Friday, November 14, 2014

BloggeRhythms

Spent some time this week, watching Herring Networks, One America, an all-news “conservative” cable channel that very well might give Fox News a real run for its money.
 
The items and stories presented are basically the same as found on Fox, however, there are far, far fewer interruptions and virtually no commercials. All the breaks in content are informational background on the station itself, or interesting bits of history and Americana.
 
Naturally, the question is: How long can the station keep this up with no revenue from ads? But while it does, it’s certainly a pleasure to not be continually inundated with mindless drivel about products and services one couldn't possibly care less about. Yet, that doesn’t really bother me as much as it could, because I always keep the TV sound off, until some news item catches my eye and I temporarily turn the volume up.
 
In today’s news about the Keystone pipeline, foxnews.com reports that, “Obama said his administration believes the project should be judged on the basis of whether it accelerates climate change. Obama also insisted the pipeline would not be a “massive jobs bill” and would have no effect on U.S. gas prices.”
 
However, the generally reliable bastion of support for the current administration, The New York Times, reported yesterday in article by Nelson D. Schwartz, Clifford Krause, and Dionne Searcy, as follows:
 
“With Americans spending roughly $1 billion a day on gasoline, Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service, estimates that consumers will save roughly $8.4 billion in November and December, compared with the last two months of 2013, based on an average price for regular gasoline of about $2.89 a gallon as opposed to $3.23 last November and $3.26 last December.
 
The typical American household buys 1,200 gallons annually, so if prices fall to the level Mr. Kloza predicts and stay there, that adds up to a yearly savings per household of at least $400. A 15 percent drop in the cost of home heating oil since last winter should also be helpful, especially as cold weather arrives in the Northeast.
 
The extra cash in shoppers’ wallets and pocketbooks could help generate nearly half a percentage point in added economic growth in the fourth quarter, and roughly $70 billion more in consumer spending over the next year, according to Barclays.”
 
Now, I suppose that when your income perspective derives from having the American people pay for your rent, food, fuel, travel and virtually every other cost of your existence, a mere $70 billion in consumer’s pockets likely doesn’t seem like much. Nor does a half percent in the GDP. But, for those living in the real world, the boost to their pocketbooks is huge. 
 
Along the same lines, it may be quite true that the pipeline would not be a “massive jobs bill,” but that doesn’t mean it won’t create any jobs at all.
 
Ellen R. Wald wrote on Forbes.com, that “In January of 2010, Trans-Canada CEO Russell Girling claimed that the project would produce 13,000 construction jobs.  In April of 2011 the number grew to 20,000, which the Canadian Ambassador reiterated in August 2011.  In January 2012 the number was revised back down to 13,000 and this past April the company revised that number even lower, to 9,000 construction jobs.  Meanwhile, both the federal government and the Global Labor Institute at Cornell University’s College of Industrial and Labor Relations examined TransCanada’s application and made their own job creation estimates, at 6,000-6,500 and 2,500-4,500 respectively.”
 
So, here again, while the numbers vary by source, there’s no doubt that a number of jobs will be created. Which is something you’d think would interest an administration that had to shorten the work week and recalculate the formula by which unemployment figures are derived in order to hide the damage done to the working segment of the population by their anti-business policies. 
 
However, this elitist bunch in the White House not only doesn’t know a thing about how the American economy runs, but when given a clear chance to make things better job-wise, continues to protect its political platform rather than boost the nation’s economy. No wonder they lost that last election in a historical landslide
 
In the comments following the Keystone article, lleeds wrote, “Breaking News:  Nancy Pelosi said she never heard of the Keystone Pipeline, so can we just move on.”
 
That’s it for today folks.
 
Adios

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