Green Jobs

Last year the mayor of Seattle, Mike McGinn, announced that the city had won a $20 million federal grant to "weatherize" homes. Specifically, the grant was supposed to create 2,000 jobs to retrofit 2,000 homes in poor neighborhoods. McGinn flew to D.C. where Joe Biden characterized the program as a "promise to boost the economy, reduce consumer bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions...a triple win." What's not to like? A government "investment" that creates jobs, reduces energy bills and saves the planet, all in one little grant.

So, over a year later, how is the program going?

As of last week, 3 homes have been weatherized and 14 jobs have been created. According to Michael Woo, director of a community organizing group called Got Green which promotes the environment and social justice, "The jobs haven't surfaced yet." No kidding.

The good news is that some non-residential buildings have been weatherized - the Washington Athletic Club, which presumably caters to people who can afford to join, and a few hospitals. Nice, but these aren't homes in poor neighborhoods. Howard Greenwich is a director with Puget Sound Sage, an economic justice group. He says "Who's benefiting from this program right now – it doesn't square with what the aspiration was." No kidding.

I pass this along as a cautionary tale. When you hear politicians tout the wonders of green jobs, it might be a good idea to be skeptical. Government inefficiency knows no bounds.