Energy is the lifeblood of just about everything we experience in our daily lives. It is so intertwined into what we do and use each day. We often don’t even know what it is that could be affected if energy came to a screeching halt. It’s a real paradox of our modern existence. From the fuel that moves us (planes, trains and automobiles) to the power that keeps us going (food, shelter and medicine), we need and use energy all the time. How we use energy though is not always clear.

So What are we Talking About?

Let’s start here. When it comes to transporting energy like oil and natural gas, experts agree the safest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly way to do so is through a pipeline. Why? Pipelines don’t need drivers, they never cause traffic, and they don’t need rest. That’s why we rely on them so much, and with more than 2.4 million miles of pipelines under our feet, pipelines move the critical energy we all need and use to where it needs to go. We don’t EVER have to think about it.

Much like our roads, highways and bridges, pipelines need to be maintained to ensure they have the latest technology and materials to ensure their safety. Line 3 in Minnesota, which was built in the 1960s, is part of a network of pipelines that runs from Alberta, Canada, across northern Minnesota, through Wisconsin to its final destination in Superior.

But Why Update?

Both segments in Canada and Wisconsin have been modernized. All that remains is the connecting portion of the pipeline that runs through North Dakota and across Minnesota. While we never think about pipelines when we’re brushing our teeth, watching TV or making dinner; this $2.9 billion connecting pipeline is the nervous system of the Upper Peninsula region.

How Else Does Energy Affect Us?

You see, pipelines aren’t just about energy; they’re about people too. 358 people to be exact. Yes, those are permanent jobs and a whole lot of salaries that come with those jobs. Believe it or not, when you calculate the wages of those individuals and how they spend their paychecks, it adds up to about $30 million back into the local economy. How? Employees spend their paychecks near where they live and help keep local and small business going. Which ultimately keeps others in business and employing more people within the community

On top of that, during the construction of the Line 3 Replacement Project, about 8,600 temporary jobs in Minnesota will be created. In terms of economic impact that’s around $334 million in paychecks to workers. Not to mention, a $162 million construction-related gains for local economies.

Why Aren’t We Moving Forward?

Unfortunately, some still aren’t convinced, nor do they care. The reality is there is a small group of people who will continue to delay the construction of this pipeline project. Through lawyers (sue tactics using taxpayer money – your money) and other political means in an effort to ultimately shut down construction.

Don’t get us wrong, maintenance, and ensured safety for our pipelines is very important. No matter if we’re talking about your home furnace, vehicle or any other appliance that needs maintained; without updates, we run unnecessary risks and increased costs. A pipeline is no different.

But sometimes the most expensive decisions are the ones we don’t make. Indecision is expensive. Just think of the last time you said to yourself, “Wow – that was an expensive mistake.”

While we continue to review the same information for Line 3 over and over again, thousands of construction jobs and 358 of our friends and neighbors are sitting and waiting.

We need to replace this vital piece of energy infrastructure that delivers affordable, reliable energy to Minnesotans today — and will continue to do so well into the future.

It’s time to move forward – for our communities and Minnesota.

Why So Many Taxes?

If you sit and think about it, sometimes it feels like we pay a lot of taxes, doesn’t it?

Taxes at the mall, when we’re out to eat, on our paychecks. Taxes are everywhere, and it’s probably why people always vote against them or are skeptical when policymakers bring them up.

If you’re a homeowner, then you probably know that part of your monthly mortgage bill includes property taxes. But where do these taxes go? Well, there are gobs of areas where taxes are used. Besides improving the community, like funding for roads and transportation systems, health and wellness recreation centers, and more; property taxes also go to educate children— the future of our great state.

Who Else Supports our Systems?

While it may feel like it, parents and homeowners aren’t the only ones that fund our education system, many businesses do, too. A big funder to our education system here in the state happens to be the energy industry. The funds aren’t just a couple bucks here and there, it’s millions if not hundreds of millions depending on where you live. For some communities, this is funding that can truly make a difference in their area.

That’s because the taxes that are paid are usually connected to a part of the business operations. Office space, payroll and pipeline infrastructure are just a few that come to mind. An active industry is usually a revenue generating one, too. The energy industry is certainly no stranger to paying large sums of taxes either.

When a Political Process Can Interfere with Funding

When a business or industry is stuck within a political process, it can’t do as much for the community. The Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project is a great example. In 2018, Enbridge, the operator of the Line 3 pipeline, paid more than $30 million – something they do every year – in property taxes across Minnesota. These taxes are for various pipelines and related facilities, such as terminals, storage facilities and pump stations. Those tax dollars could come to a screeching halt if the Line 3 Replacement Project is shut down; like some anti-energy activists are persuading local officials to do.

We know that Minnesotans are a savvy bunch, and always have been when it comes to choices that affect communities in our state. It’s no more evident than looking to something as simple as the latest U.S. News and World Report, ranking Minnesota the third best state in the nation. The rankings evaluated all 50 states based on criteria such as health care, education, economy and infrastructure, and Minnesota is the only state to rank in the top three each of the past three years.

Keeping Minnesota’s Tax Funding

It’s hard to believe Minnesota will continue that trend if significant tax dollars for education start to dry up due to denials created by political fighting and misplaced judgments about the Line 3 Replacement Project.

We suppose we could give you three guesses on how Minnesota might make up this $30 million tax shortfall if Line 3 goes away, but revenue-generating you only need one.

What’s Your Passion Project?

Whether you’re passionate about helping at animal shelters, food banks, or hospitals, we all have something inside that gets us involved with our communities.

Studies show that volunteering can enrich a person’s life, connect them with their communities, and offer a new perspective and understanding about how we fit into the world around us. Universally, volunteers say their work helps them gain a unique sense of purpose by serving those around them. A benefit that often manifests in other areas of their lives. For this reason, many businesses encourage their employees to volunteer and give back to the communities where they live and work. The benefits it produces are tangible.

Financial donations can also be a great way to give back. Nowadays, charities offer numerous ways to give financially. From the click of a button, text message, phone call, or by initiating a reoccurring monthly pledge to help make a difference.

While there are few guarantees in life, it’s a safe bet that volunteering or donating in support of a cause you are passionate about is something you will never regret.

Some Make it A Livelihood

Take, for example, Bill Gates. While he is best known as the co-founder of Microsoft, he and his wife Melinda are now role models for philanthropic causes. Launching their foundation dedicated to healthcare, education, and ending poverty around the world. Their foundation issues grants for initiatives and programs across the globe, focusing on agricultural development, emergency relief, and more.

But these committed organizations can’t exist without the support of generous people – not just billionaires, it’s people like you and me.

Minnesota Gives the Most

With a record number of non-profits and charities striving to make life better; topping the list of most charitable states is – drum roll please – Minnesota.

WalletHub, a personal finance website, crunched the numbers to determine the most charitable states in the country. They ranked them using 18 different indicators across two distinct categories: volunteering, service and charitable giving. Specifically, they took into account data on things like volunteer hours per capita and share of population collecting and distributing food. They also measured income donated, share of sheltered homeless, and Google Search interest for “charitable donations.” Minnesota came out on top. It’s not just because individuals gave, the businesses in our communities do too.

Including Local Businesses

Enbridge, is a shining example of an organization that showcases what a committed, passionate and motivated employee base within an organization can do through giving back. They invested $413,500 in community-strengthening initiatives across Minnesota — and supported numerous not-for-profit agencies aligned with their core focus areas in 2018 alone. That’s just a fraction of what they did across the country in areas where their employees live and work.

Across the U.S., Enbridge invested more than $4.6 million in communities near their pipelines, projects and facilities. They supported initiatives that focus on health and safety, environment, and community. As well as through various employee-driven United Way campaigns, which raised nearly $6.1 million for worthy causes. Through their Our Community Partners program, Enbridge employees volunteered approximately 11,400 hours for causes they care about. Projects that focused on improving quality of life in communities.

Why Is This So Important?

Unfortunately, this work and its funding could seriously be blocked if the restoration of the Line 3 pipeline is delayed or stopped in Minnesota. And if their employee base shrinks (or even disappears), that will hurt the local communities and non-profits they help and support even more. For those of us that are grateful for investments within our communities; the work that is being done and the funding that’s being contributed to our disadvantaged populations. Considering what could be at stake is extremely unfortunate to say the least.

So the next time you hear about the proposed modernization project, remember that it’s not just about the energy being delivered. It’s about the people and the support for our communities that have a stake right alongside that pipeline too.

Happiness is Property

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is perhaps the most famous phrase in the Declaration of Independence, but did you know it was almost something else? Believe it or not, the term happiness may have initially been property?

Conventional history, popular wisdom, and of course, countless scholars often attribute the phrase’s originality to John Locke’s “life, liberty, and property.”

Jefferson was well aware of Locke’s writings on government, but the change certainly seems more grand and inclusive since not everyone is keen on owning a home nowadays – for some, the flexibility and freedom of not being tied to an expensive mortgage is more their idea of the American dream. Add to it skyrocketing home prices, unusually high student debt and less loan availability as a few of the reasons millennials (and many others) today aren’t buying homes at the rate of previous generations.

Nonetheless, property rights are a pretty unique concept and something most Americans respect and hold dear, whether you’re a titleholder or not. The right to own something and do what you want (within reason) is in many ways the definition of freedom.

“Within reason” Is the Key Phrase Here

In an ironic twist of words, rules and regulations actually set us free. By having a framework of what we can (or cannot) do with our own land or property makes it all work. For example, if you live in a traditional suburban neighborhood, your next-door neighbor cannot legally open up a night club ushering in patrons at all hours of the night. Likewise, you cannot turn your home garage into an auto-repair business and double park customer vehicles up and down the street. Rules allowing (and prohibiting) certain practices actually give us freedom to be…neighbors.

And that’s fine for most of us because we aren’t looking to turn our homes into a major place of commerce or a strip mall.

When Property IS Your Income

But what about the folks who lie outside of those restrictions? Like the people who rely on their property for their livelihood? Many of them are farmers and ranchers – 1.3% of America that raises most of our food. Their home, are both where they rest their heads and where they run their business, which means they should have a right to choose what they do with their land, right? It seems like the logical answer.

It should be, but farmers aren’t price setters, they’re price takers, which means the market dictates what their crop is worth. Despite funding from the Farm Bill before harvest, many farmers have to put their faith in a good season with the right conditions to make a profit. While some do, many don’t. It’s a thankless job to ensure Americans have the food they need on their dinner tables each night. So often, farmers have to find supplementary means of income (we like to call this a side hustle) to make ends meet during some down years.

Depending where they’re located, farmers and landowners across the country are turning to energy development and infrastructure to help make those ends meet. Whether it is traditional energy development, wind or pipeline titleholder, royalty income and leases help supplement what might otherwise be a bad season, or be the money to send a kid to school while still keeping the farm profitable.

Why Pipelines Matter

Arguably, farmers and ranchers care more about their land than anybody else. They’ve sunk their blood, sweat, tears and money into these farms – some for generations – and still, many Minnesota farmers and landowners have come out in support of the Line 3 Replacement project. Why?  Because pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport energy across their properties to its intended destinations – usually refineries that make gasoline to power our vehicles, jet fuel to fly us to the places we need (and want) to get to and the products that make our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, possible.

Delaying or denying this pipeline replacement puts farmers and ranchers – their economic livelihood and their safety – at risk and jeopardizes Minnesotans food sources, too. And that’s an unreasonable request to make.