To the Editor,

I am writing this letter to all of the people who think that Hillary Clinton is the one and only candidate who can save us. I hope these same people heard her interview on CNN where she stated she wanted to shut down the coal mines and the industry as a whole here in the United States, but do something with all of the coal miners. I don’t know what she meant by this, except maybe a welfare check in the mail each month and food stamps. Oh by the way, after realizing what she said, she stated “she really didn’t mean it that way.” Obama stated that during his term his intentions were to close the coal mines and he has pretty much done that. Maybe Hillary is going to pick up where he left off and going to make good on his promises. Just ask Charleston what the consequences would be if this state would lose money from the taxes they receive from the coal industry and I’m sure that they would be glad to tell you.

Hillary forgot to tell us what she was going to do with all the railroad jobs that will be lost if she closes the coal mines. From the brakeman who works on the trains, engineers who operated the trains that haul the coal, to the carmen who work on the coal cars. Let’s not forget the fuel operators that fuel the engines that pull the coal cars, the supervisors who oversee the moment of the trains and other railroad employees.

Now let us go to the truckers who haul the coal and the taxes we get from them in the form of fuel taxes (which by the way go for our highways). The mechanics who worked on these trucks not to mention that these trucks have to be inspected in the State of West Virginia which means more tax money for Charleston, W.V.

Now let’s talk about the equipment operators who dig the coal and the power plants who need the coal operators to unload the coal for the use in their daily operations.

The list of employees and jobs lost by the closure of the coal mines goes on and on and by the way, ALL of these employees work and pay taxes into the State of West Virginia.

I forgot to mention the secretarial and payroll jobs that would also be lost. I hope you don’t have any family or friends that work in these job capacities when you cast your vote for Hillary Clinton.

I hope and pray that people will vote for a candidate that will be an asset for the State of West Virginia and not because of the party they belong to, whether Democrat or Republican.

Paul Weaver

New Martinsville