Fireitup has learned that The Vote Solar Initiative, a known activist organization with links to many Websites, is behind a highly classified program to influence voters in an effort to gain more solar jobs in their states.
Sources tell Fireitup that the program operating out of offices in the notorious San Francisco area, has already targeted voters throughout a region equal to the combined areas of Texas, Florida and Nevada.
“Fictional, tongue-in-cheek ads were placed in the classified sections of newspapers in Texas, Florida and Nevada,” admits ‘Adam Browning’ who talked with Fireitup on condition of anonymity. “It was a big hit,” ‘Browning’ gloated.
A typical ad reads: “Help wanted: 85,500+ electricians, engineers, sales to staff the new solar energy economy. Apply at Legislature, ask for Bold Solar Policies.” A thorough check of the Florida Legislature’s Website, however, produced no entry for a legislator by that name.
Not all Floridians amused by classified campaign
Both Florida residents surveyed for this story termed the classified campaign “hilarious,” “awesome” and “clever.” Not every resident in the Sunshine State could be reached, however. Of those not called, an overwhelming majority had nothing positive to say about the campaign.
I love metaphors. The first one I can remember from my childhood is on the corny side, but it still makes me chuckle: “He was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room fulla rocking chairs.” Ha ha ha ha. (Yeah, I hear you English majors, “Wait, isn’t that a simile?” The correct answer is: It is my blog.)
The only problem with a metaphor is that it isn’t, strictly speaking, accurate. Take the saying “a rising tide lifts all boats.” True enough. But of the gazillion times I’ve heard it said, not once was the subject actually about boats. Or tides.
No, the subject is always economics. Here’s a pictorial demonstration of how that metaphor is supposed to work:
Swee-e-e-e-t!
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The problem is, economic prosperity is not actually a tide and people are not literally boats (in case you hadn’t noticed). In the non-metaphorical world (aka, life), this is a bit closer to how things play out:
Sort of a mixed bag …
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The numbers tell the story (metaphorically speaking):
A rising tide lifts, um, some boats
For a variety of reasons, the “wealth gap” separating most of us from the lucky few has been growing for three decades — even during periods of prosperity.
Is there any reason to believe that things will change as the economy climbs out of the hole it was shoved into this time? I’m glad you asked. Here’s what Van Jones had to say on this subject at a Congressional hearing last month:
I really like the metaphor he uses. No, not the green wave lifting boats; that’s done to death. Jones talks about making sure there’s a “green pathway out of poverty.” Here’s what I like about it: pathways are fundamentally different from tides. Tides rise and fall independent of human action. Pathways don’t just happen. They have to be made by people. For me, that’s his takeaway message: green jobs can lift the boats that need it most, boats that have been taking on water and are in danger of going under.
OK, so the guy’s all fired up and has some great ideas. But what’s he gonna do about it? What can he do? He’s already written a heck of a book about eco-jobs, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. Jones was asked to testify before the committee because of his position as president and founder of Green For All, a service organization devoted to putting his ideas into practice.
Three days ago, Jones started a new job — President Obama appointed him special adviser for green jobs, serving on the WH Council on Environmental Quality.
You’ve got the ball, Mr. Jones. Now, let’s see you take it down the field.
I have to admit that when I first heard about green jobs as the solution to our economic problems, I thought it was all hype. Now I know the exciting truth: It’s only partly hype! Let’s face it, green jobs are no panacea for an economy that has been brutalized across the board. But, so what?
The Vote Solar Initiative
As Adam Browning, head of the Vote Solar Initiative told me in an interview on Monday, “Solar means jobs … [but] there are a million reasons to support solar.”
How may jobs will actually be created from solar’s growth? I’ve got two predictions. Both are guaranteed to be accurate.
1. A lot. Like, a really big number.
2. We’ll have a better idea after they’ve been created.
Mayor Gordon’s “phone has been ringing off the hook” and “we’ve been flooded with E-mails from people wanting to know how they can install solar,” the mayor’s spokesman, Scott Phelps, told Fireitup today.
Make no mistake about it, solar is gonna be big here in the Valley. Unless somebody manages to screw things up.
Here’s a recent (February ’09) NBC Nightly News clip on new solar jobs in Michigan. Notice how retraining and education are mentioned as vital parts of any plan for attracting and building a successful solar industry. Why should you notice that? Because it’s true. And because Mom is a retired school teacher.
