Rand Paul Doesn’t Want Mining Industry Federally Regulated

Posted by | August 3, 2010 19:49 | Filed under: Top Stories


Kentucky Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul told Details Magazine that the mining industry should not be regulated, at least not from Washington. Besides, there will be accidents regardless, right? (h/t Matt DeLong) Paul spoke at a facility owned by the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, where 29 miners were killed in April.

“Is there a certain amount of accidents and unfortunate things that do happen, no matter what the regulations are?” Paul says at the Harlan Center, in response to a question about the Big Branch disaster. “The bottom line is I’m not an expert, so don’t give me the power in Washington to be making rules. You live here, and you have to work in the mines. You’d try to make good rules to protect your people here. If you don’t, I’m thinking that no one will apply for those jobs.”

“I know that doesn’t sound … I want to be compassionate, and I’m sorry for what happened, but I wonder: Was it just an accident?”

Ron Chusid at Liberal values says:

Yes, the free market will protect the workers. I can just picture Adam Smith’s invisible hand reaching in to pull the workers to safety when needed.

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By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

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