New Labor Secretary is Brown and Green

President-elect Barack Obama got it right when he announced Representative Hilda Solis as his pick for the next secretary of labor. Headlines are heralding her as the first Latino to hold the post. But the green jobs movement is jumping for joy not only because she's brown. It's because she's green. Through Solis, Obama makes clear his commitment to creating green jobs to lift the nation out of its current economic crisis.

We're thrilled that Hilda Solis shares the green jobs vision. In fact, she's already helped make it real. Rep. Solis was the original author of the Green Jobs Act, and our Green For All team worked closely with her in 2007. During that year's Congressional session, she worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and was instrumental in getting that hallmark legislation passed. Her work demonstrated her commitment to a socially responsible, clean-energy economy that will create millions of good-paying jobs and save our environment. She is the right secretary of labor to take advantage of a great opportunity not only to make America's economy stronger by making it greener, but also to make Americans living in poverty part of a revitalized middle class.

As Obama raises his right hand on inauguration day, he should be signing new green jobs bills with his left. Early next year, Green For All will join a coalition of groups advocating for the Clean Energy Corps. The Clean Energy Corps is a combined service, training, and job-creation effort to combat global warming, grow local and regional economies, and demonstrate the promise of the clean energy economy.

You'll hear more from Green For All in the upcoming year. We're a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy, strong enough to lift people out of poverty. By advocating for local, state and federal commitments to job creation, job training, and entrepreneurial opportunities in the emerging green economy -- especially for people from disadvantaged communities -- Green For All fights both poverty and pollution at the same time. For more information, please visit our web site.

Comments

[jgoodwin]

It is nice to see President-elect Obama taking these initial steps toward ensuring that the benefits of a new green economy are equitably shared among all Americans. Indeed, the advent of the new green economy offers a unique opportunity to undertake an affirmative environmental justice agenda. In the past, the environmental justice movement has been locked in a defensive posture (and understandably so), trying to prevent the poor and racial minorities from bearing a disproportionate share of environmental burdens. The equitable distribution of green jobs, in contrast, offers an opportunity to ensure that these same environmental justice communities share in the equitable distribution of environmental benefits as well.

I hope President-elect Obama takes other steps to ensure the success of an affirmative environmental justice agenda. One step would be to amend the existing Executive Order on environmental justice so that it includes measures to promote an affirmative environmental justice agenda. I have blogged on the benefits of such an Order recently: http://www.progressivereform.org/CPRblog.cfm?idBlog=4BD88E6F-1E0B-E803-CAD6775616C021AF. The organization I work for, the Center for Progressive Reform, has also published a report on recommended Executive Orders for the incoming Obama administration, which we submitted to the Obama transition team. One of the recommended Orders concerns environmental justice; it discusses in greater detail the measures that the Order should include in order to promote an affirmative environmental justice agenda. I encourage anyone who is interested to review the report: http://www.progressivereform.org/penstroke.cfm.

[FPElitist]

Van,
When I saw this appointment I was actually wondering how you would react. I am gratified to see this today. I haven't agreed with all the appointments thus far (Vilsack and Salazar aren't the greenest by a long shot), but I also think that Hilda Solis is an EXCELLENT choice, and I really like Steven Chu as head of DOE... fancy that - a real scientist in charge of Energy!

I hope you and your organization will be able to work closely with Solis in the coming years to make sure that your vision for our country has help from the Obama adminstration to become real.

Let's hope we really will have a greener future.

[cynicalidealist]

Van,
Met you at Andrew and Micah's PDf. Great stuff.
What are your thoughts re: Ken Salazar?
Cheers.

[meazy]

I don't know much about Rep. Solis but my initial research of her record has me smiling. If Van Jones endorses her then I know she's a great choice for our country.
I just finished reading "The Green Collar Economy" and I have so much hope for the future of our country right now. If u didn't read this book yet, then please pick it up. I'm passing my copy on to a friend.

[PiscesGirl24]

I was so fortunate to hear Van Jones speak today at a CAP event in LA. He is remarkable, entertaining, and smart. I need to get his book, it sold out before I had a chance to pick it up today.

[Danny]

Mr. Jones,

I am suspicious of anything going on these days on the "nomination" game that I feel good that YOU have approved of Ms. Solis' choice as Sec of Labor. This one sounds good to me. LABOR + (smart) GREEN = GOOD FUTURE FOR AMERICA ( my slogan).

Your book (the Green Collar Economy) is already under the Christmas/Holiday tree.

[SeanGardner]

Hey Van. I loved your book. I even bought 10 copies and gave it out to friends. Its a great book that's incredibly I can't wait until Obama launches his GREEN jobs initiative.

I really hope you're someone Obama listens too and has in his inner circle.

[Fongenie]

This Van Jones writer is kinda cute. *giggle* Sorry, but I couldn't help it.

[querencia]

Ummmm I think she is a LatinA. Picky, I know....

[SeanGardner]

Hey querencia...no, its not being picky. I like the fact that Obama has nominated another Latino to his Cabinet. Rep. Solis is awesome!!!! She has the qualifications and background. And, because Latinos are a only a key constituent of the Democratic Party but eager participants in this thing called Democracy, they need to be represented too.

I know some people will say that it doesn't matter, you know, the person's color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, party affiliation, religious preference, or geographical location. But of course it does. Yes, the person should be qualified to do the job. Ok. And Rep, Solis is. No one should say that none of the variables I laid out above don't matter in picking a President's Cabinet because they do.

Obama has indicated that he wants to run a coalition government. And you do that by embracing the beauty and scope of this country's diversity. Yes, he wants people who are certainly qualified to do the job. But he also wants people who are advancing, improving, and transforming the lives of our country, while visually reflecting this country. Obama's 9,000 plus job hires will embody the differences that make us unique, and, the commonalities that bring us together. And Rep. Solis' nomination will help in that process!