AS I SEE IT
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
There are many Americans that question whether or not Donald Trump will be a good president for the United States. They’ve questioned his cabinet nominations, they say that his foreign policies are wrong for the country and our allies, the building of the wall on the U.S. and Mexico border, and they’ve questioned his dismantling of Obamacare as well as the reversal of many of President Obama’s executive orders, to name just a few.
While some of the questioning may be legitimate, there is also a great amount of the questioning that is being driven by politics. And it is the same political banter that has surrounded every new president, although President Trump seems to be drawing the most controversy in recent times.
But the one thing that can’t be questioned is Trump’s drive to make America great again. He is telling companies that he wants to see more new manufacturing jobs created in the United States and he wants to make America energy independent.
Making America energy independent is a goal worthy of any president’s actions, especially in light of this country’s newfound oil and gas reserves. While Obama said that he wanted the United States to develop its natural resources, his policies toward the development of fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal, ran very contrary to what he was saying.
One only has to look at former President Obama’s attitude and subsequent policies toward the oil and gas and coal industries to see that these energy sources were not viewed favorably. Under President Obama, the Keystone Pipeline was effectively shelved, and closer to home, the Dakota Access Pipeline went from an approved project to one that faced many years of additional study.
President Trump, on the other hand, has already made it clear that he wants the Dakota Access Pipeline, which would be a key to moving North Dakota oil safely and efficiently to the marketplace, cleared once again by federal regulators. And likewise, he has informed the owners of the Keystone Pipeline that he would like them to resubmit their application for that pipeline, which again is critical for the long-term development of North Dakota’s oil resources.
North Dakota’s Bakken Formation oil reserves are a key component to helping make the United States an energy independent nation. Having a president that understands the importance of achieving that goal is not only important to the country’s future, but also important to the economy of North Dakota.