Tue May 22 2012

Boehner using false jobs numbers to push for Keystone XL, says activist
by Tom Over
January 31, 2012

John Boehner using false jobs numbers to push for Keystone XL, says activist

Danny Berchenko of 350.org Ohio said Speaker of the House, John Boehner is touting false numbers as part of his conflict-of-interest, due to his investments in big oil companies, and due to the $1 million the Republican Congressman has taken from the fossil fuel industry during his time in office. “He’s claiming 20,000 jobs will be created. Those numbers are from a biased study by the company that will build the pipeline if the permit is approved.” (See also EcoWatch Journal )

Berchenko said independent analyses show that building Keystone XL would create, at most, 5,000 temporary jobs and only 50 permanent jobs.

“It very well could kill more jobs than it creates, because the pipeline would run over sensitive farmland in the nation’s heartland and a key aquifer that feeds farms irrigation water.”

We are waiting for a comment from Boehner's office. Berchenko said the Keystone Pipeline (not to be confused with its proposed extension, Keystone XL ) has leaked 12 times in as many months.

“Rather than if, it’s when the pipeline leaks, that it will affect farmers and farmers will see their livelihoods lost and we’ll see other jobs lost from this as well.”

Berchenko said clean energy legislation would lead to incentives for the creation of millions of renewable energy jobs.

“We have so much more potential…thru building solar panels and windmills right here in America and thru retrofitting our buildings. Those are jobs that can’t be shipped overseas. We can’t uproot a building and send it to China to be retrofitted.”

Alec Johnson, an activist who works with Berchenko said what Boehner is doing is a form of insider trading.

“ If you and I engaged in this kind of behavior we’d go to prison. Instead he’s going to end up making money by taking advantage of our public trust and abusing it.”