Obama’s Anti-Pipeline

From: Wesley M.

Sent: August 10, 2012

To: undisclosed recipients

Subject: Fw: Obama’s Anti-Pipeline

Well, this is a new one!
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Obama has refused to issue the presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, a vital project that will bring energy we need and unleash billions in private investment. Now he’s poised to divert and distract from that disastrous decision by approving a presidential permit for a very different type of project – a government bridge, built with billions of our federal taxpayer dollars, that is unnecessary and would actually compete with a privately owned bridge. It’s crazy but it’s true.
Click here to tell the State Department not to DARE approve this reckless, unnecessary bridge instead of the badly needed Keystone XL Pipeline!

The Governor of Michigan has submitted an application to the State Department, seeking a Presidential Permit to build a new multi-billion-dollar bridge between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, known as the “New International Trade Crossing.”

The Michigan legislature has already rejected this boondoggle, because it competes with a successful privately-owned bridge that stands ready to add another privately-funded span to meet future demand. 600,000 Michigan citizens have signed petitions for ballot measure that would block the government bridge – but the governor is conspiring with President Obama to go around them.

Here’s how the scam works: Canada puts up $550 million and they get to collect the tolls to make their money back. And then Michigan can rip off federal taxpayers for $2.2 billion in matching funds and – get this – the Lieutenant Governor said Michigan won’t spend “a dime”! They won't pay – but they want to force you to!

Building and staffing additional customs, immigration and homeland security facilities will cost federal taxpayers at least another $265 million for a new customs plaza and $100 million per year for staff and operation. Money we don’t have.

After delaying the pipeline for years, President Obama is expected to jam through approval for this bridge project in a matter of days – avoiding public scrutiny. That’s wrong. The State Department is required by law to respond to public comments in their decision-making process, and we’ve set a form to make it easy to send your official comments directly to them.

We can’t let Obama announce this approval to great fanfare and brag about construction jobs on this unnecessary, wasteful project when the necessary pipeline remains blocked. Please send your comment to the State Department today and spread the word on this scam.

Yours truly,
Phil Kerpen