Our area has a long and not too pleasant history with swindlers. To put it in plain English, we love con men. We even name things after the great ones around here.
Ever drive on the Mayo Trail? It's named after John C.C. Mayo, who used the broad form deed to steal the wealth out from under most of your ancestors. Mr. Mayo was truly great at the game, using slick talk and a questionable document to become the richest man in the state.
Thanks to his lead, the great wealth from coal and other fossil fuels went to Pittsburgh, New York and Boston instead of staying here. Of course there were exceptions, not everyone fell for the ruse. But enough did to guarantee one day we'd all be trying to SOAR.
Mayo's accomplishments are still celebrated and, of course, he was never taken to task for leading the way in transferring trillions of dollars of wealth from poor hillbillies to rich robber barons.
To this day, the vast majority of land and nearly all the minerals in our region are owned by people who don't live here.
History shows we've fallen for the promises of con men over and over. Politicians, both local and on a national level, have guaranteed the moon and we've lapped it up like kittens at the milk bowl. And every time, the only moon we've seen is the one they offer us to kiss as they're hightailing it down the road.
There seems to always be a con in place around here. We've elected the same guy to represent our congressional district for 34 years. When we first elected him, our district was the poorest in the country. Today, it's still the poorest in the country. And we've managed to make it the least healthy, too.
Has Hal been called to task? Are you kidding? We took Daniel Boone's name off a highway and replaced it with Hal Rogers. That's like renaming Beethoven's Orchestra to Kiss.
Sometimes con jobs can't be tied to an individual, but to a group of individuals also known as energy corporations. Friends of Coal is a classic con, playing on the employment of hard working individuals for political gain. Before the con men we voted for destroyed unions, I don't think locals would have fallen for that one. But it is what it is. The swindlers eat caviar, hillbillies get droppings.
Today we're seeing the result of another con. Jeez, it even said con on the billboards. Over 900 individuals in Pike, Floyd and Letcher county have lost their only source of income thanks to another slick talker who has (allegedly) been running a swindle against the government and the people he supposedly represented for years.
When the government got suspicious and decided to do something about it, what happened? They went after who they always go after, the ones who got conned. Nine hundred people lose their benefits and the snake oil salesman hasn't even been indicted.
That's pretty much par for the course around here. And you know when all the signs go up on that new road from Shelby Valley to Elkhorn, it'll be the Eric C. Conn Freeway.
Cause that's just how we roll.