Bristol, VA – Kaine Betrayed Coal, a project of American Commitment, released a radio ad today that lets Tim Kaine tell voters in his own words where he stands on coal.
“Tim Kaine is on TV in Southwest Virginia telling voters that he is a friend of coal, when nothing could be further from the truth” said Ben Marchi, spokesman for Kaine Betrayed Coal. “Tim Kaine has repeatedly said he wants to shrink the role coal plays in Virginia and America, shutter coal-fired power plants and leapfrog coal for cleaner sources of energy. I don’t think that’s supporting coal – and I don’t think the folks in the coalfields will either.”
The ad, which is airing on radio stations across Virginia’s coalfields features audio from Tim Kaine being interviewed by anti-coal American Clean Skies Foundation. In the interview Kaine lays out his view of coal stating: ”Our strategy should be take that pie chart, take the coal portion, make it smaller… and shutter or retrofit the dirtier technologies.”
“Coal companies are laying off thousands of workers, and the miners that do have jobs are worried day-to-day that they could be next. We need a senator that can be counted on to fight for coal jobs, not pursue a radical anti-coal agenda that will drive electricity prices through the roof.” Marchi said “Tim Kaine can’t claim to be a friend of coal – or coal miners – while he’s supporting EPA regulations that would effectively prohibit the burning of coal.”