The words “Newburgh,” and “Cluster,” seem to go well together.
There’s been some sort of solar initiative going on in that area for a few years although I think it was centered in the Kingston area. There’s a dead IBM facility in Kingston, some high-tech contract manufacturers and a healthy population of Woodstock alumni.
“The federal grant is divided into three components — $800,000 for TSEC to establish cluster development mechanisms; $1 million to SUNY Orange to increase course offerings and tailor them to renewable energy cluster needs; and $150,000 to Gateway to entrepreneurial Tomorrow to target underserved and disadvantaged residents in Newburgh and provide job-related educational training.”
800K to put together a process to build the cluster
1MM to SUNY Orange (subsidy to education system for an unproven and unbuilt cluster)
150K hand-out to a non-profit to provide job training for jobs that don’t exist.
This almost seems like spending for spending’s sake. It sounds nice but there aren’t any milestones or anything to to hold anyone accountable for.
maybe they can move that plant for solar panels from Ca. to NY and save a couple of tax payer dollars. Heck the cost of moving would be great for hiways rest stops, truckers, U-Haul and many other little guys that can live on less than 100,000,000 in loan money. /sarcasm off
A government subsidy to create a place to build government subsidized factories, making government subsidized products, that require government subsidies to compete in the marketplace.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG!!!
$800,000 for TSEC to establish cluster development mechanisms
hookers,lap dances and barmaids;
$1 million to SUNY Orange to increase course offerings and tailor them to renewable energy cluster
recruit young hotties and satisfy prurient needs; and
$150,000 to Gateway to entrepreneurial Tomorrow to target underserved and disadvantaged residents in Newburgh and provide job-related educational
buy equipment to make videos of hotties training.
This is very different especially as to magnitude. The feds can make some 275 of these loans to get to the amount Solyndra lost.
Back in the 70’s when I was living in NYC I had a friend who was from Newburg. His dad had a small plant that built steel wood stoves. They need more of this type activity rather than solar nonsense.
Wait until all those people find out they have to try & work under those curly light bulbs which are about 1/4 better that a guttering candle.
Lehman Brothers was heavily invested in Wind and Solar and was one of the reasons why it went under.