Stimulus Breakdown from United Green - Episode 2: Weatherization

My concern is all this money to weatherize but having the ability to do so, because of the condition of the home, Health and safety, electric, plumbing, water issues being roof leaks or penitrations into crawl, basement and at times ducts in slabs.These homes are generally great savers, if conditions can be addressed but many times monies arn't there to correct these conditions. How are numbers to be met and do the work according to DOE and/or auditors certifacation standards?

I'm not seeing where this money will "trickle down" to independent contractors, small businesses, and non-profits.

These formula grants are going into the States and are already being divided up by the same good ole boy network that has always existed. I've been told by some contractors that they won't accept our work if they have to participate in training. They want the money to maintain their current (read illegal immigrant = low-cost) work force. A large portion of the Stimulus money is going right back into the normal contractor's pots.

It seems that discretionary funding is rare in this equation. These are the same agencies and corporations that have gotten the money all along. I agree that jobs are important, but shouldn't we also be looking at the bigger picture? Huge pots of money have been set aside for Indian tribes, why aren't there monies set aside for young small and medium sized nonprofits, technical schools and contractors to build capacity-- directly from the Feds? They haven't been let in before and it doesn't look like they're going to get in now.

I'm concerned that the bulk of the ARRA money is 'trickling down' to WIBs, municipalities, Community Colleges, Public Housing orgs, and orgs that have been previously funded by the Feds, etc, and then down into their existing networks of contractors. What's different? I would like to see jobs AND contracts...not just the usual minority and woman-owned-businesses sub-contract scraps.

It would be great if there were more competitive and capacity building opportunities and fewer Formula grants. What an opportunity this could be if it could be Green-For-All.

Kathy,

You are right to be concerned. All over the country entrenched interests are lining up to get their share of the Recovery money through formula grants. That is exactly why it is so important for people to get involved in the process.

If you ever wondered if regular people could really make a change, just look at Emmanuel. He is a perfect example of someone who saw a potential problem (Recovery money not getting to pathway out of poverty training programs and other worthy areas in Virginia) and did what it took to do something about it. Emmanuel has now gotten himself onto a board that will decide how Weatherization funds are implemented in the state of Virginia.

The most basic action to take right now is to contact your Mayor or City Councilperson and ask them to show you their plan for a green recovery for all. Ask them to give you a seat at the table in this process. This is a "stimulus", which means the money will be spent quickly. That means that in many places, advocates like you and I will be able to influence the outcome of these plans if we are persistent enough. Propose solutions, be proactive, and involve others in your cause.

This is the best chance we have ever seen to create green-collar jobs and pathways out of poverty for disadvantaged communities. Let's seize the moment!

Visit www.greenforall.org/recovery for some tools to help you.