There are two categories of jobs...long-term and short-term. In the real world....either gain is generally appreciated. I would agree....long-term, this project probably only amounted to a hundred jobs. Short-term for two years? By the time you add in support people....maybe 20,000 jobs.
On the positive side....Canada will build a pipeline to the east coast and some Americans will go up and take those jobs for a year while it’s being built. And no, they won’t pay US taxes on that income.
Much of the steel, and construction equipment would be made in the USA too.
Texas Stretch of Keystone XL Pipeline Progressing
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TransCanada says that the pipeline helps national security, because if the northern segment is built it will bring oil from Canada, a friendly neighbor. Also, it is creating jobs. More than 4,000 people are currently working on the pipeline, Goulet said. However, many of those jobs are for constructing it. Once complete, Goulet estimated that it would bring 20 to 30 permanent TransCanada jobs to Texas, though that does not count other companies providing services along the route.
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Obama & Harry Reid heavily supported a CHINESE company building a solar farm near Henderson, Nevada.
They couldn’t talk enough about all the ‘construction’ jobs it would provide.
The permanent jobs numbered less than 30. Last I heard, the Chinese company pulled the plug on this project—after getting preferential treatment & land use changes from the Obama administration.