The current economic situation is difficult for all Americans. But for those living near or below the poverty level, it poses a particularly grave set of challenges. As we move into the economic recovery, therefore, we must remember that everyone--including the most disadvantaged in our communities--deserves a good job.
That is why I am so proud that yesterday my Department announced $150 million in "Pathways Out of Poverty" grants. The funds will assist individuals in meeting the challenges of today, while laying the groundwork for the successes of tomorrow. The grants will help workers across the nation gain the skills required for jobs in high growth and emerging green industries--the kind whose jobs pay family-supporting wages and help the environment. I feel it's an important investment, and I know it will make it possible for those who are living below or near the poverty level to find employment and be part of the 21st century's green economy.
Working collaboratively with non-profit community and faith-based organizations; the public workforce investment system; the education and training community; labor organizations; employers, and industry groups, these grants target training programs and evaluation projects for individuals who are currently unemployed, lack a high school diploma, have a criminal record, or live within areas of high poverty.
This latest batch of grants is part of a larger Recovery Act initiative -- totaling $500 million -- which is intended to fund workforce development projects promoting economic growth by preparing workers for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. Just as importantly, the whole of these grants is a core component of the Department of Labor's commitment to good jobs for everyone.
We know money alone is not enough, so to help support the recipients of these green grants, we recently launched the Green Jobs Community of Practice (CoP). This on-line community provides a platform for workforce professionals and leading green job experts to share promising practices, serves as a venue for providing technical assistance to grant-funded programs, and provides a central point of communication. I encourage you to take a look and see what resources are availble to help you.
To learn more about the Pathways Out of Poverty grants, our many green jobs initiatives, and our continued efforts to support all working families, visit www.dol.gov/green.
Follow Sec. Hilda Solis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@HildaSolisDOL
A jobs program needs the full mobilization of government in order to make a difference, and a jobs program that works is the only thing, ultimately, that will turn the economy around. It must be supported by an education program. And it must be at least as massive as the bankers' bailout, which enriched the already rich.
I can't tell if Labor is being played or if the agency is one of those that would play us, the ordinary (formerly) working men and women of this country.
A sip of water won't save someone dying of thirst. The agency in question needs to get real.
As I see the ability of the men and women in this country to take care of their families continue to decline, I'm not convinced that a financial meltdown wouldn't have given us a faster reset of the economy that the top down approach of funding bankers has.
Talk about bankrupt. Let's talk about the moral bankruptcy of perpetuating a system that robs the poor (98% of us) to save the wealthy.
It looks to me as if focusing on the financial elite and saving the system we have will only create serfdom for the rest of us. I'm not seeing evidence to the contrary.
One day handy man's job will be priced at 1000 dollars. The contractor gets much of the money to evaluate the job, then an assistant with little training will do the job .
I insulated my attic with the help of my wife at a cost of $300:00. The contractor wanted $2,500.00
rate change, new meter charge though you still have the old meter. I am listening to other people and their electric bill is over $ 500 and I am thinking what good will an electric car do us if we can't afford to charge it LOL. This is not funny anymore. This does not make sense to have an electric bill half the rent or mortgage money. What are they thinking. The economy is so bad, wages are down, no jobs to speak of and they keep raising taxes and everything else. Where is the money coming from. I bet a lot of people can't pay their electric bill this month.
Here is an example of why. This is a PROVEN technology. Now the company is seeking funds to prove the economics of it. Current estimated price of production is between 65-70 dollars per barrel of superior crude oil produced.
Note, this is an extremely efficient and FAST means of oil production, it IS carbon NEUTRAL, it is RENEWABLE, the oil it produces is SUPERIOR than sweet crude oil, and the oil it produces is fully COMPATABLE with our current technology (refineries). The process is also space (land usage) efficient.
A carbon neutral, totally green, invention that produces superior crude oil (lacks tar, other bad components) completely compatable with existing refinining technology that has a product breakdown (refine) of 70% gasoline, 15% kerosene, 15% diesel fuel.
All this at a very high level of productivity for ONLY $65 - $75 a barrel.
http://www.stellarwindbioenergy.com/
Another win-win scenario is for USA to open up the restrictions on foreign physicians from working in USA. These skilled individuals will fill the shortage of doctors - especially with the new healthcare system requiring all to have insurance. One physician employs four to five people - nurses, receptionists, transcribers, billing staff etc.
Imagine giving 100,000 visas to foreign physicians. That is 100,000 new home-owners needing cars, furniture, refrigerators, washing machines, computers etc. What could be a better stimulus to our economy? This would not cost the tax-payer a dime. In fact the high-earners along with their middle income employees will be tax-paying contributors to the US Treasury.
These jobs are permanent, cannot be exported and provides a useful service which Americans need. Properly structured, these healthcare jobs can come into existence about six months after US issues work visas / greed cards and foreign doctors arrive in the USA.
Imagine, some jobs are permanent and cannot be exported. That is right so the next best thing is to import an illegal immigrant to do that job cheap. As you said, they can start knocking more props out from under our economy with in about six months of being issued their "greed card."
But there are far too few jobs being created, because so many of the jobs are going overseas thanks to the "Global Economy", where business can get cheap labor, both skilled and unskilled.
China is spending money on our energy infrastructure, planning to build giant wind farms using Chinese wind generators....which will give us clean energy. Evidently they have more smarts than many American companies...which is easy to comprehend.
Maybe we should opt out of the USA and set up our own local economies that stimulate local growth using local currencies.
I watched a program last night, where a colleague of Barack’s expressed the view that the first challenge was to get him elected. The second was to keep a boot up his backside, in order to focus his attention on the job in hand. Why does the President not make a series of television/radio programmes/appeals. Perhaps one, in which entrepreneurs/inventors could engage. Combining their abilities, to investigate ways and means in which waste and inefficiency in many subsystems of the economy could be eradicated. Another, where innovators in education might reveal what they have achieved, and how that improvement might be duplicated. Also, examples where communities have perhaps pooled their abilities in cooperative approaches to the problems besetting them. And so on, and so forth. This could deliver several benefits.
1. To prove his direct involvement.
2. To encourage, by stimulating debate.
3. To lift the morale of the population.
Raise the minimum wage, to be in line with other industrialized western nations, $15.00-$22.00/hr would be fair. Why should anyone work 40 hours a week and still not be able to afford their basic needs of food, shelter, transportation, and medicine? It's tactically smarter to go on the gov't dole, if those are your options. I don't blame poor people. This is the economy that you've engineered and whatever anyone has to do to live in it, I support them.
B. The current Neoliberal (free market-multilateral) "China First" trade agreements that reward foreign competitors for dumping goods on our ports virtually tariff-free while U.S. goods are tariffed in the upper percentages (encouraged by Washington to eliminate the U.S. Middle Class)
Enough with the political pep-talks. We all know what the score is and that FAIR trade, single-payer healthcare and 21st-century, AFFORDABLE, education are the ONLY ways to bring jobs back.
Tell your boss to keep his campaign promises.
Hilda, I think you need an economics lesson. Where does the government get its money? Answer: From the citizens, print it or borrow it.
So given this either way it is coming from the people - or if you will, the marketplace. So...if you take it from us and give it someone else aren't you just filling a bucket of water on one end of the bathtub and dispensing it in the other end? In other words....you are doing nothing!
Given your apparent grasp of basic economics what makes you think that your use for this money is better than then individual's plan for it that you took it from?
To create the demand there has to be some kind of incentive, hopefully that incentive will be competitively priced products with a tangible return on investment - let the inventiveness of the people find solutions and then get out of their way, could have saved yourself $150M. What I think is going to happen is a manufactured and artificially created demand in which the Govt. will impose taxes and fees (see cap and trade) to force an economic imperative that may or may not lead to the inventiveness they expect. The danger is the pain associated in a forced transition as opposed to a natural one.
To read about a natural transition read Superfreakenomics, Levitt, about horses in cities and what the solution was. For forced transitions see Atlas Shrugged, Rand.
Don’t get me wrong, even though I believe the whole global warming thing is nothing but a hoax, I would switch and buy green technology in a heart-beat, even if it was a little more expensive than current technology, if there was a tangible return on investment and because I do believe we should be responsible stewards of the planet.
We are swimming in oil and yet refinery after refinery has to shut its doors and our prices are sky high. Figure that one out. And our politicians, who invest in those categories are dragging their feet and not addressing the problem for us. Vote 3rd party and be done with them.
The average American is more concerned with sports teams or Hollywood than about being good employees.
The average chinaman works his butt off for a pittance and loves his job first.
I have a better idea. Free public education kindergarten through 4 year college or trade school/apprenticeship programs. Raise the minimum wage, no exceptions this time Ms. Pelosi regardless of who your husband is in business with, and Single payer health care for all and an end to the policies that have sent our jobs overseas.
Let's have jobs, here in America so we can allow every one who wants to work a job that pays a living wage.
Your program sounds okay on paper but it is the same as other program like this that has come before ... the organizations help a few, most don't get help.
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20100039.htm
What do think would happen if we raised it to $50/hr?