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Tar Sands Pipeline Foes Protest Outside Boehner's Office
WEST CHESTER TWP. — Protesters staged a human oil spill Wednesday morning outside of House Speaker John Boehner’s office, upset about his support of a proposed continental oil pipeline.
About 30-40 people, many of whom were dressed in black or dark clothing, stood at the door of Boehner’s local office that is located near a strip mall on Cincinnati-Dayton Road. Protesters were denied entrance to the office. Some carried a mock pipeline and later protesters laid on the ground to represent an oil spill. Protesters also had large white fake dollar bills with Boehner’s photograph on one side and oil derricks on the other side. (Image via twitpic) About 30-40 people, many of whom were dressed in black or dark clothing, stood at the door of Boehner’s local office that is located near a strip mall on Cincinnati-Dayton Road. Protesters were denied entrance to the office. Some carried a mock pipeline and later protesters laid on the ground to represent an oil spill. Protesters also had large white fake dollar bills with Boehner’s photograph on one side and oil derricks on the other side.
“By being here today we’re sending a loud and clear message to the speaker and the rest of Congress that the people do not support this pipeline,” said Northside resident Danny Berchenko, 29, an organizer with the environmental group 350.org.
The protest was peaceful and only attracted only two police officers.
The House on Tuesday approved a bill that speeds up construction of the pipeline and extends a payroll tax cut, among other provisions. The pipeline would run from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, to Texas oil refineries.
Republicans say work on the pipeline would create 20,000 or more jobs. Opponents say the real figure is more like 3,500.
The House measure would keep 160 million workers from seeing their payroll tax jump on Jan. 1 from this year's 4.2 percent back to its normal level of 6.2 percent – a $1,000 difference for a family making $50,000.
It would also renew expiring extra benefits for long-term jobless people and head off a cut in doctors' Medicare reimbursements, a reduction that could prompt some to stop seeing patients who use that program.
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3 Comments so far
Show Allis that Boehner or bonner this man sings for the rich
At all costs, this pipeline must NOT be built. If it is, we are depriving ourselves and our children of fresh, clean water to drink and for irrigating farmland. The XL pipeline benefits the few - the super wealthy - the mega corporations by providing even more money to their overflowing cofers. The few jobs provided by the building of the pipeline are temporary and do not provide a long term solution to joblessness in our country. Not only will this pipeline burst at an undetermined time, contaminating the largest fresh-water aquifir in the world, but it will make a lovely target for terrorists. Right in the heart of the USA.
What are we being offered? A thousand dollar increase in real money for families earning at least 50,000 a year. How many earn even less, therefor, less money in tax cuts. An extension of long-term unemployment benefits. That has to be done, or the government risks millions more people being on the streets, protesting. No cuts for doctors who care for Medicare patients, as supposedly planned. More avenues for street-wide protests.
We are trading short-term benefits to citizens, while trading away one of our countries greatest assets - the Oglolla Aquifir. It is time for all to rise up and yell loud enough to be heard around the world. "NO!! We won't take this any more. You, U.S. Congress and President, honor your oath of office and uphold the U.S. Constitution, and work for the people of our country". Our constitution provides an avenue for U.S. citizens to discharge from public office anyone who does not uphold the afore mentioned items.
The pay roll tax cut for working people is just a guise for draining the Social Security fund. Think about it - a tax cut means less revenues for SS and with the boomers retiring in large numbers and taking out their benefits, well, how long will it take to totally drain the SS fund and force it into bankruptcy. How easy would it be then, to switch retirements completely over to private corporations? We all know that corporations are in business to earn more and more money. We all know how things have gone with the medical insurance groups - fewer and fewer benefits, while premiums go up and up. This is the sort of trick our government has been playing for years. Think about it and resolve to not go along with it this time.
Where are the green jobs promised by President Obama when he was campaigning?? That would certainly be a big boon to the economy, as well as making us less dependent on dirty oil and explosive natural gas, and hazardous waste and the failure of nuclear power plants. We could and should be putting people to work rebuiding our own infrastructure, instead of alloting billions of dollars of TAXPAYER money to rebuild the countries destroyed with the use of our tax dollars. No doubt for the benefit of corporations who plan to build their own structures in the countries we destroyed, further depriving U.S. citizens of jobs.
I know most of you are aware of all of this, but I thought it bore repeating, as time is critical. We can't afford to wait for more disaster to befall us. We must be the ones who do what needs to be done.
America Unite in a way never before seen.
Hey why WORRY about oil spills if JOBS the only concern?
If this pipeline spilled 200000 barrels of oil a day there would be all manner of jobs created in the aftermath of such in order to clean up the poluuted waterways and ecosystems and to treat the ill .
So what the heck..Those against OIL spills are against JOBS!!