There is a solid effort being put forth to make that happen by the solar groups and every politician in our area. That is a great move and one that should be supported.
The goal is to create jobs. Good jobs. Putting people to work. Taking people who are unemployed and who have been displaced and involving them in a new and exciting career. One in which they can support a family.
There have been multi- millions of dollars of taxpayer provided funds and grants that have been pumped into this effort. The amount of press conferences held announcing the next grant to the next business coming in or given again to those who are in line a second time are staggering. The unemployed person who reads of these events in the paper gets some life and hope pumped into their viens that maybe things will really improve around here.
But there is a component missing in the equation - tell us about those jobs. Give us the real information on what those millions are bringing in besides headlines. Why do we NEVER read that part?
Solar/ Green jobs are always touted as the new "high paying" jobs.If that is even partly true it would definitely be an improvement for the area.
How many people have a job because of this effort? How many new hires are there? What is the starting pay? Are there health plans and retirement plans?
Some might feel that this is wrong to ask - but it is not. Too many times in the past we in the Hudson Valley have heard the great, high paying jobs story only to find out they were paying $9-10 dollars an hour with no benefits.
Let's make the solar industry a benefit for everyone - the owners and the workers.
Show us the details.
7 comments:
I can't disagree with you [it really is about "jobs"] but what we are seeing is a few fat-cats fill their wallets with funds from Hinchey.
Look at Prism Solar's web site - "no job openings at this time". Come on, this company is supposed to be the "anchor" to the whole TSEC thing. ...and no jobs still?? Its only been two years guys. When does the millions of dollars get used for the unemployed work-force?
Then you have Fala Technology in Lake Katrine. Mr. Fala, the Chair of TSEC, seems like the very lucky recipient of money, getting contracts for his own business through these start ups too.
Mr. Hinchey - put your muscle with your mouth is. Prove that hundreds of unemployed workers have jobs because of TSEC. I doubt you can.
What I have seen is a shift in workers going from one job to another. Oh and fancy slight of hand with money from Washington to Kingston thats all.
TSEC is becoming Hinchey's bridge to no where.
Greetings bullhorner, I agree with you wholeheartedly!! WHEN AND WHERE are these solar jobs materializing? I too have read soundbites by Congressman Hinchey and others touting big jobs in solar manufacturing field are COMING... WHEN?? What is starting pay and are thier bennies? I am hoping it is true and looking forward to seeing it happen.. but when?
What jobs? There are some many people that are out of work and on unemployment and assist. in the area and Hinchey is saying there is work for people out there?
Supposedly UCCC and BOCES were offering programs for training in these industries(solar Tech.) Has anybody "graduated" from the classes or is the curriculum still in limbo? I too heard of good paying jobs with benefits. It is touted as a step up in new technology and that the industry was in desperate need of help and needed trained workers. Was this all smoke and mirrors?
Here is another whistle-blower announcement....
Who read the Sunday Freeman a couple of weeks ago with the article on Tech City and the jobs created there and the space rented?
1500 jobs for Bank of America? Is this for real? Its totally misleading. These jobs are seasonal at best - anywhere from one week to three months ONLY from late January through Mid-May. These jobs are paid through Manpower at an average wage of $8 an hour.
I implore any of the readers to drive into the parking lot of the Bank of America parking lot on any given day AND night. There are not 1500 vehicles. There not even 300. And even if you were to say that some take public transportation does it really add up to 1500 jobs? I don't think so.
Does this sort of job help the man or woman who needs to supplement their primary income? Sure it does. But, lets not lose sight of the fact that more and more taxpayers are doing their taxes online which means fewer and fewer jobs at Bank of America Tax Processing, which translates into few jobs at Tech City in future years.
How much longer can the politicians actually think that "people can hang on for just a bit longer". How much longer is longer?
Shameful...Very Shameful.
I am glad that this blog is bringing this subject to light. It seems to me that the connected people "in the know" think printing the number of jobs in the paper along with the number of millions given is really doing something for working people around here.
Its not.
If and when these companies do start hiring they should immediately be unionized to protect the people who work there.
Maybe Maurice will help the people organize - he supports the unions doesn't he??
Hinchey supports labor with words, but not with action. Just look at all the building his BFF Steve Aaron did. How many organized labor workers were employed? Hinchey is all talk and no action. I am sick to death of him and his cronyism.
Is it time to start going against these talkers?
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