Kentucky Loses Out on Billions in Stimulus Dollars

Can you guess why? Well, yes, because our Governor and Legislators are too fucking stupid and cowardly to live, but that's just a given.

Here's a hint: the money is for manufacturing jobs in the ... wait for it ... renewable energy sector.

Yep, Kentucky could have gotten a chunk of $3.5 billion for 17,000 high-paying, good-benefit manufacturing jobs in the fastest-growing industry of the future. Instead, it's taking money away from schools and firefighters to lavish on Big Coal.

On Friday, President Obama discussed the monthly unemployment numbers, and announced his push for clean-energy jobs.

That announcement was the use of stimulus funds on a clean energy manufacturing initiative, awarding $2.3 billion in tax credits for American manufacturers of clean energy technologies -- "companies that build wind turbines, and produce solar panels, and assemble cutting edge batteries." The credit is expected to create 17,000 jobs fairly quickly, all of which pay pretty well, boost the manufacturing sector, and contribute to the effort to combat climate change.

Also note, interest in the initiative was so strong, far more businesses applied for the credit than the budget allows. It's why this will hopefully be part of a new jobs bill pending on the Hill. (Obama wants another $5 billion for the effort.)

But of particular interest was the president's comments about international competition. "Harnessing new forms of energy will be one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. And unfortunately, right now the United States, the nation that pioneered the use of clean energy, is being outpaced by nations around the world," Obama said. "It's China that has launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We spearheaded the development of solar technology, but we've fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. And almost all of the batteries that we use to power our hybrid vehicles are still manufactured by Japanese companies or in Asia -- though, because of one of the steps like the one we're taking today, we're beginning to produce more of these batteries here at home.

"Now, I welcome and am pleased to see a real competition emerging around the world to develop these kinds of clean energy technologies. Competition is what fuels innovation. But I don't want America to lose that competition. I don't want the industries that yield the jobs of tomorrow to be built overseas. I don't want the technology that will transform the way we use energy to be invented abroad. I want the United States of America to be what it has always been -- and that is a leader -- the leader when it comes to a clean energy future."

It's probably just me, but I can't help but wonder what Republicans, who oppose the credits and reject climate science, think when they hear this. In this growing new field, are they prepared to just watch other countries lead?

I'd say the repugs are taking their cue from Kentucky, where our "leaders" are perfectly happy to close every school, hospital, prison, highway and fire department in the state while handing hundreds of millions of dollars to Big Coal as a reward for burying our economy along with our mountain and streams under tons of mining waste.