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Blueprint for Wisconsin's Green Economy
Our Vision for the Future
With federal economic recovery funds carefully targeted to
build Wisconsin’s green economy, we will see thousands of new green,
family-supporting jobs reducing Wisconsin’s unemployment rate and
freeing families from chronic poverty and poor health. We will use
trains and buses that efficiently connect people to employment.
Thousands of workers will retrofit buildings and homes, making them
energy efficient, yielding substantial savings to homeowners and
businesses. The former, diminished manufacturing sector in Wisconsin
will be rapidly transformed into green factories, capable of building
parts and equipment for wind, solar, and geothermal systems. We will
build a renewable energy system that reduces our dependence on foreign
oil and lessens our greenhouse gas emissions. With clean air, fresh
water, reduced poverty, green manufacturing, and green education,
Wisconsin will emerge as a sign of hope for a secure and sustainable
green economy.
Principles for Expenditure of Economic Recovery Funding
• Transportation dollars should prioritize investment in transit,
including bus systems, bus rapid transit, light rail, commuter rail,
and inter-city rail. Not only will these projects create construction
and manufacturing jobs, they will require ongoing operations and
maintenance jobs as well. They will also offer sorely needed
transportation choices to Wisconsin’s cities.
• Infrastructure projects should focus on “Fix-it First”.
Maintenance and repair of existing transit, highways, bridges and roads
should be prioritized for infrastructure funds. By fixing existing
infrastructure, jobs will be retained and we can avoid inefficient
development that promotes sprawl, increased fuel consumption and
climate change emissions.
• Federal funds should be directed to large-scale energy efficiency
retrofit projects for residential and commercial buildings. Energy
efficiency offers the best path for job retention and creation while
achieving significant reductions in climate change emissions.
• Investments should be made in our water infrastructure, with a
particular focus on green infrastructure. Green infrastructure is the
interconnected network of open spaces and natural areas – such as
greenways, wetlands, parks, forest preserves, native plant vegetation
and rain gardens, disconnected downspouts, green roofs, rain barrels,
permeable pavement – that naturally manages stormwater, reduces
flooding risk, and improves water quality.
• By connecting stimulus funds with labor standards, we can help
create family-supporting jobs that build long-term workforce capacity
and strengthen the economic base of local communities. Government
should attach labor standards to the economic recovery funds ,
requiring that prevailing wage standards apply.
• Funding should build valuable job skills by connecting job
creation investments with workforce development programs to ensure that
workers are well trained and have access to career pathways. To expand
a skilled workforce and build long-term employment opportunities
rganizations receiving funding should be subject to local hire and
apprenticeship requirements. A special emphasis should be placed upon
projects that create “pathways out of poverty” by connecting
under-served communities with training and jobs.
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