The news that there is an intense effort on the part of our nation's military to adequately fund the conversion of coal into a liquid fuel holds hopes for a dependable economic base the likes of which we have never experienced in Eastern Kentucky. Coal has long been a driver of local economic engines, but it has never been a steady economic source. We have enjoyed the boom days, but on the other hand we have suffered with the loss of jobs when the price of oil drops and consequently the price and demand for coal drops.

Until the last few years, it seems any upheaval in the Middle East gets soon forgotten, and we overlook the valuable resource we have in our own coal supplies. After the shock of "nine-eleven,” we have taken a much more serious look at that area of the world. It is sad it took such a jolt as that to bring us to the point we have to consider trying to be self sufficient, but hopefully we have been shocked to the point we will keep our eye on the target, which in this case is being able to provide our own energy sources.

With the nation's military behind this latest effort of preparing to convert coal into a liquid fuel with the foundation reason behind such an effort being our country's security, this could well become a reality.

Such a happening would put the economy of much of the United States in a position to be dependable and stable. Locally, just think what it would be like to know that there was a constant demand for our coal for many decades to come. Local governments could do long range planning using dependable figures, not hoped-for and "what if" figures. Families could also plan for the long term knowing there were good jobs locally that would be here tomorrow.

News that the United States Senate, through the efforts of West Virginia's Senators Byrd and Rockefeller has not forgotten the safety of the underground miner is a comfort factor for the miner and his or her family every day the miner goes back into the mines. I know the anxiety felt by the miners and their families first hand, because my dad was in the mines for twenty-four years in the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company mines.

No matter one's work time or days of relaxation, there are no guarantees one will always be safe and return home in good health, but it has to be of great comfort to today's underground miner that efforts are being made to make their work safer, and as has been stated, the demand for their mined produce will make their jobs much more secure.

It is a known fact that most Kentuckians prefer to live within a day's drive of the state. With the possibility of places like Kentucky becoming the source of the country's energy needs, areas such as Hazard and Perry County could well see in-migration rather than the out-migration we have seen for too many years due to the lack of work locally.