O is not being Straight on the Keystone......smoke and mirrors...Oh Dear!

home news and events in the states policy resource center get involved Dear Keystone XL Pipeline Supporter, President Obama is not being straight with the American people about the Keystone XL pipeline-and the U.S. Chamber's Energy Institute is calling him on it.   Last weekend, the President told the New York Times that "any reporter who is looking at the facts would take the time to confirm that the most realistic estimates are this might create maybe 2,000 jobs during the construction of the pipeline."   Well, we have looked at the facts-from his own Administration.   The State Department's Keystone XL Project Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, released in March, states "including direct, indirect, and induced effects, the proposed Project would potentially support approximately 42,100 average annual jobs across the United States.   The President also said, "Well, look, they [labor unions] might like to see 2,000 jobs initially. But that is a blip relative to the need."   A blip relative to the need?  That's not how American workers badly in need of jobs see it.     Sean McGarvey, president of the North American Building Trades Unions, responded "America's Building Trades Unions were disappointed to see that the President chose to minimize the importance of jobs for construction workers...The lives of workers who would find employment on this privately financed project...are much more than a 'blip relative to the need"   We agree that the pipeline alone isn't enough.  The Energy Institute strongly advocates for a variety of measures that would create jobs, such as expanded domestic oil and gas production.  But 42,000 jobs in this difficult economy is more than just a "blip."     The benefits of the Keystone pipeline go well beyond jobs.  Over the life of the pipeline, Keystone will generate $5.2 billion in property taxes to state and local communities-money that can be used for education, public safety, and infrastructure.  Keystone will bring 800,000 barrels of oil to refineries every day, and that's oil that we won't need to import from nations that don't share our interests.   The Keystone XL pipeline is in America's best interest and is one piece of a much larger puzzle to improve America's energy security.  It fits squarely with the Energy Institute's mission to unify policymakers around sound energy policy.  We'll continue to ensure that the facts are on the table and the Obama Administration knows Americans support the pipeline.  To learn more about the Energy Institute and our work to support a secure energy future, visit www.energyxxi.org.   Sincerely,   Karen A. Harbert President and CEO Institute for 21st Century Energy   P.S. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to stay up-to-date on the latest news.