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ENERGY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
One of David's greatest strengths is his ability to provide creative solutions. He has been working in the field of renewable energy since the 1970s, so he understands this hot topic and how it relates to many facets of our lives.
For example, the key to so many of the puzzles facing New Yorkers is to create community-owned energy projects. The first step to this solution is pass C-BED (Community-Based Energy Development) legislation in NYS. Simultaneously, New York must become the leader of renewable energy product manufacturing. This issue brings labor, business, community, and education together as partners in the new industrial revolution. A green economy means investing in the backbone of New York's labor force: workers with more than high school diploma but less than a four-year degree.
The impact is far-reaching: Energy Independence - Not only must we harvest domestic energy, we need to own the means of production. The war in Iraq makes clear the cost of continuing to rely on foreign fossil fuels: too expensive and too deadly. In addition, the manufacturing of renewable energy products is being dominated by countries from China to India to Denmark. Amazingly, the US is becoming increasingly more energy-dependent. We can reduce this trend by decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels in general and increasing our capacity to produce our own solar, wind, biomass, hydro, etc. based-energy, and by demanding that means of production stay here - in NYS! One success story: after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the former East Germany focused on producing solar panels and created 20,000 new jobs. Reduced Local Taxes - Home-grown energy yields revenue that stays in our community and county coffers. When a farmer owns a wind farm, the community is home to a lucrative local business, benefiting the farmer and the local tax base. Public Education - Depending on their physical location, public schools are good candidates for renewable energy projects, which could take the form of solar roof tops, geothermal, or utility-scale windmills. When schools create their own electricity, tax dollars are reduced and money is freed up to get on with the business of educating children. A Cleaner Environment- Coal, nuclear, and oil destroy our environment. If we stress conservation and develop clean, renewable energy, our children and grandchildren will be able to thrive on this precious planet we call home. |
Preservation of NYS farmland - Farming is NY's second-largest industry, producing revenue of $350 million a year. However, our family farms are at risk. The option of working with renewable energy production gives farmers an alternative to subdivision. Once farmland is gone, it is gone forever. We need to remember that rural America still provides our food. Repealing the Rockefeller Drug Laws -These draconian laws cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually. Clearly, the laws should be reformed, but alternative employment must be offered to those the prison system now employs (and incarcerates). Green-collar manufacturing jobs can provide the solution to this dilemma. Also, prisons can generate their own renewable energy or purchase it from local producers, saving additional taxpayer funds. The New York Green Jobs Fund
I will propose a fund aimed at promoting and securing high-paying renewable energy jobs for residents of New York State. Renewable energy is not only good for our economic security and the environment, it creates new jobs.
The world is looking for innovative ways to conserve energy and fight global warming, and some state or some country is going to secure thousands of jobs by researching and developing new solutions. I want that place to be New York State. To grow our economy we have to green our economy and The New York Green Jobs Fund would support environmental advances in all areas including energy production, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing. New York can become a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of green technologies and products across ALL sectors by offering attractive financial incentives to innovative companies. To qualify for tax credits from The New York Green Jobs Fund, companies would have to demonstrate they can: • Help establish New York as a global leader in an emerging market Energy-related jobs are less vulnerable to economic downturn than other industries. Manufacturing renewable energy products offers a great potential for good paying jobs in this region. www.c-bed.orgwww.renewableenergyworld.com |
Paid for by David Weiss 2008, State ID # A37119. P.O. Box 100, Rensselaerville, NY 12147
© 2008 David Weiss 2008. All rights reserved.
