How to spend $825 billion

By Kate Sheppard

Enviros are heartened by much of what they see in the newly released summary of the House’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus package. But they’re also concerned about how the transportation funds will be spent.

The bill includes a section focused on “clean, efficient, American energy.” The summary states, “To put people back to work today and reduce our dependence on foreign oil tomorrow, we will strengthen efforts directed at doubling renewable energy production and renovate public buildings to make them more energy efficient.” Another section of the bill aims to “modernize roads, bridges, transit and waterways acheter cialis.” Here’s the broad breakdown of those portions:

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There’s also $4 billion for training and employment services through grants for worker-training programs in Viagra “high growth and emerging industry sectors.” Priority for these funds would be placed on green jobs and jobs in healthcare. “Green jobs training will include preparing workers for activities supported by other economic recovery funds, such as retrofitting of buildings, green construction, and the production of renewable electric power,” says the summary.

The Sierra Club praised the bill, saying it “makes an important down payment on solutions that will transform America’s economy and lead to a clean energy future that will benefit generations to come.”

Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder pointed out both the good and the bad. “This proposal demonstrates a serious commitment to clean energy with a number of smart and much-needed investments that can create green jobs and be instrumental in our transition to a clean energy economy,” he said. “Unfortunately, the transportation spending doesn’t take the same forward-thinking approach. The stimulus as it currently stands doesn’t do enough to create green jobs through clean transportation investments, and it doesn’t prevent spending from going to unnecessary new roads that increase pollution and oil consumption.”

Environmental Defense Fund points out that bill leaves states a lot of discretion about how they would spend funds, potentially allowing them “to buy ‘bridges to nowhere’ or a bridge to the 21st century.” The group is calling on states to make their plans known. “With tens of billions in new transportation spending, it’s more important than ever for states to respect President-elect Obama’s promise of transparency by making their spending priorities public as soon as possible,” said Michael Replogle, EDF transportation director and an adviser to the Department of Transportation.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the energy funding in the bill:

And here’s a more detailed breakdown of the tr

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