How to Kill a Green Job
While the Senate is debating whether or not to give people cash in exchange for buying a Hummer, the State of Virginia could be poised to take significant action to bolster the economy and help the climate by passing an energy efficiency bill introduced by State Senator Donald McEachin.
Here's the catch. Doing smart, easy things like energy efficiency that create jobs and prosperity isn't so easy in Virginia, where Dominion Power runs the statehouse. Dominion Power operates several coal-fired power plants in the state and uses the proceeds to hand out campaign donations almost as fast as it hands out asthma attacks.
The biggest single recipient of Dominion's largesse? State Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw of Springfield (in the DC suburbs), who received a whopping $85,000 in campaign contributions between 2004 and 2009, more than any other legislator. So what's that money getting Dominion? Seemingly, a whole lot.
Saslaw could be the poster boy for the Commonwealth's culture of coal-fired corruption. Even though Northern Virginia is one of the most polluted areas in the country, and Saslaw's constituents are very pro-environment, it's unknown whether or not Saslaw will support the efficiency bill or continue to carry Dominion's toxic ash-laden water around Richmond.
Perhaps if these were normal times, this would be just another story of polluter influence. But in these extraordinary -- and extraordinarily tough -- times, it's something more. Article XI, a great new Virginia blog, reports that the bill would "save Virginians approximately $15 billion on electric bills by the year 2025," creating thousands of jobs. Investing in energy efficiency produces more than two and a half times the number of jobs as investments in coal.
Opposing energy efficiency means killing jobs -- something that Saslaw will have to take home to his constituents if he opposes this bill. The good news is, however, that this bill has a chance of passing this crucial subcomittee vote today, Thursday, February 5th, if another Dominion campaign cash recipient, Todday Puller of Mount Vernon ($5,000) finds the strength to defy Dominion and vote for a clean environment and good jobs. You can contact Puller at (804) 698-7536.
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http://OneGreener.com, a LIVE discussion 10:00 AM Pacific- where monies for green jobs are in the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package
West Virginia depends on coal for tax revenue and jobs so I can't believe anyone would want to end the future of coal production! I think the green people should boycot their electrical service if they don't want coal . But that won't happen.
West Virginia can easily change their tax policies to make it easier not to tax coal, if that's your concern. They have so much wind power, why don't they develop that more?
Read Friedman's book: Hot, Flat and Crowded if you really want to get the picture of how tax policy cripples everyone.
Last year the US employed 86,000 wind-power workers and only 85,000 coal workers TOTAL. We have only begun to use wind. If you want to truly create jobs rather than keep a few billionaires in their money ...
If they oppose green energy because of personal corruption ... that is illegal.
Time to get tough.
Let's all repeat this together now: A vote against Green Energy is a vote against jobs. Or better yet, a vote for green energy is a vote for jobs.
Put this on the front page!
Why, because it is sooo stupid!
Talking about killing green jobs! Think about the thousands of people working in the coal industry and the treehuggers are killing their jobs. Its not a good feeling never knowing when your last day at work could be because the the push to do away with coal so its kinda hard to spend money these days to help the economy!
For the last time Mr Plantguy, green energy and energy efficiency creates far more jobs than coal especially when you consider the shortened lifespans of people subjected to toxic air pollution, black lung disease from mining coal and toxic runoff from coal ash piles all over the country.
By your logic, poison the planet and people for jobs. Please name an operating coal fired plant that has been shut down. Wind power now employs more people than coal.
If i am correct there is NO such thing as clean coal energy.
Green jobs will add a book to America like you never could imagine and if you do not believe me then look as some companies placing solar panels on homes with record orders.
Solar plants can now store over 33% of the suns engery which is unreal. We need now to hook this up to a new grid that will bring in tens of thousands of jobs quickly and more. These will be good paying jobs.
Greening this beautiful planet not only makes great sense but makes good business sense.
So please red some about what is really going on and get involved and if you are a businessman or want to be one take what is already out there and create a good green business others are already doing it.
ARE THESE FOLKS SERIOUS?
Our President speaks:
Now, I read the other day that CONSERVATIVE CRITICS of this plan ridiculed modernizing the fleet of federal vehicles to take advantage of state of the art fuel efficiency.
This is what Republicans call pork. You know the truth.
It will not only save taxpayers significant money over time; it will not only create manufacturing jobs for folks who are making these cars; but it will set a standard for private industry to match. Imagine how this could spur the transformation of America's obsolete auto industries!
And so when you hear these conservative attacks deriding something of such obvious importance to Americans, you have to ask yourself - ARE THESE FOLKS SERIOUS?
With conservative obfuscation such as this, is it any wonder that we haven't had a REAL ENERGY POLICY in this country for the last 30 years? This is as foolish as the Republicans scrapping the solar panels installed on the White House!
The scale and the scope of this plan is the right one. Our approach to energy is the right one. It's what America needs right now, and WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TODAY. We can't keep on having the same obsolescent conservative arguments over and over again that led us to this economic train wreck.
(Coyote edit)
If having the taxpayers buy the government new cars saved money then letting the taxpayers buy the cars themselves would do the same thing....just a matter of who gets the new cars.
But at the moment, the new cars don't save money (which is why few people are buying them with their own money).
So, yes, it will keep a few auto workers employed building cars that would otherwise not be purchased. But the money has to come from somewhere...the taxpayers...who won't have it to buy or invest in something else...say a new furnace. It is simply a transfer from one part of the economy to another. Very good if you live in Michigan, not so good if you live in somewhere that doesn't have an auto plant.
your economic thinking has a huge hole it it, econ1:
The money used to buy those cars comes from the future, and thus renders your analysis mote and false.
Efficiency lives another day in VA General Assembly!
Senator McEachin’s bill 1447 (SB 1447) lives through subcommittee to be heard before the whole Commerce and Labor committee in the near future! Woot Woot! For those that don’t know SB 1447 is a large stride forward towards an energy efficiency economy here in the Commonwealth. This story is still developing… stay tuned at http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/blog/?p=648
I don't understand the issue, after all he is representing his constituency isn't he? Even if they are a constituency of one and not the citizens of his state.
Stop. Just stop. You're being hysterical and I think we've all had a belly full of that after 8 years of the Bush regime. Opposing green energy doesn't kill jobs everywhere. It may prevent the establishment of some job opportunities in the energy sector . Yes, green energy threatens the coal industry's choke hold on Virginia, but there are other ways to take down Big Coal through legislation or other means. This bill isn't the one and only opportunity to change energy consumption in Virginia.
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