Bob McCarty Writes

During an interview that aired yesterday on Fox News Channel, President Barack Obama told Fox’s Major Garrett that his focus remains on job growth.  If he’s honest about wanting to keep Americans working, he should take note of the testimony of Mike Carey, president of the Ohio Coal Association, delivered before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Oct. 29.  And those concerned about the nation’s 10.2 percent unemployment rate should do the same.

Carey cited a Penn State University study on the link between coal jobs and the broader economy.  As Carey recounted, Penn State found that “every coal worker supports up to eleven other jobs in their community, from shop keepers and barbers to restaurant workers to railroad employees.”

Moreover, according to the study, “every $1 billion in U.S. coal production stimulates a total production of $3.138 billion of production throughout the economy” and “every dollar of net coal industry production translates into $3.14 of economy-wide output.”

And the United States has plenty of coal as shown in the graphic below (See United States Could Be Energy Independent If… for more details):

So why not make the most of it — unless, that is, your intent is to destroy the nation’s economy.

Click here to read the full transcript of the exchange between Carey and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

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