Experts on both side of the political spectrum agree that the Keystone pipeline project is a good idea. It would provide the U.S. and Canada needed jobs and provide us with a cheaper, safer, and cleaner way to get oil to our oil refineries. Sounds great, where is the hold up? The most vocal opponent of the pipeline has been Ben Nelson, U.S. Senator from Nebraska. Nelson claims that he fears the environmental impact the pipeline will have on his state’s wildlife, even though numerous other pipelines already criss-cross the state.
The real reason rests with Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and its ownership of Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC. Warren Buffet purchased this railway in 2009, and it would the leading beneficiary if the Keystone pipeline fails. Warren Buffet has been a strong supporter of Senator Nelson, donating thousands to his election campaigns. Ben Nelson owns between $1.6 – $2.0 million worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock. He also voted in favor of TARP, in which Berkshire Hathaway made out like a bandit. The State Department had this to say about the rail option in place of the pipeline:
The rail option, though costlier, would lessen the environmental impact, such as a loss of wetlands and agricultural productivity, compared to the pipeline. Greenhouse gas emissions, however, would be worse.
Obviously, this is just another example of how corrupt this administration is and how over inflated Washington D.C. has become. Maybe Barack Obama should have gambled our tax dollars in Berkshire Hathaway instead of Solyndra…That sounds a lot more reasonable than awarding Warren Buffet the Presidential Medal of Freedom, when he currently owes the IRS almost $1 billion dollars in back taxes.
