California Green Stimulus Coalition Plan for Ohio

[Towntalk]

I really do hate to be a wet blanket, but California is hardly a state that we in Ohio would want to emulate.

1. Their debt is higher than a whole lot of countries.
2. Their taxation is the highest in the country.
3. Their cost of living is the highest in the country.
4. People are moving out of California because of the above mentioned problems.

Ohio is itself in serious debt, and we still do not know just how much the state will actually receive from the stimulus package, but unless I'm mistaken the package does have many of the elements that the Green Party advocates in it, and from what I can gather from the over 1000 pages the states including Ohio will have to meet goals that include these elements. Uncle Sam is not just going to shove a billion or so dollars into the state treasury for the governor and state legislature to do with as they please.

What we need to do is hold our local officials feet to the fire and see that they do right by us, as well as our Congressmen.

I also call your attention to the fact that the White House has already set up a special web site that will show where every single penny goes and who will get it, and how much, so there will be transparency.

Finally, one of the major provisions of the package is the "shovel ready" provision that each state will be held to, as well as a "use it or loose it" provision, and certainly this doesn't sound like there's any room for sitting around discussing and debating long term projects that aren't on the drawing boards yet.

The White House has indicated that there very well may be a second stimulus package, and that one may deal with long range plans depending on how this one works out.

Recovery.gov

http://www.recovery.gov/

NOTICE THE TIME LINE CHART AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOME PAGE.

[irishbobcat]

California Green Stimulus Coalition Plan for Ohio

California Green Stimulus Coalition
Principles for a Green and Equitable Economic Recovery
last modified February 19, 2009The California Green Stimulus Coalition includes dozens of California's most influential and respected organizations advocating for the environment, economic justice, organized labor and a strong workforce system (see list at right). As federal stimulus dollars arrive in California, we will advocate for high quality job creation and economic development in the greenest and most equitable way possible.Our coalition declares the following principles:
1) Invest in a Green Future
Ensure California can achieve its environmental goals, including those related to air quality, water quality, habitat protection and restoration, and curbing global warming. Maximize environmental health benefits and mitigate environmental health risks for distressed communities. Support clean energy industry development to accelerate the transition to a clean, green economy.
2) Invest in People
Share economic benefits equitably. Ensure high quality job creation (prevailing wage, adequate benefits, strong labor and safety standards). Link job creation with high-quality apprenticeship and workforce education programs, to provide access for low-income youth and adults, the underemployed, dislocated workers and those recently laid off. Ensure opportunities are fully accessible to women in the workforce. Use Project Labor Agreements that include prevailing wage and local first-source hiring goals on all publicly funded infrastructure projects.
3) Invest for Long-term Gain
Adopt a "phased approach to stimulus" -- undertaking short and medium term projects that will ensure long term recovery of the nation's economy. Provide project development and planning support for projects that are not currently ready to go so they can be "shovel ready" by the beginning of 2010. Create and align career pathways, beginning with the K-12 system and continuing through quality workforce education programs, high-quality apprenticeships, labor-management training partnerships, community colleges and four-year colleges and universities.
4) Invest in Justice
Ensure equal protection of the laws covering access to public resources. Uphold, strengthen and enforce civil rights and environmental justice laws -- including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination by recipients of federal funds and the President's Order on Environmental Justice -- in both the planning and enforcement processes. Prevent "sacrifice zones" and "sacrifice communities."
5) Invest in the Open
Federal, state, and local officials must uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in decision-making about stimulus funds. Each entity receiving funds (sub-contracts as well as direct contracts) should report on jobs created, wage and benefit levels, work hours performed and data related to the hiring and training of target populations.
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These proposals need to be implemented in Ohio as soon as possible!

 
Dennis Spisak

Mahoing Valley Green Party

Ohio Green Party

 
www.ohiogreens.org

 
www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/