Rather than try to bring <i>coal mining</i> back to this community as a form of <i>social subsidy</i> - why not just institute a basic federal income?<p>These folks are not alone - they are just the canaries in the mine. They have literally no useful modern job skills. And while they are the first to fall to this trend, as coal miners in 21st century america, millions of jobs are soon to follow, from fast food workers, to call center employees, to a huge number of accountants, lawyers, salespeople, factory workers - jobs of all kinds.<p>Rather than struggle with trying to give jobs to people who have no skills, and then trap them into working at these jobs in order to sustain themselves, why not just give them a guaranteed basic income that keeps them above poverty? Is that so hard?