Al Gore stumps the nation spreading the virtues of going green, thrilled at the prospects of new industries that will crop up in the process. Of course, green jobs are the center of the scheme to enforce sustainable development. "We can shut down those old industries and yet be prosperous in the future as we protect the environment," goes the mantra.
A large part of Obama's $786 billion stimulus bill was devoted to green or renewable energy projects. Obama and his environmentalist hordes convinced Congress that the money would be used to create an army of home weatherizers, wind-turbine factory jobs and other employment opportunities that would help put to work the nearly 8 million people who have lost their jobs during the recession. "We know the jobs of the 21st century will be created in developing alternative energy," Obama proudly proclaimed. This, of coursed, from a man who doesn't know the difference between price and earnings or overhead and profit. Well, he doesn't know shineola about the economy and job creation either.
Economic lesson number one: Government regulations do not create jobs. Private industry serving the wants and needs of the consumers create jobs. Period.
The reality is that after massive spending programs, not just from the stimulus program, but from energy bills, development bills, and economic packages over the past several years, all of which have poured billions into the "green" industries, alternative energy and the jobs that are supposed to go with them simply have not materialized.The fact is, no more than 100,000 jobs have been created, economists say, and the prospects are for only modest growth for years to come. Jobs that have been created are for highly educated workers involved in basically experimental industries. There is virtually nothing for the lower educated, manual laborers who so desperately need work.
The answer for them has been the destruction of American industry jobs in the name of protecting the environment as the rustbelt grows. Those jobs have been deported to foreign nations. Of course, that does nothing to protect the environment, as the industries are just relocated. But, as with all "green" claptrap, the reality is destruction of our very prosperous way of life and the redistribution of our wealth to somebody else. Thanks Obama. Good job.
–Tom DeWeese, president of American Policy Center