Posted on 06/25/2009 2:47:56 AM PDT by Scanian
THE Spanish professor is puzzled. Why, Gabriel Calzada wonders, is the US president recommending that America emulate the Spanish model for creating "green jobs" in "alternative energy" even though Spain's unemployment rate is 18.1 percent (more than double the European Union average) partly because of spending on such jobs?
Calzada, 36, an economics professor at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, has produced a report that, if true, is inconvenient for the administration's green agenda, and for some budget assumptions that are dependent upon it. He says Spain's torrential spending on wind farms and other forms of alternative energy has indeed created jobs. But his report concludes that they're often temporary and have received $752,000 to $800,000 each in subsidies; wind-industry jobs cost even more: $1.4 million each.
And each new job entails the loss of 2.2 other jobs that are lost or not created in other industries.The creation of alternative-energy jobs has subtracted about 110,000 jobs from elsewhere in Spain's economy.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about the report's contention that the political diversion of capital into green jobs has cost Spain jobs. The transcript contained this exchange:
Gibbs: "It seems weird that we're importing wind-turbine parts from Spain . . . to meet renewable-energy demand here if that were even remotely the case."
Q: "Is that a suggestion that his study is simply flat wrong?"
Gibbs: "I haven't read the study, but I think, yes."
Q: "Well, then. (Laughter.)"
Actually, what's weird is this idea: A sobering report about Spain's experience must be false
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
What is the big surprise is how stupid are the folks that are unable to equat crowds with votes. Sarah was a bigger draw than W. Repbulcians would be advised to learn an old retail lesson - sell to the masses eat with the classes.
Palin had a following the Democrats would love to have. She had substantive appeal to all classes - and that’s why Democrats and their followers had to go after her so heavily. All Obama had going was media idolization and artificial star status.
What really got to me was their criticism of her “lack of experience” - but what experience did Obama have?
Last friday, Mark Shields spent about 90 seconds explaining how complicated the job of a state govenor is and how much responsibility it is compared to a senator one of 100 - this as he punched the negatives about Sanford. But a year ago he was telling everyone how little experience Sarah had and why she was a bad choice for a heart beat way from the McCain office. Go figure.
Politics as usual. It probably hasn’t changed since the days of ancient Athens.
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