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 August 17, 2011

Stimu-less In Seattle Obama’s Weatherization Program Was Supposed To Provide Jobs ,

But Even By The Stimulus’ Dismal Standards It Has Proven

Disappointing ______________________________________________________________________

 ACCORDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE, THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM WOULDCREATE THOUSANDS OF GREEN JOBS

“Last Year, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn Announced The City Had Won A Coveted $20 MillionFederal Grant To Invest In Weatherization.” (Vanessa Ho, “Seattle’s ‘Green Jobs’ Program A Bust,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer ,

8/15/11)

  The Program Was Supposed To Create 2,000 Jobs And Retrofit 2,000 Homes. “McGinn had

joined Vice President Joe Biden in the White House to make it. It came on the eve of Earth Day. It had heady goals: creating 2,000 living-wage jobs in Seattle and retrofitting 2,000 homes in poorer

neighborhoods.” (Vanessa Ho, “Seattle’s ‘Green Jobs’ Program A Bust,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer , 8/15/11) Vice President Biden Called The Program A “Triple Win. … Because It Creates Green Jobs, JobsThat Can’t Be Outsourced.” “Investing in retrofits is a triple win. It’s a win for consumers who save

money on their energy bill. It’s a win for the environment because we’re using less energy, which cuts

down on harmful emissions from greenhouse gases. And, finally, it’s a win for the American economy,

because it creates green jobs, jobs that can’t be outsourced. ” (Vice President Joe Biden, Remarks By The Vice President 

Announcing Recovery Act “Retrofit Ramp-Up” Awards On Eve Of Earth Day, Washington, DC, 4/21/10) 

However, Over A Year Later, It Has Failed To Live Up To Expectations In Seattle

“But More Than A Year Later, Seattle's Numbers Are Lackluster” – Only Three Homes Retrofitted And 14 Jobs Emerged. “But more than a year later, Seattle's numbers are lackluster. As of last week, only

three homes had been retrofitted and just 14 new jobs have emerged from the program. Many of the jobsare administrative, and not the entry-level pathways once dreamed of for low-income workers. Somepeople wonder if the original goals are now achievable.” (Vanessa Ho, “Seattle’s ‘Green Jobs’ Program A Bust,” Seattle Post-

Intelligencer , 8/15/11) 

Michael Woo, Director Of Got Green: “The Jobs Haven’t Surfaced Yet.” “‘The jobs haven't surfacedyet,’ said Michael Woo, director of Got Green, a Seattle community organizing group focused on theenvironment and social justice.” (Vanessa Ho, “Seattle’s ‘Green Jobs’ Program A Bust,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer , 8/15/11) 

  “It’s Been A Very Slow And Tedious Process.” “It's been a very slow and tedious process. It's almost 

painful, the number of meetings people have gone to. Those are the people who got jobs. There's

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by the stimulus bill, the same legislation that was supposed to rapidly create jobs. For example,there is a union-backed provision that requires that weatherization workers receive the prevailingwages in the area.” (Louise Radnofsky, “A Stimulus Project Gets All Caulked Up,” The Wall Street Journal , 9/21/10)