If You Talk the Talk...

On Wednesday, I examined a Monday post by James Maule. See The Tax and Spending Stalemate: Can It Destroy the Nation?, MauledAgain (Nov. 7, 2011).

Maule blamed Republicans for the legislative gridlock surrounding competing infrastructure proposals. The Democrats are pushing a $60 billion spending measure, "funded" by tax surcharges on "millionaires and billionaires." The Republicans are pushing a $40 billion spending measure, "funded" by unused outlays for other programs.

Maule was nominally venting about our crumbling infrastructure and jobs crisis. In substance, he was channeling the anxiety of the political left. If Maule were serious about infrastructure spending and economic stimulus, he would have lectured the Democrats for rejecting the $40 billion measure. A compromise starts with common ground. As between $60 billion and $40 billion in spending, $40 billion is the "common ground."

I'm sure that Maule is genuinely concerned about the current unemployment crisis. As such, I'm guessing that he'll be disturbed by a recent setback to energy infrastructure development.

On Thursday, Team Obama delayed the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline until after the 2012 election.

The proposed Keystone XL Project (click here for map) consists of a 1,700-mile crude oil pipeline and related facilities that would primarily be used to transport [oil] from an oil supply hub in Alberta, Canada to delivery points in Oklahoma and Texas. The proposed Project would also be capable of transporting U.S. crude oil to those delivery points. The proposed project could transport up to 830,000 barrels per day and is estimated to cost $7 billion.

The announcement marked a sharp reversal by Team Obama. The State Department had previously supported the pipeline on national security grounds. Obviously, importing oil from Canada reduces our dependence on Middle Eastern oil imports. The $7 billion project would upgrade the nation's energy infrastructure; a Democratic priority until yesterday. It was expected to created tens of thousands of jobs during the midst of a national unemployment crisis. And it was funded with private capital, thus avoiding Congressional gridlock entirely.

Unfortunately, the end run around Congress ran into the brick wall of regulatory delay. Environmental activists were particularly hostile to the Keystone XL project, because the pipeline would transport oil from Canadian tar sands. (Never mind that Canada could route the oil from tar sands to the Pacific coast for export to Asia.) As noted by the LA Times, the decision exposes Team Obama "to the same criticism the White House has leveled at congressional Republicans regarding deficit reduction: delaying a tough call in hopes that the politics will be better after next November's election."

The building trade unions, whose members have been disproportionately hurt by the Great Recession, condemned the decision:

Terry O'Sullivan, general president of the Laborers' International Union of North America, said the move would "inflict a potentially fatal delay to a project that is not just a pipeline, but is a lifeline for thousands of desperate working men and women. The administration chose to support environmentalists over jobs—job-killers win, American workers lose."

Mr. O'Sullivan's comments are right on the mark. The political left talks the talk about infrastructure and jobs. But they don't walk the walk, as evidenced by the flip flop on the Keystone XL project. It boils down to a question of priorities. We're in the midst of a national unemployment crisis. Do we want a government that responds flexibly to balance environmental, labor and other considerations while fostering public and private infrastructure spending? Or do we want a government that prioritizes environmental or other regulatory considerations above infrastructure upgrades and job creation?

A cynic might take a hard look at the Keystone XL decision and allege that Team Obama is trying "to do everything they can to drag down this economy." But I'll leave that commentary to Harry Reid and left-wing academics.

Talk is Cheap

The "Occupy Wall Street" protests are a major topic of conversation these days. Thus far, I haven't been able to discern a specific "cause" motivating the protests.

Some protesters are unhappy about "corporate greed," whatever that means. Some protesters believe that the government is not sufficiently focused on "creating" jobs for grad students. Some protesters want more subsidies for green energy. Some protesters want to do yoga in the streets. Some protesters are just unhappy with authority, like the guy who decided to express his outrage by defecating on a police car. Some protesters -- the college-age types -- are along for the ride, enjoying the privileges of youth, parental support, and the spontaneity that accompanies minimal responsibility. Ahhhh ... to be 20 years old with no bills, no kids, no pets, no mortgage payments.

The political left is struggling to articulate a credible narrative for OWS. Linda Beale linked to an editorial by Paul Krugman. Krugman believes that OWS represents a mass uprising against Wall Street oligarchs who bulked up their personal fortunes at taxpayer expense while triggering the Great Recession. But that's Krugman's gripe, with no connection to anything I've heard trickling up from the protesters themselves.

I've never understood why people invest so much time and effort into protests. In law school, I lived across from a Planned Parenthood center. Every weekend, from dusk until dawn, anti-abortion protesters with billboards and hand-outs marched the street, seeking to discourage young women from entering the center to discuss contraception and abortion.

The anti-abortion protesters were exercising a Constitutional right to express their moral convictions in public. However, it always struck me as a complete waste of time. Why not use the hours spent protesting to counsel at-risk teenagers? Or to help nurture foster children or other troubled children from unfit homes? Or to volunteer in a hospital to nurture babies whose mothers were addicted to drugs or alcohol? If you are opposed to contraception and abortion, and thus favor more children in unstable home environments, why not focus your time and energy to improve the lives of existing children who lack stability, guidance and love? And then, when all children are healthy and happy, living in stable and nurturing environments, get back to protesting against Planned Parenthood?

I have the same reaction to the OWS protesters. They got their message into the media. They are exercising a Constitutional right to express their outrage over the failures of our political and business leaders. But why are they devoting so much time to empty rallies? What is shouting whining, stomping and defecating going to accomplish, besides draining local security budgets? Isn't this the same crowd that protests "cuts" to "services" for "the most vulnerable Americans"? Shouldn't the able-bodied college and grad students be volunteering their time in public schools and after-school organizations? Or helping out underprivileged children as Big Brothers and Sisters? Or assisting non-profit organizations that provide meals to seniors and other individuals with limited mobility? Or cleaning up public parks? Any of us can think of hundreds of organizations that would welcome a small army of enthusiastic volunteers with open arms.

But talk is cheap, as the saying goes. Volunteering for a non-profit organization, or a run-down public school, or a foster home, or a senior center, requires people to commit time and effort. It's a drain, physically and emotionally. Let's face it, that doesn't sound nearly as appealing as a "spontaneous" street rave, fueled by Twitter and Facebook, to stomp around and shout about the Great Unfairness of the world. If you can't join Dumbledore's Army, perhaps the hippest substitute is Krugman's Army. But the hipsters aren't making a difference, and Dumbledore probably wouldn't be impressed.

So I'll keep half an eye on the protesters, to see if they develop a coherent message before the winter hits. Meanwhile, my respect goes out to individuals like Larry Powell, whose actions speak louder than their words.