Guest essay by Eric Worrall
New Mexico supported Biden 54.3% to 43.5% for Trump, despite Biden’s promise to shut down the fossil fuel industry, yet all they seem to do nowadays is complain about their new leader’s efforts to deliver on his promise.
Biden drilling ban forces Democratic-led New Mexico to reckon with oil dependence
By Nichola Groom, Valerie Volcovici, Jennifer Hiller
FEBRUARY 9, 202110:14 PM(Reuters) – When Stan Rounds heard about U.S. President Joe Biden’s plans to suspend new drilling on federal lands to fight climate change, he worried about the education budget.
Rounds heads a state association of school administrators. He knows that New Mexico – home to the country’s richest oil fields on federal lands – depends heavily on drilling revenues to finance its struggling public schools. And budgets have already taken a hit from falling crude prices as the coronavirus pandemic sapped global fuel demand.
“While you appreciate the green policies for environmental issues, you can’t strangulate the revenue streams in New Mexico,” said Rounds, executive director of the New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders. “So we’re very concerned.”
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Democratic politicians in a slew of oil-dependent states are being forced to reckon with a clash of progressive ideals: Their support for Biden’s plan to fight global warming could damage the fossil-fuel economy that has been a huge source of revenue for government programs.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-drilling-newmexico-insight-idUSKBN2A91JD
Meanwhile, back in Washington, Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki has challenged reporters to provide evidence that oil workers are not transitioning to better paid green jobs.
Psaki Dodges Question About Laid-Off Pipeline Workers, Green Jobs
BY ISABEL VAN BRUGEN
February 9, 2021 Updated: February 9, 2021…
On Monday, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Psaki at a White House press conference, “When is it that the Biden administration is going to let the thousands of fossil fuel industry workers, whether it’s pipeline workers or construction workers who are either out of work or will soon be out of work because of a Biden [executive order], when it is and where it is that they can go for their green job?”
“I would certainly welcome you to present your data of all the thousands and thousands of people who won’t be getting a green job,” Psaki responded. “Maybe next time you’re here, you can present that.”
“But you said that they would be getting green jobs. So I’m just asking when that happens,” Doocy shot back, before citing AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka who had criticized Biden’s revocation of the Keystone XL permit.
“The Laborers’ International Union of North America said the Keystone decision will ‘cost 1,000 existing union jobs and 10,000 projected construction’ jobs,” the reporter continued, referring to a report published on Jan. 20.
“There are people living paycheck to paycheck. There are now people out of jobs once the Keystone pipeline stopped construction… it’s been 19 days since that [executive order]. So what are these people who need money now—when do they get their green job?”
Psaki responded by saying that Biden will share more details of a plan to create “green” jobs “in the weeks ahead.”
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Psaki will circle back to the question of exactly when the green jobs will be available, when she is good and ready to do so.
What should New Mexico Biden fossil fuel workers do while they are waiting for their new green jobs? If they are looking for something to do, I guess they could try Biden’s suggestion they retrain as software developers.
via Watts Up With That?
February 10, 2021 at 08:28PM
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