Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Lost In The Shuffle Of Saving The Middle Class

Barack Obama has delivered his State of the Union address (aka, "free campaign speech") in which he laid out (sort of) his plans to save the middle class and restore the economy. At the same time, he made it clear that we must not act hastily on creating jobs if it would mean damaging the environment.

Another lame excuse for protecting his enviroweenie base, and at the cost of stalling the Keystone XL Pipeline. I'll leave it to others (here, if you choose) to vet the State of the Union baloney. I want to concentrate on one facet of that baloney. Job creation. Obama cites General Motors (aka Government Motors) as an example of his success. Well, billions of taxpayers dollars bailed GM out while the government destroyed the shares of genuine investors and turned over major company ownership to the unions which largely created the problem in the first place.

Obama spoke of "creating jobs for the future" while sidestepping the 20,000 jobs which would have been created almost instantly without the need for government assistance or government interference. Lack of control and minimal interference with success is not part of the Obama plan. So even after being given the opportunity to approve the Keystone XL pipeline after having rejected it earlier, Obama stopped the project in its tracks, again. For once, he actually did something ahead of schedule. Somehow his agenda gets priority treatment while the people's business can wait.

Obama says "tear down those regulations which block the creation of new businesses" after having used the EPA's regulations and the State Department's ignorance to block the XL Pipeline. He brags about all the energy sources that he has opened up, but somehow doesn't see blocking a "shovel-ready" project as a direct contravention of those words. Pie-in-the-sky future energy developments, subsidized by the government, are somehow preferable to tried and true and fully-vetted projects like Keystone XL.

Obama has done some insider Democrat calculus and decided that he needs the enviroweenies to save his presidency, and that the union jobs lost by squelching the Keystone Pipeline will not deter the unions from coming home to Daddy in November. Obama says the Pipeline hasn't been studied sufficiently so maybe it could, possibly, go forward at some future date. No "let's get it done right away" for the Pipeline. That is added to the fact that the Pipeline got more in-depth study over a period of years than Solyndra got "right away."

Unlike Solyndra, the Pipeline stands on its own. The people behind the Keystone project complied with every demand of local, state and federal regulators, and accommodated the concerns of local environmentalists, changing the route from that originally planned.

Obama spoke of all sorts of energy schemes, even including oil and avoiding support for Middle East tyrannies. But when it came to this one "shovel-ready" job, originating in a friendly nation on our own borders, no dice. The enviroweenies got what they wanted and the State Department deeply offended a firm ally. And unlike Solyndra, no investment of American taxpayer funds is required for the Pipeline, and both the materials and technology are already proven and in place. All that was left to do was a simple approval.

Obama has once again promised many things he either can't deliver or has no intention of delivering. He can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but, well, you know the rest (Obama is not the only one who can quote Lincoln). There is simply no honest and realistic way to explain away his killing of jobs on or related to the Keystone XL Pipeline. And in keeping with that, Obama made no mention of the Pipeline whatsoever, dodging the issue while rambling on about energy and job creation. In the Republican response offered by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, he referred to the lost jobs produced by Obama's thumbs-down on the project.

Finally, there is more than just the ecoweenie vote to consider. Green energy is big business, even if it can't come close to employing the same number of workers or providing an equivalent amount of energy as a Keystone XL type of operation. Millions, perhaps billions, are being earmarked for green projects that are part of Obama's crony socialism program. In return for government largess and favoritism, the heads of these futuristic schemes are thrilled to pour big bucks into the Obama coffers.

They even get special deals which appear to violate federal law. The founder and CEO of Solyndra was granted a contract which included subordinating the taxpayers' interest in the corporation to his own in the event of bankruptcy. In reasonable and ethical times, the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. Yet this administration seems to be very efficient at picking and funding the losers.

Note: Yesterday (Tuesday), Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced a bill to force the approval of the Keystone Pipeline. It is called the Keystone for a Secure Tomorrow Act (K-FAST). I don't have sufficient information yet to be able to make any further comment on the proposal.

38 comments:

T-Rav said...

Fox News pointed out this morning that Obama is blocking the Keystone pipeline, which would require no subsidization from Washington, but is proposing $100 million in funding for the SF-LA high-speed rail project. But don't worry, he's totally serious about turning the economy around and getting the nation out of debt.

Tennessee Jed said...

well, Hawk - Obama's actions make perfect sense IF you believe eco-weenie science. Don't you remember, algore TOLD us it's settled science. He reminded us we are old greedy fossile fuel polluters. In Barry's world, we need to INVEST (e.g. let him decide where your money should go) in a green future, where legion's of unionized workers' can receive there god given RIGHT to a decent wage. AND, how DARE you insist it be profitable to fat old white bald rich guys. In this new world of GREEN, we will see the dignity of ALL workers, not just the fats cats. As such, there will be economic EQUALITY between the lowliest Newt Gingrich janitor and the CEO/Attorney General Eric Holder. Each will receive salaries of $275,000 PLUS FREE obamacare . . . . . at least until nobody has any more money he can confiscate and redistribute.

Tennessee Jed said...

Oh, plus their godgiven right to have a 42" or larger HD flat screen in everyroom where you will get an actual choice between MSNBC, CNN, HBO, SHO, BET, and NPR.Sadly, Fox will no longer be available because all employees were arrested and sentenced to either 1) drawing and quartering (Hannity) 2) imprisonment in GITMO (Gretawire) or re-education camp (Megyn Kelly as long as she submits to having her hair dyed official "liberal" jet black.) I happened to hear that the indoctrination camp would be run by dominatrix Katerina Vandenheuvel

Tennessee Jed said...

rant over, sorry

tryanmax said...

Bev, I hadn't heard, but I've suspected for some time that he's had a hand in this. I consider this confirmation.

BevfromNYC said...

So did you hear the one about how Warren Buffet stands to make another fortune off the nixed Keystone Pipeline? Oh, yeah, he is proposing using his railroad line to transport the oil from Canada to refineries in North Dakota.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-23/buffett-s-burlington-northern-among-winners-in-obama-rejection-of-pipeline.html

BevfromNYC said...

Tryan - No, you are not crazy...I deleted the post you were responding to so I could add a link to the Bloomberg article.

I wonder if Buffet's secretary has anything to do with this?

tryanmax said...

Bev, I already knew I was crazy, but now you've dashed by illusions of clairvoyance.

tryanmax said...

From the Bloomberg article:

It will take five to eight years before oil sands production outstrips existing export capacity, the State Department said.

This is Washington thinking pertaining to any subject. "It's not a problem today, so let's put it off until it is."

Unknown said...

T-Rav: Obama has absolutely no sense of irony. Even the high-speed rail fans are fading--in California, no less. The cost of the train project has soared to three times the original estimates. The citizens of the Central Valley, where the first leg is planned, are up in arms. Up in northern California, multiple environmental groups are coming out in opposition. Obama wants to create jobs with a project that has little popular appeal, will cost a fortune, throw taxpayer money down a rathole, and will never be able to pay for itself, but he won't approve a shovel-ready project that would create 20,000 jobs with no help from the government.

Unknown said...

Tennessee: That's a very apt description of green weenie socialist logic.

Unknown said...

Tennessee: The entire staff of The Nation will be recruited for America's makeover. LOL

Unknown said...

Tennessee: Your rant was just what I needed to get my heart started this morning.

Speaking of "green," was it just my TV, or did Obama look a little green himself during the State of the Union address?

Unknown said...

tryanmax: Huh?

Unknown said...

tryanmax: Never mind. I see from Bev's comment what happened.

Unknown said...

Bev: And you beat me to the punch on the secretary.

T-Rav said...

Personally, I thought Obama looked rather orange last night. Maybe he and Boehner are in a spray-tan competition.

Zombie Joe Biden said...

TRAAAIINNNNSSSSSS

Unknown said...

tryanmax: Are you suggesting that they will pay us on Monday for a hamburger today?

Unknown said...

Bev: Now why doesn't that surprise me? Maybe Buffet will give his secretary a $20 a week raise to put the whole thing together so she can continue to be taxed at a higher rate than Buffet himself. LOL

So instead of a pipeline, we'll get a Buffet-owned burden on the environment. I guess it all depends on whose ox is being gored. Transporting that much oil by rail has got to be less energy-efficient and more environmentally damaging than a pipeline. I imagine it will involve a lot more than throwing a few extra cans of crude on existing railcars.

Unknown said...

T-Rav: But at least that's Obama's own natural hair.

Orange, huh. I wonder if the stations manipulted the color to match the local demographics. But then, I can't figure out which ethnic groups are green or orange.

Unknown said...

Zombie Joe: But you guys can't move fast enough to catch up with really, really, really fast TRAAAIINNNNSSSSSS. So even though you won't get your nourishment, we'll build 'em anyway.

BevfromNYC said...

Not only is it less energy efficient and more damaging to the environment, it will cost more too! Buffet's justification about the environment issue is that his railroad line would be transporting the construction parts for the pipeline anyway.

Did someone say "crony capitalism"? I didn't think so.

Unknown said...

Bev, Bev, Bev. It's only money. LOL

I guess Buffet forgot to calculate that moving the parts would be a one or two time thing, while transporting the oil would be ongoing and constant.

BevfromNYC said...

Well, Lawhawk and that little quibbly thing about how to move the refined diesel down to the Gulf to be shipped to the buyers. I mean do they really want to ship them back through Canada in the dead of winter? Didn't think so.
But then, it's been repeated and repeated at HuffPo that none of this oil is meant for American buyers anyway.

Unknown said...

Bev: I really can't believe how the HuffPo keeps repeating that nonsense. As if the Canadians are not already planning on building their own pipeline to the Canadian west coast ports as an alternative plan if our deal falls through. They've already announced they're going to sell and deliver it to somebody, but they would prefer that it be the US.

BevfromNYC said...

Lawhawk - the Canadians have already said that.if the US declines to build the pipeline, they will make a deal with China. Yea, more potential American jobs go to the Chinese.

rlaWTX said...

aren't we supposed to raise taxes on anyone who sends jobs to China?
so, does that mean we can tax the TOTUS and Czars at 110%?

[I hope WB's secretary got one heck of a raise for being the face of crony cap-idiocy.]

BevfromNYC said...

rlaWTX - They would not actually be "jobs sent overseas", since Obama declined to create any jobs through the Keystone Pipeline project. That's probably how he could say "let's tax them" with a straight face.

BevfromNYC said...

And why are we going to tax the poor defenseless TOTUS? Sadly he/she/it has no control over what scrolls across it's face. Aah, but wouldn't it be fun if the TOTUS took over like Hal?

Unknown said...

Bev: That's what makes the HuffPo crap so nonsensical. An angry Canada did indeed announce it would build a pipeline of its own to service China if we reneged on the deal, so why would they need to ship to the US for forwarding to China?

Unknown said...

rlaWTX: I'm sure there are people who actually believe that Obama intends to stop jobs going to China, our biggest creditor.

Unknown said...

Bev: Exactly right on the "jobs sent overseas." I'm waiting to see if he can come up with the other side of that lie--how many jobs he "saved."

Unknown said...

Bev: 'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.

tryanmax said...

LawHawk, actually, I would suggest that they would charge us today for a hamburger they will deny us on Tuesday and won’t seriously consider even providing until we are dying of starvation. Only after somebody actually dies will they hastily pass THaRP (Troubled Hamburger Relief Program) which will divide all the existing hamburgers into smaller hamburgers in the name of increasing the hamburger supply. Those mini-burgers will then be fed to obese individuals who don’t really need or want them, but nothing will actually go into producing more hamburgers.

AndrewPrice said...

Typical Obama.

Unknown said...

tryanmax: Now I know what you do in your spare time--you're an Obama economic planner. LOL

Unknown said...

Andrew: That's a good, succinct summary.

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