Keyston Pipeline XL

Barry Smitherman is the publisher of this opinion piece in the Austin-American Statesman on the Keystone XL pipeline, which he obviously strongly supports. Smitherman is the Railroad Commission of Texas (appointed by Governor Perry), chairman of the Public Utility Commission and serves on various other committees/boards, he has an impressive resume. Smitherman claims this pipeline is completely privately funded, will create jobs, have no significant negative impact on the environment, and help the US dependence on foreign oil.  He attempts to back this up by stating “Keystone XL has been subjected to an exhaustive three-year federal review of a project that's destined to deliver the jobs, investment and energy security our country needs — right now.” This all sound nice the way he writes for the general audience (no big words, yeah!) but I remain skeptical about this pipeline because it’s just the way I am. I need to hear other sides to this story, the ones who strongly oppose this pipeline being built and why.

Do I like the idea of more jobs for Americans? Of course I do!

Do I like the idea of no more foreign oil dependence? Duh! Of course!

I agree with Smitherman in those two areas, Americans need jobs and the United States needs to be less dependent on the Middle East for oil. Whether I agree with building the pipeline still remains to be figured out. I just know that after reading this commentary I have lingering questions about this pipeline, like…

Who’s going to regulate/enforce the maintenance of these pipelines? Who will ultimately be responsible?  (I don’t want another blame game fest, like after the oil spill in the Gulf) And, what does “will not have any significant negative environment impacts” actually mean? Is this “not have any significant negative environmental impact” like saying we’re killing off some feral hogs or is it bigger than that? I want to know because this could mean different things to different people.  

What a Rick Perry Presidency Would Look Like for Women.....

I love this blog post......... I will let it be know now I am not personally a big fan of Governor Perry and the 'Mean Rachel' blog highlights some of the reasons why. I think this post is worth a quick read because it highlights a few issues concerning women under Governor Perry here in Texas and she comments on the HPV vaccine and the recent sonogram law.
I am a women, I am a mom and I do believe in a women's right when it comes to her body. There is such a fine line on the whole abortion issue anyway but to make a women see and hear a sonogram before she has an abortion is just wrong. Abortion is not something to be taken lightly by any women but to require a women to go through that when she's already making such an important decision in her life is senseless to me. Are we trying to make women feel even worse about having to make that decision, none of us know what's truly going on in every women's life, we are not walking in her shoes. A women could be raped, by a stranger, family or her husband, being in an abusive relationship. These events could be unknown to others and really, whatever the reason, no one knows but the women making that decision. It's like Perry is saying that all women who have abortions are just plain selfish and incompetent .  (And to make this bill "an emergency".....really?!?)
I just feel like Perry has made an extremely hard decision even worse on women. What's happens to those women who have made that decision, then see that sonogram and still continue with the abortion. Any guilt felt by women who have chosen to have an abortion is now 100x greater. Depression is a result, whether it's caused by regret or just plain sadness for not being able to keep the child for whatever reason, it doesn't matter. Any guilt, any depression is magnified 10, 100, 1000 fold as a result of this bill. I think this post is worth a quick read because it highlights a few issues concerning women under Governor Perry here in Texas. She


I know there will be plenty of people that disagree with me and that's fine........I don't believe that abortion is a decision women take lightly. All I'm really trying to say is that we all walk our own path, we all have our own shoes and no one knows what's truly going on in their own lives expect themselves. If everyone knew exactly what was going on in everyone's lives, suicide would never happen. That's another subject all together........or maybe not.

http://www.meanrachel.com/