RSS Feed

One of the new President’s first actions announced this week is to support the building of the Keystone XL pipeline that the Obama administration had disapproved. Both Louisiana senators hailed the decision and talked about all the new jobs that will come to the Bayou State. But is building the pipeline such a huge job creator and economic bonanza for Louisiana?
For those readers who have been out of the loop as to what Keystone is all about, here’s a short summary. Canada is proposing the building of a pipeline some 875 miles from Western Canada down to Nebraska, where it would then tie in to other U.S. pipelines. More than 830,000 barrels of oil a day would then flow down to the Gulf Coast for refining and exportation. But the U.S. has to give approval, since the pipeline crosses international borders.
Those opposing the project fear major environmental damage, as the pipeline is being built and maintained. Not so, I say. Remember, Louisiana is crisscrossed by over 10,000 miles of pipeline with only minor environmental problems. I’m not talking about damages that have destroyed large portions of marshlands by drilling for oil and gas. These are the buried pipelines that take refined petroleum up to the east coast.
Right now, a large number of petroleum products are transported to the Midwest and West Coast by rail and truck. There is probably more ecological risk with land transportation than with pipelines. Environmentally, I just don’t see that great a risk.
For the past several years, the Louisiana congressional delegation has proclaimed that 50,000 jobs or more will be created, and adds assertions that gasoline prices will drop at the pump with more oil that can be refined on the Gulf Coast. But is there any validity to the claims of all the benefits that will come to Louisiana? Absolutely not.
Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported recently that an eleven-volume report prepared by the State Department concludes the Keystone Pipeline would create (are you ready) 35 permanent jobs. Thirty-five jobs and not a single one in Louisiana. So the claims of thousands of jobs flooding into the Bayou State, as both candidates contend, are nothing more than a pipe dream.
How about their claims that all this new Canadian oil will actually lower the price of a gallon of gas? Again, not true. What few realize is that Canadian oil, called tar sands crude, is already being imported into the United States, primarily by rail in tank cars, at a rate of more than 3 million barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This Canadian oil is being processed in Midwestern refineries, the largest being the Flint Hills refinery in Pine Bend, Minnesota, owned by the Koch Brothers. Numerous other refineries are spread from Minnesota across the west to Montana.
Most of this Midwestern oil is presently sold to U.S. consumers. So the more oil we keep here in the U.S., the lower the price at the pump. Where will the Keystone oil go? To Texas, to be refined and shipped overseas. That means less oil in the U.S., and a higher price to U.S. consumers.
The bottom line is this. The Keystone pipeline, if approved, will have no bearing on jobs or economic development in Louisiana. It might even cause the price Louisiana consumers pay at the pump to go up. Telling those of us living down here in the Bayou State any differently is just more political smoke and mirrors. If congress wants to approve the project to land a few more jobs in Texas, so be it. But in Louisiana, how about more straight talk and less political distortions and gibberish?

“Exaggeration is to paint
a snake and add legs.”
     Proverb

Peace and Justice
Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

DELCAMBRE – A funeral service celebrating the life of Herman LeBlanc, age 89, will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, February 4, 2017 at Evangeline Funeral Home. Fr. Nathan Comeaux will officiate. Mr. Herman will be laid to rest with his wife at Our Lady of the Lake Mausoleum immediately following services.
A gathering of family and friends will be held at Evangeline Funeral Home of Delcambre on Friday from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm, with the Rosary being led by Fr. Gilbert Dutel at 6:30 pm. Visiting hours will resume on Saturday from 8:00 am until time of service.
Herman was born June 19, 1927 in Vermilion Parish to the late Alphonse LeBlanc and Odelia Renard LeBlanc, and passed away Thursday, February 2, 2017 at his residence.
Mr. Herman proudly served his country as a veteran of the United States Air Force during World War II. After his service, he became a boat captain until his role with the Army Corps of Engineers, a career that would span over 23 years. Some of his pastimes included camping, dancing to his favorite Cajun music and trips to the casino.
He leaves behind many fond memories that will be cherished by all who knew and loved him.
Survivors include his children, Charles Blaine LeBlanc and wife Linda of Arizona, Stella Durke and husband Louis of Abbeville, Herman W. LeBlanc and wife Roxanne of Lafayette, Sarah L. Caffey of Maurice, Emily LeBlanc of New Iberia, and Phyllis J. LeBlanc and husband Michael of Erath; 16 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; 10 great great grandchildren; and his loving companion of many years, Nola Desormeaux Migues.
Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Janese Derise LeBlanc; and his granddaughters, Janessa and Janese LeBlanc.
Honored to serve as pallbearers are Charles LeBlanc, Nicholas Barras, Colt Ryder, Chaz LeBlanc, Michael Marceaux and Linda Migues. Honorary pallbearers are Glenn Miguez, Harold Renard and Justin Ryder.
Memorial contributions may be made in Mr. LeBlanc’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1905.
To view the online obituary, video tribute and to share a memory of Herman, please visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com
Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia (337) 685-4434 is in charge of arrangements.

You thought your water bill was high last month. The Vermilion Parish Police Jury received an exceptionally high water bill of $5,500 for one million gallons of water used in a month.
The month before the $5,500 bill, the bill was $2,500 for 500,000 gallons. The month before that, the bill was cheaper because the amount of water used was around 350,000 gallons.
The normal jail water bill is $1,000 a month.
Due to the spike of water, the police jury hired American Leak Detectors to search out a leak. Thus far, after checking the cement slab for broken pipes with ultra sound testing and walking the grounds for standing water, American Leak Detector has found no leaks.
Gene Sellers Jr., an architect, was called on by the Police Jury to try and figure out the water problem.
“You would think a million gallons of water could be found,” said Sellers.
As of yesterday, Sellers told the police jury that the parish jail is now using 100,000 gallons of water a day based on the water meter spinning.
After spending money to find the leak and no leak was detected, police juror Errol Domingues asked, “Did they check the [water] meter?”
Sellers informed the jurors that the water meter was changed in October of 2016 and the first increase in the water bill was the next month.
Since the new meter, the amount of water used has increased significantly, according to the meter.
After the meter was installed, it showed an increase of 250,000 gallons more than the previous month.
Roberta Boudreaux, who works in the jail and is employed by the police jury, told the jurors that she has contacted Tony Richard, who is in charge of the Southeast Water District in the parish about the leak and water meter.
Boudreaux said Richard did not seem too interested in going to the jail and checking out the newly installed water meter.
Roberta said, “He (Richard) said he is 99 percent certain that it is not the meter. I said what about the one percent? He is not interested in changing the meter.”
She told the jurors that Richard hung up on her.
The Abbeville Meridional attempted to contact Richard about the meter by stopping by the water plant and leaving a message. He did not return the call.
Police Jury Administrator Linda Duhon has talked to Richard about replacing the new meter. Nothing.
The police jury will request a Southeast Water District board member to attend Monday’s meeting. They want to know what it is going to take to convince Richard to change the water meter at the parish jail.