Former Vice President Joe Biden urged displaced coal miners to take up coding and computer programming on Monday during a campaign swing through New Hampshire.
Biden, who recently claimed that blue-collar job losses should not stand in the way of a greener economy, made the comment while discussing his plans for expanding “jobs of the future” if elected in 2020. The former vice president, in particular, suggested retraining programs were the key for workers in industries hardest hit by globalization and increased environmental regulations, especially those in the coal mines of Appalachia.
“Anybody who can go down 3,000 feet in a mine can sure as hell learn to program as well,” Biden told an audience in Derry, New Hampshire. “Anybody who can throw coal into a furnace can learn how to program, for God’s sake!”
California authorities identify final unknown victim of ‘Happy Face Killer’ Keith Jesperson after 34 years
New York Gov Hochul rejects Trump’s ‘Lake America’ renaming with blunt message
Maine meteorologist suffers giggle attack on live TV after prank backfires spectacularly
Defense Claims Lindsay Clancy ‘Never Did Anything Wrong in Her Life’ in Closing Argument
Report: Trump Admin Nearing ‘Massive’ Venezuelan Oil Deal
RNC threatens legal action against New Jersey officials over noncitizens on voter rolls: ‘On notice’
Social media erupts after cops reportedly raid home of Ilhan Omar’s son: ‘Not a good look’
Gov Shapiro sues Trump administration over ‘lifesaving reproductive care’ in escalating abortion battle
Watch: Hegseth Rights Another Biden Wrong – Upgrades Abbey Gate Heroes’ Awards After Previous Admin Wrongly Downgraded Them
Lutnick stumps for Trump’s Kennedy Center rebrand outside key court hearing
Restaurant Hands Dessert with Painful Birthday Message to Wheelchair-Bound Diner After Kitchen Staffer Misunderstands Instructions
US removes radioactive cancer-treatment material from Central American country over ‘dirty bomb’ risk
Embattled California Democrat to step aside as Dads Caucus chairman
White House silent on Iran-Oman Hormuz plan Tehran says would ban US warships
Socialist surge threatens Democrats in New Hampshire Senate race
The former vice president’s comments come only weeks after he pledged at the sixth Democrat primary debate to “sacrifice” economic growth and potentially “displace thousands or hundreds of thousands of blue-collar workers” in the interests of a “greener economy.”
“The answer is yes because the opportunity for those workers to transition to high paying jobs is real,” Biden told the audience.
Regardless of the former vice president’s claim, job retraining and other transitionary programs for displaced workers have mostly failed to live up to their promise. Retraining programs are often a poor fit for blue-collar workers, an overwhelming majority of whom tend to be older and lack a college education, in terms of skill set and technological literacy. Even more troubling is that the jobs eligible for retraining often are either in short supply in areas hardest hit by globalization and automation, or pay significantly less than those initially displaced.
For instance, the average pay a coal miner can expect to make, under a contract negotiated by the United Mine Workers of America union, “comes out to at least $61,650 a year, and closer to $85,000 a year with overtime.” This does not include healthcare, pension, and other benefits usually offered by such jobs. Meanwhile, the jobs available after workforce retraining generally tend to be lower-paid hourly wage positions.
California authorities identify final unknown victim of ‘Happy Face Killer’ Keith Jesperson after 34 years
New York Gov Hochul rejects Trump’s ‘Lake America’ renaming with blunt message
Maine meteorologist suffers giggle attack on live TV after prank backfires spectacularly
Defense Claims Lindsay Clancy ‘Never Did Anything Wrong in Her Life’ in Closing Argument
Report: Trump Admin Nearing ‘Massive’ Venezuelan Oil Deal
RNC threatens legal action against New Jersey officials over noncitizens on voter rolls: ‘On notice’
Social media erupts after cops reportedly raid home of Ilhan Omar’s son: ‘Not a good look’
Gov Shapiro sues Trump administration over ‘lifesaving reproductive care’ in escalating abortion battle
Watch: Hegseth Rights Another Biden Wrong – Upgrades Abbey Gate Heroes’ Awards After Previous Admin Wrongly Downgraded Them
Lutnick stumps for Trump’s Kennedy Center rebrand outside key court hearing
Restaurant Hands Dessert with Painful Birthday Message to Wheelchair-Bound Diner After Kitchen Staffer Misunderstands Instructions
US removes radioactive cancer-treatment material from Central American country over ‘dirty bomb’ risk
Embattled California Democrat to step aside as Dads Caucus chairman
White House silent on Iran-Oman Hormuz plan Tehran says would ban US warships
Socialist surge threatens Democrats in New Hampshire Senate race
Biden, himself, should be aware of such circumstances. A study measuring the impact of retraining programs, both existing ones and those began under the Obama administration, found that while they helped enrollees find work faster, there was little proof such programs led individuals to jobs of equal or higher wage to those they lost.
Despite such evidence, Biden has not only continued touting the idea of job retraining, but has also promised to ban energy sources such as coal, fracking, and other fossil fuels if elected president—to the detriment of millions of workers in those fields.
Story cited here.
