Democratic Primaries

ancianita

(36,095 posts) Mon Jul 29, 2019, 02:09 PM Jul 2019

Gov. Inslee Promotes Evergreen Economy Plan

Inslee's Evergreen Economy Plan has teeth and stop signs.

This plan will take full time legislative and budgeting prioritizing effort in Congress.

I can't see how the unions of the Democratic Party wouldn't sign on to such a great middle class and economic revitalizing plan for this country, all while scaling Washington's successful climate change mitigation programs.

This plan is the second major policy announcement from Governor Inslee’s Climate Mission agenda, a 10-year national mobilization to defeat climate change and build a just, innovative, and inclusive clean energy future.

Highlights:

1. Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy will establish:
-- a ReBuild America Initiative to upgrade millions of buildings over the next two-plus decades;
-- a $90 billion Green Bank for clean energy deployment;
-- a Next Generation Rural Electrification Initiative;
-- programs to support energy democracy and community-led energy transformation;
-- grants in lieu of tax incentives for clean energy installation.

2. Building Sustainable & Climate-Smart Infrastructure will:
-- make the largest investment in American infrastructure in generations
-- build sustainable transportation, water, affordable housing, sustainable communities, smart grid systems.
-- double investment in public transit
-- expand dramatically electric car-charging infrastructure,
-- launch a Clean Water for All Initiative to close the $82 billion annual funding gap in critical drinking water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure.
-- put Americans to work in every community to achieve a state of good repair; protect public health; and improve resilience to devastating floods, droughts, fires, and storms.

3. Leading the World in Clean Manufacturing will come from:
-- the federal government partners with industry to increase efficiency, cut costs and waste, deploy new technologies and fuels to reduce climate pollution.
-- the federal government makes major investments in domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles and batteries;
-- establishing a federal “Buy Clean” Program to help close the carbon loophole and support domestic industries and workers;
-- legislating a new Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit;
-- using established entities such as the Export-Import Bank to increase exports of made-in-America clean energy solutions.

These initiatives allow workers and businesses to revitalize America’s economic competitiveness in existing manufacturing industries, to take the lead in emerging clean technologies and growth markets.

4. Investing in Innovation & Scientific Research:
-- invest in transformative research and development in next-generation clean technology and climate solutions,
-- invest expanded scientific discovery, STEM education.
-- increase investment in U.S. clean energy and climate solutions research -- to $35 billion each year, more than 5 times the current funding
-- marshal the resources of the federal government, states, universities and private sector innovators to confront the climate challenge.
-- invest in innovation in the agricultural sector through a new ARPA-Ag effort and
-- a Next Generation Rural Clean Energy Extension Service.

5. Ensuring Good Jobs with Family Supporting Wages & Benefits Through the Above Stages will:
-- create high-paying, high-skilled jobs
-- reunionize and empower workers in every industry with new tools to collectively bargain,
-- ensure racial and gender hiring and promotion,
-- close the gap in wealth and prosperity, which includes
-- enacting a “G.I. Bill” for impacted fossil fuel workers and communities;
-- repeal the Taft-Hartley Act provisions that allow so-called “Right-to-Work” laws;
-- redouble commitment to national apprenticeship programs and creating and enforcing protections for gender pay equity.

Greening an economy goes with action that cares for the planet.

The primaries are our chance to set election campaign priorities.

Think about America's future, and how Jay Inslee's thinking solves so much else besides climate change.