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| Economy |
| Barack Obama expresses reservations about Keystone XL pipeline project |
| 2013-07-29 |
[GUARDIAN.CO.UK] Barack ObamaI've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go... has given the strongest indication to date that he holds reservations about the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, saying the project would not create many jobs and could raise gasoline prices. Two words: North Dakota. In an interview with the New York Times ...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... , the president disputed a main justification for the pipeline -- its economic benefits -- and reaffirmed he would reject the project if it expanded carbon pollution. The comments were seen by campaigners as evidence that Obama, in the wake of last month's landmark climate change speech, was leaning towards rejecting the project. Obama has been under growing pressure from campaigners, party donors, and Democrats in Congress to reject the pipeline, which would expand production from Canada's tar sands. He adopted some of their arguments in his comments on Saturday, knocking down pipeline supporters' claims of a big jobs boost, saying Keystone would register little more than a "blip" on the employment rolls. "Republicans have said that this would be a big jobs generator. There is no evidence that that's true," Obama said in the interview. "The most realistic estimates are this might create maybe 2,000 jobs during the construction of the pipeline -- which might take a year or two -- and then after that we're talking about somewhere between 50 and 100 jobs in a economy of 150 million working people." The president -- without prompting by the news hound -- then noted that the project would not bring down gas prices, and might even raise them. However, denial ain't just a river in Egypt... Obama said -- as he did in his climate change address last month -- that his decision on the pipeline would be based on the pipeline's effects on climate change. "I'm going to evaluate this based on whether or not this is going to significantly contribute to carbon in our atmosphere. And there is no doubt that Canada at the source in those tar sands could potentially be doing more to mitigate carbon release." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 BHO's grasp of economics lacks opposable thumbs. But let's assume, for the sake of argument, 2000 jobs is the number. a) it may be a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of jobs we need, but it is 2000 jobs we don't have now. And who says we need a single project to all the needed jobs at once? b) those 2000 workers need support - food, fuel, tools, living quarters, clothes, you name it. All those things mean jobs for someone else. I think the real problem here is the pipeline creates jobs for the wrong people. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2013-07-29 23:10 |
| #8 At some point the left needs to throw the environmentalists under the bus and fix the economy or the blue model will collapse entirely. Question is, before 2014 or after. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2013-07-29 14:35 |
| #7 I think he wants the Canuks to sweeten the pot: "there is no doubt that Canada at the source in those tar sands could potentially be doing more to mitigate carbon release." Or both. Or because he wants to make a crisis out of the issue. Whatever makes him look the best. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2013-07-29 11:56 |
| #6 No jobs and no economic benefit is why the Chinese have no interest in it. Ooops. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-07-29 11:30 |
| #5 Champ wants to trade Keystone for his immigration bill which is currently sitting in the House. Right now he wants us to stress that we might lose Keystone. Then he'll make a "deal" with the House. House R's will claim victory because they got Keystone approved. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2013-07-29 11:09 |
| #4 Yes, consumer access to more product always results in higher prices....but only in an Obama world. Blue state pipeline jobs tends to increase so-called White Privilege. That's his REAL concern. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-07-29 06:45 |
| #3 Keep it up shitforbrains; the UP and BNSF will gladly fill in for the pipeline and also create an increase in pollution since nobody has figured out a way to make diesel engines pollute less than a pipeline. don't cry then when a railroad accident occurs. does this gguy EVER make an intelligent decision? |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2013-07-29 01:15 |
| #2 I can't find the article now, but (I know this is a shock to y'all) Obama's lying about the jobs numbers; a lefty org. claimed job creation at a far higher number, and completely ignores indirect job creation (refineries, etc.). |
| Posted by: Raj 2013-07-29 01:06 |
| #1 Oops. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-07-29 00:57 |