last modified February 19, 2009
The California Green Stimulus Coalition includes dozens of California's most influential and respected organizations advocating for the environment, economic justice, organized labor and a strong workforce system (see list at right). As federal stimulus dollars arrive in California, we will advocate for high quality job creation and economic development in the greenest and most equitable way possible.
Visit the official Coalition website for full details.
Our coalition declares the following principles:
1) Invest in a Green Future
Ensure California can achieve its environmental goals, including those related to air quality, water quality, habitat protection and restoration, and curbing global warming. Maximize environmental health benefits and mitigate environmental health risks for distressed communities. Support clean energy industry development to accelerate the transition to a clean, green economy.
2) Invest in People
Share economic benefits equitably. Ensure high quality job creation (prevailing wage, adequate benefits, strong labor and safety standards). Link job creation with high-quality apprenticeship and workforce education programs, to provide access for low-income youth and adults, the underemployed, dislocated workers and those recently laid off. Ensure opportunities are fully accessible to women in the workforce. Use Project Labor Agreements that include prevailing wage and local first-source hiring goals on all publicly funded infrastructure projects.
3) Invest for Long-term Gain
Adopt a "phased approach to stimulus" -- undertaking short and medium term projects that will ensure long term recovery of the nation's economy. Provide project development and planning support for projects that are not currently ready to go so they can be "shovel ready" by the beginning of 2010. Create and align career pathways, beginning with the K-12 system and continuing through quality workforce education programs, high-quality apprenticeships, labor-management training partnerships, community colleges and four-year colleges and universities.
4) Invest in Justice
Ensure equal protection of the laws covering access to public resources. Uphold, strengthen and enforce civil rights and environmental justice laws -- including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination by recipients of federal funds and the President's Order on Environmental Justice -- in both the planning and enforcement processes. Prevent "sacrifice zones" and "sacrifice communities."
5) Invest in the Open
Federal, state, and local officials must uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in decision-making about stimulus funds. Each entity receiving funds (sub-contracts as well as direct contracts) should report on jobs created, wage and benefit levels, work hours performed and data related to the hiring and training of target populations.
Areas of Focus:
Our coalition is prepared to advocate -- at the state and regional levels -- on these major issue areas related to California's green economy:
- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- Green Workforce Development and Education
- Infrastructure for Healthy Communities
- Transparency and Accountability
Stimulus = Gold Rush?
With billions of dollars headed for the Golden State, a large volume of people and institutions will be vying for funds. We are developing specific, expert standards, criteria and principles to ensure funds go to the most deserving projects.
Sunshine on the Process
If business goes as usual, we'll see a small number of insiders and bureaucrats make big decisions on billions of dollars. Our coalition is throwing sunshine on this process -- we are calling for public hearings and an open process so that state officials uphold the highest standards of accountability and transparency.
