No reason to veto Keystone

To the Editor:

According to a Harris Poll 82% of Americans feel the Keystone Pipeline is in the national interest. According to a recent Gallup Poll 57% of Americans think it should be built. Despite public approval for Keystone, President Obama says he will veto it. President Obama stated the pipeline; (1) won’t lower the price of oil here and, (2) the oil is for other nations.

The President’s reasoning seems beside the point. Today’s price of gas isn’t a concern for most Americans but having a job still is. Canadian heavy oil will be produced and get to market. The question is will Americans profit from its transport and refining? Building the pipeline means 13,000 new jobs of which 9,000 will be skilled. Altogether Keystone construction will take seven million hours of labor and also create an additional 28,000 indirect and induced jobs. Keystone represents $50 billion dollars in new property taxes to fund schools, hospitals, and local government. Keystone will add $172 billion dollars to the gross national product by 2035. Keystone provides numerous economic benefits.

The President’s second reason also appears flawed. The world becomes more interdependent. Nations working in cooperation may build a stable world economy. The world will profit. Keystone will function as a small component of worldwide energy production which benefits the American standard of living while helping ensure others have oil thus protecting world peace and prosperity. What do you think? Is building Keystone Pipeline in the national interest?

Philip W. Chapman
Highland