Monday, July 5, 2010
Energy Independence in Florida- Not So Much
My google news alert tagged an Op-Ed piece written by Daniel Tilson that is the most refreshing ,honest, telling it like it is article I have read about the tragic state of current affairs in Florida. My mother called as soon as she heard the news that President Obama had pledged $2 Billion for solar projects. Then I read that this money is going to the big utilities which is good for the environment, but not so good for speeding along our economic recovery. Why is President Obama's administration giving all this money to the utilities and ignoring the rights of individuals? Our families want to save money on their utility bills (not pay more). We want to reduce GHG and most importantly we want to create green jobs within the private sector by providing incentives to families to reduce the cost of installing solar energy. In EarthNews Ms. Cussons writes "Obama expressed hope that these projects would assist economic recovery in the private sector." President Obama, you must do more than just hope. You need to act. Job creation in the private sector will ONLY grow if there is incentive money available for the average homeowner. Reducing the cost of installing solar by providing incentives will grow more jobs in the private sector than in the public sector. Florida boasts 11.2% unemployment, BUT within the solar industry in Florida, unemployment looms at nearly 30%. Incentives for individuals and not just utilities will put these green workers back to work, so stop hoping. While large scale solar is an important initiative to our environment, you are giving everything to the utilities. We're not seeing anything trickle down to those who elected you to office. Individuals needs incentives for solar. You can't hope to help the private sector unless you start acting. When utilities ramp up for building a solar farm, the jobs created only last as long as the construction phase. FP&L's Acadia farm is a perfect example. At its peak, FP&L claimed to have created 400 jobs (which I think is probably way overstated). Now, there are only 3 individuals who remain. If money is made available for solar incentives, the small entrepreneurs who make up 85% of the solar installation industry will be able to hire new workers, and put unemployed workers back to work as Full Time Employees, not just contract labor. Dollar for dollar it can be proven that more jobs can be created in the private sector than in the public sector. And for those who have forgotten, the private sector is the backbone of our economy.
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Unfortunately Obama has found out who runs the country. I knew that he was to idealistic when was running for office. As an African American, I was hopeful when he was running for office but in all actuality did not want him to win because I knew whoever got elected was going to be in for a rude awakening. Obama is just a paws as was GW, Jr. Corporations run America now. Whatever grand Solar initiative's that the educated public needs won't happen for a while. It's going to take another disaster like the gulf oil spill to make the corporations/government produce a viable program for the masses. They just have to figure out how to tax the sun and the storage capacity of the batteries that harness it's energy. Just my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comment. Big business is what the administration is focusing on, as always. Too bad for small business and me. All that Obama is doing is redistributing wealth from individual tax payers to big corporations. That kind of tactic is not sustainable.
ReplyDeleteYes, giving money to "Fat" Wastefull & inefficiently dirty utilites who are buying Coal and Oil to burn in order to produce electricity that they in turn sell us is totally "INSANE."
ReplyDeleteThe money would be better spent by lending it to small businesses in the solar and renewable fields. They would in turn create manny jobs that are needed, (Installers, sales, delivery, Engineers) etc. etc.
This investment would open a whole new exciting industry that would help employ US workers & economy. Not to mention th environment as well.
We can produce all the solar panels here in the USA too.
Look at the Death of the GULF, toxic effects will be felt throught the food chain forever.Poisoning our children and animals for generations to come.
Talk about breathing and bathing on the beach? forget it!
Even the guys hired to clean up this continuing spilling, dressed in full protective space suits are becoming ill.
CLEAN UP? sure, there is no Clean-up only evacuation and "God Bless us". This is not a spill, like milk whre you just clean it and forget it, this is going on now as I write his e-mail and will continue until God knows when?
They can't even tell us the truth? BP has lied since day 1 and continues to lie to today. Why are they not in Prison??????
The dirty fuels, Coal,GAS and OIL continue to rape mother earth without impunity. Nobody going to prison? Minors die undergound and business continues as usual, What? and Who? caused the exlosion? Nobody knows because like Jack Nicholson said in the movie "A Few Good Men",
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH"...........
Change is what we wanted when we voted for Obama, but really its been non-existant so far. He has turned out to be a company man, yes sir, no sir..........you know what I mean.
The people need to withhold their property taxes and instead pay for Solar Panels on their roofs. Let them imprison a whole town or City?
They (Gov) wouldn't do that, it would be against their interest, besides there is already 3,000,000 people in prison in this COUNTRY.
There is no room at the INN.
We can beat the evildoers, like George W used to say "Evildoers", remember? The phony WAR and the lies they (Chaney & Bush) sold us? We're going to loose in Iraq/ just like we lost in Vietnam and history will again repeat itself once more. Remember "W" on the Aircraft carrier ranting and cheering "Mission Completed" in 2003?
Iraq/Afganistan is a war of choice not of necessity. They lied to US once again and we didn't stand up to the get the real truth.
SURE........in the mean time people in the US are impoverished ,homeless, unhealthy - sick,and tired of the repetative bull shit GOV. has been selling us.
While Iraq and Afganistan's economy are doing well financially with US Taxpayer's help Assistance. Nation Building??????
Well, we have these evildoers here in the USA-GOV
OIL- not really over there in Middle East.
Let's take our blinders off and really see who the Evil Doers are, and they are right here with us......Solar Power Today and always.