Greg Schuster’s facts in his Feb. 11 letter sound like right-wing talking points. In his ill-informed opinion, we will get fuel and jobs from the Keystone XL pipeline. In reality, we will get neither.

Its construction will create 2,000 to 3,000 temporary jobs, many of them for labor from Canada and other countries. When it’s finished, it will provide an estimated 30 to 50 permanent jobs. Yes, Canada will develop its oil reserves no matter what. But let them transport it to the Pacific Ocean instead of through our heartland to the Gulf Coast, where it will be refined, then exported. And when the 1,700-mile pipeline springs a leak, America, not Canada, will clean it up.

We now have the capacity to be energy independent. We don’t need anyone’s fossil fuels, and wouldn’t get any from Canada, even if they built the pipeline. If you want a pipeline, let’s build one that originates in the United States and transports American fossil fuels.

Corporate Canada and our congressional corporate politicians want Keystone to be built. That should give you a clue. President Obama, please don’t be a corporate patsy. Say no to Keystone.

Stan Carpenter

Spokane Valley