Rep. Tom Rukavina’s counterpoint in the Jan. 7, 2012, Timberjay was a fairly good example of what a mining economy usually produces.  Withering communities squabbling over inadequate revenues and legislators controlled by global mining interests.

While Rukavina is correct that Tower received mining funds, it wasn’t enough to keep our high school open.  We might point out that his district benefits economically from our students that now travel to Virginia for education.  

We might also point out that his district benefits by being able to leak their tailings pond runoff into Lake Vermilion.  When he calculates the great benefits we receive from his district, he should deduct the cost of cleaning up Lake Vermilion.  Instead of rebating tax dollars to mining companies, the IRRRB should be cleaning up their messes.

A few years ago, I applauded when Tom said he was going to promote a four-year degree program for the Range.  I personally envisaged Vermilion Community College expanding to offer a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources.  We would’ve drawn students from all over the country.  Instead, we got another unnecessary subsidy for the mining industry in the form of an apprenticeship program for mining company engineers.

I saw the writing on the wall a couple years ago.  As a matter of fact, it was on the wall of the IRRRB where they had painted their mission statement.  Goal #3 of that statement was to “Diversify the region’s economy...”  That statement is now painted over but you can find the new statement online with the word “Diversify” removed.  They excised any hint that we might not be completely addicted to mining.

One other talking point that I find personally offensive is the effort to wrap copper mining in the flag of patriotism.  We hear time after time from the people who want to mine copper in our wetlands that the Mesabi Iron Range won World War Two, as if that’s justification for now shipping our minerals to China.  

I have a little experience with war and mining.  I served on the ground in Vietnam in the early days of the war so I returned to work in the mines while the economy was still good.  I can tell you that the heroes were the soldiers who gave their lives on the bloody beaches of Normandy and in the stinking jungles of Vietnam.  Not the miners hauling home overtime paychecks or the Sherpa legislators who were hauling water for their mining company masters.

It’s a sad state of affairs when we get lectures on patriotism from chicken hawks and lessons on economics from mining company lapdogs.

Bob Tammen

Soudan, Minn.