Is Obama making up his facts???

Question

Obama's investment would be over 10 years as part of two programs. The larger is $150 billion to create 5 million so-called "green collar" jobs to develop more environmentally friendly energy sources.

5 million does sound better than the actual 1 - 3 million various experts claim green jobs will be created.

"The Apollo Institute, a group that wants the government to embark on a renewable energy project similar to the Apollo space program that put a man on the moon, expects to see three million new green jobs over the next ten years."

But the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California Berkeley thinks the boom will deliver something more along the lines of one million new jobs by 2020.

Champions of renewable energy tout the jobs angle as another reason why the government should pour money into subsidies and other incentives for the industry. But economists are split as to whether these projected jobs will ever materialize.

Answer 1

I don't like Obama I'm not electing a muslim who doesn't even honor the American flag to be president & whom ever votes for him should have a cat scan.

He is going to say whatever to get himself elected

Answer 2

Politics is now so skewed, that it has become a monkey isht fight and now about actually helping the people who are going to decide the lesser of two weevils

Answer 3

Barack Hussein Obama is not wanting us to know very much about him.  I wonder why.  I wonder why the man who wants to be President of the United States will NOT wear the American flag on his lapel.   Barack Hussein Obama.

Answer 4

obama is making up a lot of stuff...or stealing it from other sources..like Hillary, MLK, JFK and Malcolm X...but the media is helping him...and people are falling for his "change" this country will have another republican in the White House for 4 more years if he wins the nomination.

Answer 5

The great American politician, Say anything, Do anything, Promise anything, Deliver on nothing.  DNC the party of do nothings.

Answer 6

Oh great, another shill joins the ranks.

And I suppose "drill more" is the answer?

edit:

"McCain might as well save himself the trouble of running."

Classic.

Answer 7

Of course everything is just an estimate.  Given the uncertainties involved, 1-3 million jobs, and 5 million, are about the same.  

Of course his estimates are going to be on the high end, both for political reasons, and because he honestly thinks we should aim high and expect the best.

A lot of people in this country are ready for a guy who thinks like that.  I like the people who think McCain has a shot against him.  McCain might as well save himself the trouble of running.

Answer 8

No, he's not.  For whatever reason, some economists use conservative estimates, others more optimistic ones in such cases. If you look at the various arguements, you'll see why the disparities exist.  First, economists are NOT "split over whether these jobs will ever materialize"--just over how many such jobs would be created.

The estimates depend on two factors.  One is an "X" factor---any such estimate requires making some assumptions about future conditions, and no one has a crystal ball.  

The other, and far more important factor, is how you define the parameters of job creation.  If you look only at the direct effects--how many people will be hired using that money--1-2 million is probably about right.  But, if you incorporate the mutiplier effects that go with such spending--particularly research spending--which is waht most economists do--the figure is much higher.

Some of the inndirect effects include new business hiring that would not be reflected in the direct hiring, but come from business expansion as entrepreneurs put new products on the market, the stimulative effect of the money itself being spent within our economy, etc. Taking into acccount some of the more predictableof these effects, 4-5 million jobs is not only reasonable, its probably conservative.

Answer 9

Obama is a politician. Politicians make claims that will eventually have to be resolved by congress. Congress is political. A good idea may never make it to or through congress and bad ideas may pass quickly. That is the way it works but if nobody suggests ways to improve our planet and then makes the effort to get it approved, we might as well sit and suck our thumbs while big business sings Ka Ching, Ka Ching, Ka Ching and continues to make obscene profits and dirties our world and buys our politicians.

Obama's facts may or may not be off kilter but the fact is that we the people need to help him or whoever is elected make the right changes once someone is officially in place.

The "green" concept is here to stay unless we make the planet turn dark, dry and uninhabitable before we begin our solutions. Whether there are a million or many billions of jobs doesn't really matter yet. It starts with one.