W. Va is such a lovely place.. A gem in areas.. I have seen ferns that seemed like they belonged in the Jurassic age..coal steals the young people out of school.. and they go into the mines.. I have no idea what could go in there to replace coal.. but it is a dying fuel source.. and great minds need to cultivate the possibilities for the people in W. Va. Things beyond a hole in the ground existence..

Of the 6 counties with the highest unemployment rates, only three provide any significant number of jobs related to the coal industry: Mingo, Marion and Logan, with over 1,000 jobs per county. Webster Country's coal industry provides a modest number of jobs (330) and none are recorded for Pocahontas (with the highest unemployment rate) or Wetzel.

I do agree that a new vision for the economy of West Virginia must be realized and I do think that must begin with education. WV's young people must be able to provide a savvy workforce that will draw modern industry to the state.

My parents are from SW Virginia.. off of Garden Creek.. near Vansant.. I am not sure if you are familiar with that area.. but it is a hop skip and jump to W. Va.. and we used to take the W Va turnpike to get back to see the grandparents.. I have a deep affection for mountain people.. My Dad left for educational purposes and we have been out in Iowa for 60 years..but I still have "people" as my folks would say in Va, W. Va and Pikesville Ky..

My Dad was in the mines when he was a young man.. in the really bad old days of mining..

Its not too different in northern Mn with the taconite miners.. or west of us with the loggers..

Though taconite is steel based and not energy so to speak, making steel and iron.. its still using up resources

We have to move mentally to a different place as far as energy usage and just using up our resources.

That is where the work is.

Though we have an untold number of cousins, owing to a surname that is common in and specific to Appalachia.

My gr-grandfather died when my grandfather was small, so in order to feed a really large brood, my gr-grandmother became a cook for a coal mining camp. My grandfather recalled that all the miners were fed first so when it was time for the children to eat, all that was left was flour and grease. Every day, he said, it was the same thing --- biscuits and gravy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now I happen to love biscuits and gravy but when that's about all you ever have to eat I'm sure it gets old really fast. As an adult my grandfather would never touch biscuits and gravy again -- said he had so much of it as a kid that just looking at it gave his stomach a turn.

My Dad till the day he died.. loved biscuits and gravy.. or berries and biscuits for breakfast..

I have not been back since 87 when Grandma died.. but the thing that struck me last time.. was the kudzu over everything then.. if you stood still for 10 seconds it was sending shoots up the leg.. (well exaggerating there ..

and not having to fight the coal truck because the four lane had gone through Buchanan county..

Even though I am a vegetarian now.. every blue moon there is nothing I crave more than fried bologna sandwiches .. another stand by for the miners..

I have always thought that sw corner of Va and nearly all of W Virginia should be a vacation paradise.. Like Branson is in Missouri..

I had one just a few days ago. Though when I was growing up, we usually had fried bologna for breakfast.