Obama, Clinton to announce energy saving program
By Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press
December 2, 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) — Enlisting former President Bill Clinton as a partner, President Barack Obama is announcing a $4 billion effort to increase the energy efficiency of government and private sector buildings, aiming for fuel savings and job creation at no cost to taxpayers.
The proposal, to be announced by Obama and Clinton on Friday, would upgrade buildings over the next two years with a goal of improving energy performance by 20 percent by 2020…
"Upgrading the energy efficiency of America’s buildings is one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways to save money, cut down on harmful pollution and create good jobs right now," Obama said in a statement…
Which, oddly enough, is almost word for word what the SEIU said in their press release on the subject (see below), back in January 2009. In fact this is just Obama’s $4 billion dollar Christmas present to the SEIU.
The SEIU, by the way, got a similar present in the the first stimulus, which also funneled untold taxpayers dollars into ‘greening’ public and private buildings. Whatever happened to that?
Obama’s announcement is yet another in a string of White House initiatives designed to address the current weak economy without having to seek congressional approval.
This is part of Obama’s ‘We Can’t Wait’ drive. Where he intends to get his way by bypassing Congress with executive orders.
And we thought Congress had the power of the purse. But of course we aren’t Constitutional Scholars like Obama. And, after all, it’s just a measly $4 billion dollars.
Gene Sperling, director of the White House National Economic Council, said private economic analyses indicate that the $4 billion plan could generate about 50,000 jobs over two years…
And of course we believe him. But at $80 thousand a job ($4 billion divided by 50,000), isn’t that a little expensive even for union jobs? Especially when these will be temporary jobs.
And speaking of Mr. Obama’s SEIU, here is a press release from the SEIU leadership we posted back on July 20, 2009:
Union Leader Says Greening Buildings Key to a Green Economy
(With more than 85,000 members in six states and Washington, DC, SEIU Local 32BJ is the largest property service workers union in the country. The union represents window cleaners, doormen, building maintenance workers, cleaners, porters, and security officers in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia.)
NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES [sic]
NEW YORK, July 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Speaking at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Summit on "Green Jobs," 32BJ SEIU President Mike Fishman called on lawmakers around the country to prioritize buildings in their green strategies because buildings account for 60% of the country’s total energy consumption and generate 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions.
"The real estate industry should take the lead in reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy," said Mike Fishman. "Passing strong Green legislation that mandates such reductions will make our cities cleaner and our environment safer." …
32BJ’s Thomas Shortman Training Fund has launched an innovative and ambitious green building initiative, called "One Year, One Thousand Supers," to train superintendents, resident managers and porters to become energy efficient building operators certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and the Building Performance Institute. Building workers learn how to reduce water usage, improve heating and air conditioning performance and reduce overall energy use within common areas of the building. The first class of building service workers in the program is set to graduate this month.
With more than 110,000 members in eight states and the District of Columbia, [the SEIU's] 32BJ is the largest property services union in the country.
They are also Obama’s most dependable foot soldiers. Besides, lest we forget, the SEIU donated $60 million dollars to his 2008 campaign. And Obama has to find a way to help them do that again.
So
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