Posted on 01/26/2009 10:01:29 AM PST by Lorianne
The stimulus plan will create jobs repairing and upgrading the nation's roads, bridges, ports, levees, water and sewage system, public-transit systems, electricity grid, and schools. And it will kick-start alternative, non-fossil based sources of energy (wind, solar, geothermal, and so on); new health-care information systems; and universal broadband Internet access.
It's a two-fer: lots of new jobs, and investments in the nation's future productivity.
But if there aren't enough skilled professionals to do the jobs involving new technologies, the stimulus will just increase the wages of the professionals who already have the right skills rather than generate many new jobs in these fields. And if construction jobs go mainly to white males who already dominate the construction trades, many people who need jobs the most -- women, minorities, and the poor and long-term unemployed -- will be shut out.
What to do? There's no easy solution to either dilemma. But there's no reason to think about "green jobs" as simply high-tech. Many low-income and low-skilled workers -- women as well as men -- could be put directly to work providing homes and businesses with more efficient and renewable heating, lighting, cooling, and refrigeration systems; installing solar panels and efficient photovoltaic systems; rehabilitating and renovating old properties, and improving recycling systems. "Green Jobs Corps" teams could be trained to evaluate and advise homeowners and businesses on these and other means of conserving energy.
People can be trained relatively quickly for these sorts of jobs, as well as many infrastructure j0bs generated by the stimulus -- installing new pipes for water and sewage systems, repairing and upgrading equipment, basic construction -- but contractors have to be nudged both to provide the training and to do the hiring.
I'd suggest that all contracts entered into with stimulus funds require contractors to provide at least 20 percent of jobs to the long-term unemployed and to people withincomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. And at least 2 percent of project funds should be allocated to such training. In addition, advantage should be taken of buildings trades apprenticeships -- wich must be fully available to women and minorities.
How about during next snow storm (I'm in Boston), the vast number of self-employed plough drivers that clear the roads, parking lots and driveways show up 4 hours later than they normally would?
I would bet that this group is overwhelmingly skilled workers and definitely a target in the new Obama tax regime?
Don’t worry, all you white dudes.
In about three years the Obama?Pelosi/Ried amnesty will make you the minority, and you can start playing minority politics - if the black/hispanic/muslim majority lets you.
The “other” solution is to go to work FOR minority owned businesses.
Of course, there are numerous instances where a white business owner marries a minority woman and titles the company in her name to win contracts.
But it’s all about numbers and “social and economic justice”, right?
It isn’t about being a minority.
It is about social justice based on skin color.
Even as a minority, white people will not receive set asides.
The more this socialist tries to leech everything from the half of the country who didn’t vote for him, the more he’s gearing up to see a tax revolt.
Quote of the day.
President Obama is supposed to be the post-racial candidate but his political agenda items are all based on skin colors.
I like it! Let’s NOT roll.
Skilled white professionals huh? The job I was recently laid off from was between me and a black guy. The black guy took a two week vacation missed multiple days and was always getting caught sleeping at his desk during the six month probation. I didn’t miss any days, was never sleeping at my desk, and didn’t take any vacations, guess who they hired!?
Maybe when the white mall union workers who voted for Obama lose their jobs and go sobbing to him, to no avail, it’ll suddenly penetrate their thick heads.
How can that be? Are you saying blacks/muslims/hispanics in charge will be racist??
What most here fail to understand is that this is the HOW in How are they going to redistribute our wealth.
Well now you know.
Nothing is going
Radical leftists like him really hate people of European background. Including themselves.
Aren’t these “highly skilled professionals” pretty much all union members? Didn’t the unions vote for Obama? Where is their outrage?
This cracks me up. It’s one of the most racist comments that has been made in the last decade. LOL
Hopefully they are too busy standing in the unemployement line to be outraged.
It’s about social justice. You must pay for the sins of the great grandfather and “engrained” policies.
Only white people are born with original sin.
He spouted such rhetoric during the campaign but people didn’t want to listen.
He isn’t Carter 2. He’s an American Mugabi.
Many Mexicans are also of European background. There is a REASON they speak Spanish. Yet they find cultural pride in it and refuse to learn English.
Small minded and short sightedness.
The power to tax is the power to destroy.
None of this should pass a Constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court. The policies must be fought and the tyrant but learn to represent ALL Americans.
should read “must learn”
New jobs in high-tech overwhelmingly go to Indian subcontractors, not to Americans. We're borrowing money from China to lift the Indian economy while saddling our unemployed grandchildren with the interest payments. The Democrats are such geniuses!
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