Recently, a group of local people led by some area politicians have criticized drug rehabs and blamed them for problems that hold back the area's development. They do not want any more such facilities here and oppose their existence in certain areas. They have also used a campaign to rezone Portsmouth in order to accomplish their goals. The entire campaign aimed at rehabs is a reaction to the opioid epidemic and the influx of new patients plus their dependent children.
It seems to me that blame for the culture of poverty and underdevelopment goes far deeper than the effects of the opioid crisis. In fact, one of the oldest explanations for Scioto County's dysfunctional economy and general decline is a fatalistic outlook developed over many decades in the 20th century.
In his book At Home in the Heart of Appalachia (2002), John O’Brien analyzes the culture of poverty, and he finds that a narrower self-definition in Appalachia exists rather a united identity …
“New England or the South carries a distinctive, connected understanding of its people. While Appalachia as a region is distinctive, it’s debatable whether the self-image held by its people is as clear compared to those areas. Partially, that less-connected identity results from stereotypes pushed on the people living within the region. When the well-known image is of a hillbilly with negative connotations, it’s no surprise that people might shy away from it. And, Appalachia’s smaller population with more difficult geographic barriers has encouraged a local focus over a regional one. That makes for multiple definitions of Appalachia rather than an overarching one …
“Appalachian fatalism is better understood as a certain resignation, a stoic-like acceptance that the powers that be ignore and exploit the region. While it’s not complete submission that turns into learned helplessness, there’s an underdog outlook.
“In practice, this means a stronger emphasis on self-reliance, community ties to solve problems, and a transcendent hope in the afterlife. That’s not fertile ground for utopian idealism … Appalachians generally don’t carry a belief in progress: 'a strong current of what most people would call pessimism runs through this region…many people in the southern mountains, Appalachians if you will, view history as repeating cycles.'”
(John O'Brien. At Home in the Heart of Appalachia. 2002.)
(Anthony Hennen. “Reckoning with an Appalachian Identity.” http://expatalachians.com/reckoning-with-an-appalachian-identity. expatalachians. November 13, 2018.)
Another popular explanation of Appalachian underdevelopment is what is called the “resource curse,” or the idea that places with a lot of natural resources are likely to be poorer because resource industries, like coal mining, dominate the local economy and prevent other economic sectors from growing. Under this theory, nature doomed Appalachia with abundant coal and timber resources to be a place of “rich land, poor people.”
Republicans have taken possession of coal and used the resource as a political weapon by marketing any opposition to its development as the so-called “War On Coal.” In truth, the decline of coal is a constant point of political debate in Appalachia. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations have hurt the coal industry over the years, giving an edge to cleaner forms of energy such as natural gas, the coal industry was hemorrhaging jobs long ago (way before Obama became president) and mechanization of the industry has cut jobs.
While hydrocarbons have been part of the foundation of modern civilization, and the production and sale of these natural resources is one of the most profitable businesses,
when burnt, coal emits the most harmful air pollutants. According to the data available, burning this type of fuel for industrial purposes and for heating and electricity produces about 40% of the carbon dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.Coal has significant adverse environmental impacts in its production and use. The risk of adverse climate change from global warming forced in part by growing greenhouse gas emissions is serious.
At the end of 2015, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Paris, which resulted in many countries adopting the Paris Climate Agreement. They pledged to fight global warming and limit carbon emissions. Among other things, a reduction in coal consumption is required to achieve this. The countries that have signed the Agreement include China and other major industrial countries – India, South Korea, etc. Russia has also joined them. Many experts have viewed these events as just about the beginning of the end of the coal industry.
Joshua Rhodes of Forbes reports these essential facts about coal:
“US coal employment peaked in the 1920s and the whole sector (mining, transport, and power plants) currently supports about 174,000 jobs. In 2018, US mines produced about 756 million short tons of coal, the majority of which (544 million short tons) was burned in coal-fired power plants to generate 966 billion kWh of electricity, about 24% of all electricity generated in the US.
“However, coal has largely fallen out of favor for electricity production as price declines in natural gas and, to a lesser extent, renewables have made it harder for coal plants to make money in electricity markets. The average US coal plant is now over 40 years old, and there is not a single commercial coal plant under construction in the country. Some scenarios have coal generation remaining flat for the next couple of decades, but most market fundamentals and societal goals indicate further declines.
“In the past decade, over 500 coal-fired power units have been retired, or announced their retirement. Further, it is estimated that over 85% of existing coal plants will be uneconomic compared to local renewables by 2025.”
(Joshua Rhodes, :Is The US Coal Industry Completely Burned Out?” Forbes. February 12, 2020.)
Need For Change
Amid all the charges that Democrats are leading the way to socialism, Democrats have worked hard to diversify the economy and help bring jobs to Appalachia. One should note that social safety net policies passed by Democrats are what keep many Appalachian families afloat: For example, West Virginians are more reliant on federal aid than residents of any other state, deriving 27 percent of their personal income from unemployment, disability, medical, and welfare benefits, according to the Washington Post. As of 2014, nearly one in five West Virginians received food stamps.
Most Appalachians – historically a proud and independent group – would generally prefer not to be on government assistance in the first place. They just want their jobs in the coal industry and manufacturing back. As you can see, this return is highly unrealistic. Still, the slow, agonizing death of the coal industry is the main source of the coal country’s embrace of the GOP.
Democrats must seek lasting changes to once more win over the votes of Appalachians. To win again, the Democratic Party must recall the days of Roosevelt’s New Deal and Kennedy’s New Frontier.
Leaders like Ted Strickland, the former Democratic governor of Ohio, published a report while working at the Center for American Progress Action Fund in 2015 that outlined a plan to help reinvest federal funds into struggling coal communities – funds that would provide economic development, job training, and employment assistance as well as money to rebuild and diversify.
(Jack Jenkins. “Appalachia Used To Be A Democratic Stronghold. Here’s How To Make It One Again.” ThinkProgress. https://archive.thinkprogress.org/appalachia-used-to-be-a-democratic-stronghold-heres-how-to-make-it-one-again-300952ae296d/. May 25, 2016.)
The Cold, Hard Truth
Given their intensifying feelings of resentment for being ignored and left behind, rural and small-town dwellers were particularly receptive to the slogan touted by Trump in his campaign – “Make America Great Again!”
If one word can capture the sentiment of rural and small-town dwellers in recent years, it is “resentment.” In resentment of past treatment, residents of rural and small-town communities believe they are not getting their fair share of government attention and vital resources compared to urban dwellers.
For people who were feeling ignored, disrespected and overlooked by the urban elite, the Trump campaign had a strong appeal. They believe their communities are dying, the economy is leaving them behind, and that young people, money and their livelihoods are going somewhere else.
As righteous as this resentment may be, the “lack of government attention” is verbal irony considering the reality of the situation. A group who is staunchly anti-governmental assistance is asking for more resources. While I believe it is true that Democrats must not dismiss rural voters as “bitter people who cling to their guns and religion,” it is the Democratic Party that offers the most help and long-reaching solutions. The Democrat Party needs to push for new voters and prove to an angry populace a need for progressive change.
Still, the GOP shift has been successful. Kevin Oshnock, in his thesis for Appalachian State University on Republican dominance in Appalachia, says …
“If Democrats don’t spend money on Appalachia, and Republicans say ‘the Democrats don’t care about you,’ it’s easy to see how those things are working together.”
(Anthony Hennen. “Appalachia Went Republican Because Democrats Left It Behind.” expatalachians. September 29, 2020.)
Appalachian Democrats are to the right of Democrats in other parts of America, yet there is a belief that these Democrats are elitists who sneer at rural populations and don’t care about the struggles they face. National politicians who belittle Appalachia as backwards or rural areas as places people should leave make it harder for Democrats in those areas to win votes.
Is the Democratic Party’s troubles in Appalachia more the result of the national party’s shifting stances than any changes in the region? That is debatable. One thing is certain: placing blame for all its problems where it doesn't belong and vehemently resenting the Democrats for placing the area in a culture of poverty is wrong. The present domination of the Republicans here may have been a predictable outcome of discontent; however, the dire circumstances that rocked the county – the opioid crisis, the COVID-19 epidemic, economic devastation, lack of jobs and financial support – did not occur because of Democrats. That blame is a red herring for political advantage, a causal fallacy that incorrectly concludes that the cause is related to the devastating effects.
Let's refresh your memory. How many of you recall an American politician of the Democratic Party who became the longest serving speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives in the history of that institution, holding that office for 20 years?
Of course, I'm speaking of Vernal G. Riffe Jr. (June 26, 1925 – July 31, 1997).
Riffe was born in 1925, in New Boston, Ohio. A resident of southern Ohio for his entire life, Riffe embarked upon a political career to assist people living in Appalachia improve their lives. Riffe won election to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1958. He served in the House from 1959 until 1994, when he retired. Riffe became Speaker of the Ohio House in 1975. Riffe was a life-long member of the Democratic Party, and after his leaving office, the Democrats struggled to have their voices heard in the Ohio government.
As a member of the Ohio House, Riffe worked diligently to alleviate the economic plight of southern Ohioans. He earmarked millions of dollars to establish Shawnee State University, sometimes called "Vern Riffe State University," in Portsmouth, Ohio, to enhance the educational opportunities of southern Ohioans. He also forced through the state government funds for the construction of Ohio Route 32. This highway begins in Athens, Ohio, and travels westward across the state.
Riffe has been honored by several state agencies in Ohio. The Vernal Riffe Chair, a professorship in government at Ohio State University is named after him. Ohio State's Department of Biochemistry is housed in the Vernal G. Riffe Building. The Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, located across High Street from the Ohio Statehouse in Downtown Columbus, provides office space for the Governor of Ohio, members of the Ohio House of Representatives and many state agencies. The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts in Portsmouth is located at Shawnee State University.
To close, I understand the region’s continued importance rests with its ability to straddle the national divide and make sure no one can ignore Appalachia. We need a healthy environment to accomplish our new dreams for the future. We all know that. Yet, falling into false hopes with nationalistic ideas of returning to the past is unwise and unproductive. Hatred and distrust – tools of blame – simply add to the climate of depression here.
The unrest about local rehabs is a small slice of that kind of thinking. Such GOP ideas dominate politics in Scioto County. They serve to stagnate further any hard-gained progress. Places like the Counseling Center are healing our people and our economy from the devastation that began in 1995 when OxyContin was introduced. The process requires years and years of work, money, and effort. One cannot simply “dislike the county being associated with drug abuse” and fix anything. God bless those who work tirelessly every day to save the Appalachian way of life.
My last suggestion is to think about the need for diversity – in this case, the need for diversity of political opinion to forward progressive action. Democrats here are frequently unfairly viewed by dismissive conservatives as “libtards” and “socialists” and “oversensitive, butt-hurt pussies.” Just their present stature of being in the political minority breeds vicious stereotypes as many bandwagon to issues like the Second Amendment, abortion, and religion.
No proper legislation or even consideration of such issues will benefit from strickly one-sided opinion that denies proper concession. Living in a dark red Scioto County requires Democratic candidates to play the role of the underdog. I salute them as they stand up against misinformation and slanted opinions. One may want to read more about Vern Riffe and his incredible, undeniable efforts to improve a community long forgotten. Once again … just in case you've forgotten … he was a Democrat.
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