Keystone Pipeline Bill Passes

Though Obama would prefer to not address this now...The Keystone Pipeline Bill being passed last night, has put his back against the wall. I've included some excerpts from an article, that fairly well represent my feelings.

It means jobs, much needed jobs. Yup, that's 20,000 new jobs. And not only the kind of jobs that someone with a degree can get, for good pay.

Approve Keystone pipeline
Published: Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 12:00 a.m. MST

The bill the Senate passed to extend the payroll tax cut requires that President Obama re-decide within 60 days whether the Keystone XL pipeline project is in the best interests of our country. If Obama decides to approve the project, he will create over 20,000 new jobs and bring over $7 billion into the U.S. economy — all at no cost to our empty federal treasury.

It also means lower costs at the gas pump. I know I'm tired of planning my whole schedule around what the price at the gas station says.

Approving this jobs and energy project is also the right thing to do strategically. Our economy requires 10 million barrels of imported oil per day. This pipeline will significantly increase our country's energy independence. It will give the U.S. direct and efficient access to energy from a friend and ally, rather than further energy dependence on countries who seek to drive up the cost of imported oil, hurting U.S. businesses and consumers.

But Obama wants to hold those jobs, and gas prices hostage for more voting leverage.

Canada has already said that if the U.S. doesn't approve Keystone, it will ship all of its oil to China. A month ago Obama decided to defer this decision "for more study" and until 2013 — conveniently after the 2012 elections. Instead of putting the national interest first, Obama caved into the narrow interests of environmental extremists and liberal celebrities.

Obama now has another chance and should show real presidential leadership on the Keystone pipeline opportunity.

www.deseretnews.com...

Obama...sorry can't call you President, because you haven't been acting like one. Please pull your head out of the campaign bus tour, and sign this bill. Prove that you even care about us...We the People.

reply to post by Destinyone
This will be an interesting test for Obama.

Sign the bill and create jobs.

Line-item veto the provision for the pipe-line and deny people the oppourtunity to work.

Does he want America to succeed?

Or does he truely want America to fail.

reply to post by beezzer


Line Item veto was proven unconstitutional in the Clinton admin when Bubba used it on more than one occasion.
No such thing will happen.
To be honest, your Gas won't drop one bit. I'll tell you a secret, go through the wikileaks files and look for Saudi Arabia and the Middle east and look for Peak Oil.

It's not as far off as people think, and Oil isn't the answer. That said, I don't care about the pipeline. If it builds jobs, fine, go ahead and build it; but, don't expect any gas pump miracles. They aren't happening.

Originally posted by Destinyone
Though Obama would prefer to not address this now...The Keystone Pipeline Bill being passed last night, has put his back against the wall. It means jobs, much needed jobs. Yup, that's 20,000 new jobs. And not only the kind of jobs that someone with a degree can get, for good pay.

Obama...sorry can't call you President, because you haven't been acting like one. Please pull your head out of the campaign bus tour, and sign this bill. Prove that you even care about us...We the People

This should be interesting. The two month payroll tax holiday is a joke. It is almost impossible to impliment, but the Democrats are beating the Republicans over the head with it. This takes that club away.
Obama has been using the Keystone Pipeline as a revenue generator for his campaign. The environmentalists are donating to him, wanting him to block the pipeline, while the oil companies are donating to him, wanting him to approve the pipeline. Once he makes a descision both cash cows go away.

Originally posted by beezzer

 

This will be an interesting test for Obama.

Sign the bill and create jobs.

Line-item veto the provision for the pipe-line and deny people the oppourtunity to work.

Does he want America to succeed?

Or does he truely want America to fail.

Which makes me wonder what the two sides of the coin are from Obama's perspective.

On one side, he creates jobs, boosts the economy, "America succeeds" (like you say), and paves the way for his re-election. All strong points for reasons to sign the bill. I am sure there are other valid reasons to sign it as well (i.e. reduce independence of foreign oil, etc).

What are the other side of the coin points though that Obama does not want to sign the bill?

reply to post by beezzer


He really does have the opportunity to wipe some of the tarnish off image, if he wants to. My thinking is he's already too deep into the pockets of his green contributors. He's been in payback mode for the past 2 years. Solyndra was a big chunk of change down the drain, as a prime example.

Canada will not sit around waiting for his highness to make up his mind. China will be the only winner of all goes south on this bill.

reply to post by TheOneElectric
I don't expect gas prices to drop, but any time jobs can be created, it's a good thing.

reply to post by beezzer


Totally agree Beezer. The ripple effect of jobs creation, if this bill gets the green light, is not even calculable. Plus, it's jobs that are tailor made for the blue collar work force, what used to be the back bone of our economy.

Oil at the expense of the ecosystem in alberta.
Good trade.

Give it 20 years and soon the entire area will be uninhabitable. Creating jobs is good, Yes, wonder if any of them will be canadian side. But thats not the point either,
The point is, we can grow fuel(and create jobs) with no effects to the environment such as this (see alberta tar ponds).

Just my thoughts. I dont ever want to see it there. I've seen pictures and it looks horrible. They flattened a good chunck of forest to get to the oil sands, which are more devestating to 'clean' into crude than any other method out there right now.

reply to post by AzureSky

I would be happy to look. Could you please provide a link? TY

It's a pipeline.
Construction will need around 2000 people, running it 50.
For those who didn't get it: thats 2000 temporary jobs for 2 years and 50 long time jobs.
It's a pipeline. They are not rebuilding the pyramids, using only period technology.

Right now Keystone stops in Oklahoma
The extension will go to Port Arthur, which is a tax free export harbor. This Pipeline isn't to pump Oil into the United States, it's to pump oil out of the US.

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by AzureSky

 

I would be happy to look. Could you please provide a link? TY

The most destructive project on earth

With oil prices over $100 a barrel this week, the companies involved in Canada's tar sands must be rubbing their hands in glee. The $26 a barrel cost of processing (compared to about $1 in Saudi Arabia) suddenly doesn't look so bad. Oil companies who have chosen not to invest may be tempted to reconsider, and that's very bad news.
The Athabasca tar sands, in Alberta, may be the world's largest oil reserve. Only the surface sands are accessible at the moment, but if the technology develops a little more, there's potentially six times more oil there than the whole of Saudi Arabia - enough to last 200 years, say the champions of the project.

But, it's not liquid oil, and extracting the crude from the sand takes vast reserves of water, a quarter of Alberta's fresh water. This water is so polluted at the end of the process that it is simply left to stand in huge tailing pools that altogether cover some 50 square kilometres. It's so toxic that birds landing on the ponds would die. Some places use propane cannons to scare the ducks away; others just rake the dead birds off the surface. As the ponds aren't lined, waste water leaks into the Athabasca River, polluting everything downstream - lakes, deltas, and the Mackenzie River./

The tar ponds will eventually taint all drinking water around it, will destroy rivers and ecosystems if its allowed to run wild. Which it is. They just leave that # laying around (the tar i mean), in ponds, for real.

edit on 23/12/11 by AzureSky because: (no reason given)

Originally posted by JIMC5499

This should be interesting. The two month payroll tax holiday is a joke. It is almost impossible to impliment, but the Democrats are beating the Republicans over the head with it.

There is a payroll tax cut of 2% in place right now.
"Implementing it" means "Do the same as you did last month in January and February"

Here is a picture



You can see these thick black 'tailing ponds' from space.
Not to mention evironmental scientists are not allowed to speak about climate change
Source

Not to mention the environmental spending cuts: Source

Its not good. It creates jobs. But they are not worth the destruction it is going to cause to everything around it, and beyond. That is going to seep into the earth and destroy it. The forsts will die. Everything in the water will die. Drinking water will be tainted (if it already hasnt been). And so on.

20,000 Canadian Job > US.

/sadface

Originally posted by narwahl
It's a pipeline.
Construction will need around 2000 people, running it 50.
For those who didn't get it: thats 2000 temporary jobs for 2 years and 50 long time jobs.
It's a pipeline. They are not rebuilding the pyramids, using only period technology.

Right now Keystone stops in Oklahoma
The extension will go to Port Arthur, which is a tax free export harbor. This Pipeline isn't to pump Oil into the United States, it's to pump oil out of the US.

I think your numbers are way off base. It takes more workers than that to build a shopping mall. I think you are forgetting the people who run the construction companies that would be employed. The truck drivers, the secretaries, the heavy equipment operators, the lunch wagon people to feed them....the ripple effect goes far and wide.

reply to post by AzureSky

Oil at the expense of the ecosystem in alberta.

The home you live in, has damaged the 'ecosystem'. Am i wrong?

Originally posted by type0civ
reply to post by AzureSky

 

Oil at the expense of the ecosystem in alberta.

The home you live in, has damaged the 'ecosystem'. Am i wrong?

I meant the environment moreso than ecosystem. But yes it has, so has everything we do say or touch, so how is it relevant ?

Source

If you're still planning your summer holiday, don't be fooled by Canada's green image and Alberta's famed Rocky Mountains. Canada is the surprising home to the most destructive project on Earth, the Alberta tar sands.

Today, Corporate Ethics International is launching an advertising campaign to encourage the British people to scrutinise what's going on in Alberta.

Tar sands are a mixture of sand, water, clay and bitumen, which can be processed into synthetic crude oil at great cost to the environment. It takes up to four barrels of water to produce just one barrel of tar sands crude. Producing a barrel of tar sands oil releases three times more carbon than conventional oil. Up to 11m litres of contaminated water are discharged every day from toxic tailing ponds so large they can be seen from space.

In the process of recklessly expanding the tar sands industry over the last decade, the rights of First Nation peoples have been trampled and their health threatened.

An area the size of England is at risk, and the fight against climate change is doomed if the tar sands are fully developed.

Just google it and you'll find lots of information about it. Im sure the environment isn't an issue to some people, but to me it is a huge issue because my children have to live with it after its already screwed the entire area, and tained the air for miles and miles and miles.

Originally posted by Destinyone

Originally posted by narwahl
It's a pipeline.
Construction will need around 2000 people, running it 50.
For those who didn't get it: thats 2000 temporary jobs for 2 years and 50 long time jobs.
It's a pipeline. They are not rebuilding the pyramids, using only period technology.

Right now Keystone stops in Oklahoma
The extension will go to Port Arthur, which is a tax free export harbor. This Pipeline isn't to pump Oil into the United States, it's to pump oil out of the US.

I think your numbers are way off base. It takes more workers than that to build a shopping mall. I think you are forgetting the people who run the construction companies that would be employed. The truck drivers, the secretaries, the heavy equipment operators, the lunch wagon people to feed them....the ripple effect goes far and wide.

Nope.
www.ilr.cornell.edu...
50 to run, 2000 to build

The ripple effect will be higher gas prices in the Midwest, actually destroying jobs.