Posted on 08/21/2007 4:35:05 AM PDT by Daffynition
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The families of the Crandall Canyon miner's aren't the only ones raising questions about the handling of the rescue effort.
Many news organizations and blogs are also now asking questions about the governments role and the man chosen to lead the rescue effort, Mine and Health Safety Administrator, Richard Stickler.
Sunday, the questions that had been whispered about for days, the miner's families themselves finally made public.
Sonny Olsen, families spokesperson said, "We are at the mercy of the officials in charge and their so-called experts."
Increasing attention is now being paid to Stickler, the federal government's main mine man.
Stickler used to be a mining executive who - according to various media reports - ran mines which had several fatalities and "...an incident rate that was often twice the national average."
Stickler's rocky road to appointment
"Others were irate that [mine owner Bob] Murray was allowed to publicly predict success and contradict MSHA itself while agency officials quietly looked on." -ABC News Also coming to light, is the fact that Stickler's nomination to head the mine administration was twice rejected by congress and rejected when republicans were still in charge.
Rejected reportedly by senators who were concerned about Stickler's safety record when he operated mines. After his nomination was twice rejected by the Senate, President Bush gave Richard Stickler the mine safety job with a recess appointment.
That's a presidential appointment made when congress is not in session.
Finally, congressional investigations and hearings are now expected to look at a key provision of federal mining law, one which requires the U.S. Government to be the main communicator when an accident occurs.
ABC News now notes it took the mine safety administration two days to take public control of the Crandall Canyon Mine.
ABC also adds, "Others were irate that [mine owner Bob] Murray was allowed to publicly predict success and contradict MSHA itself while agency officials quietly looked on."
And even though Richard Stickler does have considerable mining experience, he is now acquiring a new not-so-favorable nickname.
Among many bloggers, he is now being referred to as the "new Brownie."
That in reference to Michael Brown who headed FEMA during Hurricane Katrina.
Ya see...never woulda happened if Hillary’d a been in charge.
What the hell do people expect in these disasters? As far as I can see, they have tried every trick in the book to go after those miners...and with additional losses.
Somehow I don’t see the President appearing on the tube with Stickler, putting his arm around him and saying, “Sticky, you’re doing a great job.” I wonder who pushed for him for this job? He sure didn’t do the President any favors.
I suppose the question is what caused the disaster in the first place. If it was negligence or unsafe practices that should have been caught by the agency he was heading then Stickler will be an even bigger target.
My sentiments exactly.
Back to Katrina?? Those people were told to leave. That picture of the buses in the parking lot was disgusting. THE LOCAL (Dems) did a lousy leadership job on the whole thing. People simply ignored the order to leave. No common sense anywhere. This is what happens when you make people government dependent...That wait for you to take care of them...because that’s their election “promise”.
This is ONE disaster that won't be blamed on Global Warming, I'm sure. It's the mean ol' "Big Business Mining Friends of GWB" that caused it. I hope there isn't one piece of equipment there that says "Halliburton" on it.
My heart and prayers, however, go to the families of those lost, including those brave men who went in to attempt the rescue, and died when additional collapses occurred.
big campaign contribution ?
That didn't take long did it? We knew it was coming, I just wish I could pick horses with the same accuracy......
A union man, that’s what we need, ya, that’s the ticket.
NO matter what happened, it was an accident.
ROFL, they actually found a way to blame Bush. I don’t know why I am surprised.
Leave it to the media to focus on the PUBLIC RELATIONS aspect of a tragedy. Sheesh.
What the heck difference does it make who does the talking or whether info is given out that later proves wrong. First the damn press pack DEMANDS they get up-to-the-minute reports and they constantly press for opinions. Then they pounce if any of that instant info/opinion turns out to be incorrect.
(See tagline...)
Damned if you, damed if you don’t situ. Imagine the heat if MSHA had refused to have any involvement in the rescue attempt.
Have you ever worked a disaster? You sound like a neophyte.
LLS
Somehow, I just knew this would end up being Bush's fault.
I wonder how much of these stories are driven by union bosses trying to unionize a non union mine.
Remember the start of this story when FNC put an expert on who turned out to be a union organizer.
No, but neither had Brown or Stickler apparently. Doesn't sound like they even planned for it.
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