Is the Keystone XL Pipeline actually good for us Americans?

Recently, the Keystone Pipeline has been approved by President Obama as a way to help the economy and provide new jobs, but is it really helping Americans all that much? For those of you who aren't familiar with the Keystone Pipeline it is a large pipeline that will begin in Canada and transport tons of tar sands all the way down to Texas. When the idea was first presented, it was told to common everyday Americans that this would give the economy a huge boost providing thousands of new jobs and creating an oil supply for us that would reduce gas prices. We only later found out that this was not the case at all. As a matter of fact, the pipeline will cause more problems than it will create opportunity.

With the development of the Keystone pipeline, many people have concerns about the environment. Now I know many of you are thinking "here goes another crazy environmentalist rant", but I've done some research into this and the pipeline would truly cause great impacts on multiple states. Several states have already declined the development of the Keystone pipeline for very good reasons. Their main concerns is the extreme amounts of water that it takes to move tar sands. The states that declined the development stated that tar sands traveling through their states could greatly reduce their water supplies causing concern for the people living their. In terms of environmental issues, the Keystone Pipeline would also have multiple leaks as many oil rigs/pipelines/plants have that would cause tremendous damage to the environment. This is also a reaction to what is called "fracking". Fracking is a drilling technique that goes deep into the Earth to extract oil or natural gases deep in the Earth. When this is happening a lot of this is simply released into the air or causes terrible damage to the environment as well as destroying pipelines. A lot of this is occurs around the Keystone Pipeline.

Besides environmental issues, the Keystone Pipeline will not hold up to many of its promises made. A majority of the job opportunities that were suppose to help the United States economically are only temporary and will not have much impact on the economy at all. Many of the people that got the jobs that were suppose to help the economy will simply be told that they are no longer needed and "good luck finding a job somewhere else". This is a terrible move that would lead me to suspicions about the Keystone Pipeline and why exactly we need it.

The biggest impact that the Keystone Pipeline will have is on rich oil industries both here and in Canada. The pipeline project will have little or no effect on average Americans nor on a national scale. I say this because most of the money being had is by Canadian oil companies that have claim over the tar sands which is being sold to us. The oil that we get from Canada will not even be used here in the United States and gas prices and energy efficiency will not be effected at all causing prices to stay the same and possibly even increase. The reality of it is the United States would be selling all of the oil extracted from the tar sands to foreign countries/refineries and will not have a large impact on average Americans, unless the "trickle down" economy works (which last time I checked it didn't). The biggest debate that is happening now is where fracking is going to happen and if people want it allowed in their state. I encourage you to look further into this as you explore more information about the Keystone Pipeline, get involved at your state house, and learn about the impacts the pipeline will have on your area.

Expansion of Medicaid in Indiana

Currently, Indiana is having a big (or maybe not so big) debate on the expansion of Medicaid and if Indiana should go through with it. This of course being a state that is predominantly Republican, it is unlikely that they will agree to take such actions. Currently, the state of Indiana runs a program called the Healthy Indiana Plan. If Republicans were to agree on any form of expansion, it would most likely be on this. This would be a mistake. The Healthy Indiana Plan, although seemingly smart, is a failed program in the state that does not help many people. Let me explain what all HIP is. It is more or less a health savings fund that low-income people pay into each month. The program typically takes 2%-5% of the money they make and that money is put into an account in order to pay for doctor's visits and some medications. That seems nice and all, but this is a lot of money to ask from someone if they need that for groceries. Second, the Healthy Indiana Plan does not cover emergency room visits, maternity care, some medications, and even some doctors/hospitals. Also, if you happen to miss a payment for the month, you will be removed from the program and you lose the money that you've been paying into that account. That isn't even the worst part. The worst part is the amount of people that are on the "waiting list" and/or turned down from receiving benefits of the Healthy Indiana Plan. With over 30,000 on the waiting list and untold numbers turn down, the underfunded medical system that Indiana aims to use is not doing well for the people that are in desperate need of medical attention. Indiana has one of the largest uninsured/low income populations in the country with over half a million people uninsured and our leaders are not doing much to fix it.

There are many reasons to expand Medicaid for the state of Indiana. One being the reason I just listed that many people in this state do not receive much help from their leaders and are left to fend for themselves. Two, a law in Indiana states that nobody can be turned down at the emergency room so many homeless and low income people are simply going to the emergency room for very basic things causing health care to be more expensive in the area since their bill will typically be written off. Three, the state would receive billions in funding to help get the program started and taxes would not increase for several years for taxpayers. Four, thousands of new jobs would be brought to the state where most people who graduate from school move away because it is too hard for them to find work here. Five, by providing health insurance/coverage to those who can't afford to go through private companies would mean a competitive market thus reducing health care premiums for people in the state. So even if taxes would eventually go up it would not make a significant difference on the fact that health care for the state would be significantly cheaper.

Many people in the state of Indiana believe that Medicaid would just be taken advantage of and it wouldn't help anyone, but the system would provide health care for half a million people who don't have it otherwise. It is important that the state pushes this initiative forward and I hope this article sheds some light on those who are thinking about it or if you were simply curious and wanted some information. If you would like to help push the initiative forward contact your local representative at 1-800-382-9842

For more information on Medicaid/HIP check these websites:

http://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/docs/2013_Stimpson_Indiana_Medicaid_Expansion.PDF

https://www.mdwise.org/hhw-hip/member-handbook/ebook/pageflip.html

Here is a link to letters that Lafayette Urban Ministry (the people I currently work for) that were sent to the governor urging the expansion of medicaid in Indiana http://lumserve.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/letter-to-governor-urging-the-approval-of-medicaid-expansion-1-of-3/