As a long time union man, I do favor anything which empowers workers to improve their portion in life. As a Minnesotan I also favor whatever will help preserve and maintain - or even improve our Minnesota environment. In the case of sulfide mining, there will be some good construction jobs...but only for a few short years and then they will be done. The jobs that remain in the actual mining will be a few hundred among all the various operations, total. The bulk of the work will be mechanized and automated - very efficient and requiring only a small number of people. These are multinational corporations and the bulk of the profit and financial gain will leave the country. We will be left with a damaged and wasted state to clean up at our expense. Meanwhile, the damages caused by the acidic mine waste will imperil the jobs and lifestyle of tens of thousands of people for hundreds of years after the mines close down their 30 year operation. Currently more people get their income - their sustenance - from tourism and environmental usage work than from short-term construction and mining. Mining used to support us. It still supports a couple of thousand people...but this is just a shadow, just a small fraction of people that used to be supported by mining. Now, mining mainly supports corporations with no major presence in Minnesota or the USA.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:15:07 +0000
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