Trump Is a Conman in Hardhat

By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Facebook Page

03 September 17

ne of my responsibilities two decades ago was to oversee the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Its core objective was to keep miners safe. To run it, Trump has tapped a former coal company executive who has railed against safety protections for miners.

David G. Zatezalo, of Rhino Resources, clashed with the Department Labor over enforcement efforts aimed at curbing a spike in mining deaths. Zatezalo's company was warned multiple times to improve mine safety, but few improvements were made. Tragedy struck in 2011 when a miner was killed during a cave-in caused by inadequate support beams. Now, Zatezalo will be in charge of protecting miners across the country.

To coal miners who voted for Trump: He is a conman in hardhat who has never had your best-interests at heart. He wants to make mines more dangerous while also cutting workforce development programs in your communities. The coal companies that donate to his campaign are profiting at your expense. America deserves a president who invests workers, not someone who sells them out.

What do you think?