[mdittmar]

Damn, $4 Billion,Guess we aren't $15 trillion in debt.

[BenLurkin]

More seed moeny for kickbacks.

[Paladin2]

Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to ship bunches of ‘rats to Cuba and Venezuela and abandon the buildings?

[GeronL]

90% will end up in pockets and we will never be told where it all goes.

[circlecity]

Boy, what part of “we are broke” does this guy not understand!

[Gerish]

and Randi Weingarten -- the president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Hmmm, why was this person there?

[Moonman62]

The sooner Obama becomes unemployed the better our country will be.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

The low-hanging fruit (in the energy-efficiency orchard) has already been picked. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Unlike such “green energy” boondoggles as wind farms, and solar power; there are already mature technologies available to make buildings more energy efficient. If this is done well (no guarantees there, of course), there could be an economic and financial pay back.

That does leave one question — if improving buildings’ energy efficiency is such a good deal, why aren't the owners already doing it? Why should taxpayers subsidize building owners for improving their buildings? Why should taxpayers, who already own efficient buildings pay to improve other peoples’ buildings?

[Psycho_Bunny]

I’m filing this under “As Long As We’re Driving Downhill, We Don’t Need Any Gas”

[maranatha]

Isn’t all spending supposed to originate in the House? Where are our reps’ oversight? Where are house bills written to stop this “can’t wait” spending of his? What’s going on?

[Envisioning]

Making our buildings more energy efficient is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways for us to create jobs, save money, and cut down on harmful pollution

Sorry Bambi, this is complete BS. More energy efficient buildings are ALWAYS more expensive. I work in the industry and when it comes time to cut costs, get what gets cut first. Yep, the expensive energy "efficient" items.

I won't even go into Green (LEED) buildings. FUBO.

[crosshairs]

Oh great. More government money laundered into his campaign and personal accounts.

[Graewoulf]

If “ - - - Obama directed all Federal agencies to make at least $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two months,- - - “ then does the US House of Representatives have ANY “control of the pursestrings?”

[Buckeye McFrog]

= $4 billion giveaway to unionized building trades to get out the vote next November

[ScottinVA]

Ah, the advantages of incumbency...

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

How does this Kenyan bastard come up with these dollar figures?

[prolusion]

So, obviously it takes $4 billion to tell everyone to turn their thermostats down to 68 degrees and wear sweaters.

[steveab]

Obama’s thinking: Let see, saving on heating and cooling cost are not enough and of course the buildings need new windows. Oh right, I got a BIG Donor who makes windows. OK $4 billion is just the start.

[Noob1999]

Now, let’s run the whizzinator!

If 250 full time (union) jobs were employed for one year, at an average wage plus taxes and benefits, for, say, $50,000 per year, that would be a labor bill of $12,500,000.

Now to save $200,000 per year from the upgrades, the project has a payback of 62.5 years.

Now add the cost of the materials, interest on the investment, and overhead, the payback is in reality more than 100 years distant.

But, but, what if it doesn’t take a full year to make the improvements??? Well, then you have not employed 250 full time (union) workers, only a fraction of that number.