“Having Pres. Obama come to Louisville today and speak about jobs and the economy truly shows that he, his administration and its supporters have no idea of the devastation that they have caused in and beyond Kentucky’s coalfields. While any sitting President of the United States should be treated with respect, we, as Kentuckians, have an obligation to criticize him for playing a major role in the loss of more than 7,000 direct mining jobs in Eastern Kentucky, more than 21,000 indirect jobs, and an unknown and much greater number of other jobs in the coalfields as Pres. Obama continues to fulfill his 2008 campaign promise of bankrupting the U.S. coal industry. I hope the people of Louisville understand that what happens in Kentucky’s coalfields not only affects how much they pay for electricity, but also keeps so many Kentucky manufacturers here in the Commonwealth.”

-Bill Bissett, President, Kentucky Coal Association