President Barack Obama's politically motivated decision to block construction of a 1,700-mile oil pipeline from Canada to Texas is amazingly shortsighted for reasons of both jobs and energy production.
The $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline would bring oil from Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. In light of the president's unwillingness to allow thorough development of the United States' own oil supplies, bringing in more oil from friendly Canada is the next best thing -- and is far wiser than maintaining our too-high reliance on oil from anti-American nations in the Middle East.
We have, moreover, no reason to believe the pipeline cannot be built and maintained in a way that safeguards the environment as it crosses mainly rural areas of six states.
But in an apparent bid to placate environmental extremists who back him, the president blocked construction of the pipeline -- at least until some indefinite time in the future.
That not only denies the United States a source of energy that could bring down high gasoline prices, but it kills potentially tens of thousands of direct and indirect U.S. jobs linked to construction of the pipeline.
Does Obama truly believe that in a time of sky-high unemployment that affects millions of Americans, it is sensible to shelve a project that would create jobs and get people off government assistance?
Sadly, he set those issues aside in caving in to environmental activists who had threatened to halt their campaign donations if he approved the pipeline. In doing so, however, he alienated another group of his supporters: labor unions that wanted the pipeline built.
"The score is job-killers two, American workers zero ...," Terry O'Sullivan, general president of the Laborers' International Union of North America, told The Associated Press. "Blue-collar construction workers across the U.S. will not forget this."
Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Chattanooga was disgusted by the president's decision.
"Outside of election year politics, there is no good reason to block this project, especially when we really need the energy and the jobs the pipeline would generate," he wrote in a news release.
Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Chattanooga was also appalled. Obama rejected the project, he said in a release, "to please a fringe group he needs for re-election." That "exemplifies the President's desire for re-election over what our country truly needs. ... It has become much harder to believe anything President Obama says regarding job creation in this country."
It is vital that the American people vote Obama out of office in November and vote in a president who will promote job creation and greater U.S. energy independence.
It's funny, you quote from people who would be complaining about the government involvement if Obama had decided to support it.
I bet if by some ill-chance there was a disaster involving the pipeline, or if the refinery products were sent into the foreign market, you'd blame Obama anyway, despite your calls for the project.
Really, why are we sending these products to Texas? What's the point of that, is there no capacity to build a refinery closer to where the oil might be used? Why not?
Well Bulbs, the biased media and you just want to call President Obama and company to account for NOTHING. I'd venture to guess if some disaster(Godorwhateveryoubelieveinforbid)occurred in the continued reliance on foreign oil which the President keeps going, that would be blamed on former administrations. But who's keeping score? That card has been played so much people have to laugh. In the end, it is not just about the blocked pipeline. It is about getting re-elected and staying empowered over doing what can really help the nation's economic situation. Ironically, it is not just FOX network who is reporting this occurrence. But we know Obama is allegedly the smartest man ever to occupy the White House and he always knows what is best for us even when we do not. Remember, the word allegedly is in there.
Let's see if I have this straight: "President Barack Obama's politically motivated decision..." "...to placate environmental extremists..." "...kills potentially tens of thousands of direct and indirect U.S. jobs..." and alienates the labor unions? These environmental extremists must have millions of votes and dollars. Maybe they are the new majority.
The job claims are just projections. The truth is most Americans wouldn't qualify for the higher paying jobs due to lack of skill for the type of work skills that would be required. The supporters of this pipeline are looking out for their own interest. The jobs they're projecting would be low wage jobs. And in case of a disaster such as a ruptured or leaking pipeline, the damage would be astronomical. Destroying the eco system.
According to All Africa this is what has destroyed their farmers and their farmland on which their major livelihood depends:
excerpt:
The same goes for those somalia pirates who really aren't pirates. They're primary food source came from the oceans in the form of fishing. Over the decades, majory countries have so polluted their waters with radioactive materials that their food supply, fishing, has been destroyed. Their children sicken and born with serious life threatening deformities. Their original desire was to put a stop to the polluting.
Outside of election year politics, there is no good reason to approve of this Keystone XL pipeline project, especially when we really need the career jobs energy efficiency and renewable energy innovation technology would generate. Ask why this pipeline bypasses existing refineries in the Mid West. Ask why Tennessee's US Congressional Reps are supporting the profit interests of Oil Companies and Canada's costly extraction of tar sands.
Who do our elected officials represent?
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