An Early St. Patrick’s Day in California: The Democrats’ Green Jobs Package

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

With a lot of work to do cleaning up our environment and the California economy needing a lift and the creation of more jobs—good paying ones—this is a marriage made in heaven. California legislators in the Assembly and Senate announced this week an ambitious package of bills to create “green collar” jobs, backed by our state’s environmental business leaders.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez started off the press conference with his fellow Democrats joking, “It looks like St. Patrick’s Day is coming early this year – because what you’re seeing today with this package of bills, is the legislature working to turn the California economy green. Just like AB 32, I want California to again lead the nation – this time by getting out in front with a comprehensive strategy to spur green business and advance green collar jobs for Californians in everything from high tech work in the lab, to installing one of our million solar roofs to weatherizing homes and businesses.” At the same time, Senate President pro Tem Don Perata announced a package of four bills by different authors that will be considered in that house.

AB 32 is California’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction bill, passed in 2006, that was authored by Nunez and is a model for other states.

This is an idea whose time has come. Nationally, Carl Pope on the Sierra Club blog said it all in an article, “It's Green Jobs, Stupid.” Pope said, in this must-read short article, which ties together fuel economy standards, energy efficiency in houses and solutions to the subprime mortgage mess, and jobs:

“Gasoline will hit $4 a gallon soon. Millions of mortgage holders face foreclosure and the usual nostrums from the Federal Reserve Board aren't working. Everyone thinks we are headed for a recession because consumers can't keep spending if their wages have stagnated and their houses are depreciating.

“People are looking for some quick fixes, some pixie dust, some magic potions -- perhaps even some snake oil. But the exciting -- if frustrating -- thing is that a fix has been right at hand all along.

“We need to accelerate the shift to a green economy and focus on making sure that, as we create it, we generate good, green jobs at the same time.”