Oregon Strategist

Reinventing the Oregon Dream

FERC Denies Jordan Cove, For Now.

March 15, 2016 by Tim Crawley

Jordan CoveOn a scale of 1 to 10 for the complexity and divisiveness of issues, Jordan Cove is off the charts. The project, a proposed pipeline between Malin in Klamath County eastern Oregon and Coos Bay on the coast, would pump liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be exported at the International Port of Coos Bay. The pipeline would be a continuation of the Ruby pipeline that stretches from Malin out to Opal, Wyoming which currently serves the natural gas needs of California, Nevada and the Pacific Northwest.

On March 11, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) denied Pacific Connector’s and Jordan Cove’s proposal for the pipeline extension. One could reasonably infer that such a decision was a disappointment to those who stood to benefit from construction contracts and other employment associated with its building and operation. Private landowners who faced eminent domain and environmental activists stood in opposition.Coos.bay.gas_map

To make matters more complicated, the Coquille, Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw tribes had taken a firm position against the pipeline, despite their standing for monetary gain in the form of increased business at their Coos Bay casinos. The tribes reported confusion with government agency oversight and the need to take into consideration the cultural integrity of the lands as well as native soils and burial grounds.

Did the public interest of having a natural gas export terminal and pipeline outweigh the adverse impacts on local landowners and the community? FERC apparently did not think so and Jordan Cove LNG backers will seek a rehearing on the issue. In the meantime, environmental opponents have an opportunity to reinforce their positions as the project was rejected principally because Jordan Cove LNG backers did not substantiate demand for the product abroad – the environmental claims were dismissed as moot.

Initially, proponents of LNG pipelines in Oregon supported LNG imports to increase demand and drive down prices. However, since the United States has proved to be a producer, these proponents have flipped to pursue exporting the product.

Many factors are at play as to whether a pipeline will be built between Malin and Coos Bay. A different federal administration tied to different billionaire interests may seek to reverse the policies disfavoring the building of such pipelines to export gas and oil. Nevertheless, Oregonians have a moment to think, for themselves, about what an export terminal would mean to them and to the future of their state.

Is this a project worth the jobs, investment and manufacturing opportunities that could arise, or is natural gas a doomed product whose potential will dry up? Is eminent domain and individual liberty of the utmost concern in this matter? Or perhaps our looking at Oregon’s environmental future is most crucial. Whatever, the question, every Oregonian has an opportunity to engage, weigh in, and be heard.

Filed Under: Economy, Environment, International, Local Tagged With: business, California, casino, casinos, Coos Bay, Coquille, Cove, eminent domain, export, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, Gas, import, Jordan, Jordan Cove, Keystone XL, Liquefied, Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG, Lower Umpqua, Malin, manufacture, manufacturing, Native Americans, Natural Gas, Nevada, Opal, Oregon, Pacific Connector, Pacific Northwest, pipeline, Ruby, Siuslaw, Tribes, United States, Wyoming

Youth and the Republican Party: An American Recovery

November 4, 2013 by Tim Crawley

Republican Elephant and Democratic DonkeyParty warfare and polarization of ideologies may be significantly to blame for the finger-pointing and squabbling in Washington D.C. Open primaries, term limits, and policies that suspend Congressional pay if shutdowns occur are just some of the answers to questions of how we must reform the internal mechanisms of our government in order to get back on track for being a proud and confident nation.

Yet, these policies may be some time away from now until young leaders are put in power that are willing to limit their own power for long-term objectives. Until that time, we must ask serious questions about how all of us – Republicans, Democrats and Independents – can come together to help shape the new Republican Party and bring back a balance of power to the system to check the unprecedented spending and waste in our federal government.

Every dollar our government spends today is a dollar that young people will have to pay back in their future. This is inherently unfair and unjust. Entrenched leaders in Washington D.C. continue to waste the money of future generations for their own political short-term gain. Our interests, the interests of those in their thirties, twenties and younger – are not being represented.

Young people have an opportunity to take over the Republican Party here in Oregon – be you Democrat, Republican or Independent. We have the opportunity to shape the party for ourselves and take back what is our future to spend – not theirs.

And conservative and progressive values, the real kind that is (as opposed to the kind promoted by the media), may be the kind we younger generations can embrace. We know what it is like to be under the weight of massive educational debt, not to have the employment opportunities we were told would be waiting for us on the other side, and to find ourselves unable to fulfill our American Dreams.

Our current leaders have failed us. We must now take up the torch and lead with real principles. That is, with self-sacrifice, courage, and pride in a future America we can own and love.

Entitlements are wasting our money. Military ventures are wasting our money. Centralized corporate-sponsored federal programs are wasting our money. Congress is wasting our money. This is our future. We want this future to be green, healthy, productive, and local.

To get back in the game we must go to work. We must find work in any sector. If it means working in an area we perceive to be below our educational level, we must work. We must reject anything handed to us. Only then can we hold our heads high. And we must hold our heads high in order to lead.

We will bring jobs back from overseas. We will go to the ports, find out what China is shipping to us, and make those products here. We will make them better and less expensive. We will encourage entrepreneurs. We will educate. We will stockpile. Our future will be one of great influence.

We will put our money into credit unions and keep our organizations nimble, flexible and local – like Privateers. We will execute a trade surplus and pay down our deficit. And we will not be reckless with the future of our next wave of youth.

We will reform Congress. We will take only one term in any given political office and will condemn political entrenchment and the establishment. We will limit our salaries because what we do is a service to our Great Nation, not a pillage of our Great Nation. We will give back, we will pay the way forward, we will unite, we will overcome and we will live mightily on our principles, work and love.

Timothy Crawley, a native son of Oregon, is a candidate for the 2014 United States Senate seat for Oregon.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Economy, Education, Environment, International, National, Portland Tagged With: Albany, Ashland, Astoria, Baker City, Balance of Power, Bandon, Banks, Beaverton, Bend, Black Butte Ranch, Brookings, Cannon Beach, Clatskanie, Conservative, Coos Bay, corporation salaries, corporations, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Crawley, credit unions, debt, Democrat, Democratic Party, domestic, economic reform, Economy, Education, employment, entitlements, entrepreneurs, Eugene, Florence, Forest Grove, Fossil, Gold Beach, Grants Pass, Great Recession, Gresham, Hillsboro, Hood River, Independent, Independent Party, Inequality, international, jobs, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Labor, Lake Oswego, Lincoln City, Manzanita, McMinnville, Medford, media, military, Milwaukie, money, Newberg, Newport, Oregon, Oregon City, Party, Pendleton, political reform, poor, Portland, ports, Prineville, Progressive, Recovery, Redmond, reform, Republican, Republican Party, Rockaway Beach, Roseburg, Salem, Seaside, Sherwood, Sisters, Springfield, student loans, term limits, The Dalles, Tigard, Tillamook, Tim, Tim Crawley, Timothy, Timothy Crawley, trade deficit, trade surplus, Troutdale, Tualatin, unemployment, value, values, Washington D.C., Wealth, wealth inequality, wealth stratification, West Linn, Wilsonville, Youth

Recent Posts

  • Floating Solar: Smoothing the Energy Cycle
  • FERC Denies Jordan Cove, For Now.
  • Prison Reform and Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
  • ODA’s Beetles Take a Bite Out of Portland
  • Chemical Forestry: A Clear Cut Challenge

Tags

Afghanistan animals BLM Bureau of Land Management Columbia River Congress corporations Crony Capitalism deficit economics Economy ecosystem Education eminent domain environment Europe Federal federal government Government House of Representatives Immigration Reform income inequality Iraq Jeff Merkley military Monsanto Oregon Partisan politics Peter DeFazio Portland Senate Senator Merkley Sequester Spending Syria tax taxes tax reform trade deficit trade surplus United States War Washington D.C. water wealth inequality

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in