It’s really wonderful to think that a company like Kinder Morgan wants to help the communities of British Columbia by building the new pipeline. (The economic argument for pipeline expansion, Chilliwack Progress Dec. 4.) Great! Geez, the City of Chilliwack will even receive $1 million a year in taxes. Lets celebrate! It’s a win-win situation, is it not?
Let’s put a new perspective on the situation.
Why not make two major demands before this project is accepted?
1. That the 60-year-old existing pipeline be completely replaced! Earthquakes, anyone?
2. That Kinder Morgan builds refineries in Alberta to convert the tar sands to oil first so that we don’t have deadly Bitumen poisons flowing across our clean waters and farmlands, and shipped across the ocean.
Sure it will cost them big money, but keep one fact in mind. Richard Kinder is currently the 112th richest man on the planet who stands to personally profit by building his pipeline. Its our land, Mr. Kinder and his buddies are profiting from, and they can certainly meet our demands if our governments make a deal, rather than act like naive children handed some candy for being good. Those payments they’ll pay are taxes levied by the federal government and have to be paid anyway, not anything “extra” that would normally not be paid. Let’s stand up and protect our land and water with real solid investments that will benefit everyone and not accept their bribe. They have no better choice, and we do have the upper hand in this deal, why not play it? If we don’t, in the future we’re probably going to look very foolish.
Robbin Yager
Chilliwack