Green Jobs: Fact Or Fiction?

By Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

President Obama complements Spain as a "Green" industry leader, but according to Ben Lieberman, a specialist in energy and environmental issues, “if there really was a green jobs miracle to be had, we would be seeing it in Spain,” but the reality “is just not that."

Gabriel Calzada, Associate Professor of Economics at the King Juan Carlos University in Spain, said that although Spain energy is green, it is “very costly. It was green, but very risky.” Calzada warned that the richest families are profiting while consumers pay high prices on steeper energy bills and raised taxes.

In a study sited by Calzada, for every green job subsidized in the renewable field, “2.2 jobs would have been created in the rest of the economy.”

There are many energy companies advocating in favor of long term investments, but, "are they so stupid as to not realize, you could get immediate payback if you would just do something else,” said Tom Bogart Professor of Economics at York College.

Bogart warned that in order to sustain energy jobs, the U.S. will eventually have to borrow money from China. And, instead of creating a job market, the U.S. will have to rely on others for this new sector, he said.

“It is not true that you can have you cake and eat it too when it comes to green jobs,” said Robert Murphy, an Economist with the Institute for Energy Research.

LGBT families get their golden egg at White House Easter Egg Roll

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico


Since 1878, families have participated in the official White House Easter Egg Roll event, but this year another community of families were invited.

Some 30,000 guests were expected to attend the event and this is the first time in Egg Roll history that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families have been invited.

Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council, said she was thrilled when she received the invitation from the White House.  

“The outreach on President Obama and First Lady Obama’s behalf to gay and lesbian families was very meaningful and very important symbolism of this White House and its belief that all kinds of families should be valued in this country... We are very, very grateful,” Chrisler said. “We as parents, as gay parents, do all the same things that other parents do. We worry about getting our kids to school safely, about being good participants in our community, paying our taxes and to have a president that actually affirms us as families really helps when we face those hurdles that we face from time to time," Chrisler said.

Cathy Renna, a member of the Family Equality Council, said she has been going to this event for several years but that this year it felt different. The FEC works to ensure equality for LGBT families by building community, changing hearts and minds, and advancing social justice for all families.

“It looked a lot more like America this year,” said Renna. “This represents a shift both symbolically and hopefully in a policy way in the way that will be treated in this country. There’s clearly a tremendous amount of hope that we’ll pass hate crimes legislation, that we’ll pass employment non-discrimination legislation at the federal level.... There’s just a very different sense of dialogue and relationship that we haven’t had in a very long time,” said Renna.

Budget Battle Continues

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
About a week after President Obama presented his budget to congress, House Republicans and Democrats continue with aggressive tactics. Republicans say the budget will leave the country with staggering debt through reckless spending.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called the budget “staggering,” adding that such widespread spending will be put at the expense of future generations of Americans. Boehner’s comments that the country has had to tighten it’s belt everywhere except in Washington echoes sentiments made by critics of the budget presented to Congress by the President.

“I think it is wrong to deal with these challenges by mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren,” Boehner said. The proposed budget backed by Democrats “makes the economy worse and will destroy more American jobs,” will double U.S. debt over the next five years and triple economic debt in ten years, he said.

On Wednesday, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (R), who is the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, introduced a budget solution he says will curb spending, create jobs and leave the U.S. with $3.6 trillion less debt than the Democrats’ proposed budget.

Boehner does not support Democrats plan to raise energy taxes in the middle of a recession and said that it could cost every family as much as $3,100 a year in additional energy costs. “Think of the millions of American jobs that are dependent on a lot of energy use,” said Boehner. When asked if there is the possibility for a compromise, Boehner said “Oh yeah, I’m only for losing one million jobs, or I’m only willing to raise taxes on people $2,000 a family...No there is no compromise!”

In the middle of a recession, Congress cannot “throw a wet blanket on a weak economy, you’ll smother it,” Boehner said.

Toxic Asset Relief Program (TARP), allows the United States Department of the Treasury to purchase or insure up to $700 billion of "troubled" assets. “It’s just out of control,” said Boehner. No one has any idea where the money is going, how much is left, or where it went and the American people have a right to know where this money is going, stated Boehner.

Thousands of Americans lost their jobs in January; responding to questions regarding Congress making sacrifices by perhaps taking a pay cut, Boehner replied only that, “I understand.”

Miller: Middle class will suffer under the Obama budget

By Suzia van Swol-Talk Radio News Service, University of New Mexico
Congressman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) talks with TRNS correspondent Suzia van Swol at the 2009 House Republican Radio Row about the budget and federal spending. He says that we need to get taxes under control and that the best way to do that is with a fair tax. Miller says that even though the American middle class is making sacrifices now, they won't even know sacrifice until the President gets this budget passed and he tries to start funding some of the issues that are in it. (9:41)

The budget is not a monopoly game

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) talks with TRNS correspondent Suzia van Swol at the 2009 House Republican Radio Row about how the democratic budget plan taxes away the assets of small businesses and the middle class. He says that “I don’t know whether it’s a ouija board, a monopoly game, or march madness, but it doesn’t feel very good.” He says that the Republicans want to lower taxes in order to stimulate the economy. (9:48)