• About Us
  • Paper Locations
  • Contact
Hispanic News || Shirley Ann Flower Shop || RS Deer Ranch
March 29, 2023
MEDIA KIT
African American News and Issues
63 °f
Houston
  • National
  • Local
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Announcements
  • Afram TV
  • Events
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
African American News and Issues
  • National
  • Local
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Announcements
  • Afram TV
  • Events
  • Entertainment
No Result
View All Result
African American News and Issues
No Result
View All Result
  • AframNews Media Kit
  • About
  • Paper Locations
Home #NNPA BlackPress

Opinion: Lawmakers Can Get Thousands Back to Work By Greenlighting Stalled Projects

aframnews by aframnews
July 11, 2020
in #NNPA BlackPress, Business, Commentary, Community, Featured, National, News, NNPA, The AFRO American Newspaper
0
Opinion: Lawmakers Can Get Thousands Back to Work By Greenlighting Stalled Projects
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn

Move these projects forward and get Americans back to work

You might also like

The Ensemble Theatre Announces the Inclusion of Three New Board Members

Chasing The Rugby and Football Dream

Celebrating Champions: Jack & Jill of America, Inc. North Houston Suburban Chapter 2023 Champions For Children Gala

By Bette Grande

With more than 40 million Americans out of a job due to the coronavirus pandemic, states are scrambling to help the unemployed and laying plans to reopen the economy.

Many of the proposed measures could take time to bring relief. In at least two states, though, governors could get thousands of people back to work right away by removing obstacles to existing energy infrastructure projects. Considering the dire economic forecasts, it would be a shame not to let them move forward.

Back in 2018, regulators in Minnesota approved a plan to replace an aging oil pipeline. Line 3, as it is known, carries crude oil from Alberta to Wisconsin, but because of its condition, operates at only half capacity. Last year, Governor Tim Walz renewed a state appeal to stop the project.

A similar delay is playing out in Michigan, where, in 2018, the state approved agreements to create a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, the waterway between Lakes Michigan and Huron. The tunnel is designed to house oil and gas pipelines that now sit unprotected on the bottom of the Straits. Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered state agencies to halt action on the proposed tunnel last year. A Michigan court reversed her order, but she still faces pressure to block any forward movement on the project.

In both states, environmental concerns have played a role in holding up pipeline upgrades, but they’re not well-founded. When we have less pipeline capacity, more crude oil is transported by train, and according to a recent study from the University of Alberta, greenhouse gas emissions from pipeline transportation are as much as 77 percent lower. Pipelines are also the safest way to move oil, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Enbridge, the company slated to build both the Minnesota and Michigan pipelines, had a safe-delivery record of very close to 100 percent for the decade ending in 2017.

Crucially as we head into a major recession, infrastructure projects offer a slew of economic benefits. Minnesota’s Line 3 replacement would create about 6,500 local jobs over a two-year period, pay some $167 million to local workers and generate another $162 million in purchases at local businesses. In Michigan, Enbridge has committed to spending $500 million on the Straits of Mackinac tunnel, including $40 million right away.

There are also up-and-running examples of the potential economic impact, like Louisiana’s
Bayou Bridge, a pipeline extension completed last year. That project paid $71 million to local landowners, plus nearly $35 million to Louisiana-based companies for materials used in the pipeline’s construction. It also created 2,500 construction jobs.

The Dakota Access pipeline, which was similarly stalled by protestors before it was finally completed in 2017, has been a boon for the North Dakota economy. The project produced some 12,000 jobs for North Dakotans during construction, and within its first two years of operation, the pipeline generated more than $263 million in state tax revenue.

The coronavirus is hammering America’s economy. There’s no need to make things even worse by stalling perfectly safe infrastructure projects.

Bette Grande is President and CEO of the Roughrider Policy Center, a think tank focused on promoting and defending liberty and free enterprise in North Dakota, as well as a research fellow for energy issues at The Heartland Institute. Ms. Grande previously served as a North Dakota state representative from 1996–2014.

The post Opinion: Lawmakers Can Get Thousands Back to Work By Greenlighting Stalled Projects appeared first on Afro.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

Tags: CommentaryOpinionRoughrider Policy CenterThe Heartland Institute
Share30Tweet19
aframnews

aframnews

Recommended For You

The Ensemble Theatre Announces the Inclusion of Three New Board Members

by aframnews
March 28, 2023
0
The Ensemble Theatre Announces the Inclusion of Three New Board Members

The Ensemble Theatre has a history and a legacy of being one of the leading cultural institutions in the City of Houston.  Founded in 1976 by the late...

Read more

Chasing The Rugby and Football Dream

by aframnews
March 25, 2023
0
Chasing The Rugby and Football Dream

By: Asia Williams It is very common to hear about athletes chasing the American football dream, however junior John McDonald’s dedication to the sport is like no other....

Read more

Celebrating Champions: Jack & Jill of America, Inc. North Houston Suburban Chapter 2023 Champions For Children Gala

by aframnews
March 25, 2023
0
Celebrating Champions: Jack & Jill of America, Inc. North Houston Suburban Chapter 2023 Champions For Children Gala

Houston, TX-Minute Maid Park’s Union Station on Saturday March 11, 2023, was aligned with some of Houston’s best known Who’s Who in community leadership for the Champions For...

Read more

Women’s Empowerment Breakfast

by Crystal LaShan
March 25, 2023
0
Women’s Empowerment Breakfast

Brothers Organized 4 Change presented Dr. Ruth J. Simmons’s “HER-OES” HONORS, which was a great Women’s Empowerment Breakfast celebrating some of Houston’s most outstanding Women leaders. Their motto...

Read more

Bebe Wilson

by Crystal LaShan
March 25, 2023
0
Bebe Wilson

Houston’s Arts Community would not be the same without Bebe Wilson’s extraordinary talent.  She has put in the work. Whether she is acting for the Ensemble Theatre, teaching...

Read more
Next Post

Thousands View NNPA’s First Virtual Convention

Latest Articles

The Ensemble Theatre Announces the Inclusion of Three New Board Members

The Ensemble Theatre Announces the Inclusion of Three New Board Members

March 28, 2023
Chasing The Rugby and Football Dream

Chasing The Rugby and Football Dream

March 25, 2023
Celebrating Champions: Jack & Jill of America, Inc. North Houston Suburban Chapter 2023 Champions For Children Gala

Celebrating Champions: Jack & Jill of America, Inc. North Houston Suburban Chapter 2023 Champions For Children Gala

March 25, 2023

NEED PAST ISSUES?

Search our archive of past issues Receive our Latest Updates
* indicates required
  • Local
  • National
  • Community
  • Education
  • Politics
  • COVID-19
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports

ARTICLES

  • Local
  • National
  • Community
  • Education
  • Politics
  • COVID-19
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports

CONNECT WITH US

  • Home
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

  • Hispanic News
  • Shirley Ann’s Flower Shop
African American News and Issues

African American News & Issues
6130 Wheatley St
Houston, TX 77091
(713) 692-1892

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Copyright © 2023. African American News & Issues. All rights reserved. Private Policy | Terms of Use |

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Local
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Announcements
  • Events
  • Afram TV
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023. African American News & Issues. All rights reserved. Private Policy | Terms of Use |

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?