Seattle's 'green jobs' program a bust

Seattle Post Intelligencer ^ | August 16, 2011 | By VANESSA HO

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Last year, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn announced the city had won a coveted $20 million federal grant to invest in weatherization.

McGinn had joined Vice President Joe Biden in the White House to make it. It came on the eve of Earth Day. It had heady goals: creating 2,000 living-wage jobs in Seattle and retrofitting 2,000 homes in poorer neighborhoods.

But more than a year later, Seattle's numbers are lackluster. As of last week, only three homes had been retrofitted and just 14 new jobs have emerged from the program. Many of the jobs are administrative, and not the entry-level pathways once dreamed of for low-income workers.

"The jobs haven't surfaced yet," said Michael Woo, director of Got Green, a Seattle community organizing group focused on the environment and social justice.

Organizers and policy experts blame the economy, bureaucracy and bad timing for the program's mediocre results.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Obama's Economic A-Team...

[WOBBLY BOB]

“unexpected”

[maddog55]

Where’d the $20 million go?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

But, but....Obama said “green jobs” were going to save the country....

[TexasFreeper2009]

20 million dollars ... and they managed to caulk THREE homes!

These people are criminals.

[oh8eleven]

They include Long Duong, 32, who got a certificate in sealing air leaks and insulating walls after he was laid off from a job handling bags at the airport.
But he soon found that other men had more qualifications than him, and he took part-time gigs - installing light bulbs and canvassing doors – while waiting for work.
Words fail me.

[bert]

-——Where’d the $20 million go?——

How much? 10%, 20% 25%? got laundered into the Obama reelection campaign chest.

The purpose of the effort was to provide a laundry for Obama campaign funds

[wita]

Mr Obama says a lot of things.

If I may be so bold, none of them designed
in any way to “save the country”.

Why would anyone want to save what is in
desperate need of fundamental change?

I shouldn’t need a /s

[bray]

Way better than High Speed Rail investments.

Pray for America

[hattend]

"The jobs haven't surfaced yet," said Michael Woo, director of Got Green, a Seattle community organizing group focused on the environment and social justice.

We needs mo' money.

[varon]

They include Long Duong, 32, who got a certificate in sealing air leaks ........

Reads like a bio of a porn star..........

[rdcbn]

“The jobs haven't surfaced yet,” said Michael Woo, director of Got Green, a Seattle community organizing group focused on the environment and social justice.
We needs mo’ money.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Perhaps giving the money to groups skilled in building remods instead of groups skilled in “community organizing” and "social justice" might have had a bit more success.

Last time I needed work done on my house it did not occur to me to open the Yellow Pages to community organizers or social justice, I went directly to plumber

Welcome to the world view of Obama and the Democrats. Obama thinks we need a community organizer, Hillary thinks it takes a Village, but what we really need is a plumber

[IMR 4350]

Bwaney Fwankes new boy friend?

[Rummyfan]

It had heady goals: creating 2,000 living-wage jobs in Seattle and retrofitting 2,000 homes in poorer neighborhoods.

But more than a year later, Seattle's numbers are lackluster. As of last week, only three homes had been retrofitted and just 14 new jobs have emerged from the program.

Repeat this in one thousand instances around the country and you see where one trillion dollars in stimulus money went. Right down the drain.

[Astronaut]

This is typical of the liberal scum who run Seattle and most of Western Washington.

[DJ MacWoW]

47 Days And FR Is Still Short Of Its Goal
We Are In A Fight For Our Republic

Are You In Or Are You Out?

Support Free Republic

[blueunicorn6]

Democrats - Thieves, Thugs, Thralls and Thickheads.

[PLMerite]

“Me Long Duong, me make you air tight...”

Sorry.

[Haiku Guy]

Hey, that work got done for the low-low price of only $6.67 Million per house! What a bargain!

[matt1234]

WA ping, please. Thanks.