Today’s Qs for O’s WH

“Cherry Hill, NJ has cobbled together the state and federal money needed to install rooftop solar panels at the town hall, the centerpiece of the township’s long-term environmental plan.
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.) stopped at the Cherry Hill Municipal Building yesterday to announce $285,000 in federal funding that he said he had secured through the Omnibus Appropriations Act signed by President Obama in February.
The total cost to purchase and install the panels on the 19,400-square-foot roof is about $1 million. The balance of the money will come from a $720,000 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, a federal Department of Energy program created by U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) and funded through the economic-stimulus package.
The panels, which are to be installed by year’s end, are expected to reduce the municipal building’s monthly electric bill to $5,000 from $8,000, township spokesman Dan Keashen said.”
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Total Costs: $1,000,000
Savings: $36,000/year
Payback: 27.78 years (simplified)
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There is NO WAY this project would get approved in the private sector with a payback as lousy as this. NO WAY.
Our tax dollars posing as “stimulus”.
I’m psyched.

Fascist Hyena…we both know all the cash flowing out of D.C. that will bankrupt our future is dedicated to a payback for support during campaign and to favored constituencies. Witness:
“Illinois snags chunk of fed stimulus work” (April 13, 2009)
“(Crain’s) — Illinois is getting a jump on the federal stimulus program, claiming more than 12% of the road and bridge projects approved so far by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Illinois has obligated $605.2 million for the projects approved so far, she added, out of the $935 million available to the state for road and bridge work. Illinois transportation officials hope to garner extra money that will be redistributed if other states can’t use theirs within the act’s strict deadlines.”

Why do right wingers always leave off information?
Also part of the Cherry Hill project
Cherry Hill expects to get a $280,000 rebate from the state on the solar panel installation costs.
As part of the project, the township’s 30-year-old heating and cooling system also will be replaced. Any remaining funds, Keashen said, would go toward fulfilling recommendations from an audit the township is undertaking to find more environmentally efficient ways to operate.

“Jobs: immediate.
“Stimulation for solar industry: immediate.”
Tell us about those jobs. Who will be hired to do what? What is the “solar industry?” What does it build? How profitable is it? How many people buy its products now? Will they buy more of them if the industry is “stimulated,” and if so, why?
Bear in mind that sales of solar products today are not depressed because their products can’t be built fast enough. Right now they are building all that people want to buy.

“It all depends on the meaning of the word ‘glimmer’”

“I think, obviously, it’s going to take some time to get that spending into the bloodstream of the American economy.”
Hey Gibbs!
You guys appropriated only $110 billion for this year! You shoulda read the bill!
Of course, the peak appropriation year is next year- ELECTION year.

“…it’s going to take some time to get that spending into the bloodstream of the American economy.”
Perhaps. But it only takes a nanosecond to get it out of that bloodstream so that the feds can put it back somewhere else in the fullness of time. Except for the part that will have to be taken out by borrowing gigantic sums that must be paid back over the next thirty years. Who will pay for the US debt?

OK, I’ll give that I overlooked the inclusion of replacement of the HVAC system. But here is the valid point that has been made on my behalf:
“These sorts of projects ARE done in the private sector, but they actually run the numbers and make an informed decision.”
And thus the problem with “investments” made by government: Government has a history of decision-making based on politics rather than sound stewardship of taxpayer money.

“It is VERY common that private sector companies only look three years out. So if paying an extra $10k now will save them $3k a year for the next 30 years, they won’t do that. In my experience (which is all non-military projects so far), the government is far more prudent than private industry with regards to building efficiency investment.”
Good point.

tjp612:”So are you boys advocating that government entities at all levels do a better job of spending tax payer money than private industry?”
Don’t over expand the scope of what I’m saying. No, government in general lacks accountability and tends to pick up deadwood (the almost vindictive voter driven restrictions – like no personal call on your office phone during lunch – also seem to encourage this). But in the area of building investment (my personal field), yes they do better than many private entities. Foundations in the private sector are perhaps the best; they also take the long view. Many private companies are too focused on the 3 year window to make investments in quality buildings.

“So are you boys advocating that government entities at all levels do a better job of spending tax payer money than private industry?”
No more than you are advocating that private industry is superior to government in all facets….oh wait a minute.

“No more than you are advocating that private industry is superior to government in all facets….oh wait a minute.”
I’d be interested in your take… Unfortunately, sectors of government that do perform well (e.g., the U.S. military) are being cut while sectors that do not perform well are being expanded…
How many government employees do you know who are underutilized? Overpaid (vs. similiar work in private sector)? If you work (or have ever worked) for the government, tell me what it’s like in August & September of every year when government agencies are in often in an all out rush to throw money at anything and anyone to clear their account (“if you don’t spend it, you lose it” and it – unspent portion – will likely be deducted from next year’s budget). There is little/no accountability in government for management of taxpayer $$$, nor are there many (if any) incentives for saving money. Broadly speaking, this is not the case in the private sector, which is a significant differentiator between the two.

“Unfortunately, sectors of government that do perform well (e.g., the U.S. military) are being cut while sectors that do not perform well are being expanded…”
The new defense budget is 4% larger than the last one so what cut are you speaking of.
Are you claiming that projects like the airborne laser and f-22 are marks of government efficiency?
One would think the last place you would tout efficiency is in the military hardware department given the frequent cost overruns and Congressional turf used to protect said projects.

“The 2010 budget has not even been submitted – are you referring to the 2009 budget submitted by Bush but only recently (finally) finished by Congress?”
He’s probably talking about Obama’s FY 2010 budget as discussed, among many other places, at the OMB website
I believe that Bush’s proposed 2009 budget was never approved by congress, which instead passed a continuing resolution.

The unemployment numbers have been adjusted regularly and are confusing to say the least. I like the Tapper question framed like that ..if we didn’t have the stimulus.. ..guess it would infer that the stimulus isn’t really a good way to augment employment (something many pundits put forth from the git-go)

If the Government is looking for a way to get money into the system a simple solution would be to stop the bailouts and hand the money [back]to the people.

david:”If the Government is looking for a way to get money into the system a simple solution would be to stop the bailouts and hand the money [back]to the people.”
How exactly would that deal with the collapse of the commercial banking system, shutting down the majority of small businesses in America within a week and canceling all credit cards potentially overnight? Are you proposing full nationalization of all the banks in conjunction with your plan of doing more of the tax cuts Bush did that helped get us into this mess? And just how low do you want taxes to go, bearing in mind their historic low point at the moment (lower than under Reagan for the top brackets who have appreciable capital gains)?

“Do you believe private schools accept anyone as long as you have the tuition money?”
Sorry, you don’t get any response until you address my prior points…No deflection or diversion allowed…

Thanx for bringing the Corn thing to light..I totally missed it. My prediction of Gibbs’ future job loss may be accurate.
I wonder if the administration likes Gibbs not knowing and deflection tactics.. I don’t give Gibbs enough credit.. he’s much smarter than I thought he was.