Memo on a green and equitable stimulus sent to Obama team

Stimulating the struggling economy will likely be Obama's first move once he takes office in January.  In an effort to make sure that this stimulus is good for working people and our environment, Green For All and a number of ally organizations sent this letter to key members of Obama's transition team yesterday.  The memo calls for an economic stimulus package that is green and equitable.

To:        Melody Barnes, Carol Browner, Michael Strautmanis, Dan Reicher, Greg Nelson, Joe Aldy, Brian Deese, Heather Zichal, Jason Grumet

From:          The Undersigned Organizations

Subject:      Principles for a Green & Equitable Stimulus and Recovery

Date:         December 11, 2008

As you draft and debate proposals to stimulate the American economy, we strongly urge you to make the recovery package as green and as equitable as possible.  We propose these principles as benchmarks against which all stimulus proposals – indeed, all energy-related proposals coming out of the new administration and Congress – should be measured.   The stimulus must:

• Maximize investments in the transition to a green, inclusive economy.
• Focus on fixing, improving efficiency, and lowering energy costs for our existing infrastructure – our buildings, roads and bridges, transmission grid, public transit systems, and manufacturing plants – rather than on new development.
• Promote high quality, family-supporting jobs here at home.
• Provide opportunities for under-served communities to access these high quality jobs, through investments in training programs and partnerships that promote career ladders and “pathways out of poverty.”
• Drive funding to states, cities, tribes and communities, and allow them some freedom to decide where and how they invest in their own economies.

We have in this time of crisis an historic opportunity to incorporate principles of sustainability, fairness, and equity directly into programs to grow our national economy.   And we have an opportunity to make fundamental choices about the kind of economy we want to create for the 21st century.  We can build a green economy that lifts all boats and puts America on a path to true prosperity, but only if we start now by demonstrating the political will to do so at this critical juncture. 

Sincerely,

1Sky
1,000 Friends of Wisconsin
350.org
Alliance for Climate Protection
Apollo Alliance
Campus Progress
Center for American Progress Action Fund
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Center for State Innovation
Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Ceres
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin
Clean Water Action
Clean Wisconsin
Climate Crisis Coalition
Climate Solutions
Coalition on Human Needs
Color of Change
Common Cause
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University
Democracia USA
Earth Ministry
EcoAmerica
Ecology Center
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Energize America
Energy Action Coalition
Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Fresh Energy
Future Majority
Global Exchange
Green For All
Greenpeace USA
Hip Hop Caucus
Illinois Environmental Council
Interfaith Power and Light
Iowa Environmental Council
IowaGlobalWarming.Org
Kyoto USA
League of Young Voters Education Fund
Michigan Energy Alternatives Project
Michigan Land Use Institute
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
MoveOn.org Political Action
National Hispanic Environmental Council
NYC Apollo Alliance
Oil Change International
PolicyLink
Policy Matters Ohio
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Rainforest Action Network
Restoring Eden
Rock the Vote
Sierra Club
Sierra Club, Cascade Chapter
Sierra Student Coalition
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Urban Agenda
Valley Watch, Inc
Windustry
Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters