Racine Journal Times
Event highlights state, local push for ‘clean energy' jobs
PAUL SLOTH | Posted: Monday, February 1, 2010 12:50 pm |
Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, announces his bill, the "Wisconsin Sustainable Jobs Act," that he says will create family-supporting jobs, lower people's energy costs and reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. Politicians from local and national venues made a presentation on Monday, February 1, 2010 at First Choice Pre-Apprenticeship Jobs Training 1437 Marquette Street in Racine in the Clean Energy Roadshow. / Scott Anderson
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State, local and national leaders were in Racine Monday to kick off the "Clean Energy Roadshow," an effort to get government and private industry to work together to create jobs with American Reinvestment and Recovery Act money.
RACINE - Anna Fell didn't rest when she was out of work. Instead, the 34-year-old Racine woman would rise at 6 a.m. to go and knock on construction trailer doors.
Fell, a graduate of the FirstChoicePre-ApprenticeshipTrainingCenter, 1437 Marquette St., eventually landed an apprenticeship with a Chicago construction firm working on the Interstate 94 north/south corridor project.
Fell listened Monday as state and local leaders talked about a plan to use federal money to put people back to work weatherizing homes around the state and in Racine.
Fell hopes the effort pays off.
"It's very refreshing because it's kind of gloomy in Racine nowadays. I am fortunate to work, but I also know there is no guarantees," Fell said. "You never know if you're going to get that phone call or not."
Fell and other First Choice graduates helped demonstrate some of the skills students at the center are learning, like retrofitting homes and buildings to improve energy efficiency.
Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, Racine Mayor John Dickert and others were on hand Monday to kick off the Wisconsin leg of the "Clean Energy Roadshow."
The idea is to get government, business, labor and environmental leaders to work together in an effort to create jobs.
Mason has introduced the "Wisconsin Sustainable Jobs Act," which he hopes will help create jobs, lower people's energy costs and reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
"What this bill will do is allow us to leverage federal money from the (American Reinvestment and Recovery Act) program, but then also private money through the utilities, to put people back to work through retrofitting homes and also businesses," Mason said.