Doesn't anyone listen anymore? The environmentalists are jubilant and the Republicans are crying foul about the president's decision to say no to the pipeline from the Canadian oil sands to the Gulf Coast refineries.

Yet neither is taking the time to understand that the decision was made because the plan was not complete (Nebraska had demanded the pipeline be re-routed away from the Ogallala Aquifer and the company has not submitted the new plan) and therefore a decision could not be made on the incomplete materials submitted to this point.

The cries about job loss are in error also, as there will be a small increase in jobs during the building of the pipeline, but the non-partisan studies show that there will not be many (if any) permanent jobs created by this pipeline. The refineries are already built and have their employees, and Canada is already mining these sands and has people employed there.

The company says it plans to resubmit the proposal, the when it does, then everyone can start cheering or jeering when a final decision is made.

It is so tiresome to listen to people pontificate without listing all of the facts, it is apparent that the speaker just wants to cloud the issues and not have an honest discussion.

Rebecca Jaffer Jay, Richland