Pipeline Opposition Makes Strange Bedfellows

The map above shows the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The Republicans and their Big Oil masters would like for you to believe this is a public service project that will benefit all Americans by creating a massive amount of jobs and lower gas prices in the United States. None of that is true. The pipeline will benefit only the giant oil companies, will create only a couple of thousand construction jobs (and only a couple of hundred permanent jobs, and will not lower gas prices at all. In addition, it has the potential to be an environmental disaster.

President Obama has denied a permit to build the pipeline (although he said the oil companies could reapply, and a permit might be issued after a thorough environmental study). That is not good enough for the Republicans or the oil companies. They want the pipeline built now before the people can learn the economic and environmental truth about it. And toward that end they are now trying to pass legislation that would force the president to immediately approve the pipeline.

But here in Texas, those Republicans and oil companies are finding that even some of their right-wing supporters are now opposing the pipeline. It may seem odd to see these right-wing teabaggers (including 2010 candidate for governor Debra Medina) on the same side as the environmentalists, but it is happening -- although they have different reasons for opposing the pipeline.

While the left opposes the pipeline because it could do substantial environmental harm while enriching only a few oil barons, the right is beginning to oppose the pipeline because of the misuse of "eminent domain". The proper use of the governmental right of eminent domain is to take property (with just compensation) for public projects that will benefit the citizens. It is not supposed to be used to benefit private companies in their quest for greater profits -- but that is exactly what is happening in Texas.

Even though it admits it has no oversight ability on the proposed pipeline, the Texas Railroad Commission has given an oil company (TransCanada) the right of eminent domain to secure property for the pipeline. They say this is proper because the "public" will be buying the gasoline produced from the oil in the pipeline, and that's makes it a "public good".

That's a ludicrous position, since it could become a precedent that would allow other private companies to also claim the right of eminent domain (because they all sell their goods to the public). But then the state agencies in Texas, controlled by only Republicans, long ago sold out to the corporations -- so this comes as no surprise. When faced with choosing between the benefit of the citizens of Texas and corporate profits, they will always come down on the side of corporate profits.

The right of eminent domain is a particularly sensitive subject in Texas because it was misused a few years ago to seize land upon which to build the Trans-Texas Corridor. That project became so unpopular among Texas citizens (on both the left and the right) that it had to be cancelled. Now the misuse of eminent domain is once again bringing both the left and the right together in a common cause -- to stop the Keystone XL pipeline.

I believe this is why the congressional Republicans are trying to hurry the building of the pipeline. They know that the longer it is delayed, the less likely it will ever be built. Opposition is growing to the pipeline -- even among their own right-wing supporters. Those right-wingers know it is an abominable misuse of eminent domain to let a private company seize land to increase its own profits.