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 ...
If it doesn’t support our policy it must be false.
Shades of Al Gore?
mmmm...T.Boone Pickins, (with his wind farm corridor thru tornado alley RE acquisitions) by any chance?
Our country’s economy is being run by eco-freak fanatics who won’t believe evidence placed in front of them. I’m sure, deep down, Obama and his minions know that creating “green” jobs means less jobs elsewhere and slower growth than would be otherwise. This fact will not stop them in the least. The truth has to be gotten out to average Americans who’ve been conned into believing green jobs will be our salvation. Instead they’ll be an albatross around the neck of the economy.
But-—but-—but, you have seen the Obama, government, union, sponsored ads on TV about how all the steelworkers will be put to work putting up huge fans that will spin, if the wind blows, and save us all.
How can one doubt the word of the Messiah? He is so open about everything.
I have Dem friends who firmly believe that switching to the wonderful “green” energies, and forgoing oil, coal, and nuclear, is just a matter of willpower. They are among the millions of ignorant Americans who have been conned into believing the green solution is just around the corner.
The same is true for health care. All the GOP needs to say. "Look at two government run healthcare programs for people over the age of 40 - the VA and Medicare is there any evidence that they can lower the cost or have more access to care?" Run those commericals for two months and the Cap and Trade folks are dead and so too are the Public Option guys.
why produce oil cleanly and use it cleanly in existing cars?
That would not produce scarcity but abundance and it would not advance czarist central command socialism.
Get your priorities straight.
I visited Wilmington Delaware last week and viewed industrial hypocrisy at it’s very worst.
I saw two Dupont company installations proudly proclaiming themselves green. One was a chemical plant with all the reactor towers and pipes, the other was an office campus with manicured grounds.
The first displayed a wind generator, prominently placed on display in front of the plant. The second was a solar panel array placed front and center on the yard.
The company was shouting “WE ARE GREEN !!”
We know that both were bought with outright grant and tax credit money and that the results were less than that of pissing in the ocean. The cost of manicured landscaping around the many supports of the solar array probably cost more then the electric savings.
It was pathetic to see such pandering
.....The biggest problem for th RNC and conservatives is they never point to the specifics of stories.....
Our reps are also mostly lawyers and equally ignorant of the solid science
Your reply is incoherent. Where did I say what my priorities were?
too right.
S/he’s making a joke.
On second reading, it appears you are correct. I apologize for my humor deficiency, but I am currently suffering a cold. That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.
The RNC has never been good with public relations and using the media - they expect people to be able to figure things out for themselves. Joe Sixpack is content to kick back these days and let someone else do the hard political thinking, but fortunately that’s beginning to change. More and more I hear, “How are we going to pay for all that?” Very few believe now that “The Rich” can pay for everything
I agree that people are beginning to wake up but they will never be in the majority until a common message abo0ut issues is delivered by the leaders of the party. That may never happen in which case we will be left waiting for a single well spoken leader to win a national election IN SPITE OF THE PARTY MESSAGE.
“IN SPITE OF THE PARTY MESSAGE” means little backing from the RNC. Until the leadership wakes up not much will change.
I fear that waking up the mentally dead is a dream - that is why so many people jumped on the Sarah Palin bandwagon - she seemed to understand the basics of the working man/woman or the small biz owner.
Yep - and look at what happened to her.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.