PIPELINE: Oil politics ensure it's coming

It really makes no difference whether Obama rejected (temporarily) the Keystone Pipeline or not. Anyone not smart enough to not believe that the oil will eventually flow from Canada to the Gulf Coast is living in la-la land. Big oil and politics will see that it does, period. Do any really believe the megaloads crossing Washington, Idaho and Montana to build the tar sand oil producing plant in Alberta, B.C., is just for show?

The part that is hard to believe is that somehow this will lower the price of oil. Oil is a world commodity and whether it's sold out Texas gulf ports or refined into gasoline or even brought from mid-east countries, the price is fixed and we the people will pay at the pump (that is until it's all gone).

Aside from the oil controversy there is the politics surrounding job creation. Trans Canada Corp. is saying 20,000-plus jobs (union, of course), but at the same time others are saying less than 2,500. In any event the pipeline will be built in two years time, so where does that leave us in two years? Right back to square one with everyone wondering, was it really worth it?

The truth is that until an alternative source of fuel is found, when the last drop of oil is pumped, mined, etc., from the ground and the price of gas gets so high that the economy goes into a complete depression, there's no need to guess what will be happening to most of us.

We ourselves are partly to blame for this mess. We want our homes in suburbia and are willing to commute hundreds of miles a week and when we get home we turn around and drive 20 miles or so to pick up a loaf of bread. Eventually that loaf of bread will cost $10 or more and your chance of getting home alive with it just might, might start making a difference.

PAUL UNDERWOOD

St. Maries