03:19Z")
I think the sentence was far too light. In short, a farce. It just shows, money and connections are all it takes. People get harder sentences for far far less, like simple theft. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/33 "2016-04-08T17:16:57Z")
It’s not about money and connections. It’s about how the legal system treats direct versus indirect offenses and intent. Blankenship wasn’t trying to kill anyone; he was trying to save money and didn’t much care if he killed someone. It might seem like a trivial point, but it’s the difference between a speeder who causes a deadly accident and a guy who runs over a couple of kids on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/34 "2016-04-08T17:17:17Z")
People, cases, and sentences like this makes one wish for a cross between Dexter and a Seal Team Six sniper. And a world class hacker/financial “funds reallocation expert”. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/35 "2016-04-08T17:39:06Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s not about money and connections. It’s about how the legal system treats direct versus indirect offenses and intent. Blankenship wasn’t trying to kill anyone; he was trying to save money and didn’t much care if he killed someone. It might seem like a trivial point, but it’s the difference between a speeder who causes a deadly accident and a guy who runs over a couple of kids on purpose. OK then, fair enough. So how much time would a less wealthy, less connected person get for I dunno, manslaughter (the drunk driver) or criminal negligence (the guy who just doesn’t give a damn)? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/36 "2016-04-08T17:44:01Z")
Less than a broke person. But it looks like Blankenship got the maximum penalty for the crime he was actually convicted of in this case. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/37 "2016-04-08T17:45:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Less than a broke person. But it looks like Blankenship got the maximum penalty for the crime he was actually convicted of in this case. You’re right. I guess I’m just in a “Make 'em all pay” mood this morning/ ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/38 "2016-04-08T17:54:26Z")
He was charged with a misdemeanor, skirting and cheating on safety regulations. In theory, at least, he might have gotten the same sentence if there were not any fatal consequences. My understanding, however dim it may be, is that this is not the end of his legal woes. And the horse upon in which he rode. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/39 "2016-04-08T20:08:20Z")
This was a federal charge. Obviously he should have faced state charges for involuntary manslaughter. Why didn’t this happen? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479/40 "2016-04-08T20:44:01Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > This was a federal charge. Obviously he should have faced state charges for involuntary manslaughter. Why didn’t this happen? I don’t know that that is so obvious, but I can answer the gist of your question in words that are not complete sentences. West Virginia government. Bed. Coal mining companies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blankenship-quit-your-fucking-lies/535479.md?page=3)