Everything in this video has been reported on elsewhere but seeing it all together in one shot is heartrending. I think the jig is up for Manchin, his fossil fuel interests, his family and most certainly for climate change.

It’s good that Manchin has a D behind his name or we’d be looking at Majority Leader McConnell. Again. But beyond that happy news Manchin’s posture on legislation which is crucial leaves much to be desired.

And he does remind you of this guy. And their states remind you of one another.

This is from the Intercept article referenced above:

Manchin’s claim that climate pollution would be worsened by the elimination of fossil fuels — or by the resolution’s actual, more incremental climate provisions — is highly dubious, if not outright false. What would unquestionably be impacted, however, is Manchin’s own personal wealth.

Though Manchin’s motivations are often ascribed to the conservative, coal-friendly politics of West Virginia, it is also the case that the state’s senior senator is heavily invested in the industry — and owes much of his considerable fortune to it.

For decades, Manchin has profited from a series of coal companies that he founded during the 1980s. His son, Joe Manchin IV, has since assumed leadership roles in the firms, and the senator says his ownership is held in a blind trust. Yet between the time he joined the Senate and today, Manchin has personally grossed more than $4.5 million from those firms, according to financial disclosures. He also holds stock options in Enersystems Inc., the larger of the two firms, valued between $1 and $5 million.

Those two companies are Enersystems Inc. and Farmington Resources Inc., the latter of which was created by the rapid merging of two other firms, Manchin’s Transcon and Farmington Energy in 2005. Enersystems purchases low-quality waste coal from mines and resells it to power plants as fuel, while Farmington Resources provides “support activities for mining” and holds coal reserves in the Fairmont area. Over the decades, whether feeding tens of thousands of tons of dirty waste coal into the power plants in northern West Virginia or subjecting workers to unsafe conditions, Manchin’s family coal business has almost entirely avoided public scrutiny.

Manchin did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The problem with fossil fuels is that the clock has run out. We need legislation yesterday to combat climate change. Manchin is trying to do the impossible, protect his own interests and pretend climate change isn’t as serious as it is. He knows full well where the coal industry stands. He has had relatives in it for generations.

I can’t wait for Part II. I’m assuming that coal and climate change will be addressed there.

Help keep the site running, consider supporting.

5 COMMENTS

  1. I don’t know if his original immigrant ancestor was German or if he anglicised his name, but ‘Männchen’ in German is ‘little man’ (it’s also a command to a dog to ‘sit up and beg’)

    • According to Wiki, the name derives from the Italian, “Mancini” (pronounced as “mahn-chee-nee” despite the legendary composer and conductor who made the name pretty famous).

      Per Google Translate, “mancini” means “left-handed.”

    • Hell, he would not know how to find child care, he has staff to handle annoying problems like that and with his millions, one has to ask, is he SO tight, he can’t fart just whistle?

      60,000. dollars for a family of four – HA, he probably has someone on staff to wax and polish his yacht … a full time job paying more than 60k, might be a double job title, maintains the yacht, runs the onboard kitchen and gets to bunk on the yacht as well …

      Maybe a truth-be-known of all the dark money flowing into his hands could shake him up and for once, to protect himself from further attacks, vote with Nancy …

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

The maximum upload file size: 128 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, text, archive, code, other. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here