I receive regular emails from Jack Gerard, the "President and CEO" of API, the American Petroleum Institute, a nonprofit interest group. Yesterday, Jack wrote me and told me that it's time to Build Keystone XL. After all, environmental concerns have been repeatedly put to rest1, according to Jack.
My buddy Jack made $6.4 million last year as President and CEO of API, nobly heading this nonprofit tax-exempt outfit to help better educate all us Americans. The American Petroleum Institute – the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry – is speaking for the industry to the public, Congress and the Executive Branch, state governments and the media.2 Even a neutral group like Wikipedia has this to say about API and their good work:
The association’s chief functions on behalf of the industry include advocacy and negotiation with governmental, legal, and regulatory agencies; research into economic, toxicological, and environmental effects; establishment and certification of industry standards; and education outreach. API both funds and conducts research related to many aspects of the petroleum industry.3
Anyways, I could go on and on about API's good work, but you can do that research yourself.
What I really wanted to talk about is that I'm on Jacks email list because I'm a county supervisor. The API apparently has a pretty good grassroots operation going when they're emailing county supervisors in states that don't even have any energy production.4
I generally don't blog about my experience as a county supervisor. I believe in transparency and openness. But in order to work for my constituents and with my colleagues I can't be blogging to the world. This, however, is different. I never asked my buddy Jack to send me emails, he's not my constituent, and I have to believe that what he's sending out is going out to thousands of supervisors, councilmembers, and legislators throughout the country. As such, it should be public.
If my buddy Jack doesn't like it, he can stop sending me unsolicited emails.
1 I don't believe this.
2 That's in the footer of the email they sent. I don't believe this either.
3 And if you believe that they're impartial & nonpolitical about their funding and their advocacy, I've got some nice real estate to sell you. Right next to the Keystone XL.
4 Oh, yeah. We've got sand mining here in western Wisconsin. I'd forgotten about that. How nice that the API figured that connection out for me.
So, presented to you without comment, here's what my buddy Jack has to say to me and my fellow local elected officials about Keystone XL. You can read it yourself here (thanks to that little "click to view this email in your browser" link that Jack was so helpful to provide)5, 6.
Time to Build Keystone XL
Dear Michael,
During more than five years of review, five exhaustive environmental assessments have concluded that the Keystone XL pipeline is safe for the environment. Now that the recently released State Department review determined yet again that the pipeline would not lead to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions – a criterion President Obama identified as crucial to his administration’s approval of the project -- it’s time to focus on the numerous benefits Keystone XL (KXL) will bring.
Energy and National Security
With KXL, crude imports from Canada could reach 4 million barrels a day by 2030 -- twice what we currently import from the Persian Gulf
Approving KXL and other smart policies would allow the U.S. to meet 100 percent of our liquid fuel needs from stable North American sources within 10 years
Jobs and Economic Growth
42,100 jobs supported during the pipeline’s construction phase
Increased investment in Canadian oil sands – served by the Keystone XL – can create more than 500,000 new U.S. jobs and generate $775 billion in GDP by 2035
$2 billion in earnings generated throughout the U.S.
$3.4 billion contributed to U.S. GDP
$55.6 billion in property taxes generated across three states in Keystone XL’s first full year of operation
With environmental concerns repeatedly put to rest through extensive study, the Obama administration must now determine whether building the Keystone XL pipeline is in our national interest. All the evidence, along with 72 percent of American voters, points to “yes.”
Sincerely,
Jack Gerard
President and CEO
API
5 They're probably going to wonder why I'm clicking on this link hundreds of times from random locations. They will track who clicks links and who sends the links to others. (I don't know for sure, but they're fools if they don't.)
6 I noticed that there are links on the bottom where you can sign up for their social media. I would never troll someone else's political social media and would strongly discourage anyone else from doing so.
4:26 PM PT: I hope that it's clear from my posting that I'm not in agreement with my buddy Jack...