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Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

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21–30 of 32 posts

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#21
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is this being downvoted? Murray is scum. For decades he tried to discredit black lung as a valid disease. His claim for black lung disease benefits should be denied on principle, for all the pain and suffering he has caused to date.

He may not justly deserve the benefits. But do you want to act on the same level as him? Or do you want to be better ?

Better is for saints and prophets. I’m human, so I’ll settle for getting even and creating a strong deterrent to dissuade others like him.

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#22
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is this being downvoted? Murray is scum. For decades he tried to discredit black lung as a valid disease. His claim for black lung disease benefits should be denied on principle, for all the pain and suffering he has caused to date.

He may not justly deserve the benefits. But do you want to act on the same level as him? Or do you want to be better ?

So, should we release all the kidnappers from jail because we want to be better than them?

I want the best for society, not some moral high ground, so I definitely would deny the benefits and if he does want to obtain them, he should at least do some public apologies.

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#23
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is this being downvoted? Murray is scum. For decades he tried to discredit black lung as a valid disease. His claim for black lung disease benefits should be denied on principle, for all the pain and suffering he has caused to date.

He may not justly deserve the benefits. But do you want to act on the same level as him? Or do you want to be better ?

We also live in a time where people people get fired for saying the wrong thing due to public outrage on twitter. He can say what he wants. We can be outraged as we want.

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#24
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is this being downvoted? Murray is scum. For decades he tried to discredit black lung as a valid disease. His claim for black lung disease benefits should be denied on principle, for all the pain and suffering he has caused to date.

He may not justly deserve the benefits. But do you want to act on the same level as him? Or do you want to be better ?

it's not lowering ourselves to the same level, it's simply fairness. have him exhaust his personal wealth first, as happens to the rest of us, and then he can go on the public dole and get help if need be. why should he get special treatment?

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#25
post #3

> But Murray told NPR in October 2019 that he had a lung disease that was not caused by working underground in mines. > “It's idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. IPF, and it is not related to my work in the industry. They've checked for that,” Murray told NPR. “And it's not — has anything to do with working in the coal mines, which I did for 17 years underground every day. And until I was 76, I went underground twice a we…

You're correct. In fact, it seems odd to me that a doctor would have diagnosed IPF in someone who had worked in coal mines for that long. As far as I know, the symptoms of black lung are basically indistinguishable from IPF. I'm not a doctor, but my father died of IPF, and his father died from black lung (steel industry, not coal, but they have the same risks).

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have friends and acquaintances that have worked jobs like this and it absolutely destroys your health in the long term. It’s a shame that the both the government and industry have not pursued a better path forward.

I've spoken to Congressional representatives about possible paths for coal miners to bridge them from coal mining to social security or the pension benefit guarantee corp (essentially buyouts, very inexpensive for the number of folks we're talking about), and quite literally have been laughed at. I have no sympathy anymore for anyone in the coal industry except front line workers who are being hung out to dry. It's B…

I'm always completely puzzled when people talk in positive terms about opening coal mines back up and revitalizing that industry. I get that there are areas where the economy was destroyed due to coal mines being shut down, but there has to be a better way to address it than putting people's lives at risk.

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#27
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is this being downvoted? Murray is scum. For decades he tried to discredit black lung as a valid disease. His claim for black lung disease benefits should be denied on principle, for all the pain and suffering he has caused to date.

He may not justly deserve the benefits. But do you want to act on the same level as him? Or do you want to be better ?

[deleted]

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've spoken to Congressional representatives about possible paths for coal miners to bridge them from coal mining to social security or the pension benefit guarantee corp (essentially buyouts, very inexpensive for the number of folks we're talking about), and quite literally have been laughed at. I have no sympathy anymore for anyone in the coal industry except front line workers who are being hung out to dry. It's B…

I'm always completely puzzled when people talk in positive terms about opening coal mines back up and revitalizing that industry. I get that there are areas where the economy was destroyed due to coal mines being shut down, but there has to be a better way to address it than putting people's lives at risk.

People are hard. Who you are as a person (ego, purpose, identity, and belief systems) are at play and at the core of these issues. It’d be a lot easier if this was just about cutting checks to folks every month for the rest of their lives.

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm always completely puzzled when people talk in positive terms about opening coal mines back up and revitalizing that industry. I get that there are areas where the economy was destroyed due to coal mines being shut down, but there has to be a better way to address it than putting people's lives at risk.

People are hard. Who you are as a person (ego, purpose, identity, and belief systems) are at play and at the core of these issues. It’d be a lot easier if this was just about cutting checks to folks every month for the rest of their lives.

Yeah, I get it. In some places it's part of the cultural identity. It just feels like giving them hope is a bad idea.

Re: Bob Murray, Who Fought Regulations as a Coal Operator, Files for Lung Benefits

#30
post #8

I see Bob Murray is personifying the old tycoon motto: socialism for me, rugged capitalism for thee.

I don’t buy it.

He had paid taxes all his life, all he is asking for is to get something out of these taxes back.

Is he a bad person? Does he not deserve his share? I don’t know. If he does not, then our legal system is broken - he paid for a service he is denied. If he gets his share, then what about the workers he denied their share to? But his denial was enabled by the law, what are we going to do about this?

And if his pledge is denied, I am going to see this as a petty retaliation against a sick old guy.

If you want to fix something, fix the system that enabled him to fight the regulations in first place. Don’t fight his cruelty with your own just because you think he deserves it and he cannot punch back anymore.

(throwaway because I am afraid of expressing my views due to socialist culture prevailing. Call it self-censorship if you like)

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