What the “green collar” economy means for you

comments from our community

• 
  Posted by Everyday_Guy Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:52am PST

  One company to avoid is Vestsa. It is a green company but the upper management has the same old "screw the little guy" mentality. Techs who risk their lives climbing the towers start at a measly 16.00 an hour. Site Managers are recruited from outside the industry and thrown in sink or swim; no support. I know first hand.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by tim k Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:52am PST

  wow i work in the wind industry and the fact that you two are so narrow minded that you cant see the big pic. is sad you say that we have a grid falling apart is a load of bull i have seen the grid and its the best we have with the tech and materials we have and it is constently inproving and being retro fitted now i dont agree that the gov should not creat jobs i think they should and i am sorry but yes the tax payers will be paying for it now but in the long run i would rather have and job and pay taxes then not have a job and pay taxes you both need to grow up and find the facts first.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Dude! Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:00am PST

  Judging from the comments above, conservatives really have run out of ideas.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by stickytarpins Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:33am PST

  southbywes is correct. I can only guess that no one studies Econ 101 anymore. If it costs $10,000 to produce a product worth $5000, then the investor ( business, government, or country) goes bankrupt. If government could creat productive employment, the former Soviet Union would have become the world's mightiest economic power in the 1980's instead of collapsing; and the Chinese would not have been forced to revolutionize their government-controlled economic model to a more free market economy model. Government subsidies should be employed sparingly to help jumpstart new technologies. Then the new technologies should be allowed to sink or swim in free markets. Subsidies, when used massively to subsidize uneconomic activity, will massively destroy wealth.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by rrg Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:06pm PST

  Well said, the money has to be available to assist in the research of new technologies, but they should float or sink on their own. As far as "jump starting" the economy, spend the money creating new rail systems that can move people at high speeds and move commerce. Once these are in place we will need people to operate, manage, maintain the system and to manufacture the railcars and the replacement components they need. Trains can move a hundred times as much weight as an airplain using a fraction of the fuel. Today most of the equiptment and products used by the rail industry are home grown. This is old technology that is still an important part of our infrastructure and that would pay back benefits for generations for money invested today. Most all of the wall street hotshots that destroyed the financial markets are republicans, and it happened on the republicans watch. Face it, Bush's party inherited a country that was at peace, well respected throughout the world, prosperous and had a balanced budget. Look at what we were left with. You know he don't have to sign up for unemployment benefits

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by El Jefe Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:11pm PST

  Sorry folks - I work in the Green Industry and its real. Check out the latest earnings statement for Tetra Tech. Real innovation and changes are happening. Those of you averse to change will be left behind and out of a job. Read the Clean Tech Revolution, the momentum is there, and that is where the new jobs are going.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by burnsbaseball14 Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:15pm PST

  First - It is true - green power is the future - we are destroying the planet with a slow methodical death sentence - just look at the smog, contamination of the oceans and fresh water storage sheds and the proven industrial toxins storing up inside every human on the planet. Second - At this moment- The goverment does not have any of the answers on how to distribute the green revolution dollars. If we allow the goverment the decision of how to spend our tax dollars to truely solve the green revolution - I believe they will just give the money to the people who helped bring them into office. The only proven answer is to turn the tax money (with large tax incentives not the current meager perecentage wise of the bailout) over to the scientists, engineers, small and large corporations that truely run the US and World $ economy. The goverments main job is to stop the greed and stealing of our tax dollars by enforcing the current laws that exist within our goverment. The goverment has failed miserably keeping the playing field fair and the greed at the top tier of our society (which the Democrats and the Republicans must control) they have been asleep at the wheel.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by isaacsfather2006@ymail.com Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:24pm PST

  ha ha ha you are all wrong its gonna work and when everyone says how much there lifes were turned around they will be screaming how great he was. He won't even be in office by the time we have to start paying back the 850 billion dollars that we sunk into the economy and haven't seen a return on.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by time2rymeforgod Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:35pm PST

  All his "stimulus" package is, is a way to shove down his democratic plans even though he said over and over again that he was going to have an unpolitical package for both Republicans and Democrats. So if this is true, why is he putting money into the arts because he is using some of this money for the arts which is not a stimulus package... it is him weaseling his own partisan into his bill.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by green hornet Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:36pm PST

  First of all, government does and always has created steady employment for Americans. Cops, firefighters and fighter pilots just to name a few good GI jobs. Second, government policy can and should serve to jump-start investment in new technologies. Those of us old enough to remember the space race know that Uncle Sam helped foot the bill for research that ultimately gave us computers, microwave ovens, cell phones and TANG. The last eight years have seen a trillion taxpayer dollars pissed away to wage a tragically stupid war on behalf of the interests of big oil. To Hell with that! It's time to roll the dice on Green Tech!

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Alan K Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:36pm PST

  Green Power = Gr$$n. Get on board, or move out of the way!!

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by booger Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:44pm PST

  Burnsbaseball14, Sorry its not the governments job to keep a fair playing field for industry or decide which corp are greedy. Making a profit is what is supposed to happen. The real corruption lies with our elected officials on both side of the aisle. Tax dollars should only be spent to maintain armies and our navy, and keep our borders safe and secure, just like our Constitution says.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by JimCole Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:46pm PST

  WOW! what anger one reason why we can't come together as a Country

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Geoffrey H Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:48pm PST

  Looks like the ignorant right-wingers jumped on this pretty fast. The thing is it creates jobs and going green does save a lot of money so saying it will be bad for the economy is just bull.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Annie Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:50pm PST

  everyone who's saying this won't work and all of that, is there a better idea??????? what do you expect? overnight success? please! don't you want to get out of the economic problems??????? well, if you do, then why are you focusing so much on "this sucks, and that sucks!". why would you even have a bad attitude on something like this. times are hard and the best thing to do as a US citizen is to just have an optimistic attitude. i'm affected by this economic stuff, but i'm still fine because i can hope for the best and think that the best is right now, and tomorrow, and everyday to come. so why would Anyone even shoot this down??????? this will HELP! i know the facts! i'm a mathematician genius, i know all about money and numbers... trust me, all you have to do is trust and be happy. =)

  Report Abuse